Projects / Kdenlive

Kdenlive

Audio & Video

A video editor for multitrack editing, subtitles and audio/video post-production.

Use with conditions
Last updatedRelease 2026-09-10
Open source licenseGPL-3.0-only
PlatformsWindows · macOS Intel / Apple Silicon · Linux
DeploymentDesktop

About this project

Kdenlive is a nonlinear video editor built around a multitrack timeline. Users arrange material on audio and video tracks, separate sound from picture, and define the parts of clips used in an edit. Nested timelines provide another way to organize complex sequences, letting a project contain sections that can be worked on as groups of related material.

Effects, transitions and keyframes control how a clip changes over time, and effect combinations can be saved as presets. Subtitles, text and image clips can be arranged alongside video. Layouts and shortcuts are configurable. Proxy editing uses lighter copies of source media for editing, while background rendering allows output jobs to proceed alongside work on a project.

Kdenlive uses Qt and MLT and relies on FFmpeg for media handling. Versions cover Linux, Windows and macOS. A project can combine material with different frame rates and resolutions and process it according to project settings. Export choices include video files, image sequences and intermediate formats intended for further production work in another stage of the workflow.

Decision guide
01

Why it is worth a look

  • Multitrack and nested-sequence editing
  • Proxy editing, effects and color grading
02

Before you use it

  • The download page requires Windows 10+ or macOS 13+; Linux has AppImage and Flatpak packages
  • Daily builds may damage existing projects; use stable releases for production work
  • Test preview performance, proxies and export settings with short material first
Manual setupLow
With an AI agentLow
DeploymentDesktop
Additional requirementsNot verified

Use an officially listed operating system and architecture; Have application installation permissions and sufficient local storage; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.

03

What it can do

  • Multitrack and nested-sequence editing
  • Proxy editing, effects and color grading
  • Subtitles and audio post-production tools

Who it fits

Good for

Short films, course videos and more complex timeline editing

Not a fit

Judgment: Users unwilling to learn timelines, media management and export parameters

Getting started

  1. Choose the stable release on the official download page
  2. Install, create a test project and import a short video
  3. Complete a cut and export before migrating important projects

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