How to Edit TikTok Videos: Hook, Cuts, Captions, Sound
To edit a TikTok video, open on your strongest moment and cut every pause. Add captions that stay clear of the app’s buttons, set the sound, and end the moment the point is made. That’s the whole job. With Cut Express you do it by describing the edit to Claude: upload your clips, say what you want, and get a 9:16 MP4 back to post. The home page shows real renders and the prompts that made them.
Why do TikTok edits take so long?
A 30-second TikTok can take an hour in a phone editor. You scrub for the good take and trim each clip. Then you type and time captions, nudge them out from under the buttons, and try three sounds. Then you do it again tomorrow. For people who post every day, the edit is what makes them stop posting.
How do I edit a TikTok video, step by step?
1. Open on the hook
The first second decides whether people stay. Start on the line, the result or the movement that makes someone stop scrolling, not on a greeting. See 6 openings for the first 3 seconds.
Open on the moment the cake collapses, then show how it started.
2. Cut tight
Remove pauses, false starts and anything that repeats. Use plain cuts and save transitions for a reason. Change the picture often with punch-ins, b-roll or a new angle. See jump cut editor and what is b-roll.
Cut pauses and retakes, punch in on every other cut.
3. Add captions in the safe zone
Most TikTok viewers see captions before they hear you. Keep them big, a few words at a time, and away from the right-side buttons and the bottom caption area where your description sits. Middle to upper-middle of the frame is usually safe.
Word-by-word captions, three words per line, positioned at the middle of the screen, key words in yellow.
See word-by-word captions for how timings follow every cut.
4. Set the sound
Clean your voice, add music under it, and use a sound effect where a cut or text needs a hit. If you plan to use a trending sound from TikTok’s library, add it in the TikTok app when you post; edit to your own voice first.
Denoise and enhance my voice. Add the lofi track under it, ducked while I talk. A pop when each caption word appears is too much: only on the three key words.
5. End clean
End on the last useful line or a short call to action. A loop, where the end leads straight back into the start, can work well on TikTok.
What settings fit TikTok?
| Setting | What to use | In Cut Express |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Vertical 9:16 | 9:16, 1080p on Pro, 2K on Ultra |
| Landscape footage | Fill or fit over a blur | Crop with a focus point, or fit over a blurred copy |
| Captions | Big, short lines, clear of buttons | Six presets, 83 fonts, any position |
| Colour | One look across all clips | 73 looks with an intensity |
| Sound | Voice first, music under it | Ducking, denoise, voice enhance, 63 free sound effects |
For footage shot sideways, see convert horizontal video to vertical.
How do I edit TikToks with Claude?
- Connect Cut Express to Claude, in Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code or ChatGPT.
- Drop your clips in the upload panel in the chat.
- Describe the TikTok: length, hook, captions, sound, look.
- Watch the render in the chat and give notes. Each note is a new version.
- Download the MP4 and post it from the TikTok app. Cut Express doesn’t post for you.
Make a 25-second TikTok from these clips. Open on the reveal, cut tight, bold captions in the middle, warm look, the upbeat track ducked under my voice, end on “link in bio”.
This is faster than a phone editor because you write the notes once and Claude does the trimming and caption timing from the transcript. Real renders and the prompts that made them are on the home page.
Want the same style as a TikTok you like? Give Claude that video as a reference next to your clips. It breaks the reference down shot by shot and rebuilds the pacing and text style with your footage, without cutting the reference in.
FAQ
Can I make the same video for Reels and Shorts?
Yes. The same 9:16 edit works on all three. Ask for a 16:9 version too if you post on YouTube’s main feed. See best AI video editor for YouTube Shorts.
How long should a TikTok be?
Long enough to make the point and no longer. See the best length for Reels; the same thinking applies.
Can I turn a long video into several TikToks?
Yes. Upload it and ask Claude for the best moments. See YouTube Shorts from long videos.
Is there a free plan?
No. There’s a 14-day free trial, then Pro is $19/month.
Try it on your next TikTok
Upload today’s clips and describe the video.
14 days free, then $19/month. Cancel before day 14 and you pay nothing.