Learning how to speed up you a video is important, after all, importing media and editing it on the timeline into a compelling story is only the first part of a video editor’s job.
Using a wide array of different visual effects is what really brings a video to life.
From the basics of adjusting framing or rotation of images and correcting color, to more advanced Hollywood-style CGI effects, the possibilities are nearly endless and limited only by your creativity.
One of the easiest, most impactful effects you can use is speeding up a video, or fast motion, as it’s known in the film industry.
Here we will discuss how to speed up a video, how to do it on multiple video editing platforms, and the effect it has on your viewers.
Table of Contents
- Why it’s important to speed up a video
- How to speed up a video on iPhone
- How to speed up a video on Android
- How to speed up a video on iMovie
- How to speed up a video in Premiere
- How to speed up a video on Mac
- How to speed up a video on Instagram
- How to speed up a video on Snapchat
- How to speed up a video on TikTok
- How to speed up a video on Windows
- How to speed up a video on QuickTime Player
- How to speed up a video on browser
- How to speed up a video on KineMaster
- How to speed up a video in Photoshop
- How to speed up a video on Filmora
Why it’s important to speed up a video
Increasing your video’s playback speed is a versatile visual effect that you can employ to impact your viewers in a variety of ways.
Speeding up your video lets your audience see events that would typically take too long, and would otherwise have been too boring, to watch on screen. A timelapse of a sunset or of flowers blooming are great examples of fast motion being put to good use.
Fast motion is also a great tool to ramp up the tension as it can help raise the suspense of a scene. On the other hand, speeding up your video is also used for comedic effect and can add humor to a scene when placed alongside music.
You can also create the illusion of speed, which is a staple in most big-budget action films, by using fast motion in conjunction with other tools and techniques such as motion blur, framing, camera placement, and camera movement,
While you can achieve this effect in post-production with the help of numerous video editing platforms, you can also get a similar effect by filming at less than normal speed on your camera and then playing the video at standard speed.
How to speed up a video on iPhone
Speed up a video on your iPhone by using iMovie, a video editing software developed by Apple, or by using third-party video editing apps which are also available on the Apple App Store.
You can also speed up videos using the Photos app on your iPhone; however, this can only be done if you want to convert a slow-mo video, shot using the onboard Camera app’s slow-mo feature, to normal speed.
Here are the steps on how to speed up a video using the iPhone Photos app:
- Open the Photos app.
- Tap on Albums.
- Scroll down to the Media Types section and tap on Slo-mo.
- Tap on the slow-motion video that you want to speed up.
- Tap Edit once the video opens
- You should see a set of vertical lines along the bottom. These lines indicate the video’s playback speed at that point in the recording. Lines that are close together indicate normal playback speed, while lines that are further apart indicate slo-mo in that section of the video.
- Tap the bar that has the lines in it and drag it across the slo-mo section. This should bring all the lines closer together indicating that they are now at normal speed.
- Tap Done to save the video.
The following are a few third-party apps that you can use, as well as a few tips on how to speed up a video using those apps:
Quik by GoPro
This app is available for both iOS and Android and supports videos and photos from any modern camera or phone. This app is a versatile option for filmmakers.
Quik by GoPro is free to download and use on a trial basis. Unlocking the app’s full capabilities costs just $1.99/month or $9.99/year.
How to speed up a video using Quik by GoPro:
- Select the video clip you want to edit and tap the Pencil icon.
- Select the speed tool.
- Insert an entry and outpoint to adjust the speed. Repeat this step until you’re satisfied.
Lumafusion Pro
Lumafusion pro ranks #21 among photo and video apps and has been a popular choice in the App Store for quite some time.
Coming in at $19.99, Lumafusion pro isn’t exactly cheap; however, the app offers one of the best user experiences and a wide array of features. Unlike consumer-oriented editors like Adobe Rush and iMovie, Lumafusion pro is a professional tool with wide-ranging capabilities.
How to speed up a video using Lumafusion Pro:
- Double-tap the clip on the timeline to bring up the editing menu.
- Tap the button that looks like a speedometer at the bottom of the editing menu.
- Adjust the speed until you’re satisfied with the results.
Filmmaker Pro Video Editor
This app provides all the basic video editing tools you’ll need, but also comes with more manual options that allow you to control how your video is recorded. One of the more exciting features of Filmmaker Pro is the ability to swap out any green screen background with just a few taps.
The app comes with many free features, though unlocking everything in the app will cost you a one-time payment of $19.99, or $5.99/month.
How to speed up a video using Filmmaker Pro Video Editor:
- Open the video on your timeline.
- Tap on the video to bring up the editing menu.
- Tap on the icon that looks like a speedometer.
- Drag the slider to increase or decrease the speed.
Splice Video Editor and Maker
Splice stresses the importance of optimizing videos for social media instead of exporting files to a computer. It is different from most video editing apps in that it’s designed mainly for social media content.
Downloading Splice is free and you won’t need to pay to unlock any features either; however, you can choose to pay $7.99/month to download up to 100 samples of royalty-free music to use on your videos.
How to speed up a video using Splice Video Editor and Maker:
- Tap on the video on the project screen and the Plus and Pencil icons should appear.
- Tap on the Pencil icon to bring up several editing options.
- Tap on the Speedometer icon and drag the slider to adjust the speed of the video.
How to speed up a video on Android
Speeding up a video on Android requires you to download at least one third-party app, but it’s possible to shoot a time-lapse video with your stock Camera, allowing you to achieve a fast-motion effect, by doing the following:
- Open the Camera app on your android phone.
- Select Video to switch to video mode.
- Find and tap on Time-lapse located under More, Video Resolution, or Manual, depending on the model of your phone.
- Shoot the video.
You can choose from a plethora of third-party video editing apps that can change the playback speed of a video on the Google Play Store.
Most video editing apps on the Play Store are free to download but will require in-app purchases to unlock more features or even to save your video after you’ve edited it.
Here are a few third-party apps that you can download from the Google Play Store, as well as a few tips on how to speed up a video using those apps:
Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile
Microsoft Hyperlapse lets you shoot smooth and stable time-lapse videos. It also allows you to speed up videos shot at normal speed.
It’s an easy-to-use app that makes video editing enjoyable. The only downside is because the app is free, you may be missing out on features that are available on other paid apps.
How to speed up a video using Microsoft Hyperlapse:
- Launch the app and tap on Import existing video to select a video from your phone.
- Tap on the Check icon to begin importing the video.
- Drag the slider that appears on the screen to the right to increase the speed of the video.
- Tap on the Check icon again to save your time-lapse video.
Vizmato Video Editor and Slideshow Maker
Vizmato, formerly known as Game Your Video, provides a multitude of video editing options. It also boasts a considerable range of audio selections that you can insert into your videos. Unfortunately, there’s no support at all for photos.
While there are over 20 optional live effects to choose from, videos shot with the app are capped at 15 seconds. You can easily get around this shortcoming by importing videos from your gallery and editing them in post instead.
Vizmato is downloadable for free, but there are in-app purchases (currently 15 in total) that allow you to unlock more of the app’s features.
How to speed up a video using Vizmato:
- Select the video that you want to import from your gallery.
- Skip to the portion of the video that you’d like to speed up.
- Choose the speed up option to speed up your video. Since there’s only one marker, the entire video from that point will be sped up.
- Save the video.
Videoshop – Video Editor
Increasing or decreasing the speed of your video takes only a few minutes with the help of Videoshop. Besides allowing you to change the playback speed of your video, this app also lets you record stop motion videos and voice-overs and it offers a wide selection of audio effects.
Videoshop can be downloaded for free, but you also have the option to unlock additional features through in-app purchases.
How to speed up a video using Videoshop:
- Launch the app and select the desired video from the timeline.
- Swipe left on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen until you see Speed and tap on it. The toolbar will then be replaced with a slider.
- Increase the playback of your video by dragging the slider to the right.
- Tap on the checkmark at the bottom right of the screen and save your video.
Slow Motion Video FX
Slow Motion Video FX is a great video editing app that lets you speed up your videos in spite of its name. This app gives you the option to record a new video or choose one from your device’s gallery.
This app likes to keep things simple, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re looking for a no-frills, user-friendly video editing app, you should definitely give Slow Motion Video FX a try.
You can download Slow Motion Video FX for free, but in-app purchases are available if you want to unlock more of its features.
How to speed up a video using Slow Motion Video FX:
- Launch the app and tap on the Snail icon.
- Tap on Record Movie to shoot a new video or Choose Movie to select a video from your gallery.
- Once you’ve shot a new video or have selected one from your device’s gallery, choose between Advanced or Simple editing methods.
- The Advanced editing method gives you more options to speed up your video by letting you add points where you’d like to apply the fast motion effect.
- The Simple editing method gives you access to a slider to change the speed of the entire video.
- Increase or decrease the playback speed of your video until you are satisfied with the results.
- Tap on Save at the top right corner of the screen.
PowerDirector
PowerDirector is a reliable video editing app that offers a slew of video editing functionalities and tools. The app conveniently lets you import, export, and edit in videos at resolutions of up to 4K.
While there is no free version of the app, PowerDirector offers a free trial before you decide to commit to the monthly rate of $19.99.
How to speed up a video using PowerDirector:
- Launch the app and tap on New Project.
- Select your desired aspect ratio.
- Tap on Files and select the video you’d like to edit.
- Tap on the timeline and then tap on Speed.
- A slider should appear on the right side of the screen. Drag the slider up to increase the video’s playback speed.
- Once you’re satisfied with the video’s playback speed
- Tap on Save at the top right corner of the screen.
How to speed up a video on iMovie
iMovie is a video editing app developed by Apple Inc. for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices. It was originally released in 1999 as a macOS 8 application. It includes a wide variety of tools for media organization, speed, color grading, narration, and green screen effects, among others.
iMovie comes pre-installed on most Apple devices since late 2013 and can be downloaded on the Apple App Store for free.
How to speed up a video on iMovie for macOS:
- Select a video in the timeline.
- Click on the Speed icon.
- Select either Slow or Fast on the Speed dropdown menu.
- The speed slider should appear at the top. Adjust the slider to change the playback speed of the selected video clip.
- Save the video.
How to speed up a video on iMovie for iOS:
- With your project open, tap a video clip in the timeline to reveal the inspector at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on the Speed button.
- To create ranges within the video, do either of the following:
- Drag either of the yellow range handles.
- Tap Add in the inspector to create another range.
- Drag the slider right to increase the speed.
- To create additional ranges, tap a portion of the clip outside of the currently selected range, or tap Add in the inspector to create a range border at the playhead position.
- When you’re done, tap anywhere outside of the inspector to dismiss it.
- Save the video once you’re satisfied with the end result.
How to speed up a video in Premiere
First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing app developed by Adobe Inc.
Thanks to its intuitive, nonlinear editing interface, powerful video editing capabilities, and an unmatched selection of tools, Adobe Premiere Pro earns its status as the industry-standard video editing software.
Adobe Premiere Pro is used for all video editing tasks necessary for producing high-quality HD videos. It supports high-resolution video editing at up to 32 bits per channel color in both YUV and RGB.
Available for both Windows and macOS, the full version is available by subscription and costs $20.99/month with an annual commitment, $31.49 month-to-month, or $19.99/month if you pay for a full year upfront.
If you are unsure as to whether or not Adobe Premiere Pro is the video editing software for you, you can download it, along with all of its latest features and updates, for free for a seven-day trial.
How to speed up a video on Adobe Premiere Pro:
- Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (macOS) video clips to select a non-sequential group of clips in the Project panel.
- Click on Choose Clip and then Speed/Duration.
- Adjust your video’s playback speed to your liking.
- Click OK.
You can apply Speed/Duration changes either at the project clip level or at the Sequence clip level. Any changes made at the project level are respected when you add new instances into a sequence.
Speed/Duration changes are not ripped into existing instances of that clip in your sequence.
Tip: Use the rate stretch tool to quickly change the duration of a clip in the Timeline while simultaneously changing the clip’s speed to fit the duration.
How to speed up a video on Mac
Most macOS devices already come with iMovie, a robust video editing software developed by Apple itself. However, if iMovie isn’t your preferred video editing app, there are other options readily available on the App Store.
Here are a few of the third-party apps that you can download as alternatives to iMovie:
ShotCut for macOS
ShotCut is a competent, well-rounded, cross-platform video editing app that is a great substitute for iMovie. While many free alternatives to iMovie leave a lot to be desired, ShotCut breaks that trend.
Shotcut is totally free to download and use and doesn’t offer any in-app purchases or a full version, which is impressive considering its robust video editing features.
How to speed up a video on ShotCut for macOS:
- Make sure View/Properties is enabled in the main menu.
- Click on the clip that you want to speed up.
- Manipulate the Speed parameter in the properties tab.
- Once you’re satisfied with the results, save the video.
Adobe Premiere Elements for macOS
Published by Adobe Systems, Adobe Premiere Elements is a scaled-down version of Adobe Premiere Pro. In spite of this, it’s perfectly serviceable for most video editing needs and can even handle 4K footage and effects very nicely.
Adobe Premiere Elements has a free trial version that is available to users for 30 days. After the free trial expires, however, you’ll need to buy the full version for $99.00.
There are two ways to speed up a video with Adobe Premiere Elements for macOS:
Method 1: How to speed up a video with Time Remapping
- Make sure your video runs at a speed of at least 60FPS. Anything lower than 60FPS will result in a video that won’t play smoothly.
- Enter Expert Mode and click on Add Media to import the video that you want to speed up.
- Drag and drop the video clips to the timeline.
- On the Action bar, click on Tools and select the Time Remapping tool on the Tools panel.
- Move the play head to the point at which you want to speed up your video and click the Add TimeZone button. Alternatively, you can click the Plus icon on the clip to create a time zone.
- Drag the handles that are located on the sides of the zone.
- Move the slider to adjust the video playback speed.
- Click on Done when you are satisfied with the end result.
Method 2: How to speed up a video using Time Stretch:
- Make sure your video runs at a speed of at least 60FPS. Anything lower than 60FPS will result in a video that won’t play smoothly.
- Enter Expert Mode and import the pertinent video clips by selecting them ìn the Project Assets panel. You can also click on the Add Media tab to import video clips from files and folders or other devices.
- Drag and drop clips to the timeline and select the Time Stretch option.
- Type in the percentage for the Speed in the Time Stretch dialog box. Values over 100% will speed up the video clip.
- Click OK.
Avidemux for macOS
Avidemux is an open-source software app for non-linear video editing and transcoding multimedia files.
The app supports many file types, including DVD-compatible MPEG files, AVI, ASF, and MP4, as long as you have the right codecs. You can even automate tasks using projects, job queue, and powerful scripting capabilities.
Avidemux is completely free to download and doesn’t offer a paid full version or any in-app purchases.
How to speed up a video on Avidemux for macOS:
- Launch the app and import the video clip that you want to speed up.
- Click on Video and then Filters to open the Video File Manager.
- Click on Change FPS.
- To double the playback speed of the video clip, check the value indicated in Source Frame Rate and input twice that number in Destination Frame Rate. To triple the playback speed, input thrice the number, and so on.
- Click Ok.
- Click on Resample FPS and input the original frame rate which can be found in Source Frame Rate from step four.
- Close Video Filter Manager.
- Click on Save.
DaVinci Resolve for macOS
DaVinci Resolve is a multi-platform, color correction, and non-linear video editing app. It is the world’s only video editor that combines color correction, editing, visual effects, motion graphics, and audio post-production, all in one software tool.
This video editing app is chock-full of features and has a simple, user-friendly interface to boot. What’s even more impressive is that DaVinci Resolve is totally free and offers no in-app purchases.
How to speed up a video on DaVinci Resolve for macOS:
- Launch the app and import the desired video clip from the Media screen.
- Create your timeline by clicking on the Cut tab located at the bottom of the screen.
- Drag and drop your footage to the timeline.
- Click on the Edit tab, also located at the bottom of the screen.
- Click on Change Clip Speed and change the settings accordingly. A higher number of frames will translate to smoother video.
- Save the changes once you’re satisfied with the results.
How to speed up a video on Instagram
Instagram is a free, online photo-sharing app and social network platform created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and was launched in October 2010. Needless to say, it became somewhat of a global phenomenon before it was eventually acquired by Facebook in April 2012 for US$1 billion in cash and stock.
Instagram is free to download and is available for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows devices.
The following steps show how to speed up a video on Instagram:
- On the Instagram Stories camera, swipe left on the words located at the bottom of the screen to the Reels camera.
- Tap on the Speed button located on the left side of the screen.
- Tap on one of the fast motion options to set the playback speed of your choice.
- Record your fast-motion video clip by tapping the capture button at the bottom of the screen.
How to speed up a video on Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging app developed by Snap Inc. The main feature of this app is the ability to send photos, videos, text, and drawings that disappear and become unavailable to their recipients after a short period of time.
Snapchat is a mobile app for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for free.
The following steps show how to speed up a video on Snapchat:
- Make sure you have Snapchat version 9.18 or higher.
- Launch the Snapchat camera and hold the circular shutter button at the bottom of the screen. Let go once you’ve finished recording your video clip.
- Swipe left or right to cycle through filters until you find Fast Forward.
- Send your sped-up video.
How to speed up a video on TikTok
TikTok is a video-sharing-focused social networking service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The app is known for its short-form videos which don’t exceed three minutes in length. In fact, most videos on the platform only last a few seconds.
TikTok is available for both iOS and Android and can be downloaded for free on the App Store and the Play Store depending on your device.
The following steps show how to speed up a video on TikTok:
- Open TikTok on your mobile device.
- Tap on Speed and choose 2x or 3x.
- Tap on the red button to begin recording.
- Tap next to watch your video play in fast motion.
How to speed up a video on Windows
You can easily speed up a video with the Video Editor app that comes built-in with Windows 10. As the successor to Windows Movie Maker, Video Editor, while not the ideal tool for seasoned video editors, is better than you might expect.
Tucked away in the Photos App, Video Editor works a bit like iMovie for macOS. It has a full-featured set of easy-to-use video creation and editing tools that let you add music, text, 3D, and motion effects.
The following steps show how to speed up a video on Windows:
- Launch the Photos app and click on the Video Editor tab
- Import the video you’d like to edit by clicking on the Add Videos or Photos button.
- Click on the Edit button from the toolbar on top of the screen.
- Find the Speed option and choose the desired speed from the drop-down menu.
- Save the video once you are satisfied with the results.
If the built-in Video Editor isn’t doing it for you (and you aren’t satisfied with the other video editing apps mentioned earlier) here are some more alternatives that you can try out:
- Cyberlink PowerDirector 365
- Pinnacle Studio
- Corel VideoStudio Ultimate
- Vimeo Create
- Movie Edit Pro 2020 Plus
- OpenShot
- Lightworks Video Editor
- VideoPad
- HitFilm Express
- VSDC Free Video Software
How to speed up video on QuickTime Pro
QuickTime Pro, which is the paid version of QuickTime Player, is an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling a wide range of digital video formats.
While QuickTime pro isn’t the ideal option for heavy editing jobs, which is totally fine since it’s more a media player than video editing software, it’s still a great option for less intensive editing.
Quicktime Pro is available for both macOS and Windows for $29.99.
How to speed up a video on QuickTime Pro:
- Open the video you want to speed up on QuickTime Pro.
- Click on Edit, and then click on Select All.
- Click on Edit again, and then click on Copy.
- Drag the “out” marker halfway (for 2x playback speed).
- Paste the entire video into this reduced selection by clicking on Edit, and then clicking on Add to Selection & Scale.
- Click on Edit, and then click on Trim to Selection.
- Export the video.
Though this process is a bit complicated, speeding up your video this way results in what seems to be a crisper quality than that of a video sped up with Final Cut Pro.
How to speed up video on browser
Edit and speed up your videos for free without downloading any apps by doing the job on your browser. This is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to download apps that can take up valuable space on your hard drive.
If you’re looking to edit your videos online, there is a wide selection of websites that can help you do just that.
The following are a few free online video editing websites that you can visit to speed up your videos:
Clideo
Clideo is an online platform that makes it easy for you to create and edit all video files, GIFS, and images, all in one place. The website comes packed with a versatile set of video editing tools that allow you to compress, merge, slide show, resize, rotate, crop, and much more.
How to speed up a video on Clideo:
- Choose the video that you want to speed up and upload the file straight from your Mac, PC, iOS, or Android device.
- As soon as the video is ready for editing, click on Speed and choose the output format. MP4 is the most common format for social media.
- When you’re satisfied with the finished video, save the video to your device.
Kapwing
Create awesome content in minutes with versatile editing tools without having to pay a premium by heading over to kapwing.com. Unlike most online video editing websites, Kapwing doesn’t bombard you with spammy ads or suggest “related content”.
How to speed up a video on Kapwing:
- Go to the online Change Video Speed tool on Kapwing and upload your video. You can upload videos from macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.
- After your preview loads, select your desired speed. Kapwing will show you the expected length of the output video.
- Click on Create once you’ve set the speed.
- After your video is finished, either share the pertinent URL with your friends or download the MP4 to your hard drive.
Fastreel
Create short clips from scratch, use templates, enhance footage, and speed up your videos with the tools available fastreel.com. Developed by Movavi, Fastreel is a great, free alternative to desktop software.
How to speed up a video on Fastreel:
- Head over to fastreel.com, click on the Add Your File button, and select the video that you want to edit.
- Choose your preferred video speed located on the left side of the panel.
- Adjust the export settings to your liking and click on the appropriate option to save your file.
How to speed up video on KineMaster
KineMaster is a comprehensive video editing app designed for iOS and Android devices. The app has an impressive array of video editing features while remaining intuitive and user-friendly.
Kinemaster is free to use, but you can unlock even more features by subscribing to KineMaster Premium for $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
To speed up a video on KineMaster:
- Launch the KineMaster app and tap Create New Project.
- Tap the Media button to import the video clip you want to speed up.
- Use the Speed Control tool to increase the speed of your video clip.
- Tap on the checkmark to close the Speed Control panel and save your video.
How to speed up a video on Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is arguably the most well-known multiplatform editing app and is often considered as the industry standard not only in raster graphics editing but in digital art as a whole.
Adobe Photoshop costs $19.99/month, but you can download a 7-day free trial for both Windows and macOS.
To speed up a video on Adobe Photoshop:
- Launch Adobe Photoshop and import the video that you want to speed up.
- Adjust the Duration and Speed of the video clip in the video panel
- Once you’re satisfied with the results, save the video.
How to speed up a video on Filmora
Create amazing videos efficiently using the wide range of video editing tools available in Wondershare Filmora. This video editing app has a delightfully intuitive user interface that makes it easy for just about anyone to create high-quality videos.
Wondershare Filmora for macOS and Windows is free to download, but you’ll have to deal with a watermark on all the videos that you edit with the app. You can get the full version for $69.99.
To speed up a video on Wondershare Filmora:
- Launch the app and import the video clip you want to speed up to the timeline.
- Click on Speed and Duration to open the Custom Speed pop-up.
- Adjust the slider to change the playback speed of the video.
- Preview the video and save the video once you’re satisfied with the results.
The post How to Speed Up a Video: On iPhone, Premiere, iMovie, YouTube, Etc. appeared first on Guild of Bloggers.
