A guide to using Edits, Meta’s new CapCut rival for short-form video editing

Meta has unveiled a fresh video editing application, Edits, tailored for content creators. This new tool is poised to challenge CapCut, the popular short-form video editor owned by ByteDance, which has garnered a significant following among creators. The development of Edits was first announced by Meta in January, coinciding with the temporary removal of CapCut from U.S. app stores amid uncertainties surrounding TikTok's availability in the region. Although CapCut has since returned to the app stores, Meta is strategically positioning Edits to fill any potential gaps in the market as TikTok's future remains unpredictable. Available for download on both iOS and Android platforms, Edits requires users to log in using their Instagram accounts. Upon launching the app, users will encounter five primary tabs: Ideas, Inspiration, Projects, Record, and Insights. The Ideas tab allows creators to brainstorm and save concepts for upcoming videos, while the Inspiration tab serves as a hub for trending audio and popular reels. In the Projects tab, creators can manage their ongoing video projects and upload clips directly from their phone’s camera roll. The Record tab enables users to film video content seamlessly within the app, and the Insights tab provides valuable analytics on content performance, including metrics such as views and follower counts. Edits boasts several features designed to enhance the video creation experience. Users can easily replace backgrounds with a green screen feature, arrange clips on a timeline, and add automatic captions in multiple languages. The app also includes an extensive audio library from Instagram, precise cutouts for object isolation, and AI-driven animations that can transform static images into engaging video content. Additional tools such as filters, transitions, and alignment guides enhance the editing process, while features like a teleprompter and keyframes allow for greater control over video elements. Despite these capabilities, Edits appears to lag behind CapCut in terms of advanced editing options and a more extensive music library. Currently, Edits is free to use and does not offer a subscription model, unlike CapCut, which provides both free and premium features. However, Meta has hinted that future iterations of Edits may introduce paid functionalities. While CapCut is accessible on web platforms, Edits is exclusively mobile for now, although this may change over time. As Meta continues to develop Edits, it will be interesting to see how the app evolves and competes in the dynamic landscape of video editing applications.