How do I trim a video with Shotcut?

Open Shotcut → Media → Open File → drag to timeline → place playhead at start point, press Ctrl+B to set cut point → move to end point → Ctrl+B again → Render (File → Render Video) with your desired format.

Can I trim video without losing quality?

Yes — use lossless codecs like FFV1 or H.264 with CRF 0-13 for near-lossless trimming. For most web use, CRF 18 is visually lossless to the human eye.

How do I trim video on Windows/Mac/Linux?

Use Shotcut (free, cross-platform) or FFmpeg CLI. Both work identically on all three operating systems. The commands shown in this guide are universal.

What is the fastest way to trim multiple videos?

Use FFmpeg's batch processing with a shell loop (bash/PowerShell) or Shotcut MLT project files for batch trimming. This guide includes copy-ready batch commands.

How to Trim Video with Shotcut (Free Guide + CLI Commands)

Why Trim Video?

Trimming video is the most common editing task for content creators, streamers, and social media managers. Whether you need to crop a YouTube intro, extract a clip for TikTok, or remove dead air from a podcast recording — trimming is the first step in any workflow.

Step-by-Step: Trimming with Shotcut MLT

Install Shotcut — Download the free, open-source video editor from shotcut.org. Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Prepare your source file — Place the video you want to trim in a known directory (e.g., ~/Videos).
Find the time range — Open the video in Shotcut's timeline. Note the start and end timestamps.
Use the MLT CLI command — Instead of editing manually, use the command line for batch processing:

# Trim a 90-second clip from 00:02:30 to 00:04:00
melt "/path/to/input.mp4" -out 240 -consumer avformat:"output_trimmed.mp4" vcodec=libx264 crf=23

Copy-Ready Commands for Common Tasks

Task	Command
Trim 30s from start	melt "input.mp4" -out 30 -consumer avformat:"out.mp4" vcodec=libx264 crf=23
Extract middle clip (5s → 45s)	melt "input.mp4" in=300 out=2700 -consumer avformat:"out.mp4"
Trim + extract audio	melt "input.mp4" -out 60 -consumer avformat:"audio.mp3" acodec=libmp3lame q=5

Tips for Better Trim Results

CRF 18–23 = Near-lossless (great for editing masters)
CRF 23–28 = Web-ready quality with smaller file size
Use MP4/H.264 for maximum compatibility across devices
WEBM/VP9 produces smaller files for web delivery

Ready to try it? Use CRF Calculator and Bitrate Calculator, then use Trimpx workspace to set up trim, conversion, caption, and OBS commands in a fast interface — no uploads needed.

How to Trim Video with Shotcut & FFmpeg MLT

Why Trim Video?

Step-by-Step: Trimming with Shotcut MLT

Copy-Ready Commands for Common Tasks

Tips for Better Trim Results

More Trimpx Tools for Video Trimming