Trim video clips without re-encoding

Updated 28 September 2026

To trim a video, enter a start time and a length in seconds, then download the clip. Our servers in Germany copy that part of the original into a new file without re-encoding, so the quality is identical and even long recordings finish quickly.

Your upload travels over an encrypted connection, and we remove it automatically within two hours. Typical jobs include one answer from a recorded interview, a single scene from a family video or the last lap of a race.

How to trim a clip out of a video

1. Drop the video, or a folder of videos, onto the page.
2. Enter the start point in seconds, for example 95 for 1:35.
3. Enter the length in seconds, such as 30 to keep 1:35 through 2:05.
4. Run the trim, then save the clip, or every clip together as one ZIP.

Entering times

Everything is in seconds, and decimals like 12.5 work too. To convert a timestamp, multiply the minutes by 60 and add the seconds, so 1:35 becomes 95. If you leave the fields alone, the tool keeps the first 10 seconds.

Why the quality stays the same

Nothing is decoded or encoded again. The existing video and audio streams are copied as they are into the new file, so the clip matches the source bit for bit. Skipping the encode also makes the job quick on long files, which is why trimming is the fastest way to get a recording under an upload limit.

Why the clip can start a little early

Compressed video is stored in groups of frames, and each group depends on the keyframe that opens it. A cut that skips re-encoding can only begin cleanly on a keyframe, so we start the clip at the nearest one. The clip may therefore begin as much as a few seconds ahead of your start time. The gap depends on the recording. Phone footage usually has its keyframes packed closely, which keeps the shift small. For a cut that lands on an exact frame, use a video editor.

Trimming a folder of recordings

When every file in a series needs the same cut, such as the first 30 seconds of each clip, use a pipeline. It runs the same trim over each file in the folder, and you download the results one by one or as a single ZIP. Pipelines are free to try on up to 3 files, and Pro runs them on up to 500.

Trimming counts as a heavy video job. Without an account you can run 3 a day, and a free account allows 5, with each file up to 50 MB. Pro, at EUR 7.99 a month or EUR 59 a year, raises the file limit to 500 MB, allows batches of up to 500 files and has no daily allowance. For one big job without a subscription, each credit covers 25 files in a batch or pipeline, and credits never expire.