Spotlight: Clipchamp, video editor for social media and more
Back about 20-25 years ago, personal blogging was all about texts. In the beginning, when LiveJournal reigned and WordPress was still a very young product, authors tended to write sufficiently long copy. Then came Twitter, now X, and (micro)blogging became popular with the masses. Still, it revolved around letters. Fast-forward to the present, and some of the most popular social media – Instagram, TikTok, and even the mentioned X – treat text as something secondary, focusing on video content.
This is neither bad nor good, it’s just the way things are. The primary reason behind the advent of video content is the availability of recording equipment: even low-tier phones today boast cameras capable of making videos of very decent quality, and you can publish it right away! It’s much easier than authoring texts. Or, rather, it feels much easier, because if you progress in this field, making a video for social media becomes a complex process that incorporates copywriting, editing, creation of static visuals, etc.
Still, video remains the centerpiece of the said process, and even if you’re not there yet, but have outgrown “shoot-and-publish” shorts, you need a video editor. The options are numerous; this spotlight, though, gives you one that’s free, easy-to-use, cross-platform, and has everything handy to cut, trim, combine, blend, annotate, overlay, etc., plus a set of more advanced video editing features.
Clipchamp, the free video editor by Microsoft
Do you have exactly zero experience in video editing? Here’s a quick tip: write down what the end result you need, what it should look like, the specifics, and then try turning that description into a bulleted list. Chances are, the next logical step you’ll naturally make is outlining steps required to achieve the said result. Got that? Now get your copy of Clipchamp and start editing!
Here are some of the key features of this editor that enable quick and easy creation of videos for social media.
- Drag-and-drop editing
Clipchamp's intuitive interface allows for easy imports of videos, photos, and audio clips, and arranging them on a timeline using simple drag-and-drop actions. Thus, making a video is literally a matter of clicks and drags.
Example: you want to combine a product you sell online, customer testimonials, and some background music in one short video. Drag product shots and music into the editor, and put testimonials on top of those shots as text overlays.
- Resizing and cropping
With Clipchamp, you can easily resize and crop your videos to fit various social media aspect ratios like square, vertical, and widescreen, so your content looks dandy on any platform you care to use.
Example: you have a video that was originally shot in landscape mode, but want to publish it as an Instagram Story. Clipchamp enables you to quickly and easily turn it into an engaging piece of content filling the screen of a mobile device.
- Filters and transitions
Clipchamp comes with a variety of filters and transitions that you can apply to your videos with a few clicks. If your source material isn’t picture perfect, or when you want several clips merged into one, these features come handy.
Example: you have a few reels of varying quality, and need to make one video that brings them all together so that this togetherness feels natural. Start with filters, move to transitions, and get the result you want.
- Stock assets
Clipchamp provides access to millions of royalty-free stock videos, images, audio clips etc. that you can use in your videos. This means you’ll always find that finishing touch to make the newly created content perfect.
Example: it’s time to publish something to your account already, but you couldn’t be bothered to shoot an actual video. The text, though, is there, you do have a thought to share with your followers. In Clipchamp, grab some assets, merge them into a single video, and put your text on top of it.
- AI-powered features
Clipchamp includes AI tools like auto-captioning, text-to-speech voice overs, and auto-compose that can help streamline your video creation process.
Example: you have an interview to publish, and need to make sure it engages even those who never unmute their devices. Use the auto-caption feature, then.
- Recording capabilities
Clipchamp can capture videos from your webcam, screen, or both. It is also capable of recording only the audio stream.
Example: you want to explain some features of a new program to your social media followers or colleagues. Clipchamp comes handy: you can make a full-fledged screencast, complete with voiceover and, if needed, automatically created subtitles.
Clipchamp: free vs. paid
Clipchamp premium upgrade modal
With free version of Clipchamp, you can:
- create unlimited 1080p videos with no watermark,
- trim, crop, resize, reposition, merge videos, etc.,
- use AI features like auto-captioning,
- apply filters and effects,
- remove backgrounds (green screen)
- tap into royalty-free stock assets.
Paid plans move the set of capabilities up a level:
- create 4K UHD videos,
- brand your content with logo, colors, etc. (Brand Kit),
- backup everything to the cloud,
- use premium stock assets, including a vast library of music, sound effects, visuals, and reels
- apply premium filters
- and much more
To keep your instance of Clipchamp and all other programs on your computer fresh and secure, download and install Software Informer, a lightweight and free updater:
This is also an excellent software exploration tool, i.e., if you ultimately decide that Clipchamp isn’t for you, Informer will help to quickly find a replacement. Happy editing!
