Stitching together a sequence of video clips into one longer video is a great way to manage overall length and pacing of your content on social media. Editing clips together outside a content creation tool like Ripl can help you stay focused on the task at hand—creating one cohesive video from multiple files.
If you have a handful of clips available on your mobile device, your laptop, or in the cloud, read on for a simple approach to putting them together into a unified file before adding your message and business brand.
Using iMovie on iOS
If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, iMovie is a powerful native video editor that comes already installed on your device. All you need to do is have the clips you want to stitch together readily available on your device.
After you launch iMovie, tap the plus button icon and select Movie from the New Project menu. Your latest media will appear for you to select from the most recent images and video clips. To explore only video clips, tap <Media to go up a level and select Video.
Note that you may also incorporate still images into your movie file. By default, iMovie will pan over the image with a “Ken Burns” effect to make the image appear more active. To change or toggle off the effect, tap the media clip in the timeline to display current effects in the editor view. After making adjustments, tap the Play button to view your results.
When you are satisfied with your stitched together video, tap Done in the top left corner. Here, you have the option to change the video title and the native iOS share and save option appears at the bottom of the screen. Choose Save Video to store the new file to your Photos for easy access from other content editing tools, such as Ripl.
Using Google Photos on Android
On newer Android devices, Google Photos can be used to assemble multiple video clips into a single file, called a movie. Follow these steps to assemble one video file:
Open the Google Photos app and sign in with your Google Account
Tap Library > Utilities from the bottom of the app
Under the “Create new” section, tap Movie
Tap New movie to choose the photos and videos you want in the file
Once you select your photos or videos, tap Create at the top right
Tap Save once you’re satisfied with the sequence and duration of the clips
Browser-based tools on the web
While there are native desktop apps available on the market for Macs and PCs, free browser software can provide you flexibility to grab and store video files across multiple devices. There are numerous tools available, but these two in particular stand out.
This cloud-based video tool lets you stitch together video clips from your desktop or cloud storage. When you arrive at the VEED tool, you’re met with a Choose Files button to start the process.
The tool allows single files to be uploaded one at a time from the upload menu or from within the timeline by clicking the plus button (+)..
Position your clips in the sequence you choose, then select from simple editing options if desired. Once you’re pleased with the single video, click Export in the top right corner.
The free version of this tool includes a watermark on your video file. You can remove it by paying for the service. Otherwise, click Export Video to record a final version of your file.
From the Export screen, you can download your file and use it to create social media posts and ads for your business. You can also save your video project for later by creating a VEED account at no charge.
This cloud-based tool is dead simple to use and isn’t bloated with lots of features you don’t need. When you go to the Merge Video page, you’re presented with a button to Choose files.
Once you select the video you want to combine, the tool will upload your files to the editor where you can change the sequence of your clips, change aspect ratio, and add a simple crossfade transition (or not).
After you click Export in the editor, you advance to a download screen where you are presented more options.
If you’re done, you can Download your newly stitched together clip; otherwise, you can choose to edit a bit more. Without paying for the service, a watermark is placed in the bottom right corner of your video.
Conclusion
Pulling all your clips together before layering in text, your business logo, and other elements is a great way to expedite your editing process. With so many apps and cloud-based tools available, there is an easy way to stitch together video that suits everyone .
Want to learn more about putting video to work in your social media marketing? Read our post for 7 Ideas for using video in your social media marketing.
