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Sometimes, we have to trim video from a livestream or other social content. In this article, I share how I accomplish that task quickly.
Most commonly, the need for that happens for me in this workflow:
- I livestream an episode of my Business Storytelling Show to social media.
- There’s a countdown timer, which is necessary on the livestream but not on any other version of the episode. So I have to at the very least trim out that countdown timer at the beginning.
- From there, I take the final version and upload it to podcast channels and the DBTV network for further distribution. Both need the video file.
There certainly are other reasons to have to edit videos. For example, I trim video segments from livestreams to use on TikTok and other social media networks. Though I’m using Opus Clips for audiograms now.
Let’s look at six ways that you can consider making the trimming of videos easy.
What is trim a video anyway?
In a nutshell, these tools allow you to cut the beginning and/or the end of the video. That’s what it means to trim a video. Editing a video means cutting things throughout the clip, maybe fixing audio and perhaps even adding graphics.
In Restream
I livestream and record in Restream and the software now allows the trimming of videos.
Once the stream is done, go to the video storage area and click on the three dots and then on trim and simply safe when done.
Online video cutter
This is a freemium tool that you can use online. It’s free for smaller videos and there’s a subscription for larger videos. Simply upload your file to get started.
From there, you can easily move the bar around the clip you want to use. The time stamps below also make it easy to pick exactly the right clip. Sometimes, I simply listen to the show and then write down the time codes of where I want the trim to start and end.
Once you have your clip, click save and download the trimmed file.
Read next: Are USB microphones good?
Build-in editor
Many computers have built-in editors. On the PC, simply search for “video editor” and you’ll find it. On Apple iPad and iPhones you can trim video files by clicking on “edit” in that video file and then moving the bars at the bottom to trim.
On a PC, the trim function in the video editor looks like this:
Certainly, you can trim using this editor, but it’s not nearly as easy to use as the earlier option. It can be quite hard to get it in the exact right spot I want. The same is true on Apple devices when I’m trimming a small clip from a larger file.
On the MacBook this would be iMovie and on an iPad you can trim videos as well.
Canva
Canva is widely known for quick design creation. But you can also edit and create videos in it. It’s easy to use and the trim function works well. It does tell you the length of the trimmed clip as well.
Switcher Studio
Switcher Studio, which is an iOS livestreaming app, allows you to trim video as soon as a livestream is done.
YouTube
If your video is already on YouTube, which is the case for my livestreams, you can simply trim the video a day or so after it aired in the YouTube Studio. The trim takes a while to complete and show up on the live video, though.
If you need the video elsewhere, you can even download it after the trim is completed. (That takes a bit,)
Conclusion
Trimming video has really become much easier over the years with all these hosts of tools available to content creators. It’s a task we have to do – especially for livestreams with countdown timers – from time to time. But, that doesn’t mean it has to take super long.
These options are just a handful of ways to make that process easier for the times we have to trim existing video footage.
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