NiftyCut is a free video editor that runs entirely in your browser: no install, no account and no uploads. You can cut a vlog, add a title and subtitles, lay free music underneath, turn part of a long video into a vertical Short and export an MP4, all on one page.
This guide walks through the editor in the order you’ll use it. The first time you open NiftyCut it loads a short sample project and a six-step tutorial, so you can follow along with real clips.
What you’ll need
- A computer with a recent Chrome or Edge (other browsers export WebM instead of MP4)
- Your videos, photos and audio files
- Optional: a track from the NiftyShelf music library, free for personal and commercial use
1. Get to know the screen
- Left panel: Media holds your imported files, Music is the NiftyShelf library, Text adds titles and Subtitles lists every subtitle for quick typing.
- Preview (center): shows the frame under the playhead. Drag a picture or text on the preview to move it; it snaps to the center.
- Properties (right): click a clip on the timeline to edit its timing, position, effects, transitions and audio. With nothing selected, it shows project settings such as the name and subtitle style.
- Timeline (bottom): your video laid out in time. The red line is the playhead; press Space to play.
The top bar spells out the workflow: “1 Add media › 2 Edit on the timeline › 3 Export”. Full screen makes the editor fill your monitor; Esc brings it back.
2. Add your media
Drag videos, photos or music onto the preview or the Media tab, or click Import media. Common formats work: MP4, MOV and WebM video, JPG, PNG and WebP images, MP3, WAV and M4A audio.
Files dropped on the preview go straight onto the timeline: videos and photos on the Video track, audio on Music (or Sound effects if under about 12 seconds). Files added with the Import button wait in the Media tab. Drag one onto any track, or hover it and press ＋: visuals go to the end of the Video track, audio starts at the playhead.
3. Trim, split, move and change speed
- Move: drag the middle of a clip. It snaps to the playhead and to other clips’ edges.
- Trim: drag a clip’s left or right edge. Videos can’t run past the end of their source file; photos and text can be any length.
- Split: put the playhead on the cut and press S (or the scissors button). With nothing selected, the Video track clip under the playhead is split.
- Undo, duplicate, delete: Ctrl/⌘+Z undoes, Ctrl/⌘+D duplicates, Delete removes.
For exact timing, type Start and Length in the Properties panel. Speed (0.25× to 4×) changes a video clip’s pace and length; its sound changes pitch too.
4. Use the overlay track
The Video track is your main story. The Overlay track sits on top of it: whatever is there appears over the main video at the same time. Everyday uses:
- Channel logo: drop a PNG on the Overlay track. Photos dropped there start small in the top-right corner, and transparent PNGs stay transparent.
- Picture-in-picture: put a face-cam recording on Overlay, set Scale to about 30% and drag it into a corner.
- Cutaways: cover a talking clip with a related photo or video for a few seconds while the main sound keeps playing.
- Stickers and arrows: show a graphic only when it’s needed.
5. Add titles and subtitles
Titles: in the Text tab, click a style (Big, Serif, Label or Neon) to add a title at the playhead. Type the words in the Properties panel and adjust font, size, color, outline, background box and alignment. In and Out animations (fade, rise, pop, typewriter, sink) bring titles to life.
Subtitles: in the Subtitles tab, click Add subtitle. It appears at the playhead with the text box ready, and the list shows every line with its time. Import SRT loads an existing transcript (it replaces current subtitles); Export SRT saves a file you can upload to YouTube as captions.
To restyle every subtitle, deselect all and pick a Subtitle style in the Properties panel: Bold outline, Box, Yellow, Clean or Pop. Tweaked one line you like? Press Use this style for all subtitles.
In Chrome and Edge, My computer’s fonts… in the Font menu lists the fonts installed on your computer (after a one-time permission). Other browsers let you type a font name. The exported video keeps the font.
6. Add free music and set the volume
Open the Music tab, search by title, mood or genre, press ▶ to preview and Add to drop the track on the Music track. If your video is already on the timeline, the song is cut to the same length with a two-second fade-out.
Select the music clip to set Volume (0–200%) and Fade in / Fade out. Under speech, 20–35% is a good start. The track’s credit line appears in the Properties panel and the export window; paste it into your description. For picking tracks and cutting on the beat, see how to pick and trim background music.
7. Add sound effects
There’s no built-in effects library yet, so import your own whooshes, clicks or applause. Short files land on the Sound effects track; line them up with a cut and set volume and fades. Shorten long effects first with Trim Audio.
8. Add filters, transitions and Ken Burns motion
Select a video or photo and open Effects:
- Filter: Black & white, Vintage, Warm, Cool, Vivid or Faded, plus Brightness, Contrast and Saturation sliders.
- Ken Burns: a slow zoom in, zoom out or pan, with a Strength slider. Photos on the Video track get a gentle zoom-in automatically.
Under Fades & transition, Fade in/out fades the picture from or to black. Transition in blends a clip with the one before it: Crossfade, Dip to black, Flash, Wipe, Slide or Zoom, up to 3 seconds. It only plays when the two clips touch on the same track; a small yellow tab marks it on the timeline.
9. Turn a long video into a 9:16 Short
- Shift+drag along the timeline ruler to select a range (or press I and O at the playhead; X clears it).
- Click Make a Short.
- Check the start and end, then slide Crop position (or press Left, Center or Right) while watching the vertical preview.
- Click Create Short.
NiftyCut copies that part into a new 9:16 project, fills the vertical frame and moves subtitles to a phone-friendly height. The original stays in My projects. Past 60 seconds you’ll see a reminder that 60 seconds or less is safest for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. The format buttons in the top bar also switch any project between 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1. More tips: the Shorts, Reels and TikTok kit.
10. Export your video
Click Export, choose 720p or 1080p and press Export video. 720p gives 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (vertical) or 720×720 (square); 1080p gives 1920×1080, 1080×1920 or 1080×1080. In Chrome or Edge on a computer, NiftyCut renders an MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio), usually faster than the video plays, and the download starts on its own. Credit lines for NiftyShelf music appear in the same window.
Browsers without the needed encoder save WebM in real time, so a two-minute video takes about two minutes. If an export fails, try a shorter project.
11. Save, reopen and get help
Projects save automatically. Come back later and your last project reopens. My projects lists everything in this browser, starts new 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 projects and deletes old ones. Projects live only in this browser: they don’t sync, and clearing site data deletes them. The ? menu reopens the tutorial and lists keyboard shortcuts.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a gap before a transition. Drag the second clip until it snaps to the first.
- Music drowning out speech. Lower the music instead of pushing your voice above 100%.
- Splitting the wrong clip. S splits the selected clip. Press Esc to deselect first.
- Making the Short too early. Finish the long edit first so titles, subtitles and music come along.
- Treating the browser as a backup. Keep your original files and exported MP4s.
FAQ
Is NiftyCut really free?
Yes. It’s free and needs no sign-up. Editing and exporting happen in your browser, so your files stay on your device.
Can I edit on my phone?
NiftyCut is built for computers; the timeline needs a mouse and a wide screen. Use your phone’s built-in editor for quick fixes.
Why can’t I see my project on another computer?
Projects are saved in the browser you used, not in the cloud. Re-import the files on the other computer, or export the finished MP4.
Can I use NiftyShelf music in monetized videos?
Yes. Every track is free for personal and commercial use, including monetized YouTube videos. Add the credit line from the export window or the track’s page to your description.
