We're always working hard to improve Clipchamp and ensure it runs smoothly regardless of what type of computer you're using. However, there are a few things you can do to help avoid errors and slow processing and ensure your video editing experience is the best it can be.
Step1. Use the latest version of Chrome or Edge
Clipchamp works in the Google Chrome internet browser (which you can download for free here) and also in the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge (based on Chromium). Their browser technology allows us to provide the fastest and smoothest performance.
Always update to the latest version — it's important. The following shows the process in Chrome, but the steps in Edge are similar.
To check your version is up-to-date, select the more menu in Chrome (its icon is three vertical dots). Select the following: More menu > Help > About Google Chrome.
Step 2. Clear the browser cache, then restart Chrome/Edge
Steps as mentioned in this Chrome support article: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050
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On your computer, open Chrome.
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Open the more menu (its icon is three vertical dots).
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Select More tools --> Clear browsing data.
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At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
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Next to "Cached images and files," check the box. Make sure no other box is checked.
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Select Clear data.
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Restart Chrome - type chrome://restart into the address bar and hit Enter.
This is useful if you experience loading issues of media files (slow progress, freezing, crashing) when editing your video or interruptions while playing back a video.
Step 3. Free up processing resources on your computer
This helps to ensure there's more memory and GPU power available to process your editing project.
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Close other browser tabs, only keep Clipchamp open in one browser tab.
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Keep the Clipchamp browser tab open and in the foreground, otherwise, Chrome might take away processing resources from it.
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Close other applications running on your computer.
Step 4. Make sure your computer has sufficient disk space
There needs to be enough free space on your computer's internal HDD or SSD available. This is required for temporary project files and space during the video processing and exporting phase. The available free space should be more than the size of the media files you're using in your project.
Step 5. Always click "Allow" in the popup that appears
When you first start working on a video in Clipchamp, you might see a popup stating "app.clipchamp.com wants to store files on this device". Clicking "allow" in this popup is necessary for the video editor to function properly, and prevents slow performance, freezing, and crashes.
To learn why see: Why does Clipchamp ask to store files on my device?
<Placeholder for internal link on "Why does Clipchamp ask to store files on my device" https://help.clipchamp.com/create/faq/why-does-create-ask-to-store-files-on-my-device>
Step 6. Use smaller and fewer input media files to reduce loading times
This is an optional step if you're experiencing slow performance after adding files to an editing project. Larger and longer files take more time to process before they're available to be used.
Adding multiple media files at once can also increase processing times. If you're using 4K clips, for instance, it can help to compress these files to 1080p first (e.g. with Handbrake) before using them in a Clipchamp video.
Step 7. Disable problematic browser extensions
Sometimes extensions like Ghostery or Adblock Plus can prevent the functional workflow of Clipchamp. We recommend disabling these for https://app.clipchamp.com/.
To disable Ghostery, click the Ghostery icon in your toolbar and choose "Trust Site"
To disable Adblock Plus, click the ABP icon in your toolbar and choose "Disable on this site".
Some other extensions can interfere with Clipchamp if you have them installed. We've seen cases where the Google Translate or VidIQ extensions have caused problems with importing media or exporting a finished video. To disable these extensions, open a new browser tab and go to chrome://extensions/. Uncheck the "Enabled" box next to their name in the list.
Once they are disabled, reload the Clipchamp page.
Step 8. Make sure your internet connection is stable
Unlike other online editors, Clipchamp does not rely on the uploading and downloading of large files, making it less dependent on internet speeds. However, it still requires an active internet connection to function and to save your editing progress. For best performance, and to avoid losing changes to your video, ensure you have a stable internet connection when using Clipchamp.
Step 9. Don't delete the source files from your computer
There are situations where our video editor might ask you to relink the video, audio, and image files you used in a project. If you delete, rename, or move these source files on your computer, it could cause problems when you reopen the video, so be sure to keep them.
A final note
Your computer needs to satisfy some requirements to ensure Clipchamp works as expected. Its available memory/RAM should be at least 8 GB and your machine should be a 64-Bit computer running a 64-bit OS and the 64-bit version of Chrome or Edge.
If you're working with an older computer that doesn't meet these requirements, the editor may still work, but be aware that you could encounter problems like slow performance, freezing, and crashing, and would have a better experience on a different computer.
Try it out
Head over to Clipchamp to try it out for yourself.
