How to Clip a Video: Trim, Split, & Cut
Creating clips, splitting, and trimming your videos lets you use them on any social media platform. In this article, we'll show you how to clip any video.
Clipping videos is an essential video editing technique creators use to make short-form content. This simple yet powerful process extracts emotional, funny, and riveting sections from videos to capture the best moments. With a range of online video editors available, you don’t need to download professional software to make this happen. In this article, we'll explain how to use a free online tool called Kapwing to clip your video.
Why We Recommend Kapwing’s Trimmer
A wide range of online video trimmers are available, but the ease of use and cost vary. When you need to quickly clip a section of a single video, Kapwing’s trimmer is the most reliable and intuitive software solution.
The example featured in the tutorial below is the result after trimming a timelapse video filmed from a phone with Kapwing. The original video was over one minute in length and is now a short 5-second nugget displaying the best section from the timelapse video. To achieve similar results with your videos, follow the four steps listed in the next section.
- Open trim tool
- Upload video
- Trim, cut, or split your Video
- Save and share
Step One: Open Trim Tool
Head over to Kapwing and open the trim tool. You can use this free tool on any device with a browser such as an iPhone or Android to make edits on the go or work from a computer.
Step Two: Upload Video
There are many ways to upload a video to Kapwing. You can upload videos from your device or directly import videos from a URL. Pasting a link is really useful for clipping a section out of a YouTube video, cropping videos for social media platforms, or importing a video from, TikTok, Imgur, Vimeo, Instagram, or another website.
Kapwing's Cloud Media Library also integrates directly with Google Photos, so you can import videos that you've taken on your phone.
Once you upload your video, it will appear on Kapwing’s timeline editor. You can click the play button to preview your video and click 'Fit to Screen' to show layers in their entirety on the screen. Additionally, you can zoom in and out of the timeline to make precise edits.
Step Three: Trim, Cut, or Split Your Video
Grab the ends of the video layer in the timeline below and drag to the side to adjust the start and end time of the video. If you want to shorten the video to a middle section, drag the end time to the desired end point and the start time to the starting point. Then, click the blank gap at the beginning of the timeline and delete it.
Alternatively, you can select the video layer and choose the Trim button from the sidebar. If your video has dialogue or background sound, use the waveforms as a guide to decide when to cut. This will let you select the start and end time that you want for that layer in the timeline.
To add a cut in your video, move the time slider to the part of the video you want to cut in the Timeline below, then click the Split button. Making another split at a different part of the video will create an isolated clip that you can delete or move and trim as desired. To cut out a section of the video, use "Split" to splice the section that you want to remove and delete it.
Kapwing's Clip Video tool works on any device: phone, tablet, or computer. On a smaller screen, the split button has a scissors icon. On a computer, try using the S-key shortcut to make cuts in the video.
Related: 12 Best Free Video Editing Softwares for Professionals
Kapwing's editor also gives you AI-powered smart tools to assist in clipping your video. The Find Scenes tool will make cuts when there's a scene change in the video, which can help when repurposing an existing video. SmartCut will automatically identify and remove any silences that appear in the video, making cuts that increase the tempo and engage viewers.
You can add text, images, background music, other videos, and more to your video using the options on the left side. When you're all done, click the Export button in the upper right corner Kapwing.
Step Four: Save and Share
After the video is done processing, you can share the final video page URL with your friends! You can also download the video clip if you want to publish it on social media or convert it to a GIF.
For more video editing technique tips and tutorials explore the related articles below and visit our YouTube channel to watch the best video editing tutorials for creators.
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