How to trim videos in VLC Media Player on Windows PC

VLC Media Player is more than just a tool designed for playing music and videos. If you want to playback content in the least popular formats, VLC will likely have no problems.

Trim videos with VLC Media Player in Windows 11/10

But what if you want to cut a video? For most of us, the only option is to use a free third-party video editor or even the built-in Video Editor app in Windows 11/10.

Instead of loading up another program to perform such a simple action, one could continue using VLC because it comes packed with this capability. It’s not as straightforward when compared to standalone video editors, but it works quite well.

Download the latest version of VLC Media Player
Open VLC Media Player after installation
Select the media file you want to cut
Click on Advanced Controls
Look for the record button
Play or scroll to the section you want to trim
Begin and end the cutting process

Let us discuss this in more detail.

1] Download the latest version of VLC Media Player

Before going forward, you must first download VLC via the official website. You can choose to download either the 32-bit, 64-bit, or Windows ARM versions of the software. There are even versions for Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Linux, and more.

2] Open VLC Media Player after installation

After you’ve installed the tool, go on ahead and open it. The process is quite simple, especially if you’re using Windows 11/10.

3] Select the media file you want to cut

The next step to take here is to open the correct file. We can do this by clicking on Media > Open File. From there, locate the video content, select it, then hit Open to add it to VLC.

4] Click on Advanced Controls

Look to the menu section above, where you should see several tabs. You will want to choose View > Advanced Controls. We suggest pausing the video if it begins to play automatically.

5] Look for the record button

The record button is located at the bottom-left corner of VLC, and like in other apps, it is red. The idea here is to record the section you want to cut, a move that is quite different from that of standalone video editing programs.

6] Play or scroll to the section you want to trim

OK, so the next step is to play the video or scroll to the starting section you want to trim.

7] Begin and end the cutting process

You will now want to click on the record button to begin the process from the preferred starting point. Once you’ve reached the section you want the video to end, please click on the record button again. The trimmed video should now be available in the Videos folder located at C:\Users\Username\Videos.