<p>Open your video in Quicktime Player, click <code>Edit -&gt; Trim</code> and place the start and end marks at the desired beginning and end of your clip. Hit <code>Trim</code> and then click <code>Save</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T22:01:19.153Z
the only problem is it changes the video format, wish it could keep the format, but this is much faster then editing with the tools I was using.
nycynik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T23:05:44.557Z
Faster yes, but it's very limited. I just now see that you have a batch of files, then ffmpeg might come in handy. Just google ffmpeg and if you have any specific questions regardin ffmpeg and trimming you can ask them here of course. And not sure if it's an error but you've chose Chris's answer as accepted.
Saaru Lindestøkke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T21:27:04.560Z
2012-12-19T21:27:04.560Z
Saaru Lindestøkke
<p>AVS4YOU and Filmora can do this but they are 60USD. </p>

<p>Avidemux can do this for free (and the above software may even be reboxed Avidemux) but it will only cut one video where as these others will cut your video into lots of clips, saving each separately. </p>

<p>There is also losslesscut which is a GUI for  ffmpeg seems to be able to do all that the commercial stuff does for free. You press the "i" and "o" (in and out) keys to set a cut, and press the c+ button to set a second cut. 
<a href="https://github.com/mifi/lossless-cut" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/mifi/lossless-cut</a>
Unfortunately it does not seem to work with the video that I have created using Vegas. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-22T07:59:11.283Z
LosslessCut is amazing, very simple and quick. I have wanted a tool like this for so long. Thanks for the recommendation.
Muhd
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-24T00:51:51.720Z
My pleasure. The lack of an audio track on Losslesscut forces me to use AVS4YOU for the time being.
timtak
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-23T06:26:49.047Z
2019-06-23T06:26:49.047Z
timtak
<p>What do you mean by "Edit"? If splitting/cutting all you need, take a look at
<a href="http://avs-video-suite.org" rel="nofollow">AVS Video Remaker</a>, which makes it without conversion.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T16:22:15.183Z
This is also perfect, but I use a mac.  But its the right type of software to solve simple edits w/o conversion.
nycynik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T05:38:37.200Z
2012-12-20T05:38:37.200Z
altarvic
<p>Try Adobe Media Encoder. Import your clips, trim them, and batch export.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-18T15:51:05.410Z
This will re-encode the video. The question asked how to avoid this.
tomh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-20T17:28:29.643Z
2019-12-20T20:48:10.393Z
2019-12-20T20:48:10.393Z
pavan kumar
<p>I think you are trying to reinvent the wheel here...premiere does exactly what you want it to do, just use google to figure out the parts you dont understand</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T21:39:25.947Z
OK- I have about 51 videos to trim, they are not uniform size, so im googling, but it seems like I need to set the dimensions for each project, and i must create the project for each video i want to edit, but im googling..
nycynik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T22:00:28.763Z
I was not able to find a way for premier to do this, it always has to follow the new project, new scene, import, trim, export/encode.  Thats a lot of work to trim videos.  I am accepting Barts answer, even tho that one changes the video format, i can batch encode them all after I finish the trims.
nycynik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T20:18:48.000Z
2012-12-19T20:18:48.000Z
Chris James Champeau
<p>If you can script yourself, all you need to do is call FFmpeg repeatedly:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -ss [start-time] -i input.mp4 -c copy -t [clip-time] output.mp4
</code></pre>

<p>Here, start and clip times can be in the form <code>HH:MM:SS.mmmm</code>, or just in seconds. </p>

<hr>

<p>To give you a rough idea how that'd look like in Ruby, see <a href="https://gist.github.com/2574696" rel="noreferrer">this Gist of mine</a>. It contains a script that takes an edit list, a folder of videos, and cuts them accordingly. I've used it very often for cutting videos based on an input edit list.</p>

<p>The edit list would look like that, with the timestamps in the proper FFmpeg format (e.g. 00:00:24.240) and the difference passed to <code>-t</code> in the last column.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/M01G8.png" alt=""></p>

<p>Note that you can't expect it to work with any input/output without synchronization issues. If that's the case, you need to re-encode video and audio parts. I wouldn't use that script of mine though as it's not very … eloquent in that regard. Rather cut your video in a NLE.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T16:05:28.880Z
THIS is perfect.  Thank you very much.  Exactly what I needed.
nycynik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T22:12:01.937Z
Thanks! Let me know if you run into problems, I'm happy to improve that script – been a while since I've used it!
slhck
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T06:32:21.743Z
2012-12-20T06:32:21.743Z
slhck
<p>What application is there that can open a video, modify it, and save it?<br>
(the software that I am using now, only allows the video to be used as a source, and then exported)</p>

<p>I have adobe premier, but it does not actually edit videos, you have to make a new project, and set the output type/settings, then import the video, then bring in the video, edit it, and then save it.</p>

<p>I also have iMovie, and again, project, import, edit, export.</p>

<p>Is there any application that I can open a mp4 video make edits (clipping segments) and save it in the same format/size/container/etc as it was opened in?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T21:23:39.163Z
If I understand correctly you want to avoid rendering out a new video. You just want tp cut a piece of video and click save. Quicktime Player on the Mac (and probably on Windows) allows you to do this.
Saaru Lindestøkke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T06:21:48.993Z
h.264 is not an all-I-frame codec. That means that the frames are dependant on other frames. This is a problem when you cut it, because you may be trimming off the frames on which it depends. TL;DR: You'll find that it will have to be at least partially re-encoded no matter what you use.
stib
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-20T16:28:26.907Z
I'm not asking for the software to edit for me, just trying to update the workflow.  My workflow now is, [new project (setup dimensions), import source, edit new video, export video w/o right settings], instead i want to [open video, edit video, save video (in original format/dimensions)
nycynik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-27T16:42:52.643Z
The mac tag was added to the question, while I do not disagree - The ffmpeg answer should work on multiple operating systems. So if you are reading this looking for an answer in windows or linux, this is applicable.
nycynik
<video-editor><mac>
Batch video editing software that can trim without re-encoding
nycynik
# Batch video editing software that can trim without re-encoding

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-12-19)

What application is there that can open a video, modify it, and save it?  
(the software that I am using now, only allows the video to be used as a source, and then exported)

I have adobe premier, but it does not actually edit videos, you have to make a new project, and set the output type/settings, then import the video, then bring in the video, edit it, and then save it.

I also have iMovie, and again, project, import, edit, export.

Is there any application that I can open a mp4 video make edits (clipping segments) and save it in the same format/size/container/etc as it was opened in?

**Tags:** video-editor, mac

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If I understand correctly you want to avoid rendering out a new video. You just want tp cut a piece of video and click save. Quicktime Player on the Mac (and probably on Windows) allows you to do this.  
> **username_2**: h.264 is not an all-I-frame codec. That means that the frames are dependant on other frames. This is a problem when you cut it, because you may be trimming off the frames on which it depends. TL;DR: You'll find that it will have to be at least partially re-encoded no matter what you use.  
> **username_0**: I'm not asking for the software to edit for me, just trying to update the workflow.  My workflow now is, [new project (setup dimensions), import source, edit new video, export video w/o right settings], instead i want to [open video, edit video, save video (in original format/dimensions)  
> **username_0**: The mac tag was added to the question, while I do not disagree - The ffmpeg answer should work on multiple operating systems. So if you are reading this looking for an answer in windows or linux, this is applicable.  

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_9 on 2012-12-20. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

If you can script yourself, all you need to do is call FFmpeg repeatedly:
ffmpeg -ss [start-time] -i input.mp4 -c copy -t [clip-time] output.mp4

Here, start and clip times can be in the form HH:MM:SS.mmmm, or just in seconds. 

To give you a rough idea how that'd look like in Ruby, see this Gist of mine. It contains a script that takes an edit list, a folder of videos, and cuts them accordingly. I've used it very often for cutting videos based on an input edit list.
The edit list would look like that, with the timestamps in the proper FFmpeg format (e.g. 00:00:24.240) and the difference passed to -t in the last column.

Note that you can't expect it to work with any input/output without synchronization issues. If that's the case, you need to re-encode video and audio parts. I wouldn't use that script of mine though as it's not very … eloquent in that regard. Rather cut your video in a NLE.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: THIS is perfect.  Thank you very much.  Exactly what I needed.  
> **username_9**: Thanks! Let me know if you run into problems, I'm happy to improve that script – been a while since I've used it!  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-12-19. Score: 3

Open your video in Quicktime Player, click `Edit -> Trim` and place the start and end marks at the desired beginning and end of your clip. Hit `Trim` and then click `Save`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: the only problem is it changes the video format, wish it could keep the format, but this is much faster then editing with the tools I was using.  
> **username_1**: Faster yes, but it's very limited. I just now see that you have a batch of files, then ffmpeg might come in handy. Just google ffmpeg and if you have any specific questions regardin ffmpeg and trimming you can ask them here of course. And not sure if it's an error but you've chose Chris's answer as accepted.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-06-23. Score: 2

AVS4YOU and Filmora can do this but they are 60USD.

Avidemux can do this for free (and the above software may even be reboxed Avidemux) but it will only cut one video where as these others will cut your video into lots of clips, saving each separately.

There is also losslesscut which is a GUI for ffmpeg seems to be able to do all that the commercial stuff does for free. You press the "i" and "o" (in and out) keys to set a cut, and press the c+ button to set a second cut.
<https://github.com/mifi/lossless-cut>
Unfortunately it does not seem to work with the video that I have created using Vegas.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: LosslessCut is amazing, very simple and quick. I have wanted a tool like this for so long. Thanks for the recommendation.  
> **username_3**: My pleasure. The lack of an audio track on Losslesscut forces me to use AVS4YOU for the time being.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-12-20. Score: 1

What do you mean by "Edit"? If splitting/cutting all you need, take a look at
[AVS Video Remaker](http://avs-video-suite.org), which makes it without conversion.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is also perfect, but I use a mac.  But its the right type of software to solve simple edits w/o conversion.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-11-20. Score: -1

Try Adobe Media Encoder. Import your clips, trim them, and batch export.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: This will re-encode the video. The question asked how to avoid this.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2012-12-19. Score: -3

I think you are trying to reinvent the wheel here...premiere does exactly what you want it to do, just use google to figure out the parts you dont understand

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: OK- I have about 51 videos to trim, they are not uniform size, so im googling, but it seems like I need to set the dimensions for each project, and i must create the project for each video i want to edit, but im googling..  
> **username_0**: I was not able to find a way for premier to do this, it always has to follow the new project, new scene, import, trim, export/encode.  Thats a lot of work to trim videos.  I am accepting Barts answer, even tho that one changes the video format, i can batch encode them all after I finish the trims.  

---

