When you record a video, you probably end up with a bunch of smaller files that need to be combined to create a cohesive video.
You may be looking for:
Divide the video into 3 or 4 parts.
Combine frames from different videos into the main video.
Create a compilation video (i.e. overviews).
Combine other files with your video, such as audio.
Whatever the reason, more often than not, you end up in a place where you want to merge multiple videos. Sometimes a lot.
We’re here to show you how to do it with all the video editing software you can use:
Let’s jump right in…
Desktop video editing software
Shotcut (Windows, Mac, Linux)
iMovie (Mac)
Filmora (Windows and Mac)
Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Adobe Premiere Rush
- Fast
- insert
- web services
- VISION
- Combine video
- Adobe Spark
Let’s jump right in…
Merge videos to desktop
You can use any video editing software to merge videos on your PC.
To help you out, we’ve covered a few options that are easy to use and have a lot of features you might need.
Let’s see:
- For Windows: Crop
Shotcut is a great video editing software for Windows. The learning curve seems a bit steeper, but you get a lot of control and the tool is completely free.
Here’s how to merge files with Shotcut:
To merge multiple videos with Shotcut, go to File >> Open File and select a video file from the list.
When the video opens, drag it below to the timeline.
Shotcut video editor timeline
To add another video, open another video and drag it to the timeline at the bottom. The border of the second video you add must match the first clip. It may seem like a struggle at first, but over time it becomes second nature.
add video trim
Go to “File” >> “Export Video” to save the video.
By opening “File Settings”, you can adjust the video settings such as video resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, scan mode, and you can find similar options for codec and audio options.
To save this file, click the Export File button.
export file for shotcut editor
Key Features:
Supports video, audio and image formats thanks to FFMeg technology.
Supports a number of image formats such as BMP, GIF, PNG, SVG, WebP and more.
Supports webcam recording.
Supports audio recording.
Has color, text and noise generators.
A variety of advanced video effects for transitions and overlays.
Extensive video editing features.
Prices
Shotcut is a free tool with many premium features. Just go to the download page and download the tool.
- For Mac: iMovie
While Shotcut is also available on Mac, Mac’s proprietary video editor, iMovie, is a much faster option to use.
Here is how to merge files with iMovie on Mac:
To add files to your project, go to File >> Import Media.
Select your hard drive and find the video files you want to merge.
- Movie playback devices
- Select a video and click “Import Selected”.
- Repeat for the next file as well.
- When you’ve finished importing these files, you’ll find them in the My Media section of the software.
- imovie video editor my media
- Click and drag these video files to the timeline.
- Choose File > Share > File to save these newly merged videos into one file.
- Key Features:
- Supports automatic video editing.
- Supports audio editing.
- Support HD and 4K video.
- Video color settings.
- Trim and rotate video clips.
- Video stabilization.
- Add video effects and transitions.
- Add speed changes.
- Prices
iMovie comes preinstalled on Mac for free.
- Windows and Mac: Filmora
Filmora Wondershare is a desktop tool that can be used to merge videos. You can use the software on both Windows and Mac.
How to merge video clips with Filmora:
To use Filmora to merge clips, click the Import button and select one of the following options: Import Media Files, Import Media Folder, or Upload Camera Videos.
Another option is to go to Windows Explorer to simply drag and drop files into a custom album. In the user’s album, the added files are displayed as thumbnails.
Double-click a file to view its contents on the right.
wondershare filmora content preview
Now drag the video from the custom album to the video track on the timeline. This option merges all video files into one clip without transitions between them.