Before you add any videos, you need to tell NexusCut what kind of video you are making.

• Look at the top bar in the editor. You'll see an aspect ratio dropdown (usually defaults to 9:16).
• 9:16 is perfect for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels (tall videos).
• 16:9 is for standard YouTube videos or TV (wide videos).
• 1:1 is for square Instagram posts.
• Select the one you need. The black Canvas in the center will immediately change its shape to match.

You can't edit without footage! In the top-left corner (in the Sidebar), you'll see the Media tab.

The Timeline (the bottom half of the screen) is where the actual editing happens.

• Once your video is in the Media Library, click and drag it down onto the track labeled Video 1 in the Timeline.
• Your video is now a "clip" on the timeline. If you press the Play button (or Spacebar), you'll see it play in the Canvas above.
• To trim the beginning or end: Hover your mouse over the left or right edge of the clip until your cursor changes. Click and drag inwards to trim off the boring parts.
• To split a clip in half: Click on the spot in the timeline where you want to make a cut to move the red line (the Playhead) there. Then click the Split (Scissors) icon on the toolbar just above the timeline. You can now delete one half by selecting it and pressing Backspace/Delete.

Sometimes your video doesn't perfectly fit the Canvas (for example, if you imported a wide video into a tall 9:16 Canvas).

• Click on your video clip in the Timeline to select it.
• Look at the Canvas (the center preview window). You'll see a bounding box around your video.
• Click and drag the video to move it around.
• Grab any of the corner handles and drag to resize the video until it fills the screen perfectly.

This is where NexusCut shines. Instead of doing things manually, let our AI help.

• Auto-Captions: In the left Sidebar, open AI Magic and generate captions. Review and correct the word timing and text, then adjust supported appearance settings.
• Remove an image background: Use the standalone image-background tool for still images. The current editor does not promise automatic background removal for a timeline video clip.
• Smart Cut: Choose Smart Cut to detect and remove silence from the timeline. Play the result immediately and use the editor's Undo button if you prefer the original pacing.
• Magic Clip: After generating captions, Magic Clip can suggest a 15–30 second transcript range. Treat it as a starting point: review the chosen boundaries and adjust or undo them when needed.

Want to add a big title or manual text?

• Open the Text tab in the sidebar (the "T" icon).
• Click Add Title or choose a preset style. A text clip will appear on your timeline.
• Look at the Properties Panel on the right side of the screen. Here you can change what the text says, pick a font, change colors, and add shadows.
• Drag the text on the Canvas to move it, and drag the text clip's edges on the Timeline to control how long it stays on screen.

Great video needs great audio. Use the Audio tab to add sound effects, replace original sound, or narrate as the video plays.

• Mute the original sound: Click the video clip you want to replace, open Audio, then choose Mute selected video audio. This affects the final export. Choose Restore selected video audio to undo it. You can also use the clip's Volume slider in the Properties panel.
• Record your own voiceover: Put the playhead where narration should begin, press Play, then click Record voiceover in Audio. Click Stop recording when you finish. Your narration is placed on the Audio track at that exact point.
• AI Voice (TTS): Prefer an AI voice? Enter a script in the AI Voice section of Audio, select a voice, and generate it. It is added to the Audio track so you can position and trim it like any other clip.

Add some polish to your video by adding transitions between clips.

• Open the Transitions tab in the sidebar.
• If you have two video clips next to each other on the timeline, simply drag a transition (like a Fade or a Wipe) and drop it right between them. If you want audio on your transitions, you can add your choice of audio manually from the Audio tab.
• Open the Effects tab to find visual filters like VHS or Glitch, which you can drag onto any video clip to change its look.

Don't lose your hard work. Save a local project file whenever you want to continue later or keep a backup.

• Click the Save Local disk icon at the top of the editor. It downloads a small project file to your Downloads folder; it does not copy the original video files.
• When you return, click Load Local and select that project file. If NexusCut asks for missing media, drag the same original video or audio files back into the Media Library to relink them.

Once you are happy with how your video looks and sounds when you press play, it's time to save it as a final video file!

• Look at the top right corner of the screen for the big Export Video button.
• Choose Fast — 540p for a quick draft. High quality is up to 720p on Free and up to 1080p on Creator and Pro.
• Click Start export. If other creators are exporting, NexusCut shows your place in line and you can keep editing while it renders.
• When complete, your MP4 is placed in your computer's Downloads folder. Play it once before posting to confirm that captions, audio, and transitions are right.