VSDC website shows up among the first search results if you are looking for a free video editor. It has been around for over six years, but up to the last summer, there was nothing too outstanding to write about. Within the past several months, however, VSDC has been significantly developed, and today I’d like to tell you why it is definitely worth checking out.
VSDC is Free
And by saying “free” I don’t mean a free trial period, a feature-limited or a watermark-stamped version of a program. VSDC is indeed available at zero cost, so even if you don’t like it, you don’t really lose anything.
There is a $19,99 PRO license offered to you as soon as you run the editor for the first time, but it has just few advanced features you might not even need – like multicolor Chroma Key, Masking and Hardware Acceleration.
There are 30+ Video Export Options
Including MP4, WebM, GIF and all the other popular formats, as well as pre-configured profiles for Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo and Instagram. If you are planning to upload video to YouTube, you can do it directly from VSDC. Depending on your goals, the software suggests the best settings and allows you to manually adjust codecs, quality, resolution, and framerate. For example, if you’re aimed at saving files in the highest quality possible, you should choose H.265 video codec at the export level.
Advanced Video Editing Tools
Such as blending modes and gradient color correction. According to VSDC mission, it is aimed to provide a free alternative for those unable to afford expensive professional video editing software. Sure, it won’t give you as much flexibility as Adobe Premiere or Sony Vegas, but it is a great choice if you’re just starting getting familiar with non-linear video editing.
Here are a couple of features to play around with:
Visual Effects. VSDC offers over 50 effects, including filters and transitions. Adjustments are for improving video quality in terms of Brightness/Contrast/Gamma settings – that’s especially helpful if your footage is overexposed or underexposed. Filters and Transforms allow you to apply a set of visual transformations, such as Motion Blur effect, Mirror Effect, Flipping, Zooming, Resampling and others. Finally, with quick styles also available in quick access menu on top, you’ll be able to create a retro-movie look or use Instagram-like color filters.
Split Screen and Picture-in-Picture. Here is the big difference between linear (think Movie Maker) and non-linear video editors: with the latter you can place objects on the scene in any sequence – even simultaneously. That feature alone opens wide opportunities – from watermarking your video to creating effects of two and more videos playing simultaneously on one screen.
Blending Modes. Once you get familiar with placing objects in non-linear sequence, you should check out Blending Modes, as it’s one creative way to merge two videos into one. Most times when you see a “ghost effect” in a movie or a reflection in actor’s eyes – that’s a blending mode applied. However, I do recommend you to watch a couple of how-tos before getting started because it might not be the most intuitive video editing tool you’ve ever worked with.
Built-In Video and Screen Recorders
One more thing worth mentioning is that VSDC comes with built-in video and screen recorders. That’s quite handy if you work on video tutorials, reaction videos or game walkthroughs. VSDC allows you to record video from your screen and your webcam simultaneously, and if you are serious about your YouTube game, you can also create a round facecam with VSDC PRO.
Conclusion
VSDC is not the only free video editing software available out there, but it offers the richest feature set and the widest export options. For someone who is stepping up from a simple linear video editor and wants to discover new tools, that is one of the best choices.
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