# How to edit a video with AI

> Edit a video with AI in five steps: pick the job and a route, write a clear instruction, review the cut, export. Which tools cut, caption, reframe or use Claude.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-05
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-edit-video-with-ai

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Tell an AI editor what you want, such as "cut this to 20 seconds for Reels, with captions", then review the cut on the timeline and fix what it got wrong. Some tools edit from your instruction, some edit when you change the transcript, and some are driven by an AI assistant over MCP.

## Pick your route

Checked 3 Nov 2026, from each maker's own pages. Premiere Pro is now called Adobe Premiere.

| Route | What it does | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction on a timeline | You describe the edit and it changes the timeline | Descript (Underlord), invideo (edit by chat), Captions (by Mirage) with Chat to Edit |
| Edit the transcript | Delete text to delete footage, or filter pauses and fillers | Descript, Premiere Pro (Text-Based Editing) |
| Clip a long video | Finds short clips in a long recording | OpusClip, Vizard, Submagic (Magic Clips) |
| Captions and polish | Adds captions, cuts silences, adds b-roll | Submagic, ZapCap (captions only) |
| Driven by an assistant | Claude or another MCP client edits through a connector | Descript, Riverside, Kapwing, invideo, OpusClip |

[Marxx's AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) lets you edit by hand or describe the edit to its assistant, which can remove silences and filler words, add captions, reframe and fit a cut to a target length. Each request lands as one undo step. We make Marxx.

## The five steps

1. **Name the job.** Cut, caption, reframe, add sound or generate new shots. One job per request keeps the result easy to check.
2. **Pick a route** from the table.
3. **Write a clear instruction.** Give the length, the platform and what must stay. Adapt this to your tool:

```
Cut this to 20 seconds for Reels, 9:16.
Remove silences and filler words.
Add word-by-word captions.
Keep the line about the INR 999 offer.
```

4. **Review the cut.** Watch the first three seconds, read every caption, check the safe zone and listen to the sound.
5. **Export two versions** with a different opening, and compare [hook rate](/glossary/hook-rate).

## A worked example

Say you have a 90-second founder video and you want a 20-second Reel. You send four requests, one at a time.

| Request | Result |
|---|---|
| Remove silences and filler words | 90 s becomes 72 s |
| Cut to 20 seconds | 72 s becomes 20 s |
| Add captions | 20 s with captions on |
| Reframe to 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 |

The numbers are made up. You then watch the 20 seconds, move the offer line earlier and fix a caption that says "INR 99" instead of "INR 999". The AI did the first pass. You made it an ad.

## What you still do

- **The offer.** It does not know which line sells.
- **Your brand's words.** Names, prices and claims need your eye.
- **The first three seconds.** Review them yourself.
- **Ad rules.** Check the result against the platform's rules before you publish.

To do one job at a time, see [how to remove silence from a video](/guides/how-to-remove-silence-from-video). To use an assistant, read [can ChatGPT edit video](/guides/how-to-edit-video-with-chatgpt). To compare tools, see [best AI video editing apps](/best/best-ai-video-editing-apps) and [AI video editor vs a human editor](/compare/ai-video-editor-vs-human-editor).

## FAQ

### Can AI edit a video for me?

It can do a first pass: cut silences, add captions, reframe and fit a length. You still review the cut and set the message.

### Which AI video editor should I start with?

Start with the job. For captions, a caption tool is enough. For a full ad cut on a timeline, pick an editor with an assistant, and compare them in a list of AI video editors for ads.

### Is AI video editing free?

Some tools have free plans with limits. Descript's Free plan gives 1 media hour a month, a 720p export and a watermark (checked 3 Nov 2026). Check each tool's plan before you start.

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- [More Video editing articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/video-editing)
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