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1. Prepare the example and choose Video Mode #
Use a recording with three parts: four seconds of setup, a demonstration from 00:04 to 00:42, then eighteen seconds of packing away equipment. Those timestamps describe the example; choose the equivalent points in your own footage.
Open Shotcut. Choose the intended Video Mode before arranging the edit. Shotcut's Quick Start Guide recommends setting it before beginning because Automatic may choose a resolution or frame rate you didn't intend.
For a conventional website video, choose a mode that matches the source and your deliverable. Don't change frame rate or image shape simply because another option has a larger number. A portrait clip intended for a phone page needs a portrait output; a landscape tutorial needs a landscape one.
You should have an empty workspace with the project mode selected. Keep the source video in a stable folder throughout the edit. The project will refer to it later.
2. Open the source and append it to the timeline #
Choose File → Open File and select your recording. Shotcut opens it in the source player. Play a few seconds to confirm that both picture and sound are present.
Send it to the timeline with Append, or press A while working in the timeline workflow described in the keyboard reference. You can also drag the source into the timeline.
You should now see a clip on a track. The source player and timeline aren't interchangeable: a source can be open without becoming part of the sequence. If the timeline is empty, return to this step before attempting the export.
Our example begins as one 60-second clip. You don't need an extra track or an effect for this exercise. Focus on the two cuts first.
3. Split at the start of the demonstration #
Move the timeline playhead to 00:04, where the action you want begins. For your own video, pause just before the first movement or spoken word that belongs in the final clip.
Select the clip and use Split at Playhead, or press S. The timeline should now contain two adjacent pieces. The first is the four-second setup; the second contains the remaining recording.
Play across the cut to confirm its position. If you cut too far into the first word, undo and move the playhead back. The clearest edit may begin slightly before the action so the viewer has time to understand the frame.
Shotcut's timeline reference and keyboard documentation distinguish the cut from deleting a section. Splitting alone doesn't shorten the video.
4. Split at the end and remove the unwanted pieces #
Before deleting anything, move to 00:42 on the original timeline and use Split at Playhead again. You now have the setup, demonstration and packing-away sections.
Select the final unwanted piece and use Ripple Delete, or press X. Then select the opening piece and use Ripple Delete again. Ripple Delete removes the piece and closes the resulting gap.
The demonstration should begin at the start of the timeline and last about 38 seconds in this example. Play from beginning to end. There should be no black gap where the opening used to sit.
Lift, assigned to Z in the keyboard reference, removes a piece while leaving its time empty. That is helpful when another track must stay in place, but it isn't the operation you want for this simple continuous clip.
Listen to the first and last words as well as watching the picture. A cut that looks clean can still interrupt speech. Adjust the cut if the ending feels abrupt.
5. Save the editable project #
Choose File → Save As and give the project a clear name, such as workshop-demo-trimmed.mlt. Save it beside the source or in a project folder you can find again.
An MLT project stores editing instructions and references to media. It doesn't replace the recording or become a self-contained finished video. Preserve the source folder if you want to reopen and change the edit later.
You should now have an editable project file as well as the original recording. If you need to hand the job to another editor, agree on the required media and folder layout; the free file transfer shortlist covers moving the handoff.
6. Trim and export a video in Shotcut from the timeline #
Choose File → Export Video. In the export panel, choose Presets → Stock → Default as the starting preset described in the official quick-start workflow.
Check From → Timeline. This is the key source selection: you want the edited sequence, with its cuts, rather than the source player or another selection.
Choose Export File and name the output workshop-demo-trimmed.mp4. Use a new filename so the finished output stays separate from the source. Leave advanced encoder settings alone for the first export unless your delivery requirement calls for a specific change.
Open View → Jobs to follow progress. Wait for completion before opening the finished file. The job's progress belongs to encoding the video; saving the MLT project doesn't perform that work.
7. Check the finished MP4 independently #
Open the exported MP4 in a media player. Watch its opening, middle and ending, and listen with sound enabled. The example should contain the demonstration, with the setup and packing-away footage removed.
Check that the output has the intended shape and duration. A full 60-second file suggests that the wrong export source was selected. A blank opening suggests a timeline gap.
If the file needs further size or compatibility work, use the HandBrake MP4 guide. Our HandBrake vs Shutter Encoder comparison explains when conversion is the next task. Repeatedly converting a file isn't a substitute for fixing the timeline.
Known export problems and what to try #
A hardware encoder fails even though the timeline plays
An October 2026 Shotcut support thread investigated a hardware export failure involving H.264/HEVC profile settings. Start with a stock preset that matches the intended codec. If hardware export still fails, try the default software route before changing several settings together.
A job reaches 99% and won't finish
In a September 2026 export-hang investigation, an external VST2 audio plugin was involved. Current Shotcut provides Settings → Enter Safe Mode to disable external plugins. Use that mode to investigate a project that relies on them, then review the affected audio before exporting again.
The job reports failure but a video file exists
A support discussion about exit code 1073741819 includes a maintainer's explanation of a false failure result and a fix added in the 26.9 release line. Update from the official download, and inspect the entire output before deciding an existing file is complete. A filename alone doesn't confirm a successful render.
Troubleshooting table #
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Export contains the original opening and ending | Export source isn't the timeline | Set From → Timeline and export again |
| Black space appears before the first frame | Unwanted piece was lifted or moved, leaving a gap | Close the gap or undo and use Ripple Delete |
| Split doesn't affect the intended clip | Wrong clip or workspace selection | Select the timeline clip and repeat Split at Playhead |
| Project won't reopen its footage | Referenced source moved or was removed | Restore the source location and resolve missing-media references |
| Export stalls with external audio effects | Plugin problem | Try Settings → Enter Safe Mode and inspect the audio |
| Final picture has the wrong shape | Project/output mode differs from the intended deliverable | Recheck Video Mode and export settings |
Variations on the same edit #
Remove a mistake from the middle
Split immediately before and after the mistake, select the middle piece and use Ripple Delete. Play across the join. If the voice sounds chopped, adjust the cut points to natural pauses.
Keep a gap for another track
Use Lift when the empty time must remain for a second track, a replacement shot or an existing sequence. The gap is intentional in that workflow. Check what the viewer sees while it plays.
Prepare a smaller website upload
Finish the cut first, then decide whether resolution or compression needs changing. Our free video converter list covers that choice. A long empty section is an editing problem; a large correctly edited file is an encoding problem.
Completion checklist #
- The timeline contains only the intended demonstration.
- The first and last spoken words are complete.
- No accidental black gaps remain.
- The MLT project and its required source media are saved.
- Export uses From → Timeline and a separate output filename.
- The job has finished and the MP4 plays from beginning to end.
Next steps #
Read Shotcut vs Kdenlive when your edits need more tracks and project organization. The free video-editing shortlist covers other workflows and free-plan limits.
For another free timeline editor, see Kdenlive. OpenShot offers another approach to a simple sequence. Keep the finished MP4 for publication and the editable project for revisions.
Sources #
- Shotcut Quick Start Guide, keyboard shortcuts, and timeline reference.
- The three linked support investigations in Known export problems.
