Basic cutting and J-cuts in CapCut

CapCut Try it →Watch full video →Patrik Key · Jun 2026

Demo summary

The creator demonstrates how to perform a basic cut using shortcuts S and Q to remove silences, followed by extracting audio to create J-cuts for smoother transitions.

Step-by-step

Drag the footage onto the timeline
Press S to split the clip at the start of a silence
Press Q to delete the unwanted portion to the left of the playhead
Select all clips, right-click, and select Extract Audio
Drag the second audio clip to a layer below the first audio layer
Trim the first video clip to end exactly where the second audio clip begins

Options

Use B for the cut tool instead of the S and Q shortcuts

Watch out for

You must time the overlap carefully; moving the audio too much will cause the two tracks to mix poorly

Tips

Use S and Q shortcuts instead of the blade tool to remove silences faster
Use J-cuts for short-form content where every second matters for pacing

Highlights

“Instead of using B for your cut, I'm using a S and Q... removing a spaces just like I did now.”

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