Shotcut is an impressive, free video editing program capable of working with most popular formats and resolutions – including 4K. Furthermore, its native timeline editing process eliminates the need for import.
Shotcut makes adding transitions simple; simply drag one clip over another for an instant crossfade in their overlap zone. More advanced options can be found through filters.
Features
Shotcut offers an expansive set of video and audio editing features for both video and audio content creation, including wide format support and LADSPA filters, EQ controls and tone controls – as well as speed effects and brightness adjustments – as well as several advanced effects such as speed effects and brightness adjustments. Furthermore, its user-friendly filter icon and checkbox/sliders system make adjustments easy even for beginners.
This program supports various video and audio formats, including high-definition (4K). Additionally, it features support for capture devices including both external and built-in cameras; screen recording or microphone capture are supported as well as recording/processing videos using H.264 Main Profile, HEVC or MPEG-4 AAC codecs while also being capable of changing frame rates and aspect ratios to achieve optimal performance.
Shotcut offers a full-featured timeline for editing multiple clips and layers simultaneously, enabling users to add various clips, split, merge, move position or perform basic edits such as cut-copy-paste. Furthermore, Shotcut supports various text types including titles and subtitles as well as various transition effects; as well as providing options to adjust frame rates or sequence length and alter audio frequency/sample rate settings.
Furthermore, this software features an expansive list of audio filters and effects as well as numerous LUTs for color correction, various audio adjustment parameters and its audio metering feature makes it simple to see how changes affect sound quality in clips. Furthermore, audio mixing between tracks is supported.
Markers can be used to mark specific parts of a video clip and can be invaluable when working on complex edits with other editors. Furthermore, the software provides the option to rename and alter marker names – especially useful when working on projects containing multiple clips.
Interface
Shotcut is a free open source video editor offering a variety of features for editing videos. As it supports cross-platform computing environments and offers many interesting effects for customizing videos, Shotcut may be best suited for advanced users; average users might benefit from something simpler.
As part of your Shotcut installation, the first step should be selecting a suitable installation location and making sure there is sufficient free space available for it. After clicking install button to begin installation process, create desktop shortcuts or delete old program files as necessary – these steps may save some time in the long run!
Once installation is complete, double-clicking Shotcut’s icon to launch it and begin using its features and interface. Please be patient as this may take a few moments; when complete you can begin exploring its interface and functions.
Once your media has been imported, drag it onto the timeline at the bottom of your screen. Here you will perform all edits necessary for your project – such as trimming portions of video to tighten it or splitting longer videos into segments for titles or credits. In addition, LADSPA effects allow for sound quality enhancement.
Shotcut stands out from other video editors by supporting a wide range of formats, making it possible to import and export to almost every portable device. In addition, Blackmagic Design SDI and HDMI support enable input/preview monitoring as well as its sleek user-friendly interface with dockable/undockable panels.
Easy to use, yet with some peculiarities. For instance, some of its hotkeys differ from other video editing software – some making sense such as pressing “i” to set in and out points while others, like combining “J,” “K,” and “L” as controls to manage playback, are confusing.
Importing media
Shotcut offers users the capability of importing audio, video and images into a project, making it ideal for multi-track movies and allowing users to choose among a range of file formats. In addition, 4K resolution support is included as well as standard editing features like cutting, copying and pasting clips as well as layering them together – plus professional-level compositing tools typically only found within paid software programs!
Shotcut’s timeline is among the best I have used and features multiple layout options including timeline-only project, clip-only project, logging only project and player. Drag and dropping files from your library onto the timeline is straightforward while it can also be resized according to user preference. Furthermore, additional tools such as an audio waveform viewer or clip inspector can also be added for extra convenience.
Shotcut’s versatility also extends to handling multiple resolutions and frame rates in one timeline, which can save time when working on projects with many files of different types.
This program can also handle multiple sound tracks with volume controls for each track, as well as providing users with audio filters and LADSPA effects for editing and improving the quality of their video soundscape. Furthermore, it features an eyedropper tool to select neutral colors for white balancing purposes, and has an excellent cropping option to cut out specific sections of footage.
Shotcut offers users a convenient feature: they can export a completed video for playback on devices other than the computer it was created on, enabling them to share it directly on YouTube and other sites without using an outside tool.
Shotcut stands out from other video editing programs with its ability to create 3D compositions and models, giving it a distinct advantage over competing free or paid software programs. Furthermore, its extensive text and audio track capability makes for an extremely useful editing experience which users will likely appreciate.
Editing
Shotcut is a multi-track video editor offering an array of editing features. It allows simultaneous editing of multiple files at the same time, trimming clips, applying transitions and applying audio effects – as well as supporting 4K resolution and popular video formats – including its native timeline editing process and advanced capture mode.
This software was designed to work across various platforms such as Mac, Linux and Windows, making it easily portable between them all. Being lightweight means no powerful editing machine is needed; additionally, this open-source video editor is free and doesn’t contain advertisements – making the application simple yet highly effective! Furthermore, its timeline tool, clip browser function and audio/visual filters make editing simple for beginners as well.
Apart from standard edits like cut-copy-paste and appending clips, this program also enables more sophisticated edits such as muting/hiding tracks/controls and locking them, as well as adjusting track level/sample rate adjustments. Furthermore, video effects/LADSPA plugins/preset audio filters can all be added for additional visual flair in videos.
Another key feature is the option to add markers. This function is especially helpful for managing complex edits; it helps keep track of multiple points in your project or to mark important scenes within video footage. Furthermore, markers can be customized with custom names and colors; additionally the program offers voiceover recording as an additional function.
Shotcut now offers experimental GPU processing support to increase performance of resource-intensive operations, making editing high-resolution videos even simpler and supporting an array of audio and image file formats. This new feature may especially appeal to those interested in editing high-resolution files.
User interface of this open-source video editor resembles that of professional video editing programs, making it somewhat complex for beginners to get acquainted with its workings and operating logic. But for those willing to overcome any learning curve, this open-source video editor could prove well worth your while.
