Media Composer - Basic Cut/Add Edit and Trim

This video shows how you would make a basic cut (add an edit) to a track in Media Composer and then edit/trim that track.

This video uses Avid Media Composer 7 running on Windows.

In Avid Media Composer, there are more ways to trim than are shown in the video, but this will give you the basic idea of how Media Composer works using the Add Edit button and the Smart Tools.

In Avid Media Composer, something that can be confusing for new users is how to make a cut in their video. If you are coming from other NLE's, you may be use to using a Razor tool to place a cut in your video. Well, in Avid Media Composer, there is no Razor tool. This may seem odd at first, but the way Media Composer works is actually much more convenient. In Media Composer you use what is called the ADD EDIT button. You will see in the video how to map the shortcut to your Keyboard and then add your edit/cut.

Then we move on to the basic way you can trim your video by using the Smart Tools.

This video should help get you up to speed on how to perform these basic operations in Media Composer.

If you enjoy this video, please Like and Subscribe - and there will be more Media Composer related videos.

If you would like to learn more about Avid Media Composer or get your free trial of Media Composer, go to

[ObsidianMadness]

The fact that this video even needs to be made reflects badly on Avid. I tried using the software, and not only was it a chore to import media (I had to convert a video file in order for avid to add it to the bin even though before and after it was the same format), but the interface is overwhelming and crowded. On top of that, the program was maxing out my CPU, despite having a powerful computer that I purchased 2 months ago, which rendered the program laggy and unusable.
Thanks for the tutorial though, I'm just a bit frustrated with all these issues. (Maybe it works better on Macs?)

[adamfarkas]

gosh. premiere is sooo much easier and logical. if only it was stable, I wouldn't need to learn this juggernaut of a software - it's like driving an old car.

[DenOndeBoss]

Thanks for the video! It helped me finding out how to make a shortcut in Media Composer First :)

[amygleich]

Thank you thank you! Nice and simple - just the info I needed! :D 

[ThenlySn]

thanks you! i start to learn MC this years for my bts and your tuto is really simple, now im ok for cut my clip!

[kemakal]

You can add edit to play head in Premiere as well without having to get the razor tool. It's default key is command + K (cntrl + k windows I believe). Does anyone know if there is a default key in Avid for add edit? Seems strange to leave out of the defaults.

[randomuserchanel]

How can I unlink the audio track from the video so I can remove it and replace it?:

[FlyingOverTrut]

Have you used Sony Vegas? I edit on it, but Sony is supposedly not going to develop a new version of Vegas, though they'll keep supporting Vegas Pro 13, whatever that may mean. So in the future I may want other editing software. Avid is powerful but seems needlessly complicated. I can move so quickly and with such facility in Vegas with many keyboard shortcuts, and I wonder how it compares to Avid.

[yarpenzigrin]

If I worked with many different video editors - and in this one I canno trim my video after watching 5 different tutorias - this soft is a piece of s...