remotion-dev/remotion · error · Error

No src passed

Error message

No src passed

What it means

Thrown synchronously by useBasicMediaInTimeline when its `src` argument is falsy (undefined, null, or empty string). This hook backs Audio/Video/Img timeline registration, so a missing src means there is no media to schedule. It fires during render (not in an effect), so it aborts the component's first render.

Solutions

1. Gate the media element on src truthiness: `{url && <Video src={url} />}`.
2. Initialize the URL state to a valid default asset instead of undefined.
3. If src is computed, validate it before render and fall back to a placeholder composition.
4. Check that imported asset paths resolve (e.g. `import vid from './vid.mp4'` is not undefined).

Example fix

// before
<Video src={videoUrl} />

// after
{videoUrl ? <Video src={videoUrl} /> : null}

if (!src || typeof src !== 'string' || src.trim() === '') {
  return null; // or a placeholder
}
return <Video src={src} />;

const isValidSrc = (s: unknown): s is string => typeof s === 'string' && s.length > 0;

When it happens

Trigger: Rendering <Audio src={undefined} /> or <Video src={data.url} /> before data.url has loaded; passing an empty string src; destructuring src from a prop that was never provided; conditional media where the source field is optional and currently unset.

Common situations: Fetching a media URL asynchronously and rendering the <Video> before the fetch resolves; reading src from a CMS/props object where the field is empty; copy-paste leaving src off; environment differences where an asset path resolves to undefined.

Related errors

• Could not determine duration of
• Could not read media metadata for
• No 'src' attribute was passed to the
• No `src` was passed to
• No `src` was passed to

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@a6a7485a9a (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/20d458d069f953d4. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/core/src/use-media-in-timeline.ts:53

	mediaStartsAt,
	loop,
	muted,
}: {
	volume: VolumeProp | undefined;
	mediaVolume: number;
	mediaType: 'audio' | 'video' | 'image';
	src: string | undefined;
	displayName: string | null;
	trimBefore: number | undefined;
	trimAfter: number | undefined;
	playbackRate: number;
	sequenceDurationInFrames: number;
	mediaStartsAt: number;
	loop: boolean;
	muted: boolean;
}) => {
	if (!src) {
		throw new Error('No src passed');
	}

	const parentSequence = useContext(SequenceContext);

	const [initialVolume] = useState<VolumeProp | undefined>(() => volume);

	const duration = getTimelineDuration({
		compositionDurationInFrames: sequenceDurationInFrames,
		playbackRate,
		trimBefore,
		trimAfter,
		parentSequenceDurationInFrames: parentSequence?.durationInFrames ?? null,
		loop,
	});

	const volumes: string | number = useMemo(() => {
		if (typeof volume === 'number') {
			return volume;

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