Your first video

This guide takes you from an empty window to a finished mp4. Nothing to install, no sign-up — a browser is all you need. Set aside five minutes and have one short video clip nearby, plus a music file if you have one (if not, you'll grab a track from the built-in library).

1. Create a project

When you open the studio an empty project is already waiting. Still, it's worth telling it up front where the video will end up: choose “New project” from the top menu and pick a size.

2. Bring in your files

1. 1

   Drag the file into the window

   Drop a video, image, GIF or audio file from your computer straight into the browser window. There is no upload to wait for — the file goes nowhere, so the import finishes instantly.

2. 2

   Look at the media panel

   The file shows up in the “Files” tab on the left with a thumbnail, its duration and size. Need music? The “Music” tab next to it holds a set of clean-licensed tracks, ready to use.

3. 3

   Drop it on the timeline

   Drag the file from the media panel down onto the timeline. Video lands on a visual track at the top, audio on a sound track below.

3. Cut out the excess

Most of editing is removing what you don't need. There are two main ways.

• Trim the edge. Hover over the start or end of a clip and drag it inward — the excess at that end is trimmed away.
• Split (`S`). Put the playhead (the red line) where you want the cut and press S — the clip splits in two. Select the half you don't want and press Delete.

4. Make it look good

The cut is done. Three things are enough to make it look finished — a transition, a color look and some text.

1. 1

   Drop a transition on the cut

   Drag any transition from the effects panel onto the point where two clips touch. The clips don't move — the transition happens across the cut.

2. 2

   Click a color preset

   Select the clip, then click a color preset in the properties panel on the right — the shot instantly takes on a cinematic look. If it's not right, drag brightness and contrast by hand.

3. 3

   Add a headline

   Drop a text clip from the “Text” tab of the media panel onto the timeline, type your words, then drag them into place directly in the preview.

5. Export to mp4

Press “Export” at the top, choose the height and quality, and start. The file is assembled inside your browser and saved to your disk when it's done — nothing is uploaded to a server.

What next?

Your first video is done. Now it's worth going deeper: take the interface tour, read how the timeline and tracks work, then move on to transitions and effects. Each guide stands on its own — read them in any order you like.