How to Use CapCut & Unleash Your Video Editing Skills

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive into how to use CapCut, explore its templates, and share expert tips to help you craft standout videos with professional flair.
Learn How to Use CapCut

What is CapCut?

CapCut is a versatile video editing tool developed by ByteDance in 2020, the same company behind TikTok. It has quickly become known as the creative hub for video editing, allowing users to reshape and enhance their videos with ease.

CapCut

Are you curious about maximizing CapCut for your video creations? Dive into our comprehensive guide, which covers everything from getting started and applying basic edits to exploring advanced features and exporting your masterpiece.

A. Exploring Templates in CapCut

CapCut provides an array of templates to suit various content styles and atmospheres. Let's start by discovering how to explore these templates for integrating them into your projects.

1. Discovering Templates in CapCut

Top Trending CapCut Template

Option 1: Utilizing Built-in Templates

Step 1: Start a New Project

Press the "New Project" button to get started.

Step 2: Access Templates

Once in the editing interface, navigate to the available templates by selecting the "Templates" option or a similar menu in CapCut.

Step 3: Choose a Template

Step 4: Customize Your Template

Add your media and make necessary adjustments to customize the template according to your preferences.

Option 2: Browse Your For You Page (FYP)

Step 1: Identify Template Videos

While scrolling your For You Page (FYP), look for videos tagged with "CapCut • Try this template" stickers.

Step 2: Use the Template

Select the sticker on the video, then tap "Use Template in CapCut" to launch the app.

Step 3: Customize in CapCut

Within CapCut, choose "Use Template" once more to personalize the template.

2. Utilizing Templates in CapCut

Organize and trim your clips on the timeline to match the template's designated areas for your content.

B. Essential Editing Techniques in CapCut

1. Trimming Videos in CapCut: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Select the Video Clip

CapCut-timeline
Step 2: Trim the Video

Tap and hold on the white edge, then drag it to trim the video to your desired length.

Step 3: Adjust Trimming

As you trim by dragging the edges, adjacent clips will move along to avoid gaps or black screens in your project. If you need to remove a section in the middle, you'll need to split the footage and delete the clip in between.

2. Resizing Videos in CapCut: Simple Steps

Step 1: Access Format Options

CapCut-format-options


Step 2: Choose Aspect Ratio

Select a different aspect ratio. For example, if you want to change horizontal videos to vertical (e.g., for TikTok), choose the 9:16 dimension.

3. Mirroring Videos in CapCut: Easy Steps

Mirroring a video in CapCut flips it horizontally, creating an exciting effect or symmetry when two videos are placed side by side.

Step 1: Access Editing Tools

Once imported, the toolbar will appear at the bottom. Tap the Edit menu.

video editing toolbar

Step 2: Select Edit Option

You'll find another Edit option within the Edit menu between Extract Audio and Filters tools. Tap it.

Step 3: Use the Mirror Tool

Inside the Edit option, locate and tap the Mirror tool.

4. Rotating Videos in CapCut: Quick Guide

Press the initial Edit button to access the video editing toolbar. Tap the second Edit button, then select Rotate. If you want to rotate only part of the video, split the footage before using the rotate function.

rotate videos in CapCut

5. Adjusting Video Speed in CapCut: Step-by-Step

To adjust your video's pace in CapCut, tap the clip, select "Speed," and choose options like slow motion or fast-forward, enhancing your content with depth and creativity.

For smoother transitions, 3D zoom effects, or keyframes, utilize the graphs feature. CapCut's speed modifier allows you to create intriguing Slow-motion videos highlighting key moments, such as bullet time effects. You can change speed in two modes: Normal or Curve.

Normal speeds up or slows the video constantly, while Curve offers non-linear changes for impactful speed ramping effects. Here's how to use the constant speed modifier in CapCut:

Step 1: Choose Speed Mode

Select the Normal option to change the speed at a constant rate.

adjust video speed and mode

Step 2: Adjust Speed

Drag the slider to slow the video to 0.1x or speed it up to 100x.

Step 3: Toggle Audio Pitch

Switch on the Pitch option to control whether the audio pitch and video speed change.

6. Using the Green Screen Effect in CapCut

CapCut provides the Chroma Key tool, allowing you to eliminate backgrounds like green screens.

Step 1: Import the Green Screen Clip

Select "Overlay" and choose the green screen clip from your device's gallery.

Step 2: Position and Resize

Use finger gestures to align and resize the green screen clip to fit your project.

Chroma key tool

Step 3: Apply Chroma Key Effect

Activate the "Chroma Key" effect by moving the color picker tool over the green area and adjusting the intensity slider.

Step 4: Refine Your Composite

Refine your composition using masking, cropping, or animation tools if necessary.

Step 5: Preview and Export

Preview your project, and when satisfied, tap "Export" to save your final creation to your phone's gallery.

7. Editing Text in CapCut: A Step-by-Step Guide

a. Adding Text to Your CapCut Project

In CapCut, adding text is a breeze and takes just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Set Up Your Project

Initiate a New Project and import video, audio, and images as required.

Step 2: Access Text Tools

Tap the Text icon located at the bottom toolbar.

Text tools

Step 3: Customize Text

Please type in your desired text and adjust its color, fonts, shadow, etc., to your liking.

Step 4: Adjust Duration

Once the text is placed on the timeline, you can modify its duration by dragging its edge. This allows you to customize how long it stays on the screen according to your preference.

b. Creating Transparent Text in CapCut

Once you've added text to your video in CapCut, you can enhance its appearance by adjusting its transparency. This feature allows for creating stylish effects, like adding subtle watermarks to your videos in CapCut.

Step 1: Add Text

Tap the Text icon, type in your desired text, and then tap the confirm button.

create transparent

Step 2: Adjust Transparency

Navigate to the style tab and adjust the transparency of the text and titles by dragging the Opacity slider.

8. Guide to Editing Audio in CapCut

a. Adding Audio to Your CapCut Project

CapCut provides royalty-free background music, sound effects, and audio files for your videos, ensuring you can enhance your projects without concerns about copyright when sharing on platforms like YouTube. Additionally, CapCut will enable you to extract music from your favorite videos. While this method limits public sharing, it's great for personal use and sharing with friends and family.

Step 1: Import Footage to Your Project

Begin by adding your footage to a new project. Then, tap on the Audio icon located in the toolbar.

Step 2: Browse and Add Stock Audio

Select "Sounds" to access the stock library. Choose your favorite track to include in your project.

add audio

Step 3: Customize Your Audio

After adding the audio clip, you can tap on it to trim, split, or adjust its speed to perfectly fit your video.

9. Using Auto Captions in CapCut

If you're a fan of TikTok's speech-to-text feature, CapCut's speech-to-text functionality is handy.

Step 1: Access Text Tools

auto captions

Step 2: Enable Auto Captions

Tap on "Auto Captions," located between the Text template and Stickers features.

Step 3:  Choose Caption Source

Select whether to create auto captions from the original video sound, voiceover, or both.

Step 4: Review and Edit

Wait for the app to analyze and add the text as captions. Playback the video to check for accuracy. If adjustments are needed, tap the Batch Edit icon to bring up the keyboard and correct any words as necessary.

10. Mastering Advanced Editing Techniques in CapCut

a. Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Effects in CapCut

CapCut offers a variety of pre-made effects that make enhancing your video a breeze. From mesmerizing video effects to body effects that smooth your skin and shape your figure, there's plenty to choose from. Here's how to add these effects in CapCut:

Step 1: Select the Effects Icon

Tap on the video clip you want to enhance, then hit the star-shaped "Effects" icon.

Step 2: Choose Your Effect Type

Decide between "Video Effects" and "Body Effects" depending on the enhancements you wish to apply.

add effects

Step 3: Apply and Adjust Effects

Browse through the available presets to refine your video clip. The applied effects will appear as a purple clip below the main video. When you return to the main timeline, you won't see the purple clip, but instead, a colored line above the video clip indicates that effects have been applied. Tap the star-shaped "Effects" icon again to edit or remove these effects.

b. Guide to Animating Pictures in CapCut

To animate a picture in CapCut, you'll need to use the Keyframe feature. This tool allows you to adjust parameters such as position, scale, rotation angle, and crop percentage. You can create smooth transitions and movements by setting different values at Keyframe 1 and Keyframe 2. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Add the Picture as an Overlay

First, add the picture as an overlay on top of your video and select the picture clip.

Step 2: Position the Playhead

Swipe through the clip and place the playhead at the point where you want the movement to begin.

Step 3: Set the First Keyframe

Tap the Keyframe icon located under the preview window to add your first keyframe.

Step 4: Create the Motion

Move the picture to the desired position in the preview window, then tap the Keyframe icon again to set the second keyframe.

Step 5: Preview the Motion

Play back the video to see the picture move from the initial position to the new position.

11. Guide to Exporting Videos from CapCut

Once you are done editing, it's time to export the video from CapCut.

Step 1: Select the Export Option

To access the export settings, tap the Export button in the upper-right corner.

Step 2: Adjust and Export Your Video

In the export settings, choose your desired video resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p, or 2K/4K) and frame rate (up to 60). Enable Smart HDR if needed. Once you've made your adjustments, tap the Export button at the bottom to begin exporting your video.

export videos


While CapCut is popular among mobile app users for its flexibility, you can also explore its online version for editing on your computer.

However, if you need professional-grade editing capabilities, consider trying UniFab All-In-One. This comprehensive software provides editing, enhancing, and converting audio and video in one place. Dive in to discover this powerful alternative to CapCut.

Top Alternative to CapCut for Video Edits & More: UniFab

UniFab All-In-One, an AI-powered comprehensive video enhancer software offers a suite of tools for editing and enhancing your video/audio content. With UniFab, all your video processing needs are taken care of seamlessly.

UniFab AIO interface

Reasons Behind Growing Popularity of UniFab All-In-One

• HDR Level Upscaling

Experience vibrant colors and enhanced contrast by converting SDR to HDR quality.

HDR10 and SDR rendering

• Enhance to 4K Resolution

Bring exceptional clarity and detail to your videos by boosting their resolution to 4K with AI video upscaler

1080p to 4k using UniFab Video Upscaler AI.jpg

• Immersive DTS 7.1 Audio

Utilize AI-powered audio upmixing to transform your audio tracks into immersive DTS 7.1 surround sound.

• Noise Elimination

Say goodbye to video noise caused by signal interference or camera malfunctions for a cleaner output.

Raccoon before and after AI denoise

• AI-Powered Deinterlacing

Achieve smoother and higher-quality videos using advanced AI technology for deinterlacing.

Hot air balloons deinterlace image

• Karaoke Enhancement

Enjoy a clean karaoke experience by separating background tracks and eliminating unwanted noise.

• Smooth Motion with AI

Reduce trembling and fluttering in videos with AI-powered frame interpolation for smooth and continuous motion.

Soccer players, blurry vs 4K upscaling

In addtion to the aforementioned features, UniFab also offers a range of other functions including versatile genre support, wide format compatibility, advanced video fine-tuning options, speed adjustment capabilities, and lossless compression technology.

Step-By-Step Guide To Use UniFab All-In-One

UniFab All-In-One is a powerful suite of tools, including Video Converter, Upscaler, Denoise, Deinterlace, Smoother, Remover & Upmix AI. Choose the mode that fits your requirements, and then proceed with these straightforward instructions:

Step 1: Choose Your Mode

Open UniFab and select your preferred mode from the menu. For this example, let's choose the 'Enlarger' mode.

unifab enlarger

Step 2: Import and Customize Your Video

Upload the video you want to enhance. Customize output settings such as format, quality, audio, and subtitles according to your preferences.

UniFab video settings

Step 3: Start Editing

Click the start button to begin the editing process. Utilize GPU acceleration technology for editing up to 50 times faster.

UniFab enlarger

Conclusion

While CapCut is a versatile tool for mobile video editing, its capabilities may not meet the needs of professional content creators or those seeking advanced editing features.

If you're looking for a comprehensive solution to take your editing skills to the next level, UniFab All-In-One emerges as a superior alternative.

FAQs

How do you create compelling videos using CapCut?

Maintain visual consistency using CapCut's color correction tools and filters for a professional look. Ensure background music complements rather than overpowers spoken content, utilizing audio fading tools for smooth transitions and exploring CapCut's extensive music library. Lastly, use transitions and effects sparingly to keep the focus on your content, enhancing rather than overshadowing it.

How user-friendly is CapCut?

CapCut is designed with simplicity in mind, making it straightforward to edit, trim, and split footage. Adding clips and building a project are equally hassle-free.

Will using CapCut affect the quality of my videos?

CapCut maintains the highest quality for your videos, even if they were shot in less-than-ideal conditions. Its advanced technical features ensure your content looks professional and visually appealing, providing an exceptional viewing experience.

As an avid enthusiast of software testing, AI, and tech, I bring a fervent zeal for precision and innovation to my editorials. With a love for ping pong and badminton, and a passion for exploring new horizons through travel, I live by the maxim "Done is good." My articles aim to serve as your trusty compass in the fast-evolving tech landscape.