Instagram creators looking for a free editor to help them fine-tune their videos now have a new app to try. 

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Released on Tuesday, Edits is designed to guide users through the entire process -- from tracking ideas to publishing the final cut. While the app is intended for Instagram, users can share their videos on any platform, and without watermarks.

How Instagram's Edits app works

To get started, download and install Edits from Apple's App Store or Google Play. 

Right from the start, the app offers a way to track ideas for new videos. For inspiration, users can view and save trending videos or use any of them as a starting point for their own projects.

Your videos can be as long as 10 minutes, with a resolution of up to 1080p. When editing, users can access a variety of tools. A "Touch Up" feature can improve the overall appearance of the video. A green screen lets users replace the background with a different image. Access to Instagram's audio library allows users to choose the perfect music for their video.

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Next, users can add automatic captions to their videos in several languages. Using the "Cutouts" tool, they can isolate people or objects in their videos to help them stand out. Static images can also be added to the video, and AI can animate them.

There is also a dedicated timeline through which users can add, remove, and adjust clips. As users create more videos, Edits provides a way to organize all their projects, enabling them to view specific ones and pick up where they left off.

After fine-tuning the video, users can share it directly to Instagram or Facebook from Edits. Want to reach a different audience? Videos can be exported to any platform without watermarks. To assess how well a video performs, the app provides various stats and metrics on engagement.

Instagram has promised additional features for Edits soon.

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With keyframes, users will be able to modify specific moments of their videos, not just entire clips. Using AI, they can change the look and feel of their videos. Another upcoming tool will allow users to share early versions of their videos to receive feedback from friends and other creators. Additionally, expect more fonts, text animations, transitions, voice effects, sound effects, music, and filters -- all of which can be applied royalty-free.

Competes with TikTok's CapCut

First announced in January, Edits competes with TikTok's CapCut, which is available not only as a mobile app but also as a desktop program and website. CapCut and other mobile apps from China-based ByteDance were briefly banned in the US last year. However, the apps received a reprieve in late January, making CapCut easily available once again. Now, it will face competition from Edits.

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In a post on Threads in January, Instagram head Adam Mosseri highlighted the benefits of Edits.

"It's been months, and I think it'll end up being quite different from CapCut," Mosseri said. "Edits will have a much broader range of creative tools and probably a smaller addressable audience. Think of it as a place to track all your ideas, rather than just relying on templates. Think AI video editing tools for individual clips or the entire video. Think new insights on why your videos are succeeding or struggling."

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