We can rebuild it. We have the technology. We can make it better than it was. Better, stronger, faster…
That’s right, WeVideo family. We’ve taken a page out of the Six Million Dollar Man’s book and made some improvements to our video editor. If you’re new to WeVideo – welcome! Enjoy the experience. If you’re an existing user, read on to learn more about what’s changed.
By the way – we know change takes time. That’s why if you were an active WeVideo user prior to 8/4/2022, you have the ability to switch between our Classic and New WeVideo editors. This option is available for non-education users until 11/1/2022 and for education users until 1/19/2023. After these periods, respective users will be required to use the New editor.
WeVideo Classroom users: Read ‘Introducing: Our Updated WeVideo Classroom Editor’ to see what’s changed in the Classroom space.
What's changed in WeVideo
We’ve made some serious improvements under the hood to improve our video editor functionality and performance. You won’t see these, but you’ll feel your workflows become more efficient. That’s the magic right there – making your creative process as easy as it can be.
That said, we’ve also made a few changes to where features are and what they look like. Let’s walk you through them.
1. Meet the Editing toolbar
The Editing toolbar hangs out right above your Timeline, and is now host to a slew of editing options formerly accessed from clips on your track(s). Use the Editing toolbar to:
- Add tracks to your Timeline
- Undo/Redo edits
- Split clips
- Add markers
- Adjust audio and opacity levels
- Open the Clip editor
- Apply filters
- Delete clips
2. A new look for the Clip editor
Our Clip editor received a makeover! Find all the same editing tabs – just on the left instead of over top. Plus, try our brand new Opacity slider and adjust a clip’s opacity right from the sanctity of the Transform tab.
3. A snazzy new preview screen
So clean! Your video’s timestamp, as well as the Zoom in / Zoom out feature, both live here now.
4. A new option for adding transitions
In the Classic editor, you can add transitions from the left tabs menu or by right-clicking a clip on your Timeline. In the New editor, you can do the same, plus something new. Just add a clip to your Timeline, and you’ll see a plus sign icon pop up on the front and back of the clip.
Click the plus sign, and you'll see a gray transition icon appear.
Click this icon to open the transition menu (shown below), where you can adjust the settings: customize the transition style, adjust its duration, and decide whether to apply it to your selected clip or all of them.
5. Right-click clips to pre-trim
No more pre-trimming in your video’s preview screen. If you’d like to pre-trim a clip in your media library before dragging it onto your Timeline, just right-click the clip and select Trim. A pre-trim window will appear.
Voila!
6. Audio and opacity levels are now located above the Timeline
Now located just above the Timeline, the Audio & opacity menu allows you to adjust the audio levels (of an audio or video layer) and/or the opacity levels (of a text or video layer).
In the Classic editor, you can turn audio levels on for any clip by clicking the three-dots menu next to the track name. In the New editor, you can still turn audio levels on and off, but you’ll do so from just above your Timeline and then adjust inside the large tracks.
How levels work
Both audio and opacity levels work in the same basic way.
First click on the clip from the Timeline to select it. (You’ll know it’s selected when you see the purple box.) Then in the menu right above your Timeline, turn audio levels on by clicking Audio & opacity > Show audio level.
With the audio levels shown, you’ll now see the audio waveform displayed over the audio or video clip. Drag existing points to adjust the volume, or click anywhere on the blue line to add new points.
To hide the blue volume line, click Audio & opacity to turn each of the levels off.
To adjust the opacity levels of a text or video layer, follow the same instructions above, only starting by clicking Audio & opacity > Show opacity level.
7. Fade audio in and out through the Clip editor
To fade any audio clip in and out, simply double-click on the clip from your Timeline to bring up the Clip editor’s Audio tab.
Select your preferred number of seconds for fade in and fade out using the respective drop-down menus. You can also adjust the volume of the entire clip by moving the Volume slider.
8. Snapping preferences are now located in the hamburger menu
The Snap feature makes it easier to arrange and align clips by snapping them to existing clips on your Timeline. In the Classic editor, this feature was available as a small button with two overlapping squares just above your Timeline.
In the New editor, you can turn Snap on and off by clicking the hamburger menu in the upper left corner and navigating to Preferences > Snap clips. Blue text indicates that Snap is active; white text indicates that Snap is turned off. Click on it to toggle the setting on/off as needed.
Switching to the New WeVideo editor
- Click the Try it button on the top of the announcement banner.
- Give it a whirl!
Note for educators: Students will NOT see the announcement banner in the Personal space. They can switch to the updated editor via the hamburger menu (see below).
To switch back to the Classic editor
- Click the hamburger menu (three stacked lines) on the top toolbar.
- Select Editor experience > Classic editor.
- Give us your quick two cents on why you're switching back (so that we can keep finetuning the new experience).
FAQs about the new WeVideo editor
1. Why are you changing WeVideo?
Our goal is always to give you the best WeVideo experience possible. These changes allow for that, plus will give us the ability to build out new features and usability improvements faster. Everyone’s workflow is improving with this update to our online video editor!
2. Will this affect my past or current projects?
No, all existing projects will be unaffected, and you’ll be able to seamlessly switch between the two editor experiences.
3. How long do I have to try out the New editor?
If you were an active WeVideo user prior to 8/4/2022, you have the ability to switch between our current and updated WeVideo editor. This option is available for non-education users until 11/1/2022 and for education users until 1/19/2023. After these periods, respective users will be required to use the updated editor.