Clip Cutting lets you cut a clip from a video or audio file without re-encoding. It can work directly on the original source file, keeping its exact format, streams, and quality, instead of always producing an MP4 like the media editor.

How clip cutting works

• In / out timecodes - Choose the exact start and end points of the clip you want to keep.
• No re-encoding by default - When the output format matches the source, the clip is cut directly from the original streams, so quality and format are preserved.
• Output format - Choose to keep the same format as the source, or export the clip as MP4.
• Replace the original - Optionally remove the original source file once the clip has been created.
• Transcode the output - Optionally submit the new clip for transcoding, for example to generate a web-compatible preview.

Cutting a clip

• Select the file you want to edit.
• Click the Media editor button in the context menu.
• Choose Clip Cut.
• Set your in and out timecodes to define the clip, either by entering them directly or by using the I and O keyboard shortcuts to mark the in and out points at the current playhead position.
• Choose the output format (same as source, or MP4).
• Optionally choose to remove the original file and/or transcode the new clip.
• Click Save to create the clip.

Note: Clip Cutting is available for video and audio files only. It is not available for images, documents, or other file types.

Archived files

Cutting same as source requires access to the original source file. If the file has been archived, the source is no longer readily available, so only the preview is available to cut from - the same as source output format cannot be used.

Cloud storage sources

For source files stored in cloud storage (e.g. S3 or Azure), MediaLab retrieves only the portion of the file needed for the clip where the codec supports partial retrieval, rather than downloading the entire source. This avoids unnecessary bandwidth costs. For codecs that don't support partial retrieval, the full source file is retrieved before cutting.

Related articles

• Media editor
• Transcode feature

Need help?

If you have questions about clip cutting or the feature isn't available, contact your organization's MediaLab administrator or reach out to support.