Cut a video down to the part you want, or cut a part out of the middle. Keep original quality copies the video without re-encoding, so it takes seconds and looks exactly like the original.
How to trim a video
- Choose a video. A player and a strip of frames from it appear.
- Drag the two handles on the timeline, type the times (75.5 or 1:15.5), or play the video and press Start at playhead and End at playhead. Play selection plays just that part.
- Choose to keep the selection or everything except it, then press Trim video and download the new file.
Lossless trimming, and when the video is re-encoded
A video is stored as groups of frames: each group starts with a keyframe, a complete picture, and the frames after it only store what changed. Keep original quality copies those groups unchanged. In MP4 and MOV files, the frames before your start (back to the keyframe) are kept but hidden by an edit list, a standard part of the format that tells players where to start, so the cut lands exactly on your frame. WebM and MKV have no edit lists, so a lossless cut there starts on the keyframe at or before your start. Removing a middle part, or choosing Re-encode to MP4, decodes the frames and encodes new ones with your browser's H.264 encoder.
Example
A 1:12.0 video with the selection 0:12.5 to 0:42.0: keeping the selection gives a 0:29.5 clip; keeping everything except it gives 1:12.0 − 0:29.5 = 0:42.5, the first 12.5 seconds joined to the last 30.
Tips
- The trimmed file is often small enough to share. If not, compress it afterwards.
- For a GIF of a short moment, use Video to GIF; for the sound only, MP4 to MP3.
- Only trim videos you made or have permission to edit.
Video files are read and written with Mediabunny 1.61.3 (Mozilla Public License 2.0), loaded unmodified as a separate file, and coded by your browser's own video and audio encoders (WebCodecs). Licence and source code.
Frequently asked questions
Does trimming lower the quality?
Not with Keep original quality: the video and sound are copied as they are, without being re-encoded, so the trimmed part looks and sounds exactly like the original and is saved in a few seconds. Re-encode to MP4 makes a new H.264 copy, which loses a little detail.
Will the cut be exactly where I put it?
For MP4 and MOV files, yes: the file starts at the frame you chose. Videos are stored in groups of frames that start with a keyframe, so a lossless cut of a WebM or MKV file has to start on the keyframe just before your start; the tool tells you where. Choose Re-encode to MP4 for an exact start in those files.
Can I remove a part from the middle?
Yes. Select the part you don't want and choose Everything except the selection. The parts before and after it are joined into one MP4. This re-encodes the video, so it takes longer than a plain trim.
Which formats can I trim?
MP4, MOV, M4V, WebM, MKV, 3GP and TS. A trimmed file keeps its format (a MOV stays a MOV). Old formats such as AVI, WMV and FLV can't be read by browsers.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The video is cut on your device by your browser, so private videos stay private and there's no upload to wait for, whatever the file size (up to 2 GB). Keep original quality doesn't need the browser's video encoder at all, so it also works in browsers that can't re-encode video, such as Firefox for Android.
How long can a YouTube Short or Reel be?
YouTube says Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long. Set the end so the selection is 3:00 or less, then use Resize video to make it vertical (9:16) if it isn't already.
