Instagram has released Edits, a brand-new tool for modifying videos. Here, I won’t hold back. It resembles TikTok’s parent company’s well-known video editing tool, CapCut, uncannily. When CapCut was taken down from US app stores earlier this year in conjunction with the temporary TikTok suspension, Meta made the first announcement about the app.
The Edits app may now be downloaded on iOS and Android smartphones worldwide. Although it is completely free, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently made a suggestion that some of the more sophisticated functions may eventually be behind a barrier.
What is Edits all about?
The most frustrating aspect of sharing material on social media platforms is the many technical requirements that must be fulfilled before a video that is worthy of sharing is available. You begin with a locally stored camera capture. You then trim the timeline, apply the required audio-visual effects, and export it to a video editing program.
You share it on a social networking site like Instagram or TikTok after completing those cross-app procedures. However, social media is a dynamic game where quickness is crucial. You must catch on to a trend as soon as possible. If you want algorithmic exposure, you can’t afford to be sluggish, whether you’re utilizing a stitched video or simply a viral audio clip.
The back-and-forth process between many applications before you get at the final version of a film, however, is extremely taxing, especially for casual users. Edits provides a similar experience to Instagram, allowing you to record, edit, and share straight on Instagram. or Facebook. Additionally, you may export the video and post it to other websites like YouTube and TikTok. However, convenience is only one aspect of this. It may even serve as a one-stop shop for all of your social media publishing requirements. Everything you need is right here, from taking pictures and editing them to locating sound effects on Instagram.
It’s familiar and convenient
You’ll feel completely at home if you’ve ever posted a video or taken one on the Instagram app. Your Instagram login information is automatically selected throughout the sign-up process to provide a smooth onboarding experience. There are five main controls at the bottom of the home page. For inspiration and ideas, use the first one. You may rapidly write down ideas for content in the Stickies area and save them as sticky notes to hang on the wall. Instead of distributing your content ideas as a locally saved note or reminder, it’s a great approach to keep them organized.
Adjacent to it is a Saved section, which displays a scrolling stream of all the videos you have saved to Instagram. If you have made special directories for all types of videos, you will discover that everything is sorted in the Collections area in a similar manner to how they are listed on Instagram.
The video component, which functions as a feed in and of itself, greets you last. Reels from accounts you follow or arbitrary videos that are trending may be seen here. You may utilize the background audio clip, store them to a collection, or save them as a sticky note for later use with just one press. A built-in analytics dashboard on the right side allows you to see how well videos are doing. For engagement metrics like likes, comments, reposts, views, saves, and shares, among others, it provides a tabular and graphical depiction. For artists, this is a great convenience, but the typical Instagram user who uses the app to interact with friends and save memories won’t care all that much.
Barely any learning curve
There is a project button in the middle of the home screen, which is where you start making videos, and a capture button next to it. While the latter captures clips directly into the Edits app, the former allows you to choose a video or one that is still kept on your phone. A timeline is shown at the bottom of the editing section, which is followed by fast controls for audio-visual effects. You may choose from a variety of music clips that are popular on Instagram or import your own audio for overlay. From the self-explanatory “For you,” “Saved,” “Trending,” and “Original audio” streams, you may choose an audio clip. After choosing a song or audio clip, you may overlay the chosen clip segment with the piece of the song you wish to utilize. A variety of text effect elements that resemble those on the Instagram Stories page are then available to you. You may produce entertaining reaction-style films by using the overlay tool, adding subtitles, and narrating your own voice. If you’d like, you may divide the timeline and give each section its own distinct sound effects. It is very easy to arrange, crop, or enlarge clip overlays over the source video segments. You can manage four or five overlays atop the basic timeline without the screen being very packed, but it does become a little busy.
You may also swap between your phone’s different camera lenses to achieve zoom or ultrawide frame effects. I really like the extra benefit of being able to choose between HDR and normal video formats. The green screen option in the camera mode is quite helpful if you are looking at clips with a lot of effects. Since it allows you to easily include meme faces and video comments into video recordings without seeming out of place, I really like the AI-generated cutout effect. You may choose from a variety of response sound clips in the Sound FX area. Although captions can be added manually, the auto-caption system performed admirably on the few audio clips I tested with background narration. Additionally, the integrated AI can create a short film from static photos. With the help of Meta AI, the cutout function effectively identifies the topic of an image or video that you are overlaying. Last but not least, there is a sticker area that is just like the one you can now apply to Instagram stories and posts. You may choose between HD (720p), 2K, and 4K resolutions when exporting the finished clip. It took me 12 seconds to export a 17-second movie in 4K quality, which is rather impressive. You have the same choices for quality and frame rate if you are taking pictures straight from the camera. Additionally, there are frame rate choices of 24, 30, and 60 frames per second. The movie is stored to your local storage when it has been exported. However, if you are already signed in on the phone, you may share it straight to Facebook or Instagram.
A no-frills, all-fun video editing experience
All in all, I thought Edits was a quite useful software. It would benefit from a few additional capabilities, such the ability to directly integrate GIF or sticker overlays and add color-graded effects to camera footage. Vlogs may also benefit from multi-camera recording from the front and back lenses, but you may always do it in a third-party program and import it into Edits.
Additionally, I wish the Edits app had the ability to record films longer than ten minutes, but I think the system resources would be overtaxed by the procedure. However, the recognizable user interface, simple controls, and entertaining effects that characterize a Reels film are what I like most about Edits. The Edits app is a very great low-effort way to take and modify Instagram photos in its present state. You won’t run out of content ideas since it’s quick, enjoyable, and thoroughly integrated into the Instagram ecosystem. The Edits app is the best option for novices who want to get started in the crazy, amazing world of social videos.
Disclaimer :
This article is an independent review intended for informational purposes only. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram, Meta, TikTok, CapCut, or any other platforms or applications mentioned. All trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners. Features and availability of the Edits app may vary based on region and device. Readers are advised to download apps only from official app stores and review all permissions before installation. This content does not offer any guarantees regarding app performance, functionality, or data safety. Use third-party applications at your own discretion.