How to Trim a Clip in Sermon Shots

Overview

Trim lets you remove unwanted sections from a generated clip, like filler words, silences, a slow intro, or a lengthy ending, before you export it. Using a visual waveform, you select the parts you want to cut, remove them, and instantly preview the result. Your captions automatically stay in sync with the audio, even after multiple cuts. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to get a clean, polished clip ready to share.

Before You Begin

Make sure the following are in place before you start trimming:

• Desktop only: Trim Video is available on desktop browsers only. If you open your project on a mobile device, you'll see a message prompting you to switch to a desktop browser.
• A generated clip with subtitles: You'll need to have already opened a video, started a clip, chosen a template, and selected your subtitles before the Trim option becomes available in the editor (Step 3 Preview).
• Feature availability: The Trim button is rolling out gradually. If you don't see it in the editor sidebar, it may not be enabled for your account yet. Reach out to us at contact@sermonshots.com and we'll take a look.

How to Trim a Clip in Sermon Shots

Step 1: Open the Trim Tool

In the editor (Step 3), scroll down the left sidebar to the Trim Video row and click the pink Trim button (scissors icon).

Step 2: Select the Section You Want to Remove

• Click and drag across the waveform to highlight the portion of the clip you want to cut.

  
  

  
  
• A chip will appear showing the start time, end time, and length of your selection, for example, 00:05.0 to 00:12.0.

• Zoom in from 1x up to 20x for precision editing, or click Fit timeline to see the entire clip at once.

• Captions in removed sections: Words in cut sections will appear grey and struck through in the Captions panel. A fully removed sentence loses its timestamp. In the final export, captions are automatically retimed and reflowed to match your trim.

• Clip length display: The line beneath the Trim Video title shows the trimmed clip length and segment count.

• Length before trimming:The length shown in the toolbar is labelled "Length before trimming" and won't change as you make cuts.

Step 3: Fine-Tune Your Selection (Optional)

You have several ways to adjust your selection before removing it:

• Move it: Click and drag the body of the selection to a new position.
• Resize it: Drag either edge of the selection to shorten or extend it.
• Type exact times: Click a time value in the chip and type a new one (e.g., 0:05.5). Press Enter to apply or Escape to revert.

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Step 4: Remove the Selected Section

Delete the selected range using any of these methods:

• Click the trash icon
• Click the Delete selected range button
• Press Backspace or Delete on your keyboard

The removed section will appear as a grey striped block on the waveform.

Step 5: Repeat for Additional Cuts

Repeat Steps 2–4 for any other sections you want to remove. If two cuts overlap or touch each other, they'll automatically merge into one.

Step 6: Preview Your Edits

Press Play to preview your trimmed clip. Playback will skip over all removed sections, and the clip's total length and segment count will update as you cut.

Step 7: Apply Your Trim

When you're happy with the result, click Done. You'll be returned to the editor and the clip will begin re-rendering with your trim applied. The Export button will remain disabled until the render is complete.

Undoing Cuts and Restoring Sections

• Restore a removed section: Click the grey striped block on the waveform and select Restore removed range.

• Undo/Redo: Use the toolbar buttons, or:
• • Undo: Cmd/Ctrl+Z
  • Redo: Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+Z or Ctrl+Y
  • Tooltips will name the action, e.g., "Undo removing 00:05.0–00:10.0"
  • History holds up to 50 steps and resets when you reload the page (your saved cuts remain).

• Leave without applying: Click Back to editor. Your cuts are saved, and reopening Trim will show them exactly as you left them.

Tips and Good to Know

• Maximum clip length: Clips must be 2:30 or shorter. If your clip exceeds this after trimming, a red message will prompt you to cut more before continuing.
• Minimum clip length: You can't remove everything, at least one section of the video must remain.
• Changing subtitle selection: If you go back to Select Subtitles and change your selection after trimming, your trim will be discarded. A banner will warn you, and a confirmation pop-up ("Discard your trim?") will appear. Choose Discard trim and continue or Keep editing.

FAQs

Q: I don't see the Trim button. Where is it?
A: Trim Video is a desktop-only feature and is still rolling out to all accounts. First, make sure you're using a desktop browser. If you are and still don't see it, contact us at contact@sermonshots.com to ask whether it's been enabled for your account.

Q: I see the message "Your trim could not be applied" after clicking Done. What do I do?
A: This means your trim wasn't applied to the export. Click Done again to retry. If the message keeps appearing, email contact@sermonshots.com with a link to your clip and we'll investigate.

Q: I see "We could not save your trim. Please try again." What's happening?
A: This is typically a connection issue. Check your internet connection and click Done again. Your cuts will stay on the page as long as you don't navigate away.

Q: The waveform isn't loading, or I see "No audio waveform available for this clip." What should I do?
A: If you see a general waveform error, click Retry. If you see the "No audio waveform available" message specifically, it means the clip has no audio track, so waveform-based trimming isn't possible for that clip.

Q: Why is the Export button disabled after I click Done?
A: The clip is still rendering. You'll first see a low-resolution preview, followed by the full-quality version. Export will become available automatically once rendering is complete.

Q: Will my captions stay in sync after trimming?
A: Yes! Captions are automatically retimed and reflowed to match your cuts, both in the preview and in the downloaded file. If you notice captions out of sync with the audio, please report it to contact@sermonshots.com with a link to your clip.

Q: Can I go back and trim the clip again after exporting?
A: Yes. Click Trim again at any time to adjust or restore cuts, then click Done to re-render. If you click Done without making any changes, the clip won't re-render unnecessarily.

Q: What trimming features are not available yet?
A: Automatic silence or filler-word removal, a split tool, and mobile editing are not available at this time. We're working on expanding Trim Video, stay tuned for updates!

Need more help? Contact our support team at contact@sermonshots.com

Updated on: 10/20/2026