If you’ve recently opened the Start menu on Windows 11, you might have noticed an app called Microsoft Clipchamp sitting there. Unlike traditional heavyweight editors like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, Clipchamp is Microsoft’s answer to fast video editing. Acquired by Microsoft in 2021, Clipchamp is now baked directly into Windows, offering a surprising blend of AI-powered tools, stock assets, and timeline editing, all for free.
Microsoft Clipchamp App
Most people open the app, trim one video, and never look back. That’s a mistake. Under its clean interface hide features that can replace paid tools for 80% of everyday creators. Premium features like stock assets and high-resolution export are included free for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. So, make sure to log in with your Microsoft account that has a valid Microsoft 365 subscription to make full use of Clipchamp. If you don’t see the app on your computer, open the Microsoft Store and install it for free. Let’s break down the ten Clipchamp features you should absolutely be using.
1. Generate Auto Captions with AI
Adding captions manually is tedious, but Clipchamp does it in seconds using the AI Auto Captions feature. Captions boost retention, accessibility, SEO and you can customize font, color, background, and position.
- Upload your video and click the “Turn on autocaptions” icon in the floating toolbar above the video. Alternatively, click the “Captions” icon on the property panel sidebar and click the “Try Now” button.
- Select the language in the pop-up and click “Transcribe media” button.
- Clipchamp transcribes the audio into perfectly synced subtitle tracks.
The app supports dozens of languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. While accurate, the AI can stumble on technical jargon or accents. So, make sure to always proofread the transcript before sharing your video with others.
2. AI Voiceover with Text-to-Speech
Don’t have a microphone? No problem. Text-to-speech lets you generate natural-sounding voiceovers.
- After uploading your video, go to “Record & create > Text to speech”.
- Select the language, voice, and pace, then type your script in the “Text” box.
- Clipchamp creates an audio track and inserts it directly onto your timeline.
- Preview your video and save.
This is perfect for explainer videos, faceless YouTube channels, or fast internal training clips. It saves hours of recording and audio cleanup using modern neural voices sound surprisingly human with no awkward robotic tones.
3. Remove Pauses in Audio
Interviews, podcasts, and vlogs often have silences and pauses between segments. Manual silence removal can take 20 minutes for a 10-minute podcast. Clipchamp’s AI finds and deletes those gaps in seconds.
- Click the “AI suggestions” icon above the timeline, or right-click the audio track and select “Auto cut”.
- Click “Transcribe” in the pop-up to let Clipchamp analyze your audio and find all pauses/silences longer than 3 seconds.
- After detection, you can remove all pauses at once or review them on the timeline and delete them one by one.
4. Record Your Screen with Camera
Clipchamp isn’t just an editor; it’s also a capture tool. The “Record & create” tab turns it into a studio. You can record your screen, webcam, or voice (or any combination) directly inside the app. The screen recorder captures specific windows or full displays, and the camera overlay feature is perfect for picture-in-picture tutorials. Simply go to “Record & create”, choose your option, and the recording lands straight on your timeline.
Use the “Screen and camera” option to record simultaneously for walk-through docs or presentations. Clipchamp separates audio tracks, so you can mute or adjust levels independently later.
5. Stock Assets Library
Most free editors force you to find external stock media. Clipchamp includes hundreds of thousands of royalty-free assets built right in for commercial use. Go to the “Content library” or “Templates” sections to search for free images, videos, stickers, annotations, backgrounds, and music. Click the “+” icon or simply drag and drop any clip, audio track, sticker, or background pattern onto your timeline.
Note: As mentioned, all premium assets are free for Microsoft 365 subscribers.
6. Green Screen (Chroma Key)
Yes, Clipchamp has traditional green screen support too. You can use this feature to remove the background from the videos.
- Record or import footage shot against a green or blue screen.
- Select the clip, go to the “Effects” in property panel, and click “Green Screen”.
- Adjust the “Screen threshold” and choose Red, Blue, or Green from the “Screen color” dropdown.
7. Speed Control
Clipchamp’s “Speed” control gives you variable playback speed to create slow-motion or fast-motion effects. Select a clip, click “Speed” on the property panel, and slide from 0.1x (extremely slow) to 16x (heavily fast-forwarded).
Note: Speed changes affect audio pitch. For music or dialogue, keep speed between 0.8x and 1.2x unless you’re going for a weird effect. For pure B-roll, 2x or 4x makes it feel energetic.
8. Export Only Audio
Need just the audio track from your video? Clipchamp makes it easy.
- Click the “Export” button, then click “More options” under the “Quality” section.
- Select “Audio-only” and the file extension will automatically change to .m4a format.
- Provide a file name, choose the location, and click “Export” to get your audio.
9. Create or Upload a Brand Kit
If you’re running a brand, the “Brand kit” feature ensures all your videos look consistent and professional. You can reuse your brand kit across multiple projects to cut editing time in half while maintaining a polished, unified look.
- Upload a kit: Add your logo, choose your brand colors (with hex codes), and select custom fonts. Clipchamp will remember them for future projects.
- Apply instantly: Once your brand kit is saved, you can apply fonts, colors, and even watermarks to any new video with one click, no need to manually adjust each element.
- Share across teams: Brand kits can be shared with collaborators who have access to the same Microsoft 365 account, ensuring everyone stays on brand.
10. Use an Image Overlay on Video
Want to overlay an image transparently on your video? It’s easier to do that.
- Upload your image and drag it to the timeline view.
- Go to “Adjust colors” tab in the property panel.
- Click the “Blend mode” dropdown and select “Overlay”.
- Adjust the transparency and colors so that the image blends properly on the background video.
You can also find “Overlay” objects (having transparent background) from the free content library and insert them on your video.
Final Thoughts
Clipchamp won’t replace Premiere Pro for Hollywood editors. But for Windows users creating social media clips, YouTube videos, marketing content, family memories, or work presentations, it’s absurdly capable and mostly free. The features above turn a simple timeline tool into a legit production studio. So next time you need to edit a video, don’t download sketchy software. Click Start, type Clipchamp, and start using these ten features. Your productivity (and your audience) will thank you.
