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What is CapCut, and how do you use it?

Learn how CapCut helps you create and edit content for TikTok, YouTube, and more.

Epidemic Sound

• 8 min read
A person standing on a cliff, facing a tidal wave and abstract scenery
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TL;DR: CapCut is an AI-powered app owned by ByteDance, used for editing photo and video content. It works great for TikTok-native videos, but can be used to edit content for other platforms. CapCut is free to use, with paid plans available.

We’ll cover:

What is CapCut?

CapCut calls itself an “AI-powered photo and video editor for everyone.” A lot of people use it to edit video content on their smartphones, but it’s also available in-browser and as a desktop app.

What effects and tools does CapCut have?

Below are CapCut’s core effects and features, which may vary depending on your plan and device:

Video & photo

  • Video effects and filters
  • Stock videos
  • Adjust speed
  • Keyframe animation
  • Background remover
  • Video upscaler
  • Video stabilization
  • Auto reframe
  • Auto enhance
  • Retouch
  • Captions
  • Teleprompter
  • Transcriptions
  • Photo filters
  • Photo styler
  • Collage
  • Frame capture
  • Smart lighting

Audio

  • Audio extraction
  • Noise reduction
  • Audio splitting

AI

  • Video generation
  • Image generation
  • Avatar generation
  • Poster generation
  • Sticker generation
  • Dialogue generation
  • Voiceovers
  • Translations
  • Voice cloning
  • Dubbing
  • Relighting
  • Script writer
  • Autocut
  • Photo editor
Three friends sitting on a rock in the mountains

Is CapCut owned by TikTok?

CapCut is owned by ByteDance, which is the parent company for platforms like TikTok and Lemon8. 

Naturally, TikTok and CapCut work well together. That’s why you might see CapCut promotions and ads on TikTok, urging you to download the former app to level up your content on the latter.

Is CapCut getting banned?

CapCut isn’t banned in the United States, United Kingdom, China, or most other major markets. The app was briefly banned in the US during January 2025, while the government ironed out legal details with ByteDance. Like other ByteDance apps, CapCut isn’t available in India.

How do you download CapCut?

You can download CapCut for free across multiple devices. Download the mobile version of CapCut for iOS via the App Store, or for Android from Google Play.

If you’d prefer to use CapCut on your PC or Mac, download CapCut from the Apple Mac App Store, or the desktop version of Google Play. If you’d rather use the web version, head to CapCut’s website and try it out.

Can you use CapCut without paying?

CapCut is free to download and use. This makes it ideal for beginners getting to grips with video editing, while also offering advanced tools for folks with more experience.

The free plan includes basic editing tools, asset libraries, and 1GB cloud storage. Because it’s free, any exported content is watermarked.

You can also upgrade to a paid CapCut plan. These plans include credits, which are used for AI features.

CapCut’s paid plans are:

  • CapCut Standard: $9.99 per month. Offers all the features available on the free plan, plus 100GB cloud storage, 550 monthly credits, and watermark removal.
  • CapCut Pro: $19.99 per month. Includes everything from CapCut Standard, plus the full suite of features and effects, 1TB cloud storage, advanced AI tools, and 1,200 monthly credits.
  • CapCut Teams: From $24.99 per month, depending on how many seats are needed. Includes everything from CapCut Pro, plus brand templates, brand kit, and advanced sharing options.

Pricing is dynamic, and may vary by region, platform, and billing cycle. Additional credits can be purchased directly in CapCut.

Can you use CapCut to edit YouTube videos?

While CapCut is known for vertical, short-form content like TikTok, you can use it for editing YouTube videos.

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Can you take a video in CapCut?

Similar to TikTok, you can record video directly in-app, at 15-second, 60-second, and 3-minute intervals. 

How long can a CapCut video be?

There’s no strict limit, but super-long editing timelines may result in a lag. Some users say that the desktop version offers a more stable editing environment for long-form content.

Does CapCut save your videos?

CapCut automatically saves your video projects, meaning you can pick up where you left off without exporting every time. Your videos are saved to CapCut’s secure cloud storage.

However, if you delete your CapCut account, you’ll lose all of your projects.

How do you export video from CapCut?

CapCut saves your project files, but you’ll need to export them yourself. Once you’re happy with your footage, click the “Export” button.

App users can adjust the resolution, frame rate, and bitrate in the “Resolution” section before exporting. You can find this at the top of your video, marked by the default resolution — usually 1080P.

When you’re done, click the “Export” arrow. You can then download your video to your device, or share directly to platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and of course, TikTok.

Rocks from a cliff

How do you edit video in CapCut?

Editing video in CapCut is as simple or complicated as you’d like. As we touched on previously, CapCut is ideal for rookies and experts, as it includes tons of features for all skill sets.

Here’s how to access CapCut’s editing features:

  1. Open your CapCut app. If you’re using the in-browser version, just head to the main page.
  2. Start a new project by dragging or selecting a video file, or clicking “New project.”
  3. Once your video is on the project timeline, you’ll have access to CapCut’s suite of editing tools.

How to make basic edits in CapCut

Now that you know what CapCut is, why people use it, and the potential it holds, here are some of the more popular editing tools and techniques.

For ease, with each of these examples, we’ll assume you’ve already loaded your footage into CapCut.

How to use keyframes in CapCut

Keyframes are perfect for easing in and out of a command. Here’s how to do them in CapCut:

  1. Select the element you’d like to keyframe. For this run-through, let’s go with a regular video file, which we’d like to edit with a gentle zoom.
  2. Click the “Keyframe” symbol. It looks like a diamond in a deck of cards.
  3. This adds a keyframe to the start of your video editing timeline. The keyframe is represented by a red diamond icon.
  4. Scroll to the end of the video on your editing timeline, then pinch-zoom the video preview. This adds a keyframe to the end of the video, with the command to zoom.
  5. Play your video. The preview should zoom from the original first frame to the final pinch-zoomed frame, taking the duration of the video to do so.

This is the most basic example of keyframing, taking your footage from point A to point B. You can use as many keyframes as you like, applying them to effects, photos, music, and more.

A group of friends hanging out in the countryside

How to use motion blur in CapCut

Motion blur is a popular effect used to create more realistic footage, mimicking the streaks a camera or human eye captures when something moves quickly. If you don’t have enough motion blur, you end up with the “soap opera effect,” which makes footage look clinical and strange.

Here’s how to use motion blur in CapCut:

  1. Select your clip, click “Effects,” then “Video effects.” Scroll through the effects menu until you reach “Motion Blur,” or type it into the search bar.
  2. Select “Motion Blur,” then toggle through the options to adjust the “Horizontal” and “Intensity” controls.
  3. Once you’ve decided on these options, hit the check mark. Your motion blur effect will start processing.

How to use green screen in CapCut

Green screen is great for creating immersive, larger-than-life content that you can’t achieve with practical effects and backgrounds. If you want to nail green screen in CapCut, here’s the lowdown.

This is based on the assumption that you’ve filmed one “background” video, and one video in front of a green screen:

  1. Open your background video in CapCut. Select “Overlay.”
  2. Click “Add overlay” to select your green screen video. As it’s an overlay, the green screen footage should be on top of your background video.
  3. Click your green screen footage on the project timeline, then select “Remove BG” from the list of effects. From there, hit “Chroma key.”
  4. Your mouse/finger will turn into a color picker. Select the green color from your overlay. Then, when prompted, crank the “Intensity” slider up until the green becomes transparent.
  5. Preview your footage to check everything went smoothly. You may need to adjust the “Intensity” setting, but if all goes well, your action in the green screen footage should transfer onto the background footage.
Soil

How do you get CapCut templates?

As CapCut and TikTok have become more popular, ‌cross-pollination between both apps has given people more access to CapCut templates.

How to use CapCut templates

Let’s look at how to find and use CapCut templates:

  1. You can find CapCut templates via three methods. There’s the CapCut app, which has its own “Templates” section; the browser version, which has a similar “Templates” tab; and TikTok, which prompts users with a “CapCut: Try this template” button on videos featuring CapCut templates. The final option will open your CapCut app.
  2. Once you’ve found your template on CapCut, click “Use Template.” You’ll then be asked to choose your own video to accompany the template, from your device’s photo gallery.
  3. Select your video, then click “Preview.” See how well the template goes with your video, and if it’s a match, carry out further edits and hit the “Export” button as usual.

Wrapping up on CapCut

CapCut is accessible, diverse, and worth exploring. Now that you’ve learned the basics, it’s time to start cutting your own content on the app.

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