Avidemux — The Complete Guide: Cutting, Filtering and Re-Encoding a Single Video File
Avidemux is a long-standing open-source (GNU GPL) tool for working on one video file at a time: cut, filter and save. It is free for any use including commercial and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The latest stable release came out in 2022, so updates are slow, but the tool is still widely used and useful.
Avidemux
Avidemux project (Mean)
An open-source tool for cutting, filtering and re-encoding a single video file, including fast cuts without re-encoding and a job queue.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Fast cutting — remove the start and end of a long recording by direct stream copy, without re-encoding.
- Filters — crop, resize, rotate, denoise and logo.
- Frame-rate change — bring footage from different devices into line.
- Re-encoding — save in one consistent format and codec before adding clips to a presentation.
- Job queue and scripting — automate operations you repeat.
When to choose it
Avidemux fits when you have one file from site or a test camera that needs shortening, rotating or shrinking. Tip: if you are only cutting, leave video and audio set to Copy and the cut takes seconds. There is no multitrack timeline, so you cannot build a film from several sources.
Related tools
For lossless cutting with a modern interface — LosslessCut. For compression and conversion with ready presets — HandBrake. For batch conversion with a graphical interface — Shutter Encoder.
LosslessCut
Mikael Finstad
Cut and join video without re-encoding — fast and with no quality loss, for drone footage, inspections and recordings.
Get it from the vendor
HandBrake
HandBrake team
Compress and convert large video files — screen recordings and site videos down to a shareable size.
Get it from the vendor
Shutter Encoder
Paul Pacifico
An FFmpeg-based video, audio and image converter with a graphical interface, render queue, subtitles, lossless cutting and hardware acceleration.
Get it from the vendor
FFmpeg
FFmpeg project
A command-line engine for encoding, converting, cutting and compressing video and audio in almost any format, and the basis of most free video tools.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
A small, reliable tool for technical edits on a single file: cut, filter and save again, free and without limits.