How to trim a video clip on a Windows computer? Since Windows Media Player is no longer the default video editor, what should you do? Of course, you can choose the default Photos app or even a 3rd-party video clipper to cut out the desired part and remove the unwanted one. Just learn more about the two most commonly used methods for trimming videos on Windows 11/10/8/7 across different scenarios in the article.
| Video Editors for Windows | Export Speed | Supported Formats | Are They Free to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipchamp | Standard Export | MP4, MOV, WEBM, AVI, MKV, WMV | Yes |
| Windows Video Editor | Standard Export | MP4, MOV, MKV | Yes |
| Photos App | Standard to Slow | MP4 | Yes |
| AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate | Very Fast (GPU Acceleration) | MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WMV, GIF, 500+ formats. | No (Offers a Free Version) |
Microsoft Clipchamp is a free video editor for Windows 11. Clipchamp makes it fast and easy to pull together professional-looking videos. It provides basic tools like trimming, splitting, transitions, and animated text. Therefore, you can trim and shorten videos or remove unwanted video parts.
Although Clipchamp works well enough for basic video trimming, it is not the best tool for lossless trimming or re-encoding. If you want to access these advanced features, it is advisable to use traditional video editors instead.
Follow the steps to start trimming your video.
1. Open Clipchamp, then select Create a New Video.
Next, select Import Media in the video editing window. Then, click and drag the imported video into the Timeline.
2. Click the video clip to see a Trim Handle on both ends. Click and drag them to trim the video.
3. Once satisfied with your trimmed video, click the Export button in the top right corner. Choose your preferred export settings (resolution, format, etc.), then click Export to confirm.
The free version of Clipchamp has limited storage space. Please upgrade to the paid plan to get more storage.
In our latest test on Windows 11 (Version 23H2), we found that Clipchamp offers smoother scrubbing for HEVC files than the legacy Photos app.
1. Move the playhead to where you want the middle section trim to start. Then, right-click and select Split.
Move the playhead to where you want the trim to end, then repeat the process.
2. With the middle section of the video now split, click it to select. Then, press Backspace to delete it.
With the middle section now removed, you can click Delete the Gap or move the start and end parts of the video together.
3. Once the middle section gap was removed, you now trim the middle portion of your video.
If you want to use Clipchamp more efficiently for video editing, it is important to learn several shortcut keys when editing files in the program’s main timeline. With that in mind, we listed some of the most notable shortcuts that you must learn to make video editing more efficient in the tool.
S - Split Video at Playhead
Backspace - Delete selection
Control + Z - Undo
Control + Y - Redo
Control + A - Select All
Control + C - Copy selection
Control + V - Paste clip
Control + D - Duplicate selection
Don’t want to download a third-party tool like Clipchamp? Using the default Video Editor on Windows 10 is a good choice. It is free and supports trimming your video clips with a few clicks. Follow the steps below.
1. Open Video Editor to enter the main interface. Click New video project to add a video you want to trim.
2. Drag the video to the Storyboard. Then, click the Trim icon below the preview window in the right panel. Then you can drag both ends of the video to shorten the length.
3. After trimming, click the Finish video button in the top right corner. Finally, click Export to save the video.
Using Video Editor to shorten a video is simple, but it has a drawback. For example, the process is slow if the video file is large. And the video will have a small loss in quality.
Since Windows Media Player is not available in Windows 10, you can simply choose Photos to trim a video on Windows. It is a built-in photo and video app that does not require downloading extra software. However, if you need other programs to edit your video further, the app might be limited in editing features. Just learn more details about the process below.
1. If you want to cut a video on Windows 10, you should find the video you want to trim. After that, right-click the video and select the Open With option to open it with the Photos app.
2. Once you have imported the target video, click the Edit & Create option. Then choose the Trim option to select the desired part, cut it out, and focus on the best moment.
3. Drag the starting and ending sliders to choose the desired video clip you want to preserve. If you need to preview the trimmed video on Windows, you can click the Play button.
4. After cutting the video on Windows 10, you can click the Save a copy option to create a new video file and rename the file. Then you can find the trimmed video in the destination folder.
If you are using a modern Windows computer, Clipchamp is another reliable video editing tool for basic video trimming.
Whether you need to cut out the desired part, crop video files, tweak the aspect ratio, or combine different video clips, AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate should be the best choice for trimming videos on Windows 11/10/8/7. It allows you to fast split the video into multiple video clips with one click. Moreover, you can merge the trimmed videos into a single movie and convert them to the desired video format.
However, the most notable advantage of this video editing program is that all available editing adjustments can be applied to multiple files at once, thanks to its Batch Processing feature. This is a huge upgrade in terms of workflow efficiency.
Key Features
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1. Download and install the video trimmer on your computer. You can enter the Convert tab and click Add Files to add a video you want to crop or trim into the program.
2. Click the Cut icon. Now, you can preview the video within the viewer. Move the Set Start or Set End slider to keep the desired part of the video. Or you could type a specific number to customize the video duration.
Besides, the Fast Split feature on the left panel supports splitting a video by average or time. Click it to type the number or time to get more video clips. Once confirmed, click Split.
3. After trimming, click the Save to button to return to the home window. Choose an output format from the Convert All to menu. Finally, click Convert All to save the video to your computer.
Besides clipping video parts one by one, this video trimming tool can also trim videos in batches. So you can quickly get several shorter video clips at once.
To avoid repetitive video splitting and improve workflow efficiency, use the program’s batch conversion feature.
Is it possible to trim a video with Windows Media Player on Windows 10?
Yes. Of course, you have to download Windows Media Player for Windows 10 beforehand. Then you should install the SolveigMM WMP Trimmer Plugin to trim the video with Windows Media Player. It should be much more complicated compared to the other methods.
Can I trim WMV video on Windows 10?
Yes. Most video trimmers can support the WMV format. Since WMV is one of the most commonly used video formats, you can easily trim WMV videos on Windows 10. If you cannot trim the video formats that are not compatible with Photos, the professional method should be your choice.
Can I trim an MPEG video on Windows 10？
Of course. You can trim an MPEG video on Windows 10 with various editing tools. One of the built-in options is the Photos app, which offers basic video editing features like trimming. Alternatively, some third-party tools can also help you.
Where are the screen clips on Windows?
If you want to find screenshots or game clips, select Start to enter the Settings window. After that, click Gaming and select the Captures section. Finally, select Open folder to view your screen clips.
What is the fastest way to trim a video on Windows 11 without downloading anything?
The Photos app should be your go-to. When playing videos, it has a dedicated Trim tool, with the Edit button for photos. Additionally, the program's Trim tool is very easy to use.
How to use Clipchamp to cut out the middle of a video?
You can move your playhead in the middle section of the video and split it. Then add a second portion to split. You can now remove the selected split section. Make sure to read our tutorial above for a detailed guide.
Why is the Windows Photos app not letting me trim my MP4 file?
There might be an issue with your MP4 file. The Photos app normally allows trimming without any requirement. The issue might be with your file’s codec or more advanced elements.
Can I trim a large 4K video on Windows without my computer crashing?
It depends on your computer. If you are running an entry-level or midrange computer, expect frequent crashes. Only high-end desktops can edit 4K videos smoothly, even basic trimming.
The article shares 4 effective methods to trim a video in Windows. If you don’t want to download an extra video-editing tool on your device, you can now use the default program after learning how to trim video in Windows 10/11 using Clipchamp. It offers the basic functions to clip your video. However, if you need to trim the video in a batch, convert the video format, etc., you can try third-party tools with more advanced features. For more queries about how to trim videos on Windows, you can share more details in the comments.
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Updated by Mark Cristobal to Edit VideoRelated Articles
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