OpenShot

OpenShot is an uncomplicated video editor with timeline and effects that was released in 2016 – after a successful Kickstarter campaign – with a completely reprogrammed version 2. The software has been continuously developed and improved ever since. Its user interface is implemented using Python and the Qt5 graphics library.

According to the website, Open Shot is “easy to use, quick to learn and powerful”. This mix makes the open source program a good choice not for professional editors, but for anyone who wants to quickly produce videos for the web and its playout channels or their own DVD.

OpenShot includes transitions with real-time preview, effects and a title editor with numerous templates and support for your own SVG titles. The finished video can be uploaded directly from the program to YouTube or Vimeo.

Video formats and project profiles

Thanks to the use of the FFmpeg library, OpenShot supports many video formats and high resolutions up to 16K. OpenShot saves the video properties in so-called project profiles, whereby OpenShot is delivered with over 400 preconfigured profiles. The current profile can be edited by right-clicking on a project file.

OpenShot is also available for OS-X and Windows.

Installation

Openshot may be installed directly from Ubuntu’s community supported Universe repository:

sudo apt-get install openshot-qt

The project also runs its own PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/ppa
sudo apt update && sudo apt install openshot-qt

Documentation

There is a comprehensive User Guide on the project website.

Alternativen

KDenlive ist ein Videoeditor für KDE mit größerem Leistungsumfang. Lightworks und DVinci Resolve sind professionelle, kommerzielle Video-Editoren mit abgespecktem kostenfreien Versionen. Eine Klasse für sich und dazu noch open source ist die 3D-Animations-Software Blender, die “nebenbei” auch Video-Editing beherrscht