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This guide covers all configuration options for deploying and running video renders on AWS Lambda.

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Lambda Resources

The Lambda function configuration is defined in config.mjs. These settings determine the resources allocated to your rendering functions.

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Region

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REGION
AwsRegion
default:"us-east-1"
The AWS region where your Lambda functions and S3 bucket will be deployed.
export const REGION = "us-east-1";
Choose a region based on:
  • Geographic proximity to your users
  • Cost differences between regions
  • Available AWS services and features
Common regions:
  • us-east-1 - US East (N. Virginia)
  • us-west-2 - US West (Oregon)
  • eu-west-1 - Europe (Ireland)
  • ap-southeast-1 - Asia Pacific (Singapore)

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Memory (RAM)

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RAM
number
default:"3009"
Memory allocated to Lambda function in megabytes (MB).
export const RAM = 3009;
Guidelines:
  • Minimum: 2048 MB for basic video rendering
  • Recommended: 3009 MB for most use cases
  • High complexity: 4096+ MB for 4K or effects-heavy videos
Higher RAM also increases CPU allocation proportionally. More RAM = faster rendering but higher cost.

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Disk Space

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DISK
number
default:"10240"
Ephemeral disk storage for Lambda function in megabytes (MB).
export const DISK = 10240;
Guidelines:
  • Default: 10240 MB (10 GB) handles most renders
  • Increase if rendering:
    • Very long videos (>5 minutes)
    • High-resolution output (4K)
    • Videos with large asset files
Lambda disk space is limited to 10,240 MB maximum. For larger requirements, consider optimizing asset sizes.

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Timeout

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TIMEOUT
number
default:"240"
Maximum execution time for Lambda function in seconds.
export const TIMEOUT = 240;
Guidelines:
  • Default: 240 seconds (4 minutes)
  • Short videos (under 30s): 120 seconds may suffice
  • Long videos (over 2 min): Consider 300+ seconds
AWS Lambda has a hard limit of 900 seconds (15 minutes). Remotion’s distributed rendering splits work across multiple functions to handle longer videos.

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Site Name

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SITE_NAME
string
default:"my-next-app"
Identifier for your deployed Remotion site.
export const SITE_NAME = "my-next-app";
This name is used to identify your deployed video template bundle. Change it if deploying multiple projects to the same AWS account.

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Environment Variables

Environment variables are configured in your .env file. These are required for both deployment and rendering.

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AWS Credentials

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REMOTION_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
string
required
AWS Access Key ID for authenticating with AWS services.
REMOTION_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
How to get:
  1. Log into AWS Console
  2. Navigate to IAM > Users > Security Credentials
  3. Create a new access key
Keep this secure. Never commit to version control or share publicly.
Alternative: You can also use AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID (standard AWS SDK environment variable).
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REMOTION_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
string
required
AWS Secret Access Key paired with your Access Key ID.
REMOTION_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY
Security:
  • Store securely (use environment variable management)
  • Rotate regularly
  • Never log or expose in client-side code
Alternative: You can also use AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY (standard AWS SDK environment variable).

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OpenAI Configuration

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OPENAI_API_KEY
string
required
Your OpenAI API key for generating video content from text prompts.
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...
How to get:
  1. Sign up at platform.openai.com
  2. Navigate to API Keys
  3. Create a new secret key
This is required for the prompt-to-motion-graphics functionality.

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Configuration Validation

The deployment script validates your configuration before deploying: 
if (!process.env.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID && !process.env.REMOTION_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID) {
  console.log('The environment variable "REMOTION_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID" is not set.');
  console.log("Lambda renders were not set up.");
  console.log("Complete the Lambda setup: at https://www.remotion.dev/docs/lambda/setup");
  process.exit(0);
}
This prevents deployment failures due to missing credentials.

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Function Name Generation

The Lambda function name is automatically generated based on your configuration: 
const functionName = speculateFunctionName({
  diskSizeInMb: DISK,
  memorySizeInMb: RAM,
  timeoutInSeconds: TIMEOUT,
});
// Example: "remotionlambda-mem3009mb-disk10240mb-240sec"
This ensures consistency between deployment and rendering operations. If you change any of these values in config.mjs, you must redeploy using node deploy.mjs.

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Render-Time Configuration

When rendering videos via the API, additional options are configured in the render endpoint:

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Codec

codec: "h264"
The video codec used for output. H.264 provides broad compatibility and good compression.

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Frames Per Lambda

framesPerLambda: 60
How many frames each Lambda function processes:
  • Lower values (30-50): More parallelization, faster renders, higher cost
  • Higher values (60-120): Less parallelization, slower renders, lower cost
Optimal value depends on:
  • Video complexity (simpler = higher values)
  • Budget constraints
  • Time requirements

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Download Behavior

downloadBehavior: {
  type: "download",
  fileName: "video.mp4",
}
Controls how the rendered video is delivered:
  • type: "download": Video downloads when URL is accessed
  • fileName: Name of the downloaded file

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Optimization Strategies

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Cost Optimization

  1. Reduce RAM if renders complete successfully with lower memory
  2. Increase framesPerLambda to reduce number of function invocations
  3. Choose cheaper regions (us-east-1 is typically least expensive)
  4. Set appropriate timeout - don’t over-allocate

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Performance Optimization

  1. Increase RAM for faster CPU allocation and quicker renders
  2. Decrease framesPerLambda for more parallel processing
  3. Choose region close to users for faster upload/download
  4. Increase timeout if encountering timeout errors

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Resource Planning

Video DurationRecommended RAMRecommended TimeoutFrames Per Lambda
< 30 seconds2048 MB120 seconds90
30-60 seconds3009 MB240 seconds60
1-3 minutes3009 MB300 seconds60
3-5 minutes4096 MB300 seconds45

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When to Update Configuration

You must redeploy (node deploy.mjs) when changing:
  • REGION
  • RAM
  • DISK
  • TIMEOUT
  • SITE_NAME
You do NOT need to redeploy when changing:
  • Environment variables (.env file)
  • Render-time options (codec, framesPerLambda)

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Example Configuration

Here’s a complete example for a production setup: config.mjs: 
export const REGION = "us-east-1";
export const SITE_NAME = "prod-motion-graphics";
export const RAM = 3009;
export const DISK = 10240;
export const TIMEOUT = 240;
.env: 
REMOTION_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
REMOTION_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...
This configuration provides a good balance of performance and cost for most video rendering workloads.

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