Shotcut, one of the most popular free, open-source video editors, has just released its latest version, 25.05.
This update now includes an Alpha Strobe video filter, which allows editors to blitz through transparency masks visually strikingly. Moreover, the Freeze Frame tool is directly integrated into the Timeline, so capturing that perfect still is now just a click away. Plus, the Rerun Filter Analysis command has been added to the File menu for power users.
Beyond filters, the Timeline has gained adjustable track header widths, offering greater flexibility when juggling multiple audio and video layers. Meanwhile, the Playlist panel now displays an item count, so users always know how many clips are queued up.
In addition, a new “File” > “New” submenu streamlines project creation by bundling Project files and generator presets in one place. Similarly, the “Add Generator” button on the Timeline toolbar speeds up access to built-in effects generators.
Shotcut’s dialogs also got a makeover: the “Convert to Edit-friendly” window now clearly warns that the “better” and “best” transcoding options will produce substantially larger output files.
Furthermore, users working with external hardware monitors will appreciate the 1080p preview scaling option and the expanded DeckLink Gamma settings, which include both SDR and HLG HDR modes. Though full HDR support remains on the horizon, these additions lay important groundwork by bringing HLG color transfer and gamma to GPU Effects.
It’s worth noting that several interface elements have also been repositioned. Notably, the Files pane’s “Go Up” button has been moved to the top-left corner, mirroring common OS file browsers and reducing confusion. Regarding dependencies, Shotcut now ships with the latest Qt 6.8.3, MLT 7.32.0, Rubberband 4.0, and SVT-AV1 3.0 libraries, ensuring better performance and codec support.
Finally, this release addresses many fixes that improve platform stability. For instance, the ability to drag or select very short clips—broken since v25.03—has been restored. Similarly, rich text scroll presets, Files dock startup crashes, and track-head selection glitches have all been resolved.
Audio workflows on macOS see corrections to fade-out distortion and SDI/HDMI capture, while Blackmagic Design driver compatibility issues have also been ironed out. Last but not least, media items with unknown or excessive durations now prompt for user input rather than crashing unexpectedly.
Refer to the release announcement for details about the Shotcut 25.05 video editor changes.
You can download the application in the universal AppImage format, ready for use on any Linux distribution. Additionally, installation files for Windows and macOS are also available.
