A bar, not a stack
A lower third is a slim horizontal band that carries one current line near the bottom edge. It exists so lyrics never climb into the performer or the upper frame.
Keep the height small. The moment the band grows tall enough to hold several lines, it stops being a lower third and becomes a stacked block that competes with the camera.
Use player-single and a bottom anchor
Choose player-single and anchor it bottom-center or bottom-left. A single current line is what keeps the bar shallow, and marquee motion handles lines that are wider than the band.
There are 9 anchors available, but only the bottom row keeps a true lower third. Center and top anchors turn the recipe into something else.
How it differs from a now-playing card
A lower third spans the width near the bottom edge and emphasizes the current line. A now-playing card sits in a corner and adds artwork and a progress bar around that line.
Pick the lower third when you want a clean caption-style bar, and the card when you want a compact "what is playing" badge in a corner.
When to switch to multi-line or vertical single
If viewers need the previous and next lines, and the scene has height to spare, use player-multi limited to three compact lines instead of forcing extra rows into the bar.
In a vertical scene, keep player-single but move to the 1080×1920 recipe, since a phone-first frame needs a higher font range than a landscape lower third.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use multi-line as a lower third?
Only if the remaining height fits three compact lines. Otherwise the block becomes a stack, not a bar.
Which anchor keeps a true lower third?
Bottom-center or bottom-left. Center and top anchors move the lyrics out of the lower-third band.
Is a lower third a separate overlay?
No. It is player-single placed near the bottom edge—one of three layouts, not a fourth product.