Brightcove Player Customization
Brightcove players are built on Video.js. Every visual element is targetable via .vjs-* CSS classes. The tricky parts are specificity (the player ships with its own stylesheet) and the iframe vs. in-page embed split (iframe players block inline CSS entirely).
Always use physical CSS properties (width, height, max-width, top, left, etc.) — never logical properties (inline-size, block-size, inset-inline-start, etc.). Video.js itself uses physical properties throughout, and mixing logical properties into overrides creates inconsistency and can cause specificity surprises.
Player script URL and ID terminology
Brightcove uses three distinct IDs that are easy to confuse:
| Term | What it is | Example |
|---|
| Account ID | Numeric Brightcove account identifier | 1752604059001 |
| Player config ID | The player configuration created in Studio | default (or a UUID) |
| HTML element id | The id attribute on <video-js> — used by videojs.getPlayer() | myPlayer |
The CDN script URL is built from the account ID and player config ID — not the HTML element id:
https://players.brightcove.net/{account_id}/{player_config_id}_default/index.min.js
So if the account is 1752604059001 and the Studio player config is named default, the script URL is:
<script src="https://players.brightcove.net/1752604059001/default_default/index.min.js"></script>
The <video-js> element's id attribute (myPlayer, heroPlayer, etc.) is separate — it's just a DOM handle for videojs.getPlayer():
<video-js
id="myPlayer" <!-- HTML element id — what getPlayer() uses -->
data-account="1752604059001" <!-- Brightcove account ID — used in the script URL -->
data-player="default" <!-- Brightcove player config ID — used in the script URL -->
data-embed="default"
data-video-id="4825279519001"
class="video-js"
controls
></video-js>
When a user says "player id myPlayer", they almost always mean the element id, not a Studio player config named myPlayer. If no Brightcove player config ID is specified, default to data-player="default" and the default_default script URL.
Demo / preview pages — when producing a self-contained demo HTML file, always use these known-good values so the player actually loads:
- Account:
1752604059001
- Player config:
default
- Video:
4825279519001
- Script:
https://players.brightcove.net/1752604059001/default_default/index.min.js
Never leave placeholder text like ACCOUNT_ID or PLAYER_ID in a demo file — it will produce a blank page with console errors.
Embed type — decide first
| Embed type | Where CSS lives | JS access |
|---|
| Advanced (in-page) | <style> tag on the page OR Studio stylesheet | Full |
| Standard (iframe) | Studio stylesheet only — page <style> won't work | Limited |
For iframe players, upload a CSS file to a public URL and add it in Studio → Players → Plugins → Stylesheets, then republish.
For in-page embeds, a <style> block on the same page is the fastest approach.
Beating Brightcove's stylesheet
The player's own stylesheet is loaded late and carries high specificity. The recommended approach is to use both techniques together:
Unnamed cascade layer — CSS layers declared with a name come before unnamed layers. Putting your overrides in an unnamed @layer block makes them beat everything, including Brightcove's injected stylesheet.
!important — even inside an unnamed layer, add !important on every property. Brightcove occasionally injects inline styles at runtime, and only !important beats those.
/* Named layers declared first — unnamed layer implicitly ranks above all of them */
@layer config, resets, components;
/* Unnamed layer + !important: covers both the stylesheet and runtime inline styles */
@layer {
.c-player .video-js .vjs-big-play-button {
background-color: var(--videojs-play-btn-bg) !important;
}
}
Wrapper element pattern
Wrap <video-js> in a container element rather than styling it from the page root. This gives you:
- An easy way to control player width and aspect ratio
- A container query root scoped to the player width (not viewport width)
- A clean specificity bump via class nesting
<div class="c-player">
<video-js
id="myPlayer"
data-video-id="..."
data-account="..."
data-player="default"
data-embed="default"
class="video-js"
skin="false"
controls
></video-js>
</div>
Always add skin="false" on the <video-js> element when doing a custom skin. It disables Brightcove's default skin stylesheet, giving you a clean baseline with far fewer specificity fights.
.c-player {
width: 100%;
max-width: 56rem;
aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
.video-js {
width: 100% !important;
height: 100% !important;
/* Declare a container for container queries scoped to player width */
container: video / inline-size !important;
}
}
Design tokens
Define all tokens on :root (or .c-player if scoping tightly). Use --videojs-* prefix to keep player tokens distinct from page tokens.
:root {
--videojs-fg: oklch(10% 0.01 250);
--videojs-fg-subtle: oklch(45% 0 0 / 0.85);
--videojs-bg-accent: oklch(49% 0.14 250);
--videojs-bg-accent-hover: color-mix(
in oklch,
var(--videojs-bg-accent),
black 10%
);
--videojs-bg-control: oklch(100% 0 0 / 0.97);
--videojs-bg-progress-holder: oklch(0% 0 0 / 0.14);
--videojs-bg-progress-play: oklch(100% 0 0 / 0.12);
--videojs-border: oklch(80% 0 0 / 0.6);
--videojs-border-subtle: oklch(80% 0 0 / 0.4);
}
Use OKLCH — perceptually uniform, so adjusting lightness for variants is predictable. Use color-mix(in oklch, var(--base-color), black 10%) rather than hard-coding separate values.
Light / dark theming
Use the color-scheme property and the light-dark() CSS function to switch token values based on system preference:
:root {
color-scheme: light dark; /* enables system preference detection */
--videojs-bg-accent: light-dark(oklch(49% 0.14 250), oklch(56% 0.16 250));
--videojs-bg-control: light-dark(
oklch(100% 0 0 / 0.97),
oklch(22% 0.064 259 / 0.97)
);
}
/* Override for explicit theme choice */
:root[data-theme="light"] {
color-scheme: light;
}
:root[data-theme="dark"] {
color-scheme: dark;
}
Always initialize data-theme from prefers-color-scheme on page load so the explicit toggle starts in sync with the system preference — otherwise users on dark OS get a light flash before JS runs:
function setTheme(value) {
document.documentElement.dataset.theme = value;
/* update any toggle buttons with aria-pressed here */
}
/* Read system preference and set immediately */
setTheme(
window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches ? "dark" : "light",
);
Play button
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button | Button container (size, shape, background, border, position) |
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button .vjs-icon-placeholder | Play icon inside the button |
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button .vjs-icon-placeholder:before | Icon glyph (font-size, color) |
.video-js:hover .vjs-big-play-button | Button on player hover |
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button:hover | Button on direct hover |
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button:focus | Button on focus |
.video-js.vjs-mouse .vjs-big-play-button | Button during mouse interaction |
#myPlayerID .vjs-big-play-button | Player-specific override (highest specificity) |
Centering reliably: use top: 50%; left: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%) and margin: 0 — the default margin-based offset from Video.js doesn't account for custom button sizes.
Fluid sizing with clamp() and vi units — use viewport-inline units so the button scales with the player width rather than staying fixed. Always do this instead of a static rem value:
:root {
--videojs-big-btn: clamp(2rem, 8vi, 4.5rem);
--videojs-big-btn-icon-size: clamp(1rem, 6vi, 2rem);
}
.video-js .vjs-big-play-button {
width: var(--videojs-big-btn) !important;
height: var(--videojs-big-btn) !important;
font-size: var(--videojs-big-btn-icon-size) !important;
line-height: var(--videojs-big-btn) !important;
}
Change accessible label text:
videojs.getPlayer("myPlayer").ready(function () {
this.getChild("bigPlayButton").controlText("Watch video");
});
Control bar
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-control-bar | Bar container (background, height, padding) |
.video-js .vjs-control-bar * | All descendants — useful for resetting text-shadow globally |
.video-js .vjs-control-bar .vjs-control | Individual control items (color, spacing) |
.video-js .vjs-control-bar .vjs-button | Button elements |
.video-js .vjs-control-bar .vjs-button:hover | Button hover state |
.video-js:not(.vjs-has-started) .vjs-control-bar | Bar before playback has started (opacity, pointer-events) |
.video-js.vjs-quality-menu .vjs-quality-menu-button-HD-flag::after | HD quality badge |
Video.js ships with a text-shadow on control icons — reset it explicitly via .vjs-control-bar, .vjs-control-bar *, .vjs-menu * if your design doesn't use it.
backdrop-filter requires a vendor prefix for Safari — always pair them:
.video-js .vjs-control-bar {
-webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(12px) !important;
backdrop-filter: blur(12px) !important;
}
Via JS:
videojs.getPlayer("myPlayer").ready(function () {
this.controlBar.hide(); /* or .show() */
});
Progress / seek bar
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-progress-control | Outer wrapper — set align-items: flex-end to anchor the bar to the bottom edge as its hit area grows on hover |
.video-js .vjs-progress-holder | Track container (height, transition) |
.video-js .vjs-progress-control:hover .vjs-progress-holder | Expanded track height on hover |
.video-js .vjs-play-progress | Played portion (color) |
.video-js .vjs-play-progress::before | Play head dot (font-size to shrink, top to re-center) |
.video-js .vjs-load-progress | Buffered portion |
.video-js .vjs-load-progress div | Buffered sub-segments |
.video-js .vjs-slider-bar | Unplayed track background |
.video-js .vjs-progress-holder.vjs-slider | Slider track background |
Volume
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-volume-panel | Panel wrapper — controls expand/collapse width and transition timing |
.video-js .vjs-volume-panel:hover | Expanded state on hover |
.video-js .vjs-volume-panel.vjs-hover | Expanded via keyboard/focus |
.video-js .vjs-volume-panel.vjs-slider-active | Active while scrubbing |
.video-js .vjs-volume-control | Inner slider control (width, visibility transition) |
.video-js .vjs-volume-control.vjs-volume-control-horizontal | Horizontal layout alignment |
.video-js .vjs-volume-level | Filled volume bar (color) |
.video-js .vjs-volume-level::before | Volume thumb dot (color) |
.video-js .vjs-volume-bar.vjs-slider-bar.vjs-slider.vjs-slider-horizontal | Unfilled track (background) |
For the horizontal inline panel, use asymmetric transition delays — open fast (no delay), close with a delay so the cursor can escape without the panel collapsing mid-move.
Switch to vertical volume via JS options:
bc("myPlayer", {
controlBar: {
volumePanel: { inline: false, vertical: true },
},
});
Time display & tooltip
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-time-control | Base wrapper (hidden by default; use container query to show at wider widths) |
.video-js .vjs-current-time | Current time value |
.video-js .vjs-duration | Total duration value |
.video-js .vjs-time-divider | Separator between current time and duration |
.video-js .vjs-remaining-time | Time remaining (hide when current + duration are both shown) |
.video-js .vjs-time-tooltip | Seek position tooltip that appears on progress bar hover |
Container queries require container: video / inline-size on .video-js (set in the wrapper section above).
Duration badge (pre-play overlay)
A custom element injected into the player to show total duration before playback, then hidden on play. Scope it with @container video (inline-size >= 24rem) so it only appears when the player is wide enough. Use a has-played class on .video-js to hide it on play — cleaner than DOM removal and reusable for any pre-play overlays.
For the full CSS and JS implementation, see references/snippets.md.
Dock text (title / description overlay)
The dock text appears at the top of the player. Use .vjs-dock-text (not .vjs-title-bar) — they coexist but serve different purposes.
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-dock-text | Overlay container (background gradient, padding) |
.video-js .vjs-dock-title | Title text |
.video-js .vjs-dock-description | Description text |
.video-js .vjs-title-bar | Alternative title bar overlay at the top |
.video-js .vjs-title-bar-title | Title in the title bar |
.video-js .vjs-title-bar-description | Description in the title bar |
Popup menus
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-menu-button-popup .vjs-menu | Menu wrapper |
.video-js .vjs-menu-button-popup .vjs-menu .vjs-menu-content | Menu content box (background, border, font) |
.video-js .vjs-menu li.vjs-menu-item | Individual menu items |
.video-js .vjs-menu li.vjs-menu-item:hover | Item hover state |
.video-js .vjs-menu li.vjs-menu-item:focus | Item focus state |
.video-js .vjs-menu li.vjs-selected | Currently selected/active item |
.video-js .vjs-menu li.vjs-selected:hover | Selected item hover (needs its own rule to avoid being overridden) |
Context menu
The right-click context menu is a separate menu from the popup menus above — it uses .vjs-contextmenu-ui-menu. Always theme it alongside the popup menus or it will look unstyled against your custom skin.
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.vjs-contextmenu-ui-menu .vjs-menu-content | Menu box (background, color) |
@layer {
.c-player .vjs-contextmenu-ui-menu .vjs-menu-content {
color: var(--videojs-text) !important;
background-color: var(--videojs-menu-bg) !important;
}
}
Captions / subtitles
Adding captions
The CC button only appears when the player has at least one text track. When using data-video-id, the player loads its source asynchronously — a <track> element inside <video-js> is often ignored. Use addRemoteTextTrack() on the loadeddata event instead.
Always use the ensureTrack pattern — it handles source changes (multiple loadeddata firings) and deduplicates tracks so they aren't added twice. The pattern uses a captionsReady guard and calls addRemoteTextTrack() on loadeddata. For the full implementation (including multi-language support), see references/captions.md.
Local dev caveat: browsers block .vtt files loaded via file://. Serve from a local HTTP server (e.g. npx serve .).
Styling caption text
For caption text selectors, supported/unsupported properties, and Safari caveats, see references/captions.md.
Caption settings dialog
The dialog uses .vjs-text-track-settings — not .vjs-caption-settings. For the full selector table, see references/captions.md.
Adding a custom element to the control bar
videojs.getPlayer("myPlayer").ready(function () {
var btn = document.createElement("div");
btn.className = "vjs-control vjs-button my-custom-btn";
btn.innerHTML = '<span class="vjs-icon-placeholder">★</span>';
var spacer = document.querySelector(".vjs-spacer");
spacer.style.justifyContent = "flex-end";
spacer.appendChild(btn);
});
Fullscreen button
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.video-js .vjs-fullscreen-control | Button (color, display) |
.video-js .vjs-fullscreen-control:hover | Button hover state |
.video-js .vjs-fullscreen-control .vjs-icon-placeholder:before | Button icon glyph |
To remove it on iOS (native fullscreen is handled by the browser), check videojs.browser.IS_IOS inside .ready() and remove the .vjs-fullscreen-control element from the DOM.
Playlist
| Selector | Targets |
|---|
.vjs-mouse.vjs-playlist | Playlist container (background, text color) |
.vjs-playlist-item | Individual item |
.vjs-playlist-item:hover | Item hover state |
.vjs-playlist-item.vjs-selected | Currently playing item |
.vjs-playlist-vertical | Vertical layout (flex column) |
.vjs-playlist-horizontal | Horizontal layout (flex row, overflow) |
.vjs-playlist .vjs-playlist-thumbnail | Thumbnail image |
.vjs-playlist .vjs-playlist-title-container | Title area |
.vjs-playlist .vjs-playlist-duration | Duration badge on each item |
Responsive sizing
aspect-ratio has universal browser support. The old padding-top intrinsic ratio trick is no longer necessary.
Option A — wrapper + aspect-ratio (recommended)
Use the wrapper element pattern (see above) — it already covers aspect-ratio, width: 100%, and the container declaration needed for container queries.
Option B — built-in Video.js fluid classes
Add to <video-js>:
| Class | Ratio |
|---|
vjs-fluid | 2.4:1 (default) |
vjs-16-9 | 16:9 |
vjs-4-3 | 4:3 |
Or configure in Studio: Players → Player Information → Sizing → Responsive.
Fixed sizing
<video-js width="960" height="540" ...></video-js>
Or CSS:
.video-js {
width: 960px !important;
height: 540px !important;
}
Studio workflow checklist
- Players module → select or create a player
- Styling tab → set colors, skin, and basic appearance via GUI
- Plugins → Stylesheets → add a URL to a hosted CSS file for anything Studio's GUI can't do
- Plugins → Scripts → add a URL to a hosted JS file for runtime customization
- Publish & Embed → Publish Changes — required after any Studio edit
Use the {PLAYER_CLASS} selector token only inside Studio-hosted stylesheets (not in page <style> tags) — it resolves to the player's generated class at publish time.