Edits by Meta: A Guide to the New CapCut Rival for Short Videos
▼ Summary
– Meta launched a new video editing app called Edits to compete with ByteDance’s CapCut, targeting short-form video creators.
– Edits was developed after CapCut briefly disappeared from U.S. app stores due to the TikTok ban, positioning Meta to fill a potential gap.
– The app features five main tabs: Ideas, Inspiration, Projects, Record, and Insights, offering tools for video creation, organization, and performance tracking.
– Edits includes features like green screen editing, AI-powered animations, and automatic captions but currently lacks CapCut’s advanced AI tools and web version.
– Unlike CapCut, Edits is entirely free for now, though Meta plans to introduce paid features in future updates.
Meta has entered the short-form video editing space with its new app called Edits, positioning itself as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s CapCut. This move comes at a time when uncertainty surrounds TikTok’s future in the U.S., giving Meta an opportunity to attract creators looking for alternative editing tools.
The app is available for both iOS and Android users and requires an Instagram login to access its features. Upon opening Edits, creators are greeted with five main tabs: Ideas, Inspiration, Projects, Record, and Insights. The Ideas tab serves as a brainstorming space, while Inspiration helps users discover trending audio and popular reels. The Projects tab stores ongoing edits and allows importing from a phone’s camera roll, while Record enables filming directly within the app. Finally, Insights provides performance metrics like views and reach.
Edits includes several powerful features designed to streamline video creation:
- Green screen: Easily swap or modify video backgrounds.
- Timeline editing: Arrange clips with precision.
- Auto-captions: Generate subtitles in multiple languages.
- AI-powered tools: Transform static images into videos and restyle content with presets.
- Beat markers: Sync clips and overlays with audio automatically.
- Teleprompter: Read scripts while recording.
While CapCut currently offers more advanced AI tools and a broader music library, Edits stands out by being entirely free, for now. CapCut locks some premium features behind a subscription, whereas Meta’s app provides all its tools without cost. However, Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, hinted that future versions may introduce paid options.
Another key difference is platform availability. CapCut supports web editing, while Edits remains mobile-only, though this could change as Meta expands the app’s capabilities. As the competition heats up, creators now have another compelling option for crafting engaging short-form videos.
This article was originally published in May and continues to be updated with the latest developments.
(Source: TechCrunch)
