How to Use the Free Microsoft Video Editor [Clipchamp]

Does Microsoft Have a Video Editor?

Yes, it does! Clipchamp has become the official Microsoft video editor, since the previous editor, Windows Movie Maker was officially discontinued by Microsoft in January 2017. Australian company Clipchamp Pty Ltd developed this online video editing tool and became a subsidiary of Microsoft.

Now that Clipchamp is a part of Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365), we look forward to finding out what the future will bring. For now, this purple video editor offers various basic features, like trimming, cutting, adding text, and applying filters, as well as some not-so-basic ones, like GIF, stickers, and an emoji maker.

No matter how experienced you are, Climpchimp is exceptionally user-friendly and available on the in-browser, desktop, and mobile apps. So keep reading because, in the following paragraphs, we will introduce you to all the essential details about Microsoft video editor.

Is the Microsoft Video Editor Free to Use?

Clipchamp does have a free plan, with free filters, effects, and export resolution up to 1080p HD. Also, your output will be without a watermark on a free plan; just keep in mind that videos with applied features will be watermarked. That means that all editing with your own media files and free stock media collection will be watermark-free.

On paid plans, for $11.99/month or $119.99/year, you will get the export resolution up to 4K UHD with a premium stock library, filters and effects, and unlimited watermark-free export.

How to Create a Microsoft Clipchamp Account

If you are ready to introduce yourself to the ease of video editing in Clipchamp, you must begin by creating a Microsoft Clipchamp account. Here are the basic steps you need to follow:

1. Go to the official Clipchamp website and click the Sing Up button in the top right corner.

   

2. Clipchamp offers you multiple sign-up methods. You can choose between a Microsoft account (if you already have an existing Microsoft account), your email(where you create your password), and a Google account.

   

3. If your choice was a personal email address, you will have to verify it. Check your inbox for verification email and follow the instructions to verify your Chipchamp account.
4. The next step is to complete your profile with some additional information and preferences and voila - your Clipchamp workplace is ready for video editing!

Navigating the Microsoft Video Editor's Interface

Clipchamp has a very user-friendly interface once you get to know it.

On the left side of your Clipchamp workplace, you can locate Home, Brand kit, Templates, and Folders. As you can see, this area is created to help you organize your workplace and navigate the main area of your interface.

By clicking the Home button, you will see two options - Create a new video from scratch and Create a video with AI for existing media you want to edit a little. Additionally, on the Home page, you have some helpful shortcuts with instructions.

Under the Home button is a Brand kit tool created to easily store your brand logos, color palettes, and fonts. This feature is available only with the premium plan. Under the Brand kit tool, you can find the Template option with various free and premium shortcuts for your video editing.

Folders in the left area are there for easier organization of your work, and at the bottom of this section, you can find a button for Settings.

At the top of the Clipchamp interface, you can search your workplace, and on the left, you can select Upgrade for some extra premium functions, including content backup and higher export resolution.

You can also find the Bell icon for notifications and your profile settings in the top right area with the Help and Sing Out option.

How to Perform Basic Edits in Microsoft's Clipchamp

The basic workflow in Clipchamp video editor is highly intuitive and easy to follow. In this part of this article, we will introduce you to some core steps of this video editor. Get ready and prepare yourself for trimming, cutting, and adjusting speed:

1. Go to Clipchamp and log in to your account.
2. Click the Create a Video or New Project button, select the Import media button, or drag and drop your video.

   

3. Drag your video clip from the media library to the timeline to start your editing.

   

4. Now it's time for basic edits:

1. Trimming: To trim your video, simply click on the video on the timeline and drag the edges of the clip inward to adjust the start and end points. That will remove unwanted sections of your video.

2. Cutting: To cut your video, select the video on the timeline and move the playhead to the point where you want to cut it. Click on the Scissors or Split tool to cut the clip into segments and now you will be able to edit each segment separately.

3. Speed Adjustment: Select your clip on the timeline and choose the Speed icon in the right menu. Use a slider to increase or decrease the speed of your video by moving it right and left.

4. Add Text, Music, or Effects: To add text, just select the Text tab to add titles, subtitles, or other text overlays and drag and drop the text on the timeline.

5. For music, go to the Audio tab, add background music or sound effects, and drag them to the timeline.

6. To apply filters, select the Effects tab and drag the one you want onto the clip.

7. In the end, you select the Export button and choose among video quality options for your video.

Pros and Cons of Microsoft's Video Editing Software

After we learned the basics about Microsoft Clipchamp, we are ready to dig into the pros and cons table and see if this easy tool suits your editing needs and expectations:

A More Powerful Alternative to Consider: Wondershare Filmora

If Microsoft Clipchamp is too basic for you and you need more possibilities but with the same ease, it's time to introduce you to Filmora Video Editor! This Wondershare software is highly user-friendly and can make your editing dreams come to life with such ease that you will be impressed from the start.

Filmora is a creative playground with various possibilities, including advanced color correction, audio mixing, and multi-track editing. Unlike Clipchamp's basic offerings, in Filmora, users can apply keyframe animation for dynamic and precise control over effects and transitions.

While Microsoft video editor has some performance issues with larger files, Filmora is designed to manage large video files and more complex projects with professional outcomes. Wondershare software also offers better performance optimization for smoother playback and rendering, especially for high-resolution videos.

With Filmora, we are not only getting results with a more professional stamp and access to over 20 AI tools, such as Text-to-Speech (TTS), Speech-to-Text (STT), smart conversion of long videos to shorts, AI text-to-video, and AI text-based editing. You will also get a surprisingly easy-to-use tool with access to over 15 million creative assets, including video templates, transitions, filters, and stock media, which help you create impressive videos easily and quickly.

If you want results with a more professional stamp, Filmora's capabilities will ensure that your final product is as compelling and smooth as you imagined. With flexible export settings, this video editing software allows you to save your content resolutions and various file formats, something that the Microsoft clipchamp lacks.

How to Use Wondershare Filmora

Filmora's highly intuitive interface, with a customizable timeline, allows you to control your video editing process from the beginning with extreme ease. While Clipchamp's simplicity allows you to make quick and basic edits, Wondershare software, with its intuitive design, can offer a more advanced editing flow. Let's see that in practice:

Wondershare Filmora

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1. Download and install Filmora. Start the program and start a New project.

   

2. Import the video you want to edit and drag and drop it onto the timeline to start creating magic.

   

3. Click on the Text tab to add text to your video, and when you select text on your timeline, Titles editing options will open on the right side of your screen. There, you will have various advanced options for easy editing.

   

4. If you go to Color settings, you will open a rich color correction panel where you can make detailed changes for professional results. Additionally, you can select a Side-by-side view so you can have insight into how your video looked before and after the color adjustment was applied.

   

5. You can notice that you have all the basic options in the color panel, but if you select the Effects tab, a variety of advanced effects will open to you. If you click on some effect, you will see a quick preview of how it will look if you apply it.

When you decide on some, just drag it and drop it into the timeline, and you will have Effects adjustments options on your right side.

At the end of your editing, if you are satisfied with what you achieved with simplicity in Filmora, click the Export button, and various export options will open for you.

Conclusion

Microsoft Clipchamp is the perfect entry-level tool if you want to explore basic features and make quick changes to your video. Its super easy interface makes it ideal for school projects and simple family video edits.

On the other hand, if you are looking for more professional results achieved with ease, Wondershare Filmora is a superior alternative over Clipchamp. With more advanced tool options that are easier to navigate and adjust, Wondershare software is more intuitive and professional.

When you open yourself to Filmora's magic effects, advanced color grading, and smooth handling of larger files, you won't be able to stop your video editing journey.