Welcome to CapCut
CapCut is a free video editor that runs on your computer (Windows or Mac), in your web browser, and on your phone. You’ll use it to cut clips, add transitions, put text on screen, fix color, and export a finished video.
This course uses the free version. Everything we do here works without paying for CapCut Pro. (Pro adds extra AI tools and effects — we won’t need them.)
Downloading and opening CapCut
- Go to capcut.com and click Download (for Windows or Mac).
- Install it like any other program, then open it.
- On the start screen, click Create project to begin a new edit.
The three main areas
CapCut’s editor has three zones you’ll use constantly:
- Media panel (top-left): your clips, photos, and music — the raw materials.
- Preview (top-right): plays back whatever the timeline shows.
- Timeline (bottom): the horizontal strip where your clips are arranged in order, left to right. Video goes on the main track; text, music, and overlays sit on extra tracks above and below it.
The right-side panel changes depending on what you’ve selected — it holds the controls for trimming, text, color, and more.
Free vs. Pro (know what you have)
The free version includes trimming, splitting, filters, transitions, text, captions, and basic effects. Pro adds premium templates, advanced AI effects, and some fonts. Anything with a small crown or “Pro” label is locked — skip it; there’s always a free way to do the same job.
Try it yourself
Open CapCut, create a new project, and click around the three areas. Drag a clip onto the timeline, then press the spacebar to play and pause.
Course on media.sacaa.org — free for any visitor, no login required. Work through lessons in order.