Platform
YouTube Shorts Video Editor
Edit Shorts with the right preset, hook timing, and captions that pass YouTube's safe area.
Clean export
No forced watermark, no app outro — every export is yours.
Platform preset
9:16 · 1080 × 1920 · 30 / 60 fps, dialled in for this platform.
Caption-first
Word-level auto captions tuned for short video, safe inside platform UI.
Beat-synced edits
Snap cuts and transitions to detected beats — no manual frame chasing.
Recommended export settings
Aspect ratio
9:16
Resolution
1080 × 1920
Frame rate
30 / 60 fps
Bitrate
10–16 Mbps
Codec
H.264 · AAC audio
Max duration
60 s for Shorts shelf
Workflow in FreeCut
A focused step-by-step path from import to clean export, tuned for this page.
Bring real media in
Pull video from Photos, Files or Camera. Bring voice and music in as audio. Card metadata shows duration, codec and FPS.
Cut on a clean timeline
Snap, trim, drop B-roll and switch between Visual, Audio and Sync modes to keep mobile editing calm.
Bold caption-first text
Double-tap to edit, scale the text box, add outline and background — without breaking layout.
Render the platform preset
Pick Full Timeline, Selected Clip or Range. FPS, bitrate and codec are visible before render.
Creator tips
First 1 second is everything
Shorts measures swipe-away in ms. Open on the strongest visual — never a long brand bumper.
Use a title card not a title screen
Burn a 2–3 word headline into the first frame so previews look clickable in the Shorts shelf.
Vertical first, captions inside
1080×1920. Safe area is the middle 70%. YouTube overlays sit top-right and bottom-center.
Mention the long-form video
If you have a long-form version, tease it in text — Shorts drives subs to your main channel.
Keep clips ≤ 60 s
Shorts longer than 60 s lose the Shorts shelf placement. FreeCut's range export trims fast.
Loop or pay-off the ending
Either close the loop (frame 1 = frame last) or give a small payoff. Avoid an open dead-cut.
Avoid these mistakes
- Letterboxed 16:9 video forced into 9:16 — black bars hurt CTR.
- Outro screen longer than 1 s on a 30 s Short — kills retention.
- Forgetting captions — most Shorts plays start muted on mobile data.
- Re-uploading a Reel with the Instagram logo intact — algo penalty.
- 60 fps required content (gaming, sport) exported at 30 fps — looks jittery.
Related
FAQ
FAQ
Does FreeCut add a forced watermark on this platform's exports?+
No. FreeCut never adds a forced watermark — regardless of the export preset you choose.
Which aspect ratio should I use?+
Use the preset shown on this page. FreeCut sets the resolution, bitrate and codec automatically when you pick the platform preset.
Stop the watermark. FreeCut now.
Clean exports, every platform, every project.