A history timeline makes it easy to keep track of everything you have done to your footage while an audio meter lets you monitor your levels.īecause Shotcut is open-source, there are a few weird things that Mac and Windows users may take some time getting used to – such as buttons that you think will toggle on and off but do not, or it can take several clicks to see a menu or set of filters. The app lets you create multiple tracks for audio and video, while conveniently located tools let you stitch it all together in any way you’d like by easily splitting, trimming, and snapping clips together. You can also switch background colors from dark, light, and system, plus the app supports external monitors. All panels are dockable - you can open and close panels at will or separate them from the application frame to focus on a single aspect of your project. The default layout is sparse and a bit text heavy, but you can use the top menu to switch out different workspaces - or create a custom one - that will make the program more comfortable. Watching an instructional video or two will go a long way in getting new users accustomed to this software’s conventions. Hover your mouse over a tool to reveal (albeit in tiny print), its function. It’s easy to learn, but most novices are not going to just jump right into the program and immediately find their way around.

While it’s not as intuitive as Hitfilm or iMovie, anyone who is even vaguely familiar with non-linear video editing should be able to get the hang of Shotcut pretty quickly.

The Shotcut interface is bare bones, but there’s plenty you can accomplish right from the timeline.

Shotcut titles