How to Use Windows 11’s Built-In Video Editor

On Apple devices, macOS has iMovie, a simple, free video editor that anyone can use to put together movie projects. But since Microsoft phased out the old Movie Maker app, there hasn’t been an equivalent, bundled app for Windows users to take advantage of.

Now that’s changing. Clipchamp, the video-editing software package Microsoft bought last year, is making its way into Windows 11 as an “inbox app”—in other words, an app that appears when you first install the operating system, such as Notepad.

At the time of writing, Clipchamp is only included in the preview build of Windows 11, but it should reach everyone soon. Even before it officially becomes a bundled app, you can find it and install it from the Microsoft Store (search for “Clipchamp” or follow this link).

Here we’ll introduce you to some of the features and capabilities of Clipchamp. It’s not a difficult application to get to grips with, and you might find that it gives you everything you need in terms of video-editing functionality.

At the moment, Clipchamp is freemium software: You can use it for no cost, but some options (including high-definition exports) and the majority of the stock content requires a paid subscription. That might change as the program gets wrapped into Windows 11, but for now a premium subscription starts at $9 per month.

Find Your Way Around

Clipchamp has been built to be as easy to use as possible, so you’re not going to be left scratching your head for too long wondering where everything is. Along the bottom is your movie timeline, above that is the preview window for watching clips and your movie as a whole, and on the left of the screen you can drop in media files to make up your project.

You have the option to load up videos, images, and audio from disk, or you can record directly into the application using the cameras and microphones connected to your computer. Clipchamp also comes with a variety of stock clips, pictures, and sounds that you’re able to drop into your project. Some of these are free, but most require a premium Clipchamp subscription.