Updated Edit Like a Pro Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors You Need

Updated Edit Like a Pro Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors You Need

Giselle Lv12

Edit Like a Pro: Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors You Need

Top 10 Best MP4 Video Editors

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is one of the most popular video formats in the world, however, finding a free video editing software which can edit MP4 or MOV formats videos can be hard - with so many video editing software on the market, you don’t know what is great and what is a piece of junk, you don’t have time to test it one by one.

Thankfully, we have produced a top-five list of the best free MP4 editors for you to check. That’s right - with these video editors, you can just go with it and edit your MP4 video files in no time at all!

If you’re inclined to edit videos with presets and templates and looking for a fully-featured product, you may also want to consider a commercial product like Wondershare Filmora .

This video editing tool enables you to seamlessly put together video clips, music & text, apply effects and get a professional-looking home movie in minutes. Download and try it out.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

See also: Best Video Editing for Windows


Here is a comparison table about the top MP4 editors. Have a quick look.

Supported system Ratings from G2 Pricing Free Trial Level
Filmora Windows/Mac 4.4/5 $49.99/Year, $79.99/Perpetual Available Newbies and experts. All levels of users.
Windows Movie Maker Windows 4.0/5 Free Available User-friendly. Suitable for all levels.
iMovie Mac 4.4/5 Free Available Beginner friendly
Avidemux Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Great for beginners
Lightworks Mac/Windows/Linux 3.5/5 $9.99 per user per month. Not available Suitable for all levels of users
VSDC Windows 4.0/5 $19.99 per month Not available Intermediate
VEGAS Pro Windows 4.3/5 $12.99 per month 30-day free trial Suitable for experts.
Openshot Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Suitable for newbies and experts.
Clipchamp Web-based 4.3/5 $6 per month Available Newbie-friendly
Freemake Windows 3.8/5 $24 per month. Available Simple. No learning curve. Suitable for all levels of users.
MiniTool MovieMaker Windows 4.0/5 $12.99 per month Not available Suitable for all levels of users.

1. Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is a great video editing tool and has been a part of the Windows system for many years. It supports various video formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V and more. The drag-n-drop functionality enables you to easily add video clips from the computer and drop them to the program.

With it, you can easily combine photos and videos, apply transitions and effects, add music or sound, move images and videos around and have them play at the speed of your choice, post to YouTube and much more.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Various video editing options;
  • Easy-to-use;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • It crashes a lot;
  • Many different versions of the same product;
  • Not available anymore as a part of Windows OS.

Learn more details about Windows Movie Maker

2. iMovie

As the equivalent of Windows Movie Make for Mac OS X, iMovie gives you the chance to turn any movie into a major production. With a simple to use UI, you can easily enhance your videos quicker than ever. Now just import your video clips from computer or external devices, arrange them on the timeline, drop titles, effects and sounds on to the part of the video you wish to edit, and preview the results.

Once it’s all done, one-click to export your file for iOS or Internet usage.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface;
  • Improved audio editing and fun Movie Trailers.

Cons:

  • No native AVCHD editing or direct import;
  • Pre-processing and import trans-coding can be time-consuming.

Learn more details about iMovie video editing tips

3. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free open-source video editing program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It natively supports a great number of video formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV and ASF and comes with a well selected feature set to get your cutting, filtering and encoding tasks done. It’s also filled with features like different filters, decoding options, frame rate configuration, processing tools etc.

Other great feature is that tasks can be automated using projects and job queue.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fairly simple;
  • A wide selection of filters;
  • Provides command-line interface for advanced users.

Cons:

  • Outdated interface;
  • May drop frames in certain formats;
  • Can be complicated for beginning users.

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is one of the most advanced free video editing tools available. With the user-friendly interface and packed timeline, you can easily import, trim and seamlessly weave audio and video files together with a few effortless mouse clicks.

On top of that, it also includes the features like profession-level color correction, video capture function, GPU-accelerated real-time effects and board video formats support.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Customizable screens;
  • Amount of video editing options;
  • High video quality.

Cons:

  • It crashes occasionally;
  • Requires a long learning curve.

5. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC is a free video editing program for Windows. The support video formats include MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, WMV, FLV and more. It provides various video filters, transitions, audio effects as well as drawing and selection tools.

When the editing done, you can choose the optimized save outputs for a variety of devices, including smart phones and gaming consoles.

top mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Provides various useful filters;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • Computer resources (CPU and RAM) are required at a high level.

6. VEGAS Pro MP4

VEGAS Pro is one of the highly-rated premium MP4 editor tools in the market. This program has many amazing features, including advanced HDR color correction, scene detection, sound design, and live streaming.

Furthermore, it has hundreds of filters, effects, titles, and transitions to transform your output file. This array of features makes it easy to edit videos on Windows PC.

vegas pro mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • This program has plenty of video editing features.
  • It offers many filters, titles, and transitions.
  • It allows unlimited video and audio tracks.
  • It allows a nested timeline.
  • The color grading tools are clear and top-grade.

Cons:

  • Many users feel the interface is disorganized and difficult for newbies to navigate.
  • The Multicam feature, although present, is nearly unusable.
  • There are no welcome tutorials to get you started with ease.
  • Vegas Pro is expensive and is only suitable for Windows. You can buy it at $249 or subscribe for $12.99 monthly.

7. OpenShot MP4 Video Editor

OpenShot is a popular free media editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This open-source tool has evolved and now supports many media formats, including audio, video, and image formats.

This tool has one of the simplest user interfaces designed with all categories of users in mind. It supports over 70 languages, and users can add as many layers of tracks.

OpenShot offers a powerful animation framework to allow users to play around with animations to produce quality output videos. OpenShot also provides transitions and over 14 effects to make your output MP4 file attractive.

openshot mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor; hence, you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux without compatibility issues.
  • It offers a good collection of animations and effects to make your video more appealing.
  • It has a simple and user-friendly interface. Therefore, amateurs won’t struggle to edit their MP4 videos.
  • It supports over 70 different languages.
  • It is free.

Cons:

  • Some of the purported features don’t function well.
  • Although it has a good collection of features, several other useful features are missing.
  • It cannot open AVCHD files.

8. Clipchamp MP4 Editor Online

Clipchamp is a free, easy-to-use video editor that is suitable for small business marketing. This web-based MP4 editor is designed with simplicity; hence, users can easily edit videos.

With Clipchamp, you can edit videos of all sizes directly on your browser without experience! You can add special effects, transitions, background music, and texts to make your output MP4 file eye-catchy.

Furthermore, you can trim, cut, split, combine, rotate, flip, and mirror videos depending on your need.

clipchamp edit mp4

Pros:

  • The combination of intelligent features and shortcuts significantly saves your time and energy.
  • It offers a sleek and intuitive interface to edit MP4 videos seamlessly.
  • It provides styling effects and lots of good transitions.
  • It offers several templates to get started.

Cons:

  • Users have limited control over the effects.
  • Most useful content requires subscriptions.
  • Users complain of slow export rendering.

9. Freemake MP4 Video Editor

Freemake is a common name in the media editing industry and is undoubtedly one of the best MP4 video editor tools.

Although it is not a fully-fledged app like other hot names, it allows you to quickly and easily edit MP4 videos on Windows. With Freemake, you can cut, rotate, and import files directly from YouTube.

freemake mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It supports direct uploads from YouTube.
  • It supports several file formats.
  • It is easy to use.

Cons:

  • It offers basic video editing features.
  • It does not provide Mac support.

10. MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is an easy-to-use video editor enriched with plenty of good video editing features. This tool offers an intuitive interface and collection of features that easily transform how you produce stunning videos.

With several video templates, you are one click away from generating stylish videos. The good with this tool is that it gives you a platform to inspire your creativity and export 1080P videos without a watermark.

minitool mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It is friendly for beginners. Thanks to the simple and intuitive interface.
  • It offers plenty of templates, filters, themes, and stickers.

Cons:

  • It has limited editing features compared to top-grade tools like Filmora.
  • The free version is ad-laden and has a forced watermark on the exported file.

FAQs About MP4 Video Editing

1. How Do I Shorten an MP4 Video?

In this article, we have listed 10 free MP4 video editors, but Filmora is one the best tool for shortening mp4 videos. It comes with Auto Scene Detection tool, Instant cutter tool & the Trim feature. The Instant Cutter tool allows you to trim MP4 videos quickly without re-encoding. On the timeline, drag the trim icon to the right or left to remove the video’s beginning and end parts, respectively, and trim your video to shorten an MP4 video easily. The instant cutter tool is totally free to use and there is no watermark.

2. How Can I Split MP4 Files Into Parts for Free?

With the instant cutter tool in Filmora, you can easily split mp4 videos into parts for free as you require. Click Import with Instant Cutter Tool and then open the file, move the playhead to the start position of the video part that you want to keep, and then click the Set In icon. Repeat the process to find the ending point, and then click the Add Segment button to split the video and save it as a new one. You can split several clips from the original footage.

A more accessible alternative to this approach is using the Auto Scene Detection tool . It splits your video into multiple strategic segments automatically based on scene changes. You then end up with multiple split parts of the original video which you can selectively delete and then add to the timeline.

Conclusion

This article has highlighted some of the best MP4 converters worth trying. However, not every tool works for you. Choosing a tool that meets your needs and gives you desired MP4 editing experience is important.

Fortunately, the all-in-one Video editor-Filmora Video Editor, ticks all the boxes and easily becomes the best choice. This MP4 editor offers an unmatchable video and audio editing experience within your budget. Try Filmora today and take your MP4 editing experience to another level.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is one of the most popular video formats in the world, however, finding a free video editing software which can edit MP4 or MOV formats videos can be hard - with so many video editing software on the market, you don’t know what is great and what is a piece of junk, you don’t have time to test it one by one.

Thankfully, we have produced a top-five list of the best free MP4 editors for you to check. That’s right - with these video editors, you can just go with it and edit your MP4 video files in no time at all!

If you’re inclined to edit videos with presets and templates and looking for a fully-featured product, you may also want to consider a commercial product like Wondershare Filmora .

This video editing tool enables you to seamlessly put together video clips, music & text, apply effects and get a professional-looking home movie in minutes. Download and try it out.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

See also: Best Video Editing for Windows


Here is a comparison table about the top MP4 editors. Have a quick look.

Supported system Ratings from G2 Pricing Free Trial Level
Filmora Windows/Mac 4.4/5 $49.99/Year, $79.99/Perpetual Available Newbies and experts. All levels of users.
Windows Movie Maker Windows 4.0/5 Free Available User-friendly. Suitable for all levels.
iMovie Mac 4.4/5 Free Available Beginner friendly
Avidemux Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Great for beginners
Lightworks Mac/Windows/Linux 3.5/5 $9.99 per user per month. Not available Suitable for all levels of users
VSDC Windows 4.0/5 $19.99 per month Not available Intermediate
VEGAS Pro Windows 4.3/5 $12.99 per month 30-day free trial Suitable for experts.
Openshot Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Suitable for newbies and experts.
Clipchamp Web-based 4.3/5 $6 per month Available Newbie-friendly
Freemake Windows 3.8/5 $24 per month. Available Simple. No learning curve. Suitable for all levels of users.
MiniTool MovieMaker Windows 4.0/5 $12.99 per month Not available Suitable for all levels of users.

1. Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is a great video editing tool and has been a part of the Windows system for many years. It supports various video formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V and more. The drag-n-drop functionality enables you to easily add video clips from the computer and drop them to the program.

With it, you can easily combine photos and videos, apply transitions and effects, add music or sound, move images and videos around and have them play at the speed of your choice, post to YouTube and much more.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Various video editing options;
  • Easy-to-use;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • It crashes a lot;
  • Many different versions of the same product;
  • Not available anymore as a part of Windows OS.

Learn more details about Windows Movie Maker

2. iMovie

As the equivalent of Windows Movie Make for Mac OS X, iMovie gives you the chance to turn any movie into a major production. With a simple to use UI, you can easily enhance your videos quicker than ever. Now just import your video clips from computer or external devices, arrange them on the timeline, drop titles, effects and sounds on to the part of the video you wish to edit, and preview the results.

Once it’s all done, one-click to export your file for iOS or Internet usage.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface;
  • Improved audio editing and fun Movie Trailers.

Cons:

  • No native AVCHD editing or direct import;
  • Pre-processing and import trans-coding can be time-consuming.

Learn more details about iMovie video editing tips

3. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free open-source video editing program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It natively supports a great number of video formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV and ASF and comes with a well selected feature set to get your cutting, filtering and encoding tasks done. It’s also filled with features like different filters, decoding options, frame rate configuration, processing tools etc.

Other great feature is that tasks can be automated using projects and job queue.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fairly simple;
  • A wide selection of filters;
  • Provides command-line interface for advanced users.

Cons:

  • Outdated interface;
  • May drop frames in certain formats;
  • Can be complicated for beginning users.

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is one of the most advanced free video editing tools available. With the user-friendly interface and packed timeline, you can easily import, trim and seamlessly weave audio and video files together with a few effortless mouse clicks.

On top of that, it also includes the features like profession-level color correction, video capture function, GPU-accelerated real-time effects and board video formats support.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Customizable screens;
  • Amount of video editing options;
  • High video quality.

Cons:

  • It crashes occasionally;
  • Requires a long learning curve.

5. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC is a free video editing program for Windows. The support video formats include MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, WMV, FLV and more. It provides various video filters, transitions, audio effects as well as drawing and selection tools.

When the editing done, you can choose the optimized save outputs for a variety of devices, including smart phones and gaming consoles.

top mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Provides various useful filters;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • Computer resources (CPU and RAM) are required at a high level.

6. VEGAS Pro MP4

VEGAS Pro is one of the highly-rated premium MP4 editor tools in the market. This program has many amazing features, including advanced HDR color correction, scene detection, sound design, and live streaming.

Furthermore, it has hundreds of filters, effects, titles, and transitions to transform your output file. This array of features makes it easy to edit videos on Windows PC.

vegas pro mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • This program has plenty of video editing features.
  • It offers many filters, titles, and transitions.
  • It allows unlimited video and audio tracks.
  • It allows a nested timeline.
  • The color grading tools are clear and top-grade.

Cons:

  • Many users feel the interface is disorganized and difficult for newbies to navigate.
  • The Multicam feature, although present, is nearly unusable.
  • There are no welcome tutorials to get you started with ease.
  • Vegas Pro is expensive and is only suitable for Windows. You can buy it at $249 or subscribe for $12.99 monthly.

7. OpenShot MP4 Video Editor

OpenShot is a popular free media editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This open-source tool has evolved and now supports many media formats, including audio, video, and image formats.

This tool has one of the simplest user interfaces designed with all categories of users in mind. It supports over 70 languages, and users can add as many layers of tracks.

OpenShot offers a powerful animation framework to allow users to play around with animations to produce quality output videos. OpenShot also provides transitions and over 14 effects to make your output MP4 file attractive.

openshot mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor; hence, you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux without compatibility issues.
  • It offers a good collection of animations and effects to make your video more appealing.
  • It has a simple and user-friendly interface. Therefore, amateurs won’t struggle to edit their MP4 videos.
  • It supports over 70 different languages.
  • It is free.

Cons:

  • Some of the purported features don’t function well.
  • Although it has a good collection of features, several other useful features are missing.
  • It cannot open AVCHD files.

8. Clipchamp MP4 Editor Online

Clipchamp is a free, easy-to-use video editor that is suitable for small business marketing. This web-based MP4 editor is designed with simplicity; hence, users can easily edit videos.

With Clipchamp, you can edit videos of all sizes directly on your browser without experience! You can add special effects, transitions, background music, and texts to make your output MP4 file eye-catchy.

Furthermore, you can trim, cut, split, combine, rotate, flip, and mirror videos depending on your need.

clipchamp edit mp4

Pros:

  • The combination of intelligent features and shortcuts significantly saves your time and energy.
  • It offers a sleek and intuitive interface to edit MP4 videos seamlessly.
  • It provides styling effects and lots of good transitions.
  • It offers several templates to get started.

Cons:

  • Users have limited control over the effects.
  • Most useful content requires subscriptions.
  • Users complain of slow export rendering.

9. Freemake MP4 Video Editor

Freemake is a common name in the media editing industry and is undoubtedly one of the best MP4 video editor tools.

Although it is not a fully-fledged app like other hot names, it allows you to quickly and easily edit MP4 videos on Windows. With Freemake, you can cut, rotate, and import files directly from YouTube.

freemake mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It supports direct uploads from YouTube.
  • It supports several file formats.
  • It is easy to use.

Cons:

  • It offers basic video editing features.
  • It does not provide Mac support.

10. MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is an easy-to-use video editor enriched with plenty of good video editing features. This tool offers an intuitive interface and collection of features that easily transform how you produce stunning videos.

With several video templates, you are one click away from generating stylish videos. The good with this tool is that it gives you a platform to inspire your creativity and export 1080P videos without a watermark.

minitool mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It is friendly for beginners. Thanks to the simple and intuitive interface.
  • It offers plenty of templates, filters, themes, and stickers.

Cons:

  • It has limited editing features compared to top-grade tools like Filmora.
  • The free version is ad-laden and has a forced watermark on the exported file.

FAQs About MP4 Video Editing

1. How Do I Shorten an MP4 Video?

In this article, we have listed 10 free MP4 video editors, but Filmora is one the best tool for shortening mp4 videos. It comes with Auto Scene Detection tool, Instant cutter tool & the Trim feature. The Instant Cutter tool allows you to trim MP4 videos quickly without re-encoding. On the timeline, drag the trim icon to the right or left to remove the video’s beginning and end parts, respectively, and trim your video to shorten an MP4 video easily. The instant cutter tool is totally free to use and there is no watermark.

2. How Can I Split MP4 Files Into Parts for Free?

With the instant cutter tool in Filmora, you can easily split mp4 videos into parts for free as you require. Click Import with Instant Cutter Tool and then open the file, move the playhead to the start position of the video part that you want to keep, and then click the Set In icon. Repeat the process to find the ending point, and then click the Add Segment button to split the video and save it as a new one. You can split several clips from the original footage.

A more accessible alternative to this approach is using the Auto Scene Detection tool . It splits your video into multiple strategic segments automatically based on scene changes. You then end up with multiple split parts of the original video which you can selectively delete and then add to the timeline.

Conclusion

This article has highlighted some of the best MP4 converters worth trying. However, not every tool works for you. Choosing a tool that meets your needs and gives you desired MP4 editing experience is important.

Fortunately, the all-in-one Video editor-Filmora Video Editor, ticks all the boxes and easily becomes the best choice. This MP4 editor offers an unmatchable video and audio editing experience within your budget. Try Filmora today and take your MP4 editing experience to another level.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is one of the most popular video formats in the world, however, finding a free video editing software which can edit MP4 or MOV formats videos can be hard - with so many video editing software on the market, you don’t know what is great and what is a piece of junk, you don’t have time to test it one by one.

Thankfully, we have produced a top-five list of the best free MP4 editors for you to check. That’s right - with these video editors, you can just go with it and edit your MP4 video files in no time at all!

If you’re inclined to edit videos with presets and templates and looking for a fully-featured product, you may also want to consider a commercial product like Wondershare Filmora .

This video editing tool enables you to seamlessly put together video clips, music & text, apply effects and get a professional-looking home movie in minutes. Download and try it out.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

See also: Best Video Editing for Windows


Here is a comparison table about the top MP4 editors. Have a quick look.

Supported system Ratings from G2 Pricing Free Trial Level
Filmora Windows/Mac 4.4/5 $49.99/Year, $79.99/Perpetual Available Newbies and experts. All levels of users.
Windows Movie Maker Windows 4.0/5 Free Available User-friendly. Suitable for all levels.
iMovie Mac 4.4/5 Free Available Beginner friendly
Avidemux Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Great for beginners
Lightworks Mac/Windows/Linux 3.5/5 $9.99 per user per month. Not available Suitable for all levels of users
VSDC Windows 4.0/5 $19.99 per month Not available Intermediate
VEGAS Pro Windows 4.3/5 $12.99 per month 30-day free trial Suitable for experts.
Openshot Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Suitable for newbies and experts.
Clipchamp Web-based 4.3/5 $6 per month Available Newbie-friendly
Freemake Windows 3.8/5 $24 per month. Available Simple. No learning curve. Suitable for all levels of users.
MiniTool MovieMaker Windows 4.0/5 $12.99 per month Not available Suitable for all levels of users.

1. Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is a great video editing tool and has been a part of the Windows system for many years. It supports various video formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V and more. The drag-n-drop functionality enables you to easily add video clips from the computer and drop them to the program.

With it, you can easily combine photos and videos, apply transitions and effects, add music or sound, move images and videos around and have them play at the speed of your choice, post to YouTube and much more.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Various video editing options;
  • Easy-to-use;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • It crashes a lot;
  • Many different versions of the same product;
  • Not available anymore as a part of Windows OS.

Learn more details about Windows Movie Maker

2. iMovie

As the equivalent of Windows Movie Make for Mac OS X, iMovie gives you the chance to turn any movie into a major production. With a simple to use UI, you can easily enhance your videos quicker than ever. Now just import your video clips from computer or external devices, arrange them on the timeline, drop titles, effects and sounds on to the part of the video you wish to edit, and preview the results.

Once it’s all done, one-click to export your file for iOS or Internet usage.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface;
  • Improved audio editing and fun Movie Trailers.

Cons:

  • No native AVCHD editing or direct import;
  • Pre-processing and import trans-coding can be time-consuming.

Learn more details about iMovie video editing tips

3. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free open-source video editing program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It natively supports a great number of video formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV and ASF and comes with a well selected feature set to get your cutting, filtering and encoding tasks done. It’s also filled with features like different filters, decoding options, frame rate configuration, processing tools etc.

Other great feature is that tasks can be automated using projects and job queue.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fairly simple;
  • A wide selection of filters;
  • Provides command-line interface for advanced users.

Cons:

  • Outdated interface;
  • May drop frames in certain formats;
  • Can be complicated for beginning users.

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is one of the most advanced free video editing tools available. With the user-friendly interface and packed timeline, you can easily import, trim and seamlessly weave audio and video files together with a few effortless mouse clicks.

On top of that, it also includes the features like profession-level color correction, video capture function, GPU-accelerated real-time effects and board video formats support.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Customizable screens;
  • Amount of video editing options;
  • High video quality.

Cons:

  • It crashes occasionally;
  • Requires a long learning curve.

5. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC is a free video editing program for Windows. The support video formats include MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, WMV, FLV and more. It provides various video filters, transitions, audio effects as well as drawing and selection tools.

When the editing done, you can choose the optimized save outputs for a variety of devices, including smart phones and gaming consoles.

top mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Provides various useful filters;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • Computer resources (CPU and RAM) are required at a high level.

6. VEGAS Pro MP4

VEGAS Pro is one of the highly-rated premium MP4 editor tools in the market. This program has many amazing features, including advanced HDR color correction, scene detection, sound design, and live streaming.

Furthermore, it has hundreds of filters, effects, titles, and transitions to transform your output file. This array of features makes it easy to edit videos on Windows PC.

vegas pro mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • This program has plenty of video editing features.
  • It offers many filters, titles, and transitions.
  • It allows unlimited video and audio tracks.
  • It allows a nested timeline.
  • The color grading tools are clear and top-grade.

Cons:

  • Many users feel the interface is disorganized and difficult for newbies to navigate.
  • The Multicam feature, although present, is nearly unusable.
  • There are no welcome tutorials to get you started with ease.
  • Vegas Pro is expensive and is only suitable for Windows. You can buy it at $249 or subscribe for $12.99 monthly.

7. OpenShot MP4 Video Editor

OpenShot is a popular free media editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This open-source tool has evolved and now supports many media formats, including audio, video, and image formats.

This tool has one of the simplest user interfaces designed with all categories of users in mind. It supports over 70 languages, and users can add as many layers of tracks.

OpenShot offers a powerful animation framework to allow users to play around with animations to produce quality output videos. OpenShot also provides transitions and over 14 effects to make your output MP4 file attractive.

openshot mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor; hence, you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux without compatibility issues.
  • It offers a good collection of animations and effects to make your video more appealing.
  • It has a simple and user-friendly interface. Therefore, amateurs won’t struggle to edit their MP4 videos.
  • It supports over 70 different languages.
  • It is free.

Cons:

  • Some of the purported features don’t function well.
  • Although it has a good collection of features, several other useful features are missing.
  • It cannot open AVCHD files.

8. Clipchamp MP4 Editor Online

Clipchamp is a free, easy-to-use video editor that is suitable for small business marketing. This web-based MP4 editor is designed with simplicity; hence, users can easily edit videos.

With Clipchamp, you can edit videos of all sizes directly on your browser without experience! You can add special effects, transitions, background music, and texts to make your output MP4 file eye-catchy.

Furthermore, you can trim, cut, split, combine, rotate, flip, and mirror videos depending on your need.

clipchamp edit mp4

Pros:

  • The combination of intelligent features and shortcuts significantly saves your time and energy.
  • It offers a sleek and intuitive interface to edit MP4 videos seamlessly.
  • It provides styling effects and lots of good transitions.
  • It offers several templates to get started.

Cons:

  • Users have limited control over the effects.
  • Most useful content requires subscriptions.
  • Users complain of slow export rendering.

9. Freemake MP4 Video Editor

Freemake is a common name in the media editing industry and is undoubtedly one of the best MP4 video editor tools.

Although it is not a fully-fledged app like other hot names, it allows you to quickly and easily edit MP4 videos on Windows. With Freemake, you can cut, rotate, and import files directly from YouTube.

freemake mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It supports direct uploads from YouTube.
  • It supports several file formats.
  • It is easy to use.

Cons:

  • It offers basic video editing features.
  • It does not provide Mac support.

10. MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is an easy-to-use video editor enriched with plenty of good video editing features. This tool offers an intuitive interface and collection of features that easily transform how you produce stunning videos.

With several video templates, you are one click away from generating stylish videos. The good with this tool is that it gives you a platform to inspire your creativity and export 1080P videos without a watermark.

minitool mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It is friendly for beginners. Thanks to the simple and intuitive interface.
  • It offers plenty of templates, filters, themes, and stickers.

Cons:

  • It has limited editing features compared to top-grade tools like Filmora.
  • The free version is ad-laden and has a forced watermark on the exported file.

FAQs About MP4 Video Editing

1. How Do I Shorten an MP4 Video?

In this article, we have listed 10 free MP4 video editors, but Filmora is one the best tool for shortening mp4 videos. It comes with Auto Scene Detection tool, Instant cutter tool & the Trim feature. The Instant Cutter tool allows you to trim MP4 videos quickly without re-encoding. On the timeline, drag the trim icon to the right or left to remove the video’s beginning and end parts, respectively, and trim your video to shorten an MP4 video easily. The instant cutter tool is totally free to use and there is no watermark.

2. How Can I Split MP4 Files Into Parts for Free?

With the instant cutter tool in Filmora, you can easily split mp4 videos into parts for free as you require. Click Import with Instant Cutter Tool and then open the file, move the playhead to the start position of the video part that you want to keep, and then click the Set In icon. Repeat the process to find the ending point, and then click the Add Segment button to split the video and save it as a new one. You can split several clips from the original footage.

A more accessible alternative to this approach is using the Auto Scene Detection tool . It splits your video into multiple strategic segments automatically based on scene changes. You then end up with multiple split parts of the original video which you can selectively delete and then add to the timeline.

Conclusion

This article has highlighted some of the best MP4 converters worth trying. However, not every tool works for you. Choosing a tool that meets your needs and gives you desired MP4 editing experience is important.

Fortunately, the all-in-one Video editor-Filmora Video Editor, ticks all the boxes and easily becomes the best choice. This MP4 editor offers an unmatchable video and audio editing experience within your budget. Try Filmora today and take your MP4 editing experience to another level.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is one of the most popular video formats in the world, however, finding a free video editing software which can edit MP4 or MOV formats videos can be hard - with so many video editing software on the market, you don’t know what is great and what is a piece of junk, you don’t have time to test it one by one.

Thankfully, we have produced a top-five list of the best free MP4 editors for you to check. That’s right - with these video editors, you can just go with it and edit your MP4 video files in no time at all!

If you’re inclined to edit videos with presets and templates and looking for a fully-featured product, you may also want to consider a commercial product like Wondershare Filmora .

This video editing tool enables you to seamlessly put together video clips, music & text, apply effects and get a professional-looking home movie in minutes. Download and try it out.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

See also: Best Video Editing for Windows


Here is a comparison table about the top MP4 editors. Have a quick look.

Supported system Ratings from G2 Pricing Free Trial Level
Filmora Windows/Mac 4.4/5 $49.99/Year, $79.99/Perpetual Available Newbies and experts. All levels of users.
Windows Movie Maker Windows 4.0/5 Free Available User-friendly. Suitable for all levels.
iMovie Mac 4.4/5 Free Available Beginner friendly
Avidemux Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Great for beginners
Lightworks Mac/Windows/Linux 3.5/5 $9.99 per user per month. Not available Suitable for all levels of users
VSDC Windows 4.0/5 $19.99 per month Not available Intermediate
VEGAS Pro Windows 4.3/5 $12.99 per month 30-day free trial Suitable for experts.
Openshot Mac/Windows/Linux 4.4/5 Free Available Suitable for newbies and experts.
Clipchamp Web-based 4.3/5 $6 per month Available Newbie-friendly
Freemake Windows 3.8/5 $24 per month. Available Simple. No learning curve. Suitable for all levels of users.
MiniTool MovieMaker Windows 4.0/5 $12.99 per month Not available Suitable for all levels of users.

1. Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is a great video editing tool and has been a part of the Windows system for many years. It supports various video formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V and more. The drag-n-drop functionality enables you to easily add video clips from the computer and drop them to the program.

With it, you can easily combine photos and videos, apply transitions and effects, add music or sound, move images and videos around and have them play at the speed of your choice, post to YouTube and much more.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Various video editing options;
  • Easy-to-use;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • It crashes a lot;
  • Many different versions of the same product;
  • Not available anymore as a part of Windows OS.

Learn more details about Windows Movie Maker

2. iMovie

As the equivalent of Windows Movie Make for Mac OS X, iMovie gives you the chance to turn any movie into a major production. With a simple to use UI, you can easily enhance your videos quicker than ever. Now just import your video clips from computer or external devices, arrange them on the timeline, drop titles, effects and sounds on to the part of the video you wish to edit, and preview the results.

Once it’s all done, one-click to export your file for iOS or Internet usage.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface;
  • Improved audio editing and fun Movie Trailers.

Cons:

  • No native AVCHD editing or direct import;
  • Pre-processing and import trans-coding can be time-consuming.

Learn more details about iMovie video editing tips

3. Avidemux

Avidemux is a free open-source video editing program for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It natively supports a great number of video formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV and ASF and comes with a well selected feature set to get your cutting, filtering and encoding tasks done. It’s also filled with features like different filters, decoding options, frame rate configuration, processing tools etc.

Other great feature is that tasks can be automated using projects and job queue.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Lightweight and fairly simple;
  • A wide selection of filters;
  • Provides command-line interface for advanced users.

Cons:

  • Outdated interface;
  • May drop frames in certain formats;
  • Can be complicated for beginning users.

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is one of the most advanced free video editing tools available. With the user-friendly interface and packed timeline, you can easily import, trim and seamlessly weave audio and video files together with a few effortless mouse clicks.

On top of that, it also includes the features like profession-level color correction, video capture function, GPU-accelerated real-time effects and board video formats support.

free mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Customizable screens;
  • Amount of video editing options;
  • High video quality.

Cons:

  • It crashes occasionally;
  • Requires a long learning curve.

5. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC is a free video editing program for Windows. The support video formats include MP4, AVI, MKV, MPG, WMV, FLV and more. It provides various video filters, transitions, audio effects as well as drawing and selection tools.

When the editing done, you can choose the optimized save outputs for a variety of devices, including smart phones and gaming consoles.

top mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • Provides various useful filters;
  • Different output options.

Cons:

  • Computer resources (CPU and RAM) are required at a high level.

6. VEGAS Pro MP4

VEGAS Pro is one of the highly-rated premium MP4 editor tools in the market. This program has many amazing features, including advanced HDR color correction, scene detection, sound design, and live streaming.

Furthermore, it has hundreds of filters, effects, titles, and transitions to transform your output file. This array of features makes it easy to edit videos on Windows PC.

vegas pro mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • This program has plenty of video editing features.
  • It offers many filters, titles, and transitions.
  • It allows unlimited video and audio tracks.
  • It allows a nested timeline.
  • The color grading tools are clear and top-grade.

Cons:

  • Many users feel the interface is disorganized and difficult for newbies to navigate.
  • The Multicam feature, although present, is nearly unusable.
  • There are no welcome tutorials to get you started with ease.
  • Vegas Pro is expensive and is only suitable for Windows. You can buy it at $249 or subscribe for $12.99 monthly.

7. OpenShot MP4 Video Editor

OpenShot is a popular free media editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This open-source tool has evolved and now supports many media formats, including audio, video, and image formats.

This tool has one of the simplest user interfaces designed with all categories of users in mind. It supports over 70 languages, and users can add as many layers of tracks.

OpenShot offers a powerful animation framework to allow users to play around with animations to produce quality output videos. OpenShot also provides transitions and over 14 effects to make your output MP4 file attractive.

openshot mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor; hence, you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux without compatibility issues.
  • It offers a good collection of animations and effects to make your video more appealing.
  • It has a simple and user-friendly interface. Therefore, amateurs won’t struggle to edit their MP4 videos.
  • It supports over 70 different languages.
  • It is free.

Cons:

  • Some of the purported features don’t function well.
  • Although it has a good collection of features, several other useful features are missing.
  • It cannot open AVCHD files.

8. Clipchamp MP4 Editor Online

Clipchamp is a free, easy-to-use video editor that is suitable for small business marketing. This web-based MP4 editor is designed with simplicity; hence, users can easily edit videos.

With Clipchamp, you can edit videos of all sizes directly on your browser without experience! You can add special effects, transitions, background music, and texts to make your output MP4 file eye-catchy.

Furthermore, you can trim, cut, split, combine, rotate, flip, and mirror videos depending on your need.

clipchamp edit mp4

Pros:

  • The combination of intelligent features and shortcuts significantly saves your time and energy.
  • It offers a sleek and intuitive interface to edit MP4 videos seamlessly.
  • It provides styling effects and lots of good transitions.
  • It offers several templates to get started.

Cons:

  • Users have limited control over the effects.
  • Most useful content requires subscriptions.
  • Users complain of slow export rendering.

9. Freemake MP4 Video Editor

Freemake is a common name in the media editing industry and is undoubtedly one of the best MP4 video editor tools.

Although it is not a fully-fledged app like other hot names, it allows you to quickly and easily edit MP4 videos on Windows. With Freemake, you can cut, rotate, and import files directly from YouTube.

freemake mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It supports direct uploads from YouTube.
  • It supports several file formats.
  • It is easy to use.

Cons:

  • It offers basic video editing features.
  • It does not provide Mac support.

10. MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is an easy-to-use video editor enriched with plenty of good video editing features. This tool offers an intuitive interface and collection of features that easily transform how you produce stunning videos.

With several video templates, you are one click away from generating stylish videos. The good with this tool is that it gives you a platform to inspire your creativity and export 1080P videos without a watermark.

minitool mp4 video editor

Pros:

  • It is friendly for beginners. Thanks to the simple and intuitive interface.
  • It offers plenty of templates, filters, themes, and stickers.

Cons:

  • It has limited editing features compared to top-grade tools like Filmora.
  • The free version is ad-laden and has a forced watermark on the exported file.

FAQs About MP4 Video Editing

1. How Do I Shorten an MP4 Video?

In this article, we have listed 10 free MP4 video editors, but Filmora is one the best tool for shortening mp4 videos. It comes with Auto Scene Detection tool, Instant cutter tool & the Trim feature. The Instant Cutter tool allows you to trim MP4 videos quickly without re-encoding. On the timeline, drag the trim icon to the right or left to remove the video’s beginning and end parts, respectively, and trim your video to shorten an MP4 video easily. The instant cutter tool is totally free to use and there is no watermark.

2. How Can I Split MP4 Files Into Parts for Free?

With the instant cutter tool in Filmora, you can easily split mp4 videos into parts for free as you require. Click Import with Instant Cutter Tool and then open the file, move the playhead to the start position of the video part that you want to keep, and then click the Set In icon. Repeat the process to find the ending point, and then click the Add Segment button to split the video and save it as a new one. You can split several clips from the original footage.

A more accessible alternative to this approach is using the Auto Scene Detection tool . It splits your video into multiple strategic segments automatically based on scene changes. You then end up with multiple split parts of the original video which you can selectively delete and then add to the timeline.

Conclusion

This article has highlighted some of the best MP4 converters worth trying. However, not every tool works for you. Choosing a tool that meets your needs and gives you desired MP4 editing experience is important.

Fortunately, the all-in-one Video editor-Filmora Video Editor, ticks all the boxes and easily becomes the best choice. This MP4 editor offers an unmatchable video and audio editing experience within your budget. Try Filmora today and take your MP4 editing experience to another level.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

FCPX Subtitle Tutorial: How to Add Captions Like a Pro

How to Add Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X?

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions is a great thing to expand your audience base, and thus the trend of adding captions and subtitles is becoming relevant day by day. There is a whole process to add Final Cut Pro captions and subtitles, which we are going to discuss below.

Let’s check if there is any difference between captions and subtitles used in FCPX. Even though both these texts tend to appear at the bottom of the video screen, they have different purposes.

As we all know, subtitles depict foreign languages other than the language shown in the actual video. So, they are used to appearing on-screen frequently as the speaker speaks.

On the other hand, the captions display every kind of audio information, including sound effects, music, and background noises (see how to remove background noise in FCPX here) . Every Caption represents that viewer hasn’t any audio clues and thus displays them over the video.

You may also want to see this: What Makes the Best Lower Thirds in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: How to Add Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X?

Before you study the steps required to add subtitles to Final Cut Pro, here are some quick facts about the format of captions supported by FCPX.

  • ITT (iTunes Timed Text)

It is required to deliver the contents of Caption to the iTunes store.

  • CEA-608 (SCC)

It is a standard caption format for web videos and broadcasts.

  • SRT (SubRip)

It is a simple and popular format used in online videos.

Steps to Add Subtitles or Captions in FCPX

Step 1: Create Caption Roles

You need first to create caption roles to start adding captions to the timeline. Go to Modify > Edit Roles and then select Captions. Then, select CEA-608, choose your language, and hit the Apply button.

Step 2: Add Captions

Position the playhead to where you have to set the Caption in the timeline. You need to hit the Edit tab and then select Captions > Add Caption.

Select the drop-down menu across the language and select CEA-608.

Now, you can add captions in the preview window or the Captions Text given alongside.

Also, you can adjust the duration of the Caption by dragging it in the timeline.

Step 3: Export a Caption Role

Press Command + E or go to File > Export to open the Export preview window. Now, you can select the name and save your video in standard export options. Hit the Roles tab given at the top.

Then, click the small Captions icon to reveal the menu. Select the subtitles or captions to import alongside the Burn in Captions tab. Hit the OK button and proceed with export as usual.

Thus, similar steps are required even if you want to add subtitles.

Too many steps? Then try a beginner-friendly editing tool, Filmora!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Part 2: Free Subtitles Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

Let’s list some incredibly efficient and free subtitles tools that you can use for Final Cut Pro X.

Veed is one of the best video editing tools if you are looking for something like automatic subtitles. You are only required to upload your audio or video into this online software and hit the Subtitles tab to get quick captions. Thus, you will only need to import those subtitles or captions and save your time from manual typing.

The Quick Caption is another free tool available in Mac App Store to automatically transcribe your audio or video clips. It quickly creates FCPXML and SRT format captions. It also records the ending and starting timestamp for every Caption for further reference. You also get the facility to customize these subtitles based on shadow, font, style, and face color in the Style Editor.

It is the go-to free plugin by Stupid Raisins to display the text in animated templates. It generally depicts different kinds of paragraph titles, which you can edit as per the subtitles. It is one of the ideal plugins to impart professionalism into your videos with catchy descriptions. There are lots of templates available to select among them. Also, the simple drag and drop feature won’t let you down in any scenario of adding subtitles or captions effectively.

Part 3: Tips for adding Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X

Given below are some quick tips to add Final Cut Pro captions or subtitles.

  • Use YouTube

You can use the transcriptions feature of YouTube to import captions file into your footage quickly. It will also save lots of time typing the same text. You need to upload footage on YouTube as a private video and then download it as a .srt file. Now, you can use this file as a base to correct and adjust your captions.

  • Exporting

Every Caption set must export individually in Final Cut Pro X. However; there is a shortcut to it using the Compressor feature. Send your captions to Compressor by clicking the File> Send to Compressor.

send-to-compressor

Some may wonder, what is Compressor exactly? Click here to learn how to use the Compressor in FCPX.

  • Use the keyboard shortcut keys

You can use various keyboard shortcut keys to add the subtitles and captions into the video quickly. There are shortcut keys available at each step of adding these captions or subtitles in Final Cut Pro X.

Click here for some best shortcuts we summarised for you!

Conclusion

So, this is all about adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions via the step-by-step guide. Captions and Subtitles are an excellent way to expand your audience base across all regions globally since it removes the limitations or boundaries set by one language.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions is a great thing to expand your audience base, and thus the trend of adding captions and subtitles is becoming relevant day by day. There is a whole process to add Final Cut Pro captions and subtitles, which we are going to discuss below.

Let’s check if there is any difference between captions and subtitles used in FCPX. Even though both these texts tend to appear at the bottom of the video screen, they have different purposes.

As we all know, subtitles depict foreign languages other than the language shown in the actual video. So, they are used to appearing on-screen frequently as the speaker speaks.

On the other hand, the captions display every kind of audio information, including sound effects, music, and background noises (see how to remove background noise in FCPX here) . Every Caption represents that viewer hasn’t any audio clues and thus displays them over the video.

You may also want to see this: What Makes the Best Lower Thirds in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: How to Add Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X?

Before you study the steps required to add subtitles to Final Cut Pro, here are some quick facts about the format of captions supported by FCPX.

  • ITT (iTunes Timed Text)

It is required to deliver the contents of Caption to the iTunes store.

  • CEA-608 (SCC)

It is a standard caption format for web videos and broadcasts.

  • SRT (SubRip)

It is a simple and popular format used in online videos.

Steps to Add Subtitles or Captions in FCPX

Step 1: Create Caption Roles

You need first to create caption roles to start adding captions to the timeline. Go to Modify > Edit Roles and then select Captions. Then, select CEA-608, choose your language, and hit the Apply button.

Step 2: Add Captions

Position the playhead to where you have to set the Caption in the timeline. You need to hit the Edit tab and then select Captions > Add Caption.

Select the drop-down menu across the language and select CEA-608.

Now, you can add captions in the preview window or the Captions Text given alongside.

Also, you can adjust the duration of the Caption by dragging it in the timeline.

Step 3: Export a Caption Role

Press Command + E or go to File > Export to open the Export preview window. Now, you can select the name and save your video in standard export options. Hit the Roles tab given at the top.

Then, click the small Captions icon to reveal the menu. Select the subtitles or captions to import alongside the Burn in Captions tab. Hit the OK button and proceed with export as usual.

Thus, similar steps are required even if you want to add subtitles.

Too many steps? Then try a beginner-friendly editing tool, Filmora!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Part 2: Free Subtitles Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

Let’s list some incredibly efficient and free subtitles tools that you can use for Final Cut Pro X.

Veed is one of the best video editing tools if you are looking for something like automatic subtitles. You are only required to upload your audio or video into this online software and hit the Subtitles tab to get quick captions. Thus, you will only need to import those subtitles or captions and save your time from manual typing.

The Quick Caption is another free tool available in Mac App Store to automatically transcribe your audio or video clips. It quickly creates FCPXML and SRT format captions. It also records the ending and starting timestamp for every Caption for further reference. You also get the facility to customize these subtitles based on shadow, font, style, and face color in the Style Editor.

It is the go-to free plugin by Stupid Raisins to display the text in animated templates. It generally depicts different kinds of paragraph titles, which you can edit as per the subtitles. It is one of the ideal plugins to impart professionalism into your videos with catchy descriptions. There are lots of templates available to select among them. Also, the simple drag and drop feature won’t let you down in any scenario of adding subtitles or captions effectively.

Part 3: Tips for adding Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X

Given below are some quick tips to add Final Cut Pro captions or subtitles.

  • Use YouTube

You can use the transcriptions feature of YouTube to import captions file into your footage quickly. It will also save lots of time typing the same text. You need to upload footage on YouTube as a private video and then download it as a .srt file. Now, you can use this file as a base to correct and adjust your captions.

  • Exporting

Every Caption set must export individually in Final Cut Pro X. However; there is a shortcut to it using the Compressor feature. Send your captions to Compressor by clicking the File> Send to Compressor.

send-to-compressor

Some may wonder, what is Compressor exactly? Click here to learn how to use the Compressor in FCPX.

  • Use the keyboard shortcut keys

You can use various keyboard shortcut keys to add the subtitles and captions into the video quickly. There are shortcut keys available at each step of adding these captions or subtitles in Final Cut Pro X.

Click here for some best shortcuts we summarised for you!

Conclusion

So, this is all about adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions via the step-by-step guide. Captions and Subtitles are an excellent way to expand your audience base across all regions globally since it removes the limitations or boundaries set by one language.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions is a great thing to expand your audience base, and thus the trend of adding captions and subtitles is becoming relevant day by day. There is a whole process to add Final Cut Pro captions and subtitles, which we are going to discuss below.

Let’s check if there is any difference between captions and subtitles used in FCPX. Even though both these texts tend to appear at the bottom of the video screen, they have different purposes.

As we all know, subtitles depict foreign languages other than the language shown in the actual video. So, they are used to appearing on-screen frequently as the speaker speaks.

On the other hand, the captions display every kind of audio information, including sound effects, music, and background noises (see how to remove background noise in FCPX here) . Every Caption represents that viewer hasn’t any audio clues and thus displays them over the video.

You may also want to see this: What Makes the Best Lower Thirds in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: How to Add Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X?

Before you study the steps required to add subtitles to Final Cut Pro, here are some quick facts about the format of captions supported by FCPX.

  • ITT (iTunes Timed Text)

It is required to deliver the contents of Caption to the iTunes store.

  • CEA-608 (SCC)

It is a standard caption format for web videos and broadcasts.

  • SRT (SubRip)

It is a simple and popular format used in online videos.

Steps to Add Subtitles or Captions in FCPX

Step 1: Create Caption Roles

You need first to create caption roles to start adding captions to the timeline. Go to Modify > Edit Roles and then select Captions. Then, select CEA-608, choose your language, and hit the Apply button.

Step 2: Add Captions

Position the playhead to where you have to set the Caption in the timeline. You need to hit the Edit tab and then select Captions > Add Caption.

Select the drop-down menu across the language and select CEA-608.

Now, you can add captions in the preview window or the Captions Text given alongside.

Also, you can adjust the duration of the Caption by dragging it in the timeline.

Step 3: Export a Caption Role

Press Command + E or go to File > Export to open the Export preview window. Now, you can select the name and save your video in standard export options. Hit the Roles tab given at the top.

Then, click the small Captions icon to reveal the menu. Select the subtitles or captions to import alongside the Burn in Captions tab. Hit the OK button and proceed with export as usual.

Thus, similar steps are required even if you want to add subtitles.

Too many steps? Then try a beginner-friendly editing tool, Filmora!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Part 2: Free Subtitles Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

Let’s list some incredibly efficient and free subtitles tools that you can use for Final Cut Pro X.

Veed is one of the best video editing tools if you are looking for something like automatic subtitles. You are only required to upload your audio or video into this online software and hit the Subtitles tab to get quick captions. Thus, you will only need to import those subtitles or captions and save your time from manual typing.

The Quick Caption is another free tool available in Mac App Store to automatically transcribe your audio or video clips. It quickly creates FCPXML and SRT format captions. It also records the ending and starting timestamp for every Caption for further reference. You also get the facility to customize these subtitles based on shadow, font, style, and face color in the Style Editor.

It is the go-to free plugin by Stupid Raisins to display the text in animated templates. It generally depicts different kinds of paragraph titles, which you can edit as per the subtitles. It is one of the ideal plugins to impart professionalism into your videos with catchy descriptions. There are lots of templates available to select among them. Also, the simple drag and drop feature won’t let you down in any scenario of adding subtitles or captions effectively.

Part 3: Tips for adding Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X

Given below are some quick tips to add Final Cut Pro captions or subtitles.

  • Use YouTube

You can use the transcriptions feature of YouTube to import captions file into your footage quickly. It will also save lots of time typing the same text. You need to upload footage on YouTube as a private video and then download it as a .srt file. Now, you can use this file as a base to correct and adjust your captions.

  • Exporting

Every Caption set must export individually in Final Cut Pro X. However; there is a shortcut to it using the Compressor feature. Send your captions to Compressor by clicking the File> Send to Compressor.

send-to-compressor

Some may wonder, what is Compressor exactly? Click here to learn how to use the Compressor in FCPX.

  • Use the keyboard shortcut keys

You can use various keyboard shortcut keys to add the subtitles and captions into the video quickly. There are shortcut keys available at each step of adding these captions or subtitles in Final Cut Pro X.

Click here for some best shortcuts we summarised for you!

Conclusion

So, this is all about adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions via the step-by-step guide. Captions and Subtitles are an excellent way to expand your audience base across all regions globally since it removes the limitations or boundaries set by one language.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions is a great thing to expand your audience base, and thus the trend of adding captions and subtitles is becoming relevant day by day. There is a whole process to add Final Cut Pro captions and subtitles, which we are going to discuss below.

Let’s check if there is any difference between captions and subtitles used in FCPX. Even though both these texts tend to appear at the bottom of the video screen, they have different purposes.

As we all know, subtitles depict foreign languages other than the language shown in the actual video. So, they are used to appearing on-screen frequently as the speaker speaks.

On the other hand, the captions display every kind of audio information, including sound effects, music, and background noises (see how to remove background noise in FCPX here) . Every Caption represents that viewer hasn’t any audio clues and thus displays them over the video.

You may also want to see this: What Makes the Best Lower Thirds in Final Cut Pro X?

Part 1: How to Add Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X?

Before you study the steps required to add subtitles to Final Cut Pro, here are some quick facts about the format of captions supported by FCPX.

  • ITT (iTunes Timed Text)

It is required to deliver the contents of Caption to the iTunes store.

  • CEA-608 (SCC)

It is a standard caption format for web videos and broadcasts.

  • SRT (SubRip)

It is a simple and popular format used in online videos.

Steps to Add Subtitles or Captions in FCPX

Step 1: Create Caption Roles

You need first to create caption roles to start adding captions to the timeline. Go to Modify > Edit Roles and then select Captions. Then, select CEA-608, choose your language, and hit the Apply button.

Step 2: Add Captions

Position the playhead to where you have to set the Caption in the timeline. You need to hit the Edit tab and then select Captions > Add Caption.

Select the drop-down menu across the language and select CEA-608.

Now, you can add captions in the preview window or the Captions Text given alongside.

Also, you can adjust the duration of the Caption by dragging it in the timeline.

Step 3: Export a Caption Role

Press Command + E or go to File > Export to open the Export preview window. Now, you can select the name and save your video in standard export options. Hit the Roles tab given at the top.

Then, click the small Captions icon to reveal the menu. Select the subtitles or captions to import alongside the Burn in Captions tab. Hit the OK button and proceed with export as usual.

Thus, similar steps are required even if you want to add subtitles.

Too many steps? Then try a beginner-friendly editing tool, Filmora!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Part 2: Free Subtitles Plugins for Final Cut Pro X

Let’s list some incredibly efficient and free subtitles tools that you can use for Final Cut Pro X.

Veed is one of the best video editing tools if you are looking for something like automatic subtitles. You are only required to upload your audio or video into this online software and hit the Subtitles tab to get quick captions. Thus, you will only need to import those subtitles or captions and save your time from manual typing.

The Quick Caption is another free tool available in Mac App Store to automatically transcribe your audio or video clips. It quickly creates FCPXML and SRT format captions. It also records the ending and starting timestamp for every Caption for further reference. You also get the facility to customize these subtitles based on shadow, font, style, and face color in the Style Editor.

It is the go-to free plugin by Stupid Raisins to display the text in animated templates. It generally depicts different kinds of paragraph titles, which you can edit as per the subtitles. It is one of the ideal plugins to impart professionalism into your videos with catchy descriptions. There are lots of templates available to select among them. Also, the simple drag and drop feature won’t let you down in any scenario of adding subtitles or captions effectively.

Part 3: Tips for adding Subtitles/Captions in Final Cut Pro X

Given below are some quick tips to add Final Cut Pro captions or subtitles.

  • Use YouTube

You can use the transcriptions feature of YouTube to import captions file into your footage quickly. It will also save lots of time typing the same text. You need to upload footage on YouTube as a private video and then download it as a .srt file. Now, you can use this file as a base to correct and adjust your captions.

  • Exporting

Every Caption set must export individually in Final Cut Pro X. However; there is a shortcut to it using the Compressor feature. Send your captions to Compressor by clicking the File> Send to Compressor.

send-to-compressor

Some may wonder, what is Compressor exactly? Click here to learn how to use the Compressor in FCPX.

  • Use the keyboard shortcut keys

You can use various keyboard shortcut keys to add the subtitles and captions into the video quickly. There are shortcut keys available at each step of adding these captions or subtitles in Final Cut Pro X.

Click here for some best shortcuts we summarised for you!

Conclusion

So, this is all about adding Final Cut Pro subtitles and captions via the step-by-step guide. Captions and Subtitles are an excellent way to expand your audience base across all regions globally since it removes the limitations or boundaries set by one language.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Split Screen Video Editing Software: Free Online and Offline Solutions

Best Split Screen Video Editor [Online & Offline]

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The effect that comes up after adding two or more screens in a single frame is called split screen, and the tool that enables the users to do this is a split screen video editor. These split screens have significant importance in post-production tasks. That said, the following sections discuss about the tools that enable you to create split screen videos, and explain the process of doing so.

As mentioned above, the split screen effect lets you add two or more screens in a single frame. When multiple activities occur at the same time but at different locations, they all can be shown on one screen by placing their corresponding footages side-by-side or in any other arrangement that the split screen video maker allows.

Best Split Screen Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac [Free & Paid]

After understanding what split screen is, it becomes both obvious and mandatory to know about some of the most used split screen video editor applications, and how they help you in adding the effect to your movies. Following is a list of a couple of such programs:

1. iMovie

A proprietary of Apple, iMovie is available for both iOS and macOS, and is absolutely free of cost. Even though the tool lacks some advanced options for fine editing, it still offers a good platform to those planning their career in post-production industry. With simple UI, it is easy to learn iMovie.

The step-by-step instructions given below explain how to use iMovie to add split screen effect to your videos:

Step 1: Add Footages to iMovie

After importing the footages to the Media Bin in iMovie, drag the first one to the Timeline, and then drag the second one above the first layer.

Step 2: Select the Split Screen Effect

Select the top video layer in the Timeline, and choose Split Screen from the screen type drop-down list at the top.

Step 3: Select Split Screen Preset

Choose a position for the selected layer from the Position drop-down list at the top, and use the Slide slider to adjust the speed of the appearance of the footage.

Pros

  • iMovie is free to download and use
  • The program is available for both macOS and iOS

Cons

  • Allows only up to two videos to be used in split screen

You can get iMovie from here: https://www.apple.com/in/imovie/

2. Wondershare Filmora Editor

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

One of the most robust apps that is compared with post-production applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X, Wondershare Filmora is also a video editor that helps split screen easily. The software is available for Windows and Mac computers, and provides prompt technical support to its consumers. Although Filmora that packed with more advanced tools is also available, most of the times Filmora serves the purpose pretty well.

You can learn how to add split screen effect in Wondershare Filmora by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Import Footages to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, click anywhere inside the Media window in the upper-left section, and import all the videos you want to use to create the split screen effect.

Step 2: Choose a Split Screen Preset

Click Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, click and drag your preferred preset to the Timeline, and then extend the duration of the effect in the Timeline by dragging its handle.

Step 3: Add Videos to Split Screen

free video editing software for windows

Click ADVANCED from the bottom-right area of the Media pane, on the Advanced Split Screen Edit box, drag the first video from the left pane, and drop it on your preferred section in the right. Repeat the process to add all the other videos to their corresponding sections. Adjust their time of appearance by dragging their thumbnail in the Timeline of the box, and click OK.

Pros

  • Wondershare Filmora is lightweight and is less resource intensive
  • Allows as many as 6 videos to be added to create split screen effect
  • Has 30+ split screen presets

Cons

  • A couple of windows are required to be opened while working with split screen

3 . VSDC

VSDC is a free and efficient split screen video maker. In fact, the program is a full-fledged post-production application that can be used to edit the videos to prepare industry-standard clips for presentations, broadcasting, and commercial and private distribution. The best thing about VSDC is, it is absolutely free of cost, and doesn’t add any watermarks to the output files.

The instructions given below explain how to use the split screen feature in VSDC:

Step 1: Add Video Footages

Click Add object from the standard toolbar at the top, click Video, and select and add the first footage to the preview window. Repeat the process to add more video(s) as needed.

Step 2: Add Split Screen Effect

Grab any of the side handles of the video you added last, and drag it inward to reduce its size proportionally. Repeat the process to reduce the size of the other video(s) that is/are now revealed from beneath the one you just adjusted in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Absolutely free to use
  • Allows practically unlimited number of footages to be added to create the split screen videos

Cons

  • No presets for automatic video positioning are available for split screen effect

You can get VSDC free video editor from here: http://www.videosoftdev.com/

4. Shotcut

A free and opensource editing tool, Shotcut can also be used as a split screen video maker to produce industry-standard movies and documentaries. Shotcut is available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS, and comes in both x64 and x86 variants. Being a free program, Shotcut doesn’t require any activation or registration.

The procedure that follows explains how to use Shortcut as a free split screen video editor:

Step 1: Add Clips to the Timeline

Import the footages to the Shotcut’s media bin, drag one of the clips from the bin to the Timeline at the bottom, and then press Ctrl + I on your keyboard to add more video tracks. You can press this shortcut key for another couple of times depending on the number films you want to use for the split screen effect. Next, drag each film from the bin to their corresponding tracks. Note: Make sure NOT to place all the clips on the same track, and that each of them is on a different, its own, video layer.

Step 2: Adjust the First Video

Select the last video you added to the Timeline (it should be the topmost track), click Filters from above the Timeline, click the + button from the upper-left corner, click Size and Position from the list that appears next, and select the clip’s position from the Preset drop-down list.

Step 3: Adjust Other Videos

Select the second video in the Timeline and repeat the process to set its position, and do the same for all other footages that you added in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms
  • If using presets, as many as 4 videos can be added for split screen effect

Cons

  • Working with split screen manually may require practice and some calculations to position the clips on the screen correctly

You can get Shotcut from here: https://shotcut.org/

5. Lightworks

Used by the professionals to edit and prepare movies like Pulp Fiction, The Cure, L.A. Confidential, Bruce Almighty, The Wolf of Wall Street, etc., Lightworks is, in true means, a complete and full-fledged post-production application to create industry-standard outputs. The main reason for the app’s wide userbase is that it is a cross-platform software that is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.

To use Lightworks as split screen video maker, you can follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Add Tracks in Timeline

After importing the clips to Lightworks, leave them in the Media Bin for now, right-click anywhere in the Timeline at the bottom, go to Tracks, click Add multiple, and from the Number to add drop-down list, choose the number of tracks you want to add to the Timeline. Click Add to confirm the changes.

Step 2: Disable Auto Sync

Right-click anywhere in the Timeline, and click to deselect Auto track sync.

Step 3: Add Clips to Timeline

Drag the clips from the Media Bin to the Timeline. Make sure to place each footage on a different track, and that all the tracks are on top of each other. Optionally, right-click the audio that was added along with the clips, and click Remove from the context menu. Use this method to remove all the audios or leave the one you want to have. Note: Removing the audio tracks ensures that they do not overlap during the playback.

Step 4: Enable Split Screen

Click VFX from above the preview window, click the + (Add new effects) icon from the top of the left pane, select the DVE category from the upper-right corner of the left pane, scroll down the left pane to the Split-screen Presets section, and double-click your preferred split screen preset to add the effect to the participating clips.

Pros

  • Even the free variant has split screen feature
  • A complete post-production tool that doesn’t require any other program for finalizing the things

Cons

  • Not many split screen presets are available

Download Lightworks free version from here: https://www.lwks.com/

6. Adobe Premiere Pro

One of the most appreciated and widely used post-production applications for Windows and Mac computers, Adobe Premiere Pro has been professionals’ first choice when it comes to video editing, irrespective of the fact that it has a steep learning curve, and is also a resource intensive software to work with.

The steps below explain how to use Adobe Premiere Pro as a split screen video maker:

Step 1: Add Videos to Timeline

After importing the clips to the Project window, drag each of them to the Timeline, and place them in their separate tracks one above the other.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the topmost video track in the Timeline, go to Effect Controls panel from the top of the upper-left pane, and use the Position slider to position the video to your preferred area of the screen. Repeat this process for all the clips in the Timeline you want to add to split screen.

Step 3: Crop the Clips

Search for the Crop effect in the Effects pane present at the lower-left corner, drag and drop the effect on each of the clips in the timeline, and use the Crop slider in the Effect Controls pane to crop the videos as needed. Optionally use the keyframes to add sliding animations to give more professional look to the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Most robust and efficient video editing tool
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Requires subscription that needs to be renewed regularly

For more details about making split screen with Pr, check How to create a split screen in Premiere Pro

7. Final Cut Pro X

Available only for Mac computers at the time of this writing, Final Cut Pro X or FCPX gives tough competition to Adobe Premiere Pro. Since Apple devices are famous for their speedy processing, professionals any day prefer FCPX over Adobe Premiere Pro if they own a Mac PC running macOS.

You can use FCPX as split screen video maker by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Place Footages in the Timeline

As mentioned earlier, add the clips on top of each other on separate tracks in the Timeline of FCPX.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the first clip in the Timeline, from the Transform section of the Video Inspector pane in the right, use the Position slider to move the clip to your preferred side of the screen, and use the sliders from the Crop section to crop the footage to adjust the portion of interest. Repeat the process for the other video tracks as well to get your desired split screen effect in Final Cut Pro X.

Pros

  • Offers quick and easy way to add split screen effect
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Doesn’t have any particular preset for split screen effect

You may also like: How to create a PIP video with Final Cut Pro X

Best Free Online Split Screen Video Editors

Apart from the desktop programs discussed above, there are a couple of web tools that can be used as split screen video maker online free. Two of the most used ones are introduced below:

1. Kapwing Collage Maker

Although Kapwing offers several other online tools like video resizer, meme generator, slideshow maker, etc., the solution that can be considered split screen video editor is Kapwing Collage Maker. This web app allows you to select a template to get started, and the rest of the process is simple.

The following steps explain how to create a split screen video with Kapwing:

Step 1: Add Clips to Preset

Go to the https://www.kapwing.com/collage link, click to select your preferred split screen preset, click REPLACE on one of the segments of the split screen on the next page, and select and upload the first video. Next, click REPLACE on the other segment(s), and select and upload the other videos as well.

Step 2: Reposition and Publish

Click and drag each of the added clips to reposition them on the screen, use the other tools to crop and adjust the videos as needed, and click Publish from the top-right corner. Note: Optionally you can click Timeline from the top of the preview window, adjust the timings and other settings as needed on the next page, and click Done. After this, you can go ahead and hit Publish to create the split screen effect out of the uploaded videos.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows as many as 4 videos to create split screen effect

Cons

  • Requires you to register and sign in to remove the watermark from the output file

2. WeVideo

Yet another split screen video maker online free solution, WeVideo offers almost desktop program-like experience while creating split screen effects. Even though all the subscription plans that the vendor offers are chargeable, the Education plan can be tried for 30 days for free, post which the teachers are required to pay to continue using the web tool.

The following steps explain how to get split screen effect with WeVideo:

Step 1: Import Videos

Visit https://www.wevideo.com and on the main window, click Video from under the Create a new section at the top, select a layout on the Let’s get started box, and click START EDITING from the bottom right corner. Next, click ADD in the My media window in the upper-left section, click BROWSE TO SELECT on the Import media box, and add the videos you want to use in the split screen effect.

Step 2: Add Clips to Timeline

As explained earlier, drag the videos from the My media pane and drop them in the Timeline. Make sure to place every video in its separate layer, and that all the layers are on top of each other.

Step 3: Create Split Screen Effect

Select any clip in the Timeline, and click the Open clip editor icon from the upper-left area of the track. On the next page, use the Scale slider to reduce the size of the selected clip, and from the preview window in the right, drag to reposition the video to your preferred location on the screen. Click SAVE CHANGES from the bottom of the left pane to confirm the settings. Repeat the process for the second clip in the Timeline to resize and reposition it on the screen. Click FINISH from the upper-right corner, on the next box, enter a name for the video in the available field, click SET, choose your preferred settings on the next page, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to produce the split screen video.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows multiple videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Paid subscription is needed to remove watermark from the outputs

FAQs About Split Screen Video Editors

Why you should use split screen effect in video?

There are a couple of reasons you may want to use split screen effect in your video. Some of the most common uses include:

  • Showing multiple actions by the same or different characters at the same time, without changing the screen
  • Comparing multiple objects or picture quality. This can be done only when the entities in question are placed side-by-side
  • Making your video look more professional
  • Showing different effects on the same screen

Can I create a split screen video with Windows Movie Maker or Windows 10 Photos app?

No, you cannot. Although these tools enable you to resize the videos, since they don’t allow multi-tracked Timelines, no video clips can be placed one above the other which is an essential part for any split screen video maker to create the effect. However, as discussed above, there are several post-production tools, offline and online, that allow you to make split screen videos easily and without any cost.

Conclusion

Split screen video editor tools are both paid and free. Regardless of the program you use to create the effect, the output files always look more professional and informative. Furthermore, things become way simpler if the split screen video maker has simple UI, is less resource intensive, and is easy to use as it is the case with Wondershare Filmora.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The effect that comes up after adding two or more screens in a single frame is called split screen, and the tool that enables the users to do this is a split screen video editor. These split screens have significant importance in post-production tasks. That said, the following sections discuss about the tools that enable you to create split screen videos, and explain the process of doing so.

As mentioned above, the split screen effect lets you add two or more screens in a single frame. When multiple activities occur at the same time but at different locations, they all can be shown on one screen by placing their corresponding footages side-by-side or in any other arrangement that the split screen video maker allows.

Best Split Screen Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac [Free & Paid]

After understanding what split screen is, it becomes both obvious and mandatory to know about some of the most used split screen video editor applications, and how they help you in adding the effect to your movies. Following is a list of a couple of such programs:

1. iMovie

A proprietary of Apple, iMovie is available for both iOS and macOS, and is absolutely free of cost. Even though the tool lacks some advanced options for fine editing, it still offers a good platform to those planning their career in post-production industry. With simple UI, it is easy to learn iMovie.

The step-by-step instructions given below explain how to use iMovie to add split screen effect to your videos:

Step 1: Add Footages to iMovie

After importing the footages to the Media Bin in iMovie, drag the first one to the Timeline, and then drag the second one above the first layer.

Step 2: Select the Split Screen Effect

Select the top video layer in the Timeline, and choose Split Screen from the screen type drop-down list at the top.

Step 3: Select Split Screen Preset

Choose a position for the selected layer from the Position drop-down list at the top, and use the Slide slider to adjust the speed of the appearance of the footage.

Pros

  • iMovie is free to download and use
  • The program is available for both macOS and iOS

Cons

  • Allows only up to two videos to be used in split screen

You can get iMovie from here: https://www.apple.com/in/imovie/

2. Wondershare Filmora Editor

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

One of the most robust apps that is compared with post-production applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X, Wondershare Filmora is also a video editor that helps split screen easily. The software is available for Windows and Mac computers, and provides prompt technical support to its consumers. Although Filmora that packed with more advanced tools is also available, most of the times Filmora serves the purpose pretty well.

You can learn how to add split screen effect in Wondershare Filmora by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Import Footages to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, click anywhere inside the Media window in the upper-left section, and import all the videos you want to use to create the split screen effect.

Step 2: Choose a Split Screen Preset

Click Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, click and drag your preferred preset to the Timeline, and then extend the duration of the effect in the Timeline by dragging its handle.

Step 3: Add Videos to Split Screen

free video editing software for windows

Click ADVANCED from the bottom-right area of the Media pane, on the Advanced Split Screen Edit box, drag the first video from the left pane, and drop it on your preferred section in the right. Repeat the process to add all the other videos to their corresponding sections. Adjust their time of appearance by dragging their thumbnail in the Timeline of the box, and click OK.

Pros

  • Wondershare Filmora is lightweight and is less resource intensive
  • Allows as many as 6 videos to be added to create split screen effect
  • Has 30+ split screen presets

Cons

  • A couple of windows are required to be opened while working with split screen

3 . VSDC

VSDC is a free and efficient split screen video maker. In fact, the program is a full-fledged post-production application that can be used to edit the videos to prepare industry-standard clips for presentations, broadcasting, and commercial and private distribution. The best thing about VSDC is, it is absolutely free of cost, and doesn’t add any watermarks to the output files.

The instructions given below explain how to use the split screen feature in VSDC:

Step 1: Add Video Footages

Click Add object from the standard toolbar at the top, click Video, and select and add the first footage to the preview window. Repeat the process to add more video(s) as needed.

Step 2: Add Split Screen Effect

Grab any of the side handles of the video you added last, and drag it inward to reduce its size proportionally. Repeat the process to reduce the size of the other video(s) that is/are now revealed from beneath the one you just adjusted in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Absolutely free to use
  • Allows practically unlimited number of footages to be added to create the split screen videos

Cons

  • No presets for automatic video positioning are available for split screen effect

You can get VSDC free video editor from here: http://www.videosoftdev.com/

4. Shotcut

A free and opensource editing tool, Shotcut can also be used as a split screen video maker to produce industry-standard movies and documentaries. Shotcut is available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS, and comes in both x64 and x86 variants. Being a free program, Shotcut doesn’t require any activation or registration.

The procedure that follows explains how to use Shortcut as a free split screen video editor:

Step 1: Add Clips to the Timeline

Import the footages to the Shotcut’s media bin, drag one of the clips from the bin to the Timeline at the bottom, and then press Ctrl + I on your keyboard to add more video tracks. You can press this shortcut key for another couple of times depending on the number films you want to use for the split screen effect. Next, drag each film from the bin to their corresponding tracks. Note: Make sure NOT to place all the clips on the same track, and that each of them is on a different, its own, video layer.

Step 2: Adjust the First Video

Select the last video you added to the Timeline (it should be the topmost track), click Filters from above the Timeline, click the + button from the upper-left corner, click Size and Position from the list that appears next, and select the clip’s position from the Preset drop-down list.

Step 3: Adjust Other Videos

Select the second video in the Timeline and repeat the process to set its position, and do the same for all other footages that you added in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms
  • If using presets, as many as 4 videos can be added for split screen effect

Cons

  • Working with split screen manually may require practice and some calculations to position the clips on the screen correctly

You can get Shotcut from here: https://shotcut.org/

5. Lightworks

Used by the professionals to edit and prepare movies like Pulp Fiction, The Cure, L.A. Confidential, Bruce Almighty, The Wolf of Wall Street, etc., Lightworks is, in true means, a complete and full-fledged post-production application to create industry-standard outputs. The main reason for the app’s wide userbase is that it is a cross-platform software that is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.

To use Lightworks as split screen video maker, you can follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Add Tracks in Timeline

After importing the clips to Lightworks, leave them in the Media Bin for now, right-click anywhere in the Timeline at the bottom, go to Tracks, click Add multiple, and from the Number to add drop-down list, choose the number of tracks you want to add to the Timeline. Click Add to confirm the changes.

Step 2: Disable Auto Sync

Right-click anywhere in the Timeline, and click to deselect Auto track sync.

Step 3: Add Clips to Timeline

Drag the clips from the Media Bin to the Timeline. Make sure to place each footage on a different track, and that all the tracks are on top of each other. Optionally, right-click the audio that was added along with the clips, and click Remove from the context menu. Use this method to remove all the audios or leave the one you want to have. Note: Removing the audio tracks ensures that they do not overlap during the playback.

Step 4: Enable Split Screen

Click VFX from above the preview window, click the + (Add new effects) icon from the top of the left pane, select the DVE category from the upper-right corner of the left pane, scroll down the left pane to the Split-screen Presets section, and double-click your preferred split screen preset to add the effect to the participating clips.

Pros

  • Even the free variant has split screen feature
  • A complete post-production tool that doesn’t require any other program for finalizing the things

Cons

  • Not many split screen presets are available

Download Lightworks free version from here: https://www.lwks.com/

6. Adobe Premiere Pro

One of the most appreciated and widely used post-production applications for Windows and Mac computers, Adobe Premiere Pro has been professionals’ first choice when it comes to video editing, irrespective of the fact that it has a steep learning curve, and is also a resource intensive software to work with.

The steps below explain how to use Adobe Premiere Pro as a split screen video maker:

Step 1: Add Videos to Timeline

After importing the clips to the Project window, drag each of them to the Timeline, and place them in their separate tracks one above the other.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the topmost video track in the Timeline, go to Effect Controls panel from the top of the upper-left pane, and use the Position slider to position the video to your preferred area of the screen. Repeat this process for all the clips in the Timeline you want to add to split screen.

Step 3: Crop the Clips

Search for the Crop effect in the Effects pane present at the lower-left corner, drag and drop the effect on each of the clips in the timeline, and use the Crop slider in the Effect Controls pane to crop the videos as needed. Optionally use the keyframes to add sliding animations to give more professional look to the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Most robust and efficient video editing tool
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Requires subscription that needs to be renewed regularly

For more details about making split screen with Pr, check How to create a split screen in Premiere Pro

7. Final Cut Pro X

Available only for Mac computers at the time of this writing, Final Cut Pro X or FCPX gives tough competition to Adobe Premiere Pro. Since Apple devices are famous for their speedy processing, professionals any day prefer FCPX over Adobe Premiere Pro if they own a Mac PC running macOS.

You can use FCPX as split screen video maker by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Place Footages in the Timeline

As mentioned earlier, add the clips on top of each other on separate tracks in the Timeline of FCPX.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the first clip in the Timeline, from the Transform section of the Video Inspector pane in the right, use the Position slider to move the clip to your preferred side of the screen, and use the sliders from the Crop section to crop the footage to adjust the portion of interest. Repeat the process for the other video tracks as well to get your desired split screen effect in Final Cut Pro X.

Pros

  • Offers quick and easy way to add split screen effect
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Doesn’t have any particular preset for split screen effect

You may also like: How to create a PIP video with Final Cut Pro X

Best Free Online Split Screen Video Editors

Apart from the desktop programs discussed above, there are a couple of web tools that can be used as split screen video maker online free. Two of the most used ones are introduced below:

1. Kapwing Collage Maker

Although Kapwing offers several other online tools like video resizer, meme generator, slideshow maker, etc., the solution that can be considered split screen video editor is Kapwing Collage Maker. This web app allows you to select a template to get started, and the rest of the process is simple.

The following steps explain how to create a split screen video with Kapwing:

Step 1: Add Clips to Preset

Go to the https://www.kapwing.com/collage link, click to select your preferred split screen preset, click REPLACE on one of the segments of the split screen on the next page, and select and upload the first video. Next, click REPLACE on the other segment(s), and select and upload the other videos as well.

Step 2: Reposition and Publish

Click and drag each of the added clips to reposition them on the screen, use the other tools to crop and adjust the videos as needed, and click Publish from the top-right corner. Note: Optionally you can click Timeline from the top of the preview window, adjust the timings and other settings as needed on the next page, and click Done. After this, you can go ahead and hit Publish to create the split screen effect out of the uploaded videos.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows as many as 4 videos to create split screen effect

Cons

  • Requires you to register and sign in to remove the watermark from the output file

2. WeVideo

Yet another split screen video maker online free solution, WeVideo offers almost desktop program-like experience while creating split screen effects. Even though all the subscription plans that the vendor offers are chargeable, the Education plan can be tried for 30 days for free, post which the teachers are required to pay to continue using the web tool.

The following steps explain how to get split screen effect with WeVideo:

Step 1: Import Videos

Visit https://www.wevideo.com and on the main window, click Video from under the Create a new section at the top, select a layout on the Let’s get started box, and click START EDITING from the bottom right corner. Next, click ADD in the My media window in the upper-left section, click BROWSE TO SELECT on the Import media box, and add the videos you want to use in the split screen effect.

Step 2: Add Clips to Timeline

As explained earlier, drag the videos from the My media pane and drop them in the Timeline. Make sure to place every video in its separate layer, and that all the layers are on top of each other.

Step 3: Create Split Screen Effect

Select any clip in the Timeline, and click the Open clip editor icon from the upper-left area of the track. On the next page, use the Scale slider to reduce the size of the selected clip, and from the preview window in the right, drag to reposition the video to your preferred location on the screen. Click SAVE CHANGES from the bottom of the left pane to confirm the settings. Repeat the process for the second clip in the Timeline to resize and reposition it on the screen. Click FINISH from the upper-right corner, on the next box, enter a name for the video in the available field, click SET, choose your preferred settings on the next page, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to produce the split screen video.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows multiple videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Paid subscription is needed to remove watermark from the outputs

FAQs About Split Screen Video Editors

Why you should use split screen effect in video?

There are a couple of reasons you may want to use split screen effect in your video. Some of the most common uses include:

  • Showing multiple actions by the same or different characters at the same time, without changing the screen
  • Comparing multiple objects or picture quality. This can be done only when the entities in question are placed side-by-side
  • Making your video look more professional
  • Showing different effects on the same screen

Can I create a split screen video with Windows Movie Maker or Windows 10 Photos app?

No, you cannot. Although these tools enable you to resize the videos, since they don’t allow multi-tracked Timelines, no video clips can be placed one above the other which is an essential part for any split screen video maker to create the effect. However, as discussed above, there are several post-production tools, offline and online, that allow you to make split screen videos easily and without any cost.

Conclusion

Split screen video editor tools are both paid and free. Regardless of the program you use to create the effect, the output files always look more professional and informative. Furthermore, things become way simpler if the split screen video maker has simple UI, is less resource intensive, and is easy to use as it is the case with Wondershare Filmora.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The effect that comes up after adding two or more screens in a single frame is called split screen, and the tool that enables the users to do this is a split screen video editor. These split screens have significant importance in post-production tasks. That said, the following sections discuss about the tools that enable you to create split screen videos, and explain the process of doing so.

As mentioned above, the split screen effect lets you add two or more screens in a single frame. When multiple activities occur at the same time but at different locations, they all can be shown on one screen by placing their corresponding footages side-by-side or in any other arrangement that the split screen video maker allows.

Best Split Screen Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac [Free & Paid]

After understanding what split screen is, it becomes both obvious and mandatory to know about some of the most used split screen video editor applications, and how they help you in adding the effect to your movies. Following is a list of a couple of such programs:

1. iMovie

A proprietary of Apple, iMovie is available for both iOS and macOS, and is absolutely free of cost. Even though the tool lacks some advanced options for fine editing, it still offers a good platform to those planning their career in post-production industry. With simple UI, it is easy to learn iMovie.

The step-by-step instructions given below explain how to use iMovie to add split screen effect to your videos:

Step 1: Add Footages to iMovie

After importing the footages to the Media Bin in iMovie, drag the first one to the Timeline, and then drag the second one above the first layer.

Step 2: Select the Split Screen Effect

Select the top video layer in the Timeline, and choose Split Screen from the screen type drop-down list at the top.

Step 3: Select Split Screen Preset

Choose a position for the selected layer from the Position drop-down list at the top, and use the Slide slider to adjust the speed of the appearance of the footage.

Pros

  • iMovie is free to download and use
  • The program is available for both macOS and iOS

Cons

  • Allows only up to two videos to be used in split screen

You can get iMovie from here: https://www.apple.com/in/imovie/

2. Wondershare Filmora Editor

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

One of the most robust apps that is compared with post-production applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X, Wondershare Filmora is also a video editor that helps split screen easily. The software is available for Windows and Mac computers, and provides prompt technical support to its consumers. Although Filmora that packed with more advanced tools is also available, most of the times Filmora serves the purpose pretty well.

You can learn how to add split screen effect in Wondershare Filmora by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Import Footages to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, click anywhere inside the Media window in the upper-left section, and import all the videos you want to use to create the split screen effect.

Step 2: Choose a Split Screen Preset

Click Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, click and drag your preferred preset to the Timeline, and then extend the duration of the effect in the Timeline by dragging its handle.

Step 3: Add Videos to Split Screen

free video editing software for windows

Click ADVANCED from the bottom-right area of the Media pane, on the Advanced Split Screen Edit box, drag the first video from the left pane, and drop it on your preferred section in the right. Repeat the process to add all the other videos to their corresponding sections. Adjust their time of appearance by dragging their thumbnail in the Timeline of the box, and click OK.

Pros

  • Wondershare Filmora is lightweight and is less resource intensive
  • Allows as many as 6 videos to be added to create split screen effect
  • Has 30+ split screen presets

Cons

  • A couple of windows are required to be opened while working with split screen

3 . VSDC

VSDC is a free and efficient split screen video maker. In fact, the program is a full-fledged post-production application that can be used to edit the videos to prepare industry-standard clips for presentations, broadcasting, and commercial and private distribution. The best thing about VSDC is, it is absolutely free of cost, and doesn’t add any watermarks to the output files.

The instructions given below explain how to use the split screen feature in VSDC:

Step 1: Add Video Footages

Click Add object from the standard toolbar at the top, click Video, and select and add the first footage to the preview window. Repeat the process to add more video(s) as needed.

Step 2: Add Split Screen Effect

Grab any of the side handles of the video you added last, and drag it inward to reduce its size proportionally. Repeat the process to reduce the size of the other video(s) that is/are now revealed from beneath the one you just adjusted in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Absolutely free to use
  • Allows practically unlimited number of footages to be added to create the split screen videos

Cons

  • No presets for automatic video positioning are available for split screen effect

You can get VSDC free video editor from here: http://www.videosoftdev.com/

4. Shotcut

A free and opensource editing tool, Shotcut can also be used as a split screen video maker to produce industry-standard movies and documentaries. Shotcut is available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS, and comes in both x64 and x86 variants. Being a free program, Shotcut doesn’t require any activation or registration.

The procedure that follows explains how to use Shortcut as a free split screen video editor:

Step 1: Add Clips to the Timeline

Import the footages to the Shotcut’s media bin, drag one of the clips from the bin to the Timeline at the bottom, and then press Ctrl + I on your keyboard to add more video tracks. You can press this shortcut key for another couple of times depending on the number films you want to use for the split screen effect. Next, drag each film from the bin to their corresponding tracks. Note: Make sure NOT to place all the clips on the same track, and that each of them is on a different, its own, video layer.

Step 2: Adjust the First Video

Select the last video you added to the Timeline (it should be the topmost track), click Filters from above the Timeline, click the + button from the upper-left corner, click Size and Position from the list that appears next, and select the clip’s position from the Preset drop-down list.

Step 3: Adjust Other Videos

Select the second video in the Timeline and repeat the process to set its position, and do the same for all other footages that you added in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms
  • If using presets, as many as 4 videos can be added for split screen effect

Cons

  • Working with split screen manually may require practice and some calculations to position the clips on the screen correctly

You can get Shotcut from here: https://shotcut.org/

5. Lightworks

Used by the professionals to edit and prepare movies like Pulp Fiction, The Cure, L.A. Confidential, Bruce Almighty, The Wolf of Wall Street, etc., Lightworks is, in true means, a complete and full-fledged post-production application to create industry-standard outputs. The main reason for the app’s wide userbase is that it is a cross-platform software that is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.

To use Lightworks as split screen video maker, you can follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Add Tracks in Timeline

After importing the clips to Lightworks, leave them in the Media Bin for now, right-click anywhere in the Timeline at the bottom, go to Tracks, click Add multiple, and from the Number to add drop-down list, choose the number of tracks you want to add to the Timeline. Click Add to confirm the changes.

Step 2: Disable Auto Sync

Right-click anywhere in the Timeline, and click to deselect Auto track sync.

Step 3: Add Clips to Timeline

Drag the clips from the Media Bin to the Timeline. Make sure to place each footage on a different track, and that all the tracks are on top of each other. Optionally, right-click the audio that was added along with the clips, and click Remove from the context menu. Use this method to remove all the audios or leave the one you want to have. Note: Removing the audio tracks ensures that they do not overlap during the playback.

Step 4: Enable Split Screen

Click VFX from above the preview window, click the + (Add new effects) icon from the top of the left pane, select the DVE category from the upper-right corner of the left pane, scroll down the left pane to the Split-screen Presets section, and double-click your preferred split screen preset to add the effect to the participating clips.

Pros

  • Even the free variant has split screen feature
  • A complete post-production tool that doesn’t require any other program for finalizing the things

Cons

  • Not many split screen presets are available

Download Lightworks free version from here: https://www.lwks.com/

6. Adobe Premiere Pro

One of the most appreciated and widely used post-production applications for Windows and Mac computers, Adobe Premiere Pro has been professionals’ first choice when it comes to video editing, irrespective of the fact that it has a steep learning curve, and is also a resource intensive software to work with.

The steps below explain how to use Adobe Premiere Pro as a split screen video maker:

Step 1: Add Videos to Timeline

After importing the clips to the Project window, drag each of them to the Timeline, and place them in their separate tracks one above the other.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the topmost video track in the Timeline, go to Effect Controls panel from the top of the upper-left pane, and use the Position slider to position the video to your preferred area of the screen. Repeat this process for all the clips in the Timeline you want to add to split screen.

Step 3: Crop the Clips

Search for the Crop effect in the Effects pane present at the lower-left corner, drag and drop the effect on each of the clips in the timeline, and use the Crop slider in the Effect Controls pane to crop the videos as needed. Optionally use the keyframes to add sliding animations to give more professional look to the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Most robust and efficient video editing tool
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Requires subscription that needs to be renewed regularly

For more details about making split screen with Pr, check How to create a split screen in Premiere Pro

7. Final Cut Pro X

Available only for Mac computers at the time of this writing, Final Cut Pro X or FCPX gives tough competition to Adobe Premiere Pro. Since Apple devices are famous for their speedy processing, professionals any day prefer FCPX over Adobe Premiere Pro if they own a Mac PC running macOS.

You can use FCPX as split screen video maker by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Place Footages in the Timeline

As mentioned earlier, add the clips on top of each other on separate tracks in the Timeline of FCPX.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the first clip in the Timeline, from the Transform section of the Video Inspector pane in the right, use the Position slider to move the clip to your preferred side of the screen, and use the sliders from the Crop section to crop the footage to adjust the portion of interest. Repeat the process for the other video tracks as well to get your desired split screen effect in Final Cut Pro X.

Pros

  • Offers quick and easy way to add split screen effect
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Doesn’t have any particular preset for split screen effect

You may also like: How to create a PIP video with Final Cut Pro X

Best Free Online Split Screen Video Editors

Apart from the desktop programs discussed above, there are a couple of web tools that can be used as split screen video maker online free. Two of the most used ones are introduced below:

1. Kapwing Collage Maker

Although Kapwing offers several other online tools like video resizer, meme generator, slideshow maker, etc., the solution that can be considered split screen video editor is Kapwing Collage Maker. This web app allows you to select a template to get started, and the rest of the process is simple.

The following steps explain how to create a split screen video with Kapwing:

Step 1: Add Clips to Preset

Go to the https://www.kapwing.com/collage link, click to select your preferred split screen preset, click REPLACE on one of the segments of the split screen on the next page, and select and upload the first video. Next, click REPLACE on the other segment(s), and select and upload the other videos as well.

Step 2: Reposition and Publish

Click and drag each of the added clips to reposition them on the screen, use the other tools to crop and adjust the videos as needed, and click Publish from the top-right corner. Note: Optionally you can click Timeline from the top of the preview window, adjust the timings and other settings as needed on the next page, and click Done. After this, you can go ahead and hit Publish to create the split screen effect out of the uploaded videos.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows as many as 4 videos to create split screen effect

Cons

  • Requires you to register and sign in to remove the watermark from the output file

2. WeVideo

Yet another split screen video maker online free solution, WeVideo offers almost desktop program-like experience while creating split screen effects. Even though all the subscription plans that the vendor offers are chargeable, the Education plan can be tried for 30 days for free, post which the teachers are required to pay to continue using the web tool.

The following steps explain how to get split screen effect with WeVideo:

Step 1: Import Videos

Visit https://www.wevideo.com and on the main window, click Video from under the Create a new section at the top, select a layout on the Let’s get started box, and click START EDITING from the bottom right corner. Next, click ADD in the My media window in the upper-left section, click BROWSE TO SELECT on the Import media box, and add the videos you want to use in the split screen effect.

Step 2: Add Clips to Timeline

As explained earlier, drag the videos from the My media pane and drop them in the Timeline. Make sure to place every video in its separate layer, and that all the layers are on top of each other.

Step 3: Create Split Screen Effect

Select any clip in the Timeline, and click the Open clip editor icon from the upper-left area of the track. On the next page, use the Scale slider to reduce the size of the selected clip, and from the preview window in the right, drag to reposition the video to your preferred location on the screen. Click SAVE CHANGES from the bottom of the left pane to confirm the settings. Repeat the process for the second clip in the Timeline to resize and reposition it on the screen. Click FINISH from the upper-right corner, on the next box, enter a name for the video in the available field, click SET, choose your preferred settings on the next page, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to produce the split screen video.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows multiple videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Paid subscription is needed to remove watermark from the outputs

FAQs About Split Screen Video Editors

Why you should use split screen effect in video?

There are a couple of reasons you may want to use split screen effect in your video. Some of the most common uses include:

  • Showing multiple actions by the same or different characters at the same time, without changing the screen
  • Comparing multiple objects or picture quality. This can be done only when the entities in question are placed side-by-side
  • Making your video look more professional
  • Showing different effects on the same screen

Can I create a split screen video with Windows Movie Maker or Windows 10 Photos app?

No, you cannot. Although these tools enable you to resize the videos, since they don’t allow multi-tracked Timelines, no video clips can be placed one above the other which is an essential part for any split screen video maker to create the effect. However, as discussed above, there are several post-production tools, offline and online, that allow you to make split screen videos easily and without any cost.

Conclusion

Split screen video editor tools are both paid and free. Regardless of the program you use to create the effect, the output files always look more professional and informative. Furthermore, things become way simpler if the split screen video maker has simple UI, is less resource intensive, and is easy to use as it is the case with Wondershare Filmora.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The effect that comes up after adding two or more screens in a single frame is called split screen, and the tool that enables the users to do this is a split screen video editor. These split screens have significant importance in post-production tasks. That said, the following sections discuss about the tools that enable you to create split screen videos, and explain the process of doing so.

As mentioned above, the split screen effect lets you add two or more screens in a single frame. When multiple activities occur at the same time but at different locations, they all can be shown on one screen by placing their corresponding footages side-by-side or in any other arrangement that the split screen video maker allows.

Best Split Screen Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac [Free & Paid]

After understanding what split screen is, it becomes both obvious and mandatory to know about some of the most used split screen video editor applications, and how they help you in adding the effect to your movies. Following is a list of a couple of such programs:

1. iMovie

A proprietary of Apple, iMovie is available for both iOS and macOS, and is absolutely free of cost. Even though the tool lacks some advanced options for fine editing, it still offers a good platform to those planning their career in post-production industry. With simple UI, it is easy to learn iMovie.

The step-by-step instructions given below explain how to use iMovie to add split screen effect to your videos:

Step 1: Add Footages to iMovie

After importing the footages to the Media Bin in iMovie, drag the first one to the Timeline, and then drag the second one above the first layer.

Step 2: Select the Split Screen Effect

Select the top video layer in the Timeline, and choose Split Screen from the screen type drop-down list at the top.

Step 3: Select Split Screen Preset

Choose a position for the selected layer from the Position drop-down list at the top, and use the Slide slider to adjust the speed of the appearance of the footage.

Pros

  • iMovie is free to download and use
  • The program is available for both macOS and iOS

Cons

  • Allows only up to two videos to be used in split screen

You can get iMovie from here: https://www.apple.com/in/imovie/

2. Wondershare Filmora Editor

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

One of the most robust apps that is compared with post-production applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X, Wondershare Filmora is also a video editor that helps split screen easily. The software is available for Windows and Mac computers, and provides prompt technical support to its consumers. Although Filmora that packed with more advanced tools is also available, most of the times Filmora serves the purpose pretty well.

You can learn how to add split screen effect in Wondershare Filmora by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Import Footages to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, click anywhere inside the Media window in the upper-left section, and import all the videos you want to use to create the split screen effect.

Step 2: Choose a Split Screen Preset

Click Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, click and drag your preferred preset to the Timeline, and then extend the duration of the effect in the Timeline by dragging its handle.

Step 3: Add Videos to Split Screen

free video editing software for windows

Click ADVANCED from the bottom-right area of the Media pane, on the Advanced Split Screen Edit box, drag the first video from the left pane, and drop it on your preferred section in the right. Repeat the process to add all the other videos to their corresponding sections. Adjust their time of appearance by dragging their thumbnail in the Timeline of the box, and click OK.

Pros

  • Wondershare Filmora is lightweight and is less resource intensive
  • Allows as many as 6 videos to be added to create split screen effect
  • Has 30+ split screen presets

Cons

  • A couple of windows are required to be opened while working with split screen

3 . VSDC

VSDC is a free and efficient split screen video maker. In fact, the program is a full-fledged post-production application that can be used to edit the videos to prepare industry-standard clips for presentations, broadcasting, and commercial and private distribution. The best thing about VSDC is, it is absolutely free of cost, and doesn’t add any watermarks to the output files.

The instructions given below explain how to use the split screen feature in VSDC:

Step 1: Add Video Footages

Click Add object from the standard toolbar at the top, click Video, and select and add the first footage to the preview window. Repeat the process to add more video(s) as needed.

Step 2: Add Split Screen Effect

Grab any of the side handles of the video you added last, and drag it inward to reduce its size proportionally. Repeat the process to reduce the size of the other video(s) that is/are now revealed from beneath the one you just adjusted in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Absolutely free to use
  • Allows practically unlimited number of footages to be added to create the split screen videos

Cons

  • No presets for automatic video positioning are available for split screen effect

You can get VSDC free video editor from here: http://www.videosoftdev.com/

4. Shotcut

A free and opensource editing tool, Shotcut can also be used as a split screen video maker to produce industry-standard movies and documentaries. Shotcut is available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS, and comes in both x64 and x86 variants. Being a free program, Shotcut doesn’t require any activation or registration.

The procedure that follows explains how to use Shortcut as a free split screen video editor:

Step 1: Add Clips to the Timeline

Import the footages to the Shotcut’s media bin, drag one of the clips from the bin to the Timeline at the bottom, and then press Ctrl + I on your keyboard to add more video tracks. You can press this shortcut key for another couple of times depending on the number films you want to use for the split screen effect. Next, drag each film from the bin to their corresponding tracks. Note: Make sure NOT to place all the clips on the same track, and that each of them is on a different, its own, video layer.

Step 2: Adjust the First Video

Select the last video you added to the Timeline (it should be the topmost track), click Filters from above the Timeline, click the + button from the upper-left corner, click Size and Position from the list that appears next, and select the clip’s position from the Preset drop-down list.

Step 3: Adjust Other Videos

Select the second video in the Timeline and repeat the process to set its position, and do the same for all other footages that you added in order to create the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Available for FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms
  • If using presets, as many as 4 videos can be added for split screen effect

Cons

  • Working with split screen manually may require practice and some calculations to position the clips on the screen correctly

You can get Shotcut from here: https://shotcut.org/

5. Lightworks

Used by the professionals to edit and prepare movies like Pulp Fiction, The Cure, L.A. Confidential, Bruce Almighty, The Wolf of Wall Street, etc., Lightworks is, in true means, a complete and full-fledged post-production application to create industry-standard outputs. The main reason for the app’s wide userbase is that it is a cross-platform software that is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.

To use Lightworks as split screen video maker, you can follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Add Tracks in Timeline

After importing the clips to Lightworks, leave them in the Media Bin for now, right-click anywhere in the Timeline at the bottom, go to Tracks, click Add multiple, and from the Number to add drop-down list, choose the number of tracks you want to add to the Timeline. Click Add to confirm the changes.

Step 2: Disable Auto Sync

Right-click anywhere in the Timeline, and click to deselect Auto track sync.

Step 3: Add Clips to Timeline

Drag the clips from the Media Bin to the Timeline. Make sure to place each footage on a different track, and that all the tracks are on top of each other. Optionally, right-click the audio that was added along with the clips, and click Remove from the context menu. Use this method to remove all the audios or leave the one you want to have. Note: Removing the audio tracks ensures that they do not overlap during the playback.

Step 4: Enable Split Screen

Click VFX from above the preview window, click the + (Add new effects) icon from the top of the left pane, select the DVE category from the upper-right corner of the left pane, scroll down the left pane to the Split-screen Presets section, and double-click your preferred split screen preset to add the effect to the participating clips.

Pros

  • Even the free variant has split screen feature
  • A complete post-production tool that doesn’t require any other program for finalizing the things

Cons

  • Not many split screen presets are available

Download Lightworks free version from here: https://www.lwks.com/

6. Adobe Premiere Pro

One of the most appreciated and widely used post-production applications for Windows and Mac computers, Adobe Premiere Pro has been professionals’ first choice when it comes to video editing, irrespective of the fact that it has a steep learning curve, and is also a resource intensive software to work with.

The steps below explain how to use Adobe Premiere Pro as a split screen video maker:

Step 1: Add Videos to Timeline

After importing the clips to the Project window, drag each of them to the Timeline, and place them in their separate tracks one above the other.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the topmost video track in the Timeline, go to Effect Controls panel from the top of the upper-left pane, and use the Position slider to position the video to your preferred area of the screen. Repeat this process for all the clips in the Timeline you want to add to split screen.

Step 3: Crop the Clips

Search for the Crop effect in the Effects pane present at the lower-left corner, drag and drop the effect on each of the clips in the timeline, and use the Crop slider in the Effect Controls pane to crop the videos as needed. Optionally use the keyframes to add sliding animations to give more professional look to the split screen effect.

Pros

  • Most robust and efficient video editing tool
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Requires subscription that needs to be renewed regularly

For more details about making split screen with Pr, check How to create a split screen in Premiere Pro

7. Final Cut Pro X

Available only for Mac computers at the time of this writing, Final Cut Pro X or FCPX gives tough competition to Adobe Premiere Pro. Since Apple devices are famous for their speedy processing, professionals any day prefer FCPX over Adobe Premiere Pro if they own a Mac PC running macOS.

You can use FCPX as split screen video maker by following the steps given below:

Step 1: Place Footages in the Timeline

As mentioned earlier, add the clips on top of each other on separate tracks in the Timeline of FCPX.

Step 2: Position and Crop

Select the first clip in the Timeline, from the Transform section of the Video Inspector pane in the right, use the Position slider to move the clip to your preferred side of the screen, and use the sliders from the Crop section to crop the footage to adjust the portion of interest. Repeat the process for the other video tracks as well to get your desired split screen effect in Final Cut Pro X.

Pros

  • Offers quick and easy way to add split screen effect
  • Allows practically unlimited number of videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Doesn’t have any particular preset for split screen effect

You may also like: How to create a PIP video with Final Cut Pro X

Best Free Online Split Screen Video Editors

Apart from the desktop programs discussed above, there are a couple of web tools that can be used as split screen video maker online free. Two of the most used ones are introduced below:

1. Kapwing Collage Maker

Although Kapwing offers several other online tools like video resizer, meme generator, slideshow maker, etc., the solution that can be considered split screen video editor is Kapwing Collage Maker. This web app allows you to select a template to get started, and the rest of the process is simple.

The following steps explain how to create a split screen video with Kapwing:

Step 1: Add Clips to Preset

Go to the https://www.kapwing.com/collage link, click to select your preferred split screen preset, click REPLACE on one of the segments of the split screen on the next page, and select and upload the first video. Next, click REPLACE on the other segment(s), and select and upload the other videos as well.

Step 2: Reposition and Publish

Click and drag each of the added clips to reposition them on the screen, use the other tools to crop and adjust the videos as needed, and click Publish from the top-right corner. Note: Optionally you can click Timeline from the top of the preview window, adjust the timings and other settings as needed on the next page, and click Done. After this, you can go ahead and hit Publish to create the split screen effect out of the uploaded videos.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows as many as 4 videos to create split screen effect

Cons

  • Requires you to register and sign in to remove the watermark from the output file

2. WeVideo

Yet another split screen video maker online free solution, WeVideo offers almost desktop program-like experience while creating split screen effects. Even though all the subscription plans that the vendor offers are chargeable, the Education plan can be tried for 30 days for free, post which the teachers are required to pay to continue using the web tool.

The following steps explain how to get split screen effect with WeVideo:

Step 1: Import Videos

Visit https://www.wevideo.com and on the main window, click Video from under the Create a new section at the top, select a layout on the Let’s get started box, and click START EDITING from the bottom right corner. Next, click ADD in the My media window in the upper-left section, click BROWSE TO SELECT on the Import media box, and add the videos you want to use in the split screen effect.

Step 2: Add Clips to Timeline

As explained earlier, drag the videos from the My media pane and drop them in the Timeline. Make sure to place every video in its separate layer, and that all the layers are on top of each other.

Step 3: Create Split Screen Effect

Select any clip in the Timeline, and click the Open clip editor icon from the upper-left area of the track. On the next page, use the Scale slider to reduce the size of the selected clip, and from the preview window in the right, drag to reposition the video to your preferred location on the screen. Click SAVE CHANGES from the bottom of the left pane to confirm the settings. Repeat the process for the second clip in the Timeline to resize and reposition it on the screen. Click FINISH from the upper-right corner, on the next box, enter a name for the video in the available field, click SET, choose your preferred settings on the next page, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to produce the split screen video.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Allows multiple videos to be used for split screen

Cons

  • Paid subscription is needed to remove watermark from the outputs

FAQs About Split Screen Video Editors

Why you should use split screen effect in video?

There are a couple of reasons you may want to use split screen effect in your video. Some of the most common uses include:

  • Showing multiple actions by the same or different characters at the same time, without changing the screen
  • Comparing multiple objects or picture quality. This can be done only when the entities in question are placed side-by-side
  • Making your video look more professional
  • Showing different effects on the same screen

Can I create a split screen video with Windows Movie Maker or Windows 10 Photos app?

No, you cannot. Although these tools enable you to resize the videos, since they don’t allow multi-tracked Timelines, no video clips can be placed one above the other which is an essential part for any split screen video maker to create the effect. However, as discussed above, there are several post-production tools, offline and online, that allow you to make split screen videos easily and without any cost.

Conclusion

Split screen video editor tools are both paid and free. Regardless of the program you use to create the effect, the output files always look more professional and informative. Furthermore, things become way simpler if the split screen video maker has simple UI, is less resource intensive, and is easy to use as it is the case with Wondershare Filmora.

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Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Also read:

  • Title: Updated Edit Like a Pro Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors You Need
  • Author: Giselle
  • Created at : 2024-04-25 07:34:52
  • Updated at : 2024-04-26 07:34:52
  • Link: https://ai-vdieo-software.techidaily.com/updated-edit-like-a-pro-top-10-free-mp4-video-editors-you-need/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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Updated Edit Like a Pro Top 10 Free MP4 Video Editors You Need