Free Online GenSutra Video Editor, Animated Text and Effects
The GenSutra Video Editor is a free video editor that runs inside your web browser. You can join several videos and photos into one clip, trim each clip at the start and the end, add background music, place your logo, write animated titles, and lay rain, smoke, cloud or water effects over the picture. The finished video downloads as an MP4 file (or WebM if your browser cannot make MP4). There is nothing to install and no sign-up. Your videos, images and music stay on your own device, because the editing and the export are done by your browser and not by a server.
The editor is made for quick social media work. Choose 9:16 for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and WhatsApp Status, 16:9 for YouTube, 1:1 for square posts, or 4:5 for Instagram feed posts. Pick 1080p for the best quality or 720p for faster exports on a phone or an older computer.
How the Timeline Works
The timeline has a row for each kind of item, and all rows share the same time scale, so you can see exactly what happens at every second.
- Video rows: Video 1 plays your videos, photos and gaps one after another. A gap is an empty space that pushes the next clips later, so you can show a title or an effect on a plain background. Press + Video row to add Video 2 and Video 3, where you place videos at any time, drag them, and show them side by side, top and bottom, or as a small picture over the main video.
- Audio rows: music or voice files. Audio 1 plays files one after another, and Audio 2 and Audio 3 let you start a voice-over or a sound effect at any second while the music plays. Each file has trim, speed, volume, fade in and fade out.
- Image rows: logos and pictures that sit on top of the video. Start with one row and add up to three.
- Text rows: titles and captions. Press the plus button to add a text box that lasts 5 seconds. Start with two rows, use them when two texts must show at the same time, and add up to four.
- Effects rows: see-through effects that play over the video: rain, smoke, clouds and water ripples, and party effects such as balloons, confetti, fireworks, sparkles, hearts, bubbles and snow.
How to Edit a Video: Step by Step
- Choose the size. Select the picture shape and the quality at the top first, because it sets the shape of your final video.
- Add your clips. Press the plus button on the Video row, or drag and drop files onto the page. Click a clip to open its settings, where you can set Trim start, Trim end, Speed from half speed to double speed, fade in, fade out, opacity, and the size of the picture (from 0 percent with no upper limit).
- Arrange and delete. Use Move earlier and Move later to change the order. Press the small red x on any box to delete it.
- Add music. Press the plus button on the Audio row and choose your files. Click an audio box to change its volume, trim it, or speed it up.
- Add your logo. Press the plus button on an Image row, choose the file, then use the nine position buttons to place it in a corner or the centre. Change its size, opacity, start and length. By default it stays on the whole video.
- Add text. Press the plus button on a Text row. Type your words, pick a font and color, and choose an animation such as fade, slide, zoom or typewriter. Drag the box to move it in time, or drag its right edge to make it longer.
- Add effects and gaps. Choose an effect from the Effects row and set its strength. Press Gap if you want the text or effect to play on an empty background. For a party video, try balloons, confetti or fireworks.
- Crop, rotate and animate. Click a video, photo, logo or text, then use Rotation, Tilt up/down, Turn left/right and the four Crop sliders. Press the ◇ button beside any of these to add a keyframe at the playhead; move the playhead, change the value, and the editor animates smoothly between the keyframes. The diamond turns blue when a setting is animated and gold when there is a keyframe exactly at the playhead.
- Preview and export. Press Play or the space bar, and drag the red line to check any moment. Press Export Video, keep the tab open and visible while it renders, and the download starts by itself.
Tips for Better Results
Trim the start of each clip so the best part comes first. Keep text short and place it in the middle third of the picture, so buttons on social apps do not cover it. Put your logo in a corner with a size of about 15 to 20 percent. Use the blurred background fit when a wide video goes into a tall Reels frame, because it avoids black bars without cutting off the picture. Keep effects at a medium strength so that people can still see the video. For a side by side video, put one video on Video 1 and one on Video 2, then choose Left half for one and Right half for the other. Use 24 or 25 frames per second for a film look, and 30 for most social media. If your computer feels slow, choose 720p and 30 frames per second, and close other heavy tabs before you export.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GenSutra Video Editor really free?
Yes. It is free to use, needs no sign-up and does not add a watermark to your video.
Are my videos uploaded to a server?
No. Your videos, images and music are opened and edited inside your own browser, and the export is made on your device. Your files never leave your phone or computer.
How do I add my logo to a video?
Press the plus button on the Image row, choose your logo file, then use the position buttons to place it in a corner or the centre. You can change its size, opacity, start time and length. You can use up to three image rows.
How do I show text or an effect on an empty background?
Press Gap to add an empty space in the video track. Everything after the gap moves later. Then add a text box or an effect at the same time, and it will play over the gap.
How do I animate a setting over time?
Click the box, find the setting (for example Rotation, Size or Opacity), and press the ◇ button beside it. That places a keyframe at the playhead. Move the playhead to a different second, change the value, and another keyframe is added automatically. The editor moves smoothly between them. Press the gold ◆ button to remove the keyframe at the playhead.
Why is my exported video silent?
Check three things. First, make sure the video clip is not muted in the Selected box. Second, check the volume of the clip and of your audio files. Third, keep the tab open and visible while the video renders, and use the latest Chrome or Edge on a computer for the best sound.
Why does the export take as long as my video?
The browser records your video in real time, so a 30 second video takes about 30 seconds to export. Keep the tab open and visible until the download starts.
Which browser works best?
Chrome and Edge on a computer work best. Firefox works and saves WebM files. Safari on iPhone and Mac has limited support for recording and canvas filters, so results may vary.
How do I show two videos side by side or one above the other?
Press + Video row, add the second video to Video 2, then click each video and choose Left half and Right half for side by side, or Top half and Bottom half for one above the other. You can also use the size, position and opacity boxes to make a small picture.
Can I fade a video or music in and out?
Yes. Click a video, a photo or an audio file and set Fade in at the start and Fade out at the end in seconds. For a video the picture and its sound both fade.
How long can my video be?
You can add unlimited videos and photos to the video track and audio files, with a total length of up to 15 minutes (900 seconds).