Quick Guide — How to Add Transitions in Premiere Pro in 5 Easy Steps
When editing videos, the magic often lies in how seamlessly your scenes flow from one to the next. Transitions are the secret behind that smooth, professional feel, turning potentially awkward cuts into creative visual storytelling. Even if you're new to editing, creating and adding unique transitions doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Follow along with this guide, and we'll show you exactly how to add customized transitions to your videos in Premiere Pro in a few simple steps.
What are transitions (and why your video needs one)?
Transitions are visual effects designed to smoothly link separate video clips, eliminating abrupt scene jumps that can disrupt your viewers’ attention. Without transitions, shifting between clips often feels awkward, making your video appear disconnected. By using transitions, you help viewers naturally follow your narrative’s idea. Adobe Premiere Pro already includes common transitions such as fades, dissolves, zooms, and slides, suitable for basic edits. However, if you're aiming for something more visually unique or creatively aligned with your project's identity, Videobolt provides compelling, customizable alternatives.
Step 1: Find your perfect transition on Videobolt
Before jumping into Premiere Pro, first you'll need your video transition. Visit Videobolt and browse the library to explore a wide range of creative templates designed to fit different styles and projects. After selecting your favorite, you can quickly customize it by tweaking colors, changing text, or even selecting music that matches the vibe of your video. Once satisfied, export your custom transition in MOV format with just a few clicks. Save the file on your computer, and you're ready to start editing in Premiere Pro.
For the purpose of this guide, we’ve picked the Onward Stinger Transition to blend our clips together.
Step 2: Import your footage and set up your timeline
Now that you have your custom transition ready, open Premiere Pro and create a new project to set up your editing workspace. To add your clips, right-click in the empty area of the Project panel, select Import, and choose at least two video clips you'd like to connect with your transition. After importing, drag these clips onto your timeline, placing them side-by-side. With everything in position, you're all set to connect these clips using your transition.
Step 3: Add your Transition file to Premiere Pro
With your clips ready on the timeline, it’s time to add the transition you’ve prepared. Locate the transition video file you exported earlier from Videobolt. To import it into Premiere, either click File > Import, or simply drag and drop the file directly into Premiere’s Project panel. Your transition will appear alongside your footage clips.
The transition we picked works like a regular video clip with built in transparency. This means that Premiere will automatically recognize it, displaying checkerboard patterns in transparent areas. Don’t worry, there's no extra setup required — the transition is ready to use right away.
Step 4: Find the perfect spot for your transition
Now it’s time to bring your scenes together. On your Premiere timeline, make sure your two clips (Clip A and Clip B) are positioned side-by-side. Drag your transition onto the track above these clips — typically Video Track 2, with your main footage on Video Track 1. Pay attention that the transition evenly overlaps the cut between the clips, covering the switch from one scene to another.
Since our transition file has built-in transparency, Clip A remains visible underneath until the animation fully transitions to Clip B. If your transition includes audio, you can leave it for added impact or mute it as preferred. Feel free to nudge the transition slightly to the left or right until the timing feels natural.
Step 5: Preview and export your final video
You're almost there. Play back the timeline around your transition to ensure everything flows smoothly. If the timing feels slightly off, just shift the transition left or right until it perfectly aligns. Don’t worry if the Program Monitor shows a black background — it’s just Premiere's transparency view, which won't affect the exported video.
Once you're happy with how it looks, go to File > Export > Media, select your preferred export settings, and render your final video. Your customized Videobolt Onward Stinger Transition is now part of your final project — seamless, professional, and ready to share.
Want to see it in action? Check out the final video we created using this transition with our footage for a smoother, more polished scene change.
Discover more creative possibilities with Videobolt
Feeling inspired? Transitions are just the beginning. With Videobolt’s collection of 15,000+ customizable motion graphic templates, you can effortlessly enhance every aspect of your video projects — from striking intros and eye-catching titles to dynamic promos and social media content. Every template is thoughtfully designed to help you easily express your creativity and keep your content fresh and engaging. Explore, customize, and bring your creative vision to life — Videobolt makes it simple. Happy creating!