TIKTOK VIDEO EDITOR

Simply put: yes! The TikTok Video is free for all users. You can easily resize your video, apply a TikTok safe zone, filters, and animated subtitles. After you upgrade to a Pro Account, you get access to 300 minutes of auto-subtitling per month, plus 4k video quality and custom fonts.

Yes, you can find an available CapCut alternative, free of cost. For example, InShot, DaVinci Resolve, and KineMaster all have free versions you can access, though each have their own limitations unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

Kapwing's all-in-one, online editing platform is a user-friendly CapCut alternative that's free to start using. It works seamlessly on PC, Mac, laptop, and desktop, but can be used on mobile as well. The TikTok video cutter lets you resize videos to the correct aspect ratio (1080x1920 – 9:16) and apply a TikTik safe zone. After upgrading to a Pro Account, you can also leverage the highlight-finder to speed up your production, auto-scanning long videos and generating 15- to 30-second clips that have subtitles and transitions.

TikTok has several fonts built into its text feature, including:

1. TikTok Sans: TikTok's default font, TikTok Sans is a custom font that was an created to improve readability from the original Classic font.
2. Classic: The Classic font is Proxima Nova – Semibold. Although visually a throwback to TikTok's early days, it's still widely used.
3. Typewriter: This font is reminiscent of — you guessed it — vintage typewriter lettering. Although a custom TikTok font, Source Code Pro – Bold looks nearly identical to it.
4. Handwriting: A highly aesthetic font, Handwriting is also a bit more difficult to read. Kaufmann and Cafe Script are almost perfect matches for it, but they're not free. The Google font Yesteryear is a good free replacement.
5. Neon: An all-caps font with a glowing background. The premium font Aveny-T is near-identical to TikTok's Neon, while the free Google font Abel is a great option that is nearly equivalent.
6. Serif: Aptly named "Serif" for being TikTok's only font from the serif family. It's essentially a repackaged Georgia – Bold, which is royalty-free!

A TikTok safe zone is the part of the screen where visual elements like text, logos, or calls to action can be clearly seen, without being blocked by TikTok's (buttons, captions, profile icons, etc.). Applying a safe zone ensures that every visual element is visible to viewers on any device, so your content can be fully seen without any distractions.

Generally speaking, the key to going viral on TikTok is keeping it short! Aim for videos between 21 and 34 seconds long. Capture your audience's interest immediately and deliver your message swiftly, ensuring they engage with your content without interrupting their scrolling for too long.

That said, TikTok has been pushing for longer content in recent years, so lengthier videos have begun to gain traction. Videos ranging from 3 to 10 minutes now tend to garner high view counts.

You can cut out parts of videos within the TikTok app by following a few simple steps:

1. Open TikTok and press the "+" sign at the bottom of the screen to open your recent videos.
2. Press the rectangle icon under the gear sign to open your video timeline.
3. Press the video timeline to highlight it, and a "Split" button will appear on the bottom of the screen.
4. Play your video, pause it where you want to make a cut, and press "Split."
5. Repeat this process until you've cut a section, then highlight that section and press "Delete."

Note that if you cut a very small portion of your TikTok video, the app will automatically open the transitions options. However, using both your fingers, you can extend the tiny piece of clipped video to enlarge it, and the option to split it will reappear.

To make a TikTok video with pictures and music, follow these five steps:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap the "+" sign at the bottom of the screen. Select "Photo" from the options.
2. Tap the image to the right of the record button, which will be the latest photo in your camera roll. This will open your camera roll.
3. Pick the photos you want to include in your TikTok. They will be added in the order you select, but you can rearrange them later if needed.
4. Then, to add music, tap the "Add sound" button at the top of the screen (music might be auto-added based on your selections, but you can still change it).
5. You’ll be able to preview a sound by tapping on it, choose a sound from Recommended, Favorites, or Recent, and use the search icon to find a specific sound. If you choose from Recommended, Favorites, or Recent, the sound will be immediately applied; if you search for a sound, you'll need to press the checkmark icon beside it to add it.

To post photos and carousels on TikTok, you'll need to use the Photo Mode. Here's the process in a nutshell:

1. Accessing Photo Mode: To post photos, tap the "+" button on TikTok, select "Photo" mode (available alongside the video option), and choose the photo(s) you want to upload.
2. Creating a Carousel: Photo Mode allows you to create a carousel of multiple images (up to 35), which can be customized with text, effects, and music to enhance the visual appeal.
3. Editing Photos: You'll find various editing options available, such as adjusting the duration each photo is displayed, adding filters, transitions, and more, so you can make your carousel or standalone photo as visually stunning as possible.
4. Best Practices: For optimal photo posts, ensure you're using high-quality images, adding engaging captions, and using relevant hashtags to boost discoverability.

The best time to post on TikTok depends on your audience, and there’s no single time guaranteed to drive the highest engagement. However, Kapwing’s analysis of 15,000 top-performing TikTok videos, spanning 129 hashtags and 11 categories, revealed that peak posting times often fall between 9 AM and 12 PM in U.S. time zones.