To trim a video in VLC, you use the built‑in recording feature rather than a classic timeline editor.

Basic idea

VLC does not “cut out” parts and overwrite the original file. Instead, it plays the video and records only the portion you want to keep into a new file. This works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Step‑by‑step trimming

  1. Open your video
    • Launch VLC.
    • Go to Media → Open File… and pick your video, or drag‑and‑drop it into VLC.
  1. Turn on Advanced Controls
    • In the top menu, click View → Advanced Controls.
 * Extra buttons appear above the normal play controls, including a small red **Record** button.
  1. Choose your start point
    • Use the timeline or play/pause to move to the exact moment where you want the trimmed clip to begin.
 * You can fine‑tune by:
   * Using the **Frame by frame** button (icon near the play controls) to move one frame at a time.

   * Or pressing **Ctrl + T** and entering a timecode to jump to a specific timestamp.
  1. Start recording (this is your “trim start”)
    • Pause the video at the start point.
    • Click the Record button, then click Play (or use the hotkey Shift + R on some setups to toggle recording).
 * VLC is now recording everything that plays.
  1. End recording (this is your “trim end”)
    • Let the video play until the exact point where you want the clip to stop.
    • Click Record again to stop.
 * For precise end control, pause just before the end, then use **Frame by frame** to hit the exact frame, and stop recording there.
  1. Find your trimmed clip
    • On Windows, the new trimmed video usually appears in your Videos folder by default.
 * On macOS or Linux, it may go to your user’s home or Videos directory, depending on settings (you can check under **Tools/Preferences → Input/Codecs → Record directory or filename**).

Trimming from the middle (workaround)

VLC cannot remove a middle section and automatically stitch the rest together in one step, but you can do it with multiple passes:

  • Record Clip A : from start of the video to just before the unwanted section.
  • Record Clip B : from just after the unwanted section to the end.
  • Then use a simple editor (e.g., lossless joiner or free editor like Shotcut/DaVinci Resolve) to join A and B into one file.

Tips and limitations

  • VLC trimming works more like screen recording of playback , so:
    • It may re‑encode the video, which can slightly change size/quality.
* It is not ideal for a lot of precise cuts or professional editing; a real editor is better for that.
  • For very accurate in/out points:
    • Use pause + frame‑by‑frame before starting and stopping recording.
* Use keyboard shortcuts for small jumps around your cut point.

Mini SEO notes (for your post)

  • Focus phrase to repeat naturally in headings and first paragraph: how to trim video in VLC.
  • Helpful H2/H3 ideas:
    • “How to Trim Video in VLC Using Advanced Controls”
    • “Where VLC Saves Trimmed Videos”
    • “VLC vs Real Video Editors for Trimming”
  • A concise meta description example:
    • “Learn how to trim video in VLC using Advanced Controls and the built‑in record tool, plus tips for precise cuts and saving your trimmed clips.”

Bottom note (as requested): Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.