# How to make a feature announcement video

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/blog/feature-announcement-video
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Author: Ajay Pawriya (https://getvidiyo.app/about)
Published: 2026-10-08
Category: Launch videos

> TL;DR: Keep it to 30 to 45 seconds and one feature. Open on the pain the feature removes, show it working in the real UI, give one concrete example, then say who gets it and where to find it. Record the screen the day it ships, cut it with captions and a callout or two, and post vertical and landscape versions.

A feature announcement video tells your existing users and followers that something new works now, and shows it working. It's shorter and narrower than a launch video: one feature, one example, under a minute. Because you'll make many of them, the trick is a repeatable format you can produce the same afternoon the feature ships.

## What should a feature announcement video include?

A feature announcement needs four parts: the pain, the feature in action, one concrete example, and where to find it. That's it. Viewers already know your product, so you can skip the "what is this" part a launch video needs and get to the new thing in the first few seconds.

| Part | Time | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | 0 to 5 s | Remind people what was annoying before |
| Feature | 5 to 25 s | Show it working in the real UI |
| Example | 25 to 35 s | One specific use, with real-looking data |
| Where and who | 35 to 45 s | Plan, platform, how to turn it on |

If your feature needs more than 45 seconds to show, it's probably two features, or it needs a full [demo video](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/make-a-saas-demo-video).

## What does a feature announcement script look like?

About 100 spoken words, written alongside what's on screen. Here's a sample for a fictional "bulk export" feature in a photo app.

| Time | On screen | Voice | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 s | Cursor exporting photos one at a time, quick jump cuts | "Exporting a shoot used to mean clicking export forty times." | "Before" |
| 5 to 15 s | Select all, one click on Export all, progress bar | "Now you select the shoot and export it in one go." | "Bulk export" |
| 15 to 25 s | Export settings panel, callout on the size presets | "Pick a size preset once, and it applies to every photo." | |
| 25 to 35 s | Finder window filling with files, named by date | "Every file is named by date and client, ready to send." | |
| 35 to 45 s | Settings screen, plan badge | "It's live now on every paid plan. Find it under File." | "Live today" |

A few rules from that example:

- **Start with the old way, fast.** Jump cuts of the tedious version say "before" without explaining it.
- **Name the feature once,** on screen, in plain words. No internal codenames.
- **Show one real case.** "Every file named by date and client" is more convincing than "flexible naming options".
- **End on where it is.** The plan it's on and where to click, so interested viewers can try it straight away.

## How do I record the footage?

Record the new feature the day it ships, in the real product, with demo data that looks like a real customer's. You'll need two or three short screen recordings and, optionally, one line to camera.

1. **The old way:** a 10 to 20 second recording of the tedious workflow. You'll cut it down to a few seconds.
2. **The new way:** the feature from start to result, in one take.
3. **Where it lives:** the menu, setting or plan page where people find it.
4. **Optional face line:** "We just shipped bulk export" to camera, for the hook or the end.

On a Mac, Shift-Command-5 opens the [Screenshot app](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102618) for screen recording; turn on **Show Mouse Clicks** in Options so viewers see each click. Zoom the UI a step before recording so text is readable on a phone.

## How do I make a feature announcement in Vidiyo?

Import the recordings, paste the script or describe the video, and let the assistant cut it, then adjust callouts and captions. Because the assistant watches the frames, it can line up each recording with the sentence that describes it and check that titles and captions don't cover the UI.

1. **Import** the two or three recordings and any face take. Pick 9:16 for Reels and Shorts or 16:9 for X, LinkedIn and your changelog.
2. **Ask for the cut:** "Make a 40-second feature announcement. Open with three fast jump cuts of the old export, then show bulk export from select to finished files. End on the plan badge with 'Live today'."
3. **Add a callout:** "Circle the size presets when I say size preset." Arrows, circles, underlines and boxes draw on, timed to the word.
4. **Add a title:** the starter scenes include titles, lower thirds and calls to action. Copy, colours and timing are editable in the inspector, and they follow your brand colours.
5. **Voice:** narrate as you record the screen, or record the lines afterwards in any audio app and import them. Narration is transcribed on your Mac, so it can be cut by its words.
6. **Caption** with a short-form style like Word highlight, then export.
7. **Schedule.** Link the export to a card on the Board, write the post copy, and schedule it to Instagram, X, LinkedIn or YouTube through Buffer, after you review and approve each post.

For the next feature, start from the same structure. The assistant remembers saved project and taste notes, and your brand look stays on the project.

## How do I make one without Vidiyo?

Use the same four-part script and a traditional editor. Cut the old-way recording into a few fast clips, lay the new-way recording under your voice, add one shape layer as a callout, add captions, and finish on a title card with the plan and location. Save the project as a template so the next announcement starts with the title, caption style and end card already in place.

## Which version should I post where?

Make one vertical and one landscape cut, and write the post copy per platform. The video does the showing; the post copy says what changed in one line.

| Platform | Shape | Post copy |
|---|---|---|
| X | 16:9 or 1:1 | One line on what's new, then the video |
| LinkedIn | 16:9 or 1:1 | Why it matters to customers, two or three lines |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | The pain in the first line, the feature in the second |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | Title with the feature name and the outcome |
| Changelog and in-app | 16:9 | The full release note, video at the top |

Captions matter here, because someone scrolling with the sound off should still get the point. Keep them clear of the app buttons on vertical cuts; the [safe-zone checker](https://getvidiyo.app/tools/safe-zone-checker) shows where those sit.

## How do I make feature announcements a habit?

Batch them. Ship notes become scripts, scripts become 40-second videos, and the videos go out on a schedule. If you ship weekly, a regular [changelog video](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/changelog-videos) rolls several small features into one, and the big features still get their own announcement.

A simple checklist to keep next to your release process:

- [ ] One feature, one sentence describing it
- [ ] Old-way recording, new-way recording, where-it-lives recording
- [ ] Script under 110 words
- [ ] Callout on the key control
- [ ] Captions checked for the feature name's spelling
- [ ] 9:16 and 16:9 exports
- [ ] Post copy per platform, scheduled

## Honest limits

- No speed ramps or speed control; cut waiting time instead.
- No cursor-follow zoom; zooms into screen recordings are keyframed punch-ins.
- Vidiyo exports 1080p at 30 fps.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should a feature announcement video be?

30 to 45 seconds for one feature. If you need longer, it's probably a demo or a release roundup, not an announcement.

### Should a feature announcement show the old way?

Briefly. Two or three seconds of the old pain makes the new feature land, but spend most of the video on the feature itself.

### Do I need a designer to make feature announcement videos?

No. Real UI, a clear script, captions and one or two callouts carry most announcements. Titles and motion help, and Vidiyo's assistant can add them from starter scenes.

### Where should I post a feature announcement video?

Wherever your users already are: X and LinkedIn for B2B products, Instagram and YouTube Shorts for consumer apps, plus your changelog and in-app announcement.

## Related

- [How to make changelog videos](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/changelog-videos)
- [How to make a product launch video](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/make-a-product-launch-video)
- [How to turn a screen recording into a polished demo](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/screen-recording-to-polished-demo)
- [Vidiyo for founders: launch and feature videos without hiring an editor](https://getvidiyo.app/for/founders)
- [A content calendar that schedules your videos](https://getvidiyo.app/features/content-calendar-and-scheduling)
- [Video hook](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/video-hook)

## Sources

- [Apple Support: How to record the screen on your Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102618) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download