Avidemux

About

Avidemux is a free and open-source linear video editor, originating from France, that specializes in basic cutting, filtering, encoding, and batch scripting for a wide array of video formats, including AVI, and leverages FFMPEG support. It is ideal for single-file edits, trimming, re-encoding, and simple cleanup tasks, though it is not designed for multi-track or montage projects requiring nonlinear editing capabilities. The software is highly regarded for its lightweight nature, ease of use, and ability to perform lossless video cutting by keyframes, sync audio and video, and convert both video and audio to various formats, supporting modern codecs like H265 and 4K. Available across Mac, Windows, BSD, and PortableApps.com, Avidemux offers a robust set of features including cropping, video stabilization, embedding subtitles, photo effects, dark mode, keyframe animation, chroma key/green screen, face masking, blur filters, text on videos, and watermarking images, all without requiring registration and functioning offline. While praised by users for its efficiency in handling large files, direct stream copying, and serving as a powerful transcoding tool, often compared favorably to alternatives like Handbrake, some feedback points to its dated user interface from 1999, non-reconfigurable shortcuts on non-English keyboards, occasional stability issues on Windows, and a lack of support for Intel Quicksync and VP8/VP9 export. The project's development is publicly accessible on GitHub.