Common Issues

When you reach the point of rendering your Video, AWS Lambda stores your completed video in an S3 bucket. The progress endpoint returns a download link so users can easily grab their final render.

But even with everything set up correctly, things can go sideways. Below are the most common Lambda-related issues you might face when rendering with Remotion, along with actionable solutions to get things back on track.

1. Memory Allocation Errors

Symptom: Your render crashes with an error indicating insufficient memory.

Why it happens: Rendering video frames is memory-heavy, especially with higher resolutions or complex animations.

Fix:

• Bump your Lambda memory to at least 2048MB (4096MB or higher is even better for heavy renders).
• Also check the timeout setting — longer videos may need more time than the default.

// example config
memorySize: 2048,
timeoutInSeconds: 120,

2. Missing AWS Credentials

Symptom: Render fails immediately with credential or permission errors.

Why it happens: Lambda requires valid AWS credentials to trigger renders and upload to S3.

Fix:

• Double-check your .env file for the correct values:

  AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_key
  AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret

• Use Remotion's built-in helper to verify credentials:

  npx remotion lambda validate

3. Outdated Compositions

Symptom: Your render doesn’t reflect recent changes to your video or code.

Why it happens: The deployed site hasn’t been updated — Lambda is still using an old version.

Fix:

• Re-deploy your Remotion site:

  npx remotion lambda sites create

• If reusing a site name, the new code will overwrite the existing Serve URL.

• Always redeploy after edits!

4. Lambda Function Limits

Symptom: Render hangs or fails without clear logs.

Why it happens: Each Lambda invocation has a runtime and memory limit. Complex renders might exceed these.

Fix:

• Reduce workload per invocation:

  framesPerLambda: 40, // lower means more invocations, but less load per

• Consider splitting large renders into segments and merging them later.

5. Asset Loading Errors

Symptom: Fonts, images, or other assets don’t load in the final video.

Why it happens: Lambda can’t access the required assets — either they’re not uploaded or not referenced properly.

Fix:

• Upload assets to your S3 bucket or include them in your deployment bundle.
• Use absolute paths in your composition (e.g., /assets/logo.png if inside the Serve URL).
• Avoid referencing local files that aren’t included in your Remotion build.

6. Lambda Function Not Triggered

Symptom: Render requests don’t start — Lambda isn’t being called.

Why it happens: There’s likely a mismatch between your config and the deployed function.

Fix:

• Check your remotion.config.ts:

  functionName: "remotion-render-4-0-221-mem2048mb-disk2048mb-120sec",
  region: "us-east-1",

• Confirm the function name and region match what’s in your AWS Lambda console.

Conclusion

Even with a smooth setup, serverless rendering can occasionally throw curveballs. But don’t worry — with these tips, most problems can be resolved quickly.

Remotion + AWS Lambda gives you a powerful, scalable way to render videos in the cloud — no need to manage servers or spin up machines.

Just remember:

• ✅ Always redeploy after edits
• ✅ Watch your memory and timeout settings
• ✅ Double-check credentials and asset paths
• ✅ Use npx remotion lambda CLI tools for debugging