Automatic Video Cutting with Autocut 🎬#
Introduction 📝#
Video content creation becomes more intense and competitive day by day. Especially on YouTube and social media platforms, removing unnecessary parts from long recordings is critical to improve content quality and viewer experience. However, manual video editing is a time-consuming process with a high risk of errors.
In this guide, you'll learn step-by-step how to automatically cut your videos with the Python-based Autocut tool, and how to manage them with SRT subtitles and Markdown-based markings. We'll also explain the video and audio merging process with MoviePy in detail. Throughout the guide, you'll be able to easily follow the process with example commands, tips, and information boxes.
1️⃣ What is Autocut? 🛠️#
Autocut is a video editing tool written in Python and offers the following features:
- Automatic video cutting and removing unnecessary scenes
- SRT subtitles for transcription and editing
- Markup system based on Markdown to determine which sentences to keep
- Automatic video and audio merging with MoviePy
- Fast processing with GPU (CUDA) support
Autocut is especially ideal for saving time and improving content quality in long videos.
2️⃣ Installation and Preparation ⚙️#
First, create a Python virtual environment and install the necessary packages:
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install moviepy autocut
To check:
which python
which pip
which autocut
Your system should have FFmpeg installed:
which ffmpeg
3️⃣ Video Transcription and Markdown Creation ✍️#
With Autocut, you can first transcribe your video and generate a Markdown output:
autocut -t -c -m --lang Turkish --device cuda /home/friday13/Videos/editle.mp4
-t→ Transcription-c→ Cutting-m→ Create Markdown--lang Turkish→ Language selection--device cuda→ Process with GPU
The Markdown output allows you to mark which sentences to keep. This way, unnecessary parts are skipped during cutting.
4️⃣ Markdown Editing#
Each line in the Markdown file should be in the following format:
- [x] [index,time] sentence
- [ ] [index,time] <No Speech>
[x]→ Sentence to remain in video[ ]→ Section to be deleted
Example:
- [x] [1,00:00] Yes, dear friends...
- [ ] [6,00:23] <No Speech>
5️⃣ Cutting Video and Getting Output 🎬#
Once Markdown and SRT are ready, you can cut your video:
autocut -c /home/friday13/Videos/editle.mp4 /home/friday13/Videos/editle.srt /home/friday13/Videos/editle.md
- MoviePy combines video and audio into a new file.
- Example output:
/home/friday13/Videos/editle_cut.mp4 - Original duration: 317.8 sec → Cut duration: 181 sec
The cut video contains only the marked sentences. Unnecessary spaces and 'No Speech' parts are removed.
6️⃣ Autocut Workflow Diagram#
- Start: Original video
- Transcription and cutting command with Autocut
- Create Markdown and SRT
- Mark "to keep" sentences on Markdown
- Cut with Autocut
- Combine video and audio with MoviePy
- Result: editle_cut.mp4
7️⃣ Markdown Example#
Autocut Video Cutting Flow#
1️⃣ Original Video#
- Video file:
/home/friday13/Videos/editle.mp4
2️⃣ Transcription and Cutting Process#
autocut -t -c -m --lang Turkish --device cuda /home/friday13/Videos/editle.mp4
3️⃣ Cutting via Markdown and SRT#
autocut -c /home/friday13/Videos/editle.mp4 /home/friday13/Videos/editle.srt /home/friday13/Videos/editle.md
4️⃣ Result#
- Video duration 317.8 sec → 181 sec
- Cut video:
/home/friday13/Videos/editle_cut.mp4
8️⃣ Conclusion and Summary ✅#
Autocut is a powerful tool that saves time and accelerates workflow for video creators. Thanks to its Markdown-based marking system, you can easily manage which parts should remain. With MoviePy integration, the cut video and audio are seamlessly merged.
🎯 Download and try this tool: Test your own videos right away and automatically clean up unnecessary parts!
You can download from this link https://github.com/mli/autocut
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