Edit a long gaming video

This workflow starts from one long recording and ends with a YouTube upload. Each step links to the page with the details.

1. Start from the recording#

1. On the Home screen, drop the recording on "New gaming video", or choose "Choose a recording…". MP4, MKV, MOV, FLV and TS from OBS, ShadowPlay, Game Bar or any capture tool work.
2. Wabcut reads it and shows the sequence it will make, matching the recording ("Sequence 2560 × 1440 · 60 fps"), and one line per audio stream, with a box to leave it out and a track name you can change. The first three are named "Game", "Mic" and "Discord", OBS's usual order.
3. Choose "Name" and "Location", then "Create". The project opens with the recording on its timeline.

Things worth knowing about game recordings:

• 60, 120, 144 and 240 fps play and export frame for frame. A variable-frame-rate recording ("VFR") gets a steady sequence rate and never drifts.
• HDR captures are shown and edited tone-mapped to SDR.
• 4K, above-60 fps and long recordings ("Long · proxies") get proxies for smooth editing. Exports use the original.
• For a different sequence size, open the palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), choose "New Sequence" (the one with a preset list) and pick a preset such as 1440p60.

2. Remove the boring parts#

1. Click the timeline's "Moments" button and choose "Find dead time". It finds loading screens, walking and waiting: quiet game audio and little motion for 3 seconds or more. It shows "Measuring…" while it reads the recording, then lists what it found. Nothing changes yet.
2. Choose "Remove". The stretches go in one undo step, keeping a short handle at each end, and markers move with the material.

3. Find the highlights#

Open "Highlights" in the left rail and choose "Find highlights". Each moment gets a card with its score and reasons; accept the good ones with A, then choose "Make highlight reel". See Find highlights in a recording.

4. Rough cut with Premiere's keys#

• Double-click a clip to open it in the Source Monitor. Mark I and O, then , ("Insert") or . ("Overwrite").
• Play with J K L. Cut with C ("Razor Tool") or Ctrl+K ("Add Edit").
• Close gaps with Q / W ("Ripple Trim Previous/Next Edit to Playhead") and Shift+Delete ("Ripple Delete").

5. Fix the voice and duck the game#

• Streamer voice: select the Mic clips, open "Essential Sound", choose "Dialogue" and pick the preset "Streamer voice (mic: denoise, gate, EQ, compressor, de-esser, limiter)".
• Game under voice: ask the Assistant to "duck the game under my voice".

See Record voice-over and mix music.

6. Add replays, slow motion and punch-ins#

Put the playhead on the moment, select the clip, and use the "Moments" button: "Slow-mo this moment", "Freeze + replay", "Punch in", "Shake", "Instant replay" and more. Each is one undo step. See Slow motion, replays and punch-ins.

7. Add callouts#

Open "Callouts" in the left rail. "Gaming" has 12 animated templates, from "Subscribe" and "Kill streak" to "Webcam frame" and "End card". Drag one onto the timeline and change its text in the "Edit" tab. See Titles, callouts and motion graphics.

8. Export for YouTube#

1. Open the "Export" tab (Ctrl+M). Under "For gaming", choose "YouTube 1440p60". The card shows the estimated file size and export time.
2. Under "Save to", set the file, then choose "Export".

Exports run in the background, and "Add to queue" lines up more. See Export a video.