How to post-process videos using Shotcut and Audacity (2015)

This page lists the steps to prepare a training video. 

I created these steps while working on Symphony, in 2015 and 2016. Audacity & Shotcut have both changed since then, plus I'm not so concerned about file size. I'll set up a second set of instructions that work in 2019.

A. Set up the sub-folders

For your new recording session, set up a single folder that contains the following sub-folders:

1. Snagit
2. Audacity
3. Shotcut

As you manipulate files with the various tools, save the output into the appropriate sub-folders.

B. Take the video

• Take video using Snagit or any other tool.

Snagit can product MP4 files only, not MOV. Apparently MP4 is not great for editing. You can convert it using Shotcut.

C. Save the audio component as a separate file (Shotcut)

1. Open the MOV file in Shotcut.
2. Move the file to the Playlist, and then to the V1 video track.
3. In the Encode panel, open the STOCK list then choose the WAV option.
4. On the Audio tab, check the following:
   • Codec: pcm_s16le
   • Rate control: Quality-based VBR
   • Quality: 100%
5. Click Encode File.
6. Save the file in the Audacity folder. Name the file something sensible.

D. Clean up the audio track (Audacity)

1. Open the new WAV file in Audacity.
2. Check that it plays.
3. If the track starts with a clap sound, select the sound and Normalize it to -22.0 dB.
4. Run the following effects for the whole clip:
   1. Noise Reduction
   2. Normalize (to -2.0 dB)
   3. Equalize (use the 100Hz rumble filter, plus reduce the treble as shown on the right).
   4. Compress
   5. Normalize again
5. Save the file as a new WAV file with -cleaned in the filename.

D. Merge the cleaned audio with the original video (Shotcut)

1. Return to Shotcut.
2. Ensure that the original MOV file is in the V1 video track.
3. Open the cleaned WAV file.
4. Move the WAV file to the Playlist, and then to the A1 video track.

E. Save the video for further editing (Shotcut)

If the video is now ready for release, skip this step, and jump down to G. Publish the video, which shows how to publish a video with a lower filesize but still acceptable quality.

If, however, you need to edit the video in Shotcut, save it first with a lossless encoder. You'll publish later.

1. In the Encode panel, set up the video parameters:
   • STOCK: lossless/H.264
   • Format: mp4
2. In the Video tab:
   • Resolution: 1920 x 1080.
3. In the Codec tab
   • Rate Control: Quality-based VBR
   • Quality: 100%
4. Click Encode File, and save the file into the Shotcut folder.
   Ensure that the new filename has the extension mp4.

Wait for a while as Shotcut encodes your file.

F. Edit the video (Shotcut)

Now that you have an MP4 video with clean audio, you can edit it. This includes deleting sections to remove "um"s etc, and shifting cuts around.

To sync the audio and the video:

1. Open the Properties panel.
2. In the Audio tab, use the Sync slider.

G. Publish the video (Shotcut)

1. In the Encode panel, set up the video parameters:
   • STOCK: lossless/H.264
   • Format: mp4
2. In the Video tab:
   • Resolution: 640 x 360
   • Frames/sec: 25
   • Scan mode: Progressive
3. In the Codec tab:
   
   • Rate Control: Quality-based VBR
   • Quality: 65%
   • GOP: 180
   • B frames: 4
   • Codec threads: 2 (if you have a dual core machine)
4. Click Encode File, and ensure that the new filename has the extension mp4.

Wait for a while as Shotcut encodes your file.