Shotcut – Free Video Editor for All Platforms

Edit Videos Professionally with Shotcut Free Video Editor

Shotcut provides a powerful, free video editing solution that rivals paid software in both features and flexibility. Built on the MLT Multimedia Framework, this open-source editor supports a vast array of video and audio formats, professional features like 4K resolution editing, and an intuitive interface that accommodates both beginners and experienced editors.

Unlike many free video editors that impose watermarks, limit export options, or push premium upgrades, Shotcut offers its complete feature set without restrictions. The software runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring consistent editing capabilities regardless of your operating system choice.

Installation

Linux

Flatpak (Recommended):

flatpak install flathub org.shotcut.Shotcut

Snap:

sudo snap install shotcut --classic

AppImage:

wget https://www.shotcut.org/download/shotcut-linux-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x shotcut-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./shotcut-linux-x86_64.AppImage

macOS

brew install --cask shotcut

Windows

winget install Meltytech.Shotcut
# or
choco install shotcut

Interface Layout

Main Panels

????????????????????????????????????????????????
?   Source       ?                             ?
?   Preview      ?     Project Preview         ?
?                ?                             ?
????????????????????????????????????????????????
?                ?                             ?
?   Playlist     ?      Filters Panel          ?
?                ?                             ?
????????????????????????????????????????????????
?                                               ?
?              Timeline                         ?
?                                               ?
?????????????????????????????????????????????????

Customizing Layout

View > Layout > Choose preset
# Or drag panels to reposition
# Save custom layout: View > Layout > Save As

Basic Editing

Importing Media

Method 1: File > Open File
Method 2: Drag files to Playlist
Method 3: Drag directly to Timeline

Supported formats:
- Video: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, etc.
- Audio: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, etc.
- Images: PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, etc.

Adding to Timeline

1. Open file in Source player
2. Set In/Out points: I and O keys
3. Drag to Timeline or press A (append)

Or: Drag from Playlist to Timeline

Timeline Operations

Cut/Split: Position playhead, press S
Trim: Drag clip edges
Move: Drag clip
Delete: Select clip, press Delete
Ripple Delete: Shift+Delete (closes gap)

Filters and Effects

Adding Filters

1. Select clip on Timeline
2. Open Filters panel
3. Click + to add filter
4. Choose from categories:
   - Favorite
   - Video
   - Audio
   - Color

Common Video Filters

# Color Correction
- Color Grading
- White Balance
- Brightness/Contrast
- Saturation

# Effects
- Blur
- Sharpen
- Glow
- Old Film
- Chroma Key (Green Screen)

# Transform
- Size, Position & Rotate
- Crop
- Mirror
- Flip

Audio Filters

- Gain/Volume
- Compressor
- Equalizer
- Noise Gate
- Normalize
- Reverb

Filter Keyframes

1. Apply filter
2. Enable keyframes (clock icon)
3. Move playhead to desired position
4. Adjust parameter value
5. Keyframe auto-created at playhead

Transitions

Adding Transitions

1. Overlap two clips on same track
2. Automatic dissolve created
3. Select transition area
4. Open Properties panel
5. Choose transition type:
   - Dissolve
   - Cut
   - Wipe variations
   - 3D effects

Transition Duration

Drag transition edges to adjust length
Default: 1 second (configurable in Settings)

Text and Titles

Adding Text

1. Open Other > Text (Rich/Simple)
2. Add to Timeline
3. Double-click to edit text
4. Use filters for animation

Text Filters

Filters > Video > Text: Rich
or
Filters > Video > Text: Simple

Properties:
- Font family
- Size
- Color
- Position
- Outline
- Background

Animated Titles

1. Add text filter
2. Enable Size, Position & Rotate filter
3. Keyframe position from offscreen to final
4. Add fade in/out for smoothness

Audio Editing

Audio Controls

Timeline > Show Audio Waveforms
Adjust clip volume: Properties > Audio > Gain
Mute track: Track header M button
Solo track: Track header S button

Detaching Audio

Right-click clip > Detach Audio
# Audio becomes separate clip for independent editing

Audio Fade

Filters > Audio > Fade In Audio
Filters > Audio > Fade Out Audio
# Or use keyframes on Gain filter

Multi-Track Editing

Adding Tracks

Timeline menu > Track Operations > Insert Track
# Or right-click in track header area

Track types:
- V1, V2, V3... (Video tracks)
- A1, A2, A3... (Audio tracks)

Track Operations

Lock track: Prevents editing
Hide track: Track invisible but rendered
Mute track: Audio track silenced

Compositing

Higher tracks overlay lower tracks
Use opacity/blend modes:
Filters > Video > Opacity
Filters > Video > Blend Mode

Export Settings

Basic Export

File > Export Video (Ctrl+Shift+E)

Presets:
- H.264 High Profile (MP4, recommended)
- H.264 Main Profile
- HEVC (smaller files, slower)
- WebM VP9
- ProRes (high quality)

Custom Settings

Resolution: Match source or custom
Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 9:16 (vertical)
Frame rate: 24, 30, 60 fps
Codec: H.264, HEVC, ProRes, etc.

Quality options:
- Quality-based VBR (easier)
- Average/Constant Bitrate (precise)

Audio: AAC, MP3, WAV
Channels: Stereo/5.1
Sample rate: 48000 Hz

Batch Export

File > Export > Add to Batch
# Configure multiple exports
# Process all at once

Keyboard Shortcuts

Space          Play/Pause
J/K/L          Rewind/Pause/Forward
I/O            Set In/Out points
S              Split at playhead
A              Append to timeline
X              Ripple cut
Z              Lift (leave gap)
Home/End       Go to start/end
?/?            Frame by frame
Ctrl+Z         Undo
Ctrl+S         Save project
Ctrl+Shift+E   Export video

Performance Tips

Proxy Editing

Settings > Proxy > Use Proxy
# Creates lower-res copies for smoother editing
# Full resolution used for export

Preview Scaling

Settings > Preview Scaling > 540p or 360p
# Reduces preview quality for faster playback

Hardware Acceleration

Settings > GPU Processing
# Enable if supported by your hardware

Shotcut demonstrates that professional video editing doesn’t require expensive software subscriptions. With its comprehensive feature set, broad format support, and cross-platform availability, Shotcut empowers creators to produce polished videos regardless of budget constraints.