Learn how to use the Timeline in Kdenlive - Video Editing on Linux

In this part, we'll take a look at Kdenlive's timeline, and how you can interact with it and configure how it works.

What I use to make my videos:

Microphone: https://amzn.to/2PsNWXl Articulated mic arm: https://amzn.to/2Iy6DZ2 Tripod: https://amzn.to/2VeLRUt Monitor: https://amzn.to/2UQRZTb Speakers: https://amzn.to/2IR7qDR Bluetooth USB adapter: https://amzn.to/2UQS89b Keyboard: https://amzn.to/2IAuIyD Smartphone lenses: https://amzn.to/2DnNrcr Graphics card: https://amzn.to/2XCEaVo Motherboard: https://amzn.to/2KZt63t CPU: https://amzn.to/2IFjKrw

The timeline The timeline is how your video is going to play out. It's divided in tracks, whether they are audio tracks, that won't display any image or video file, or video tracks, which will generate an image and audio at the same time.

On top of the timeline, you'll notice a ruler, with timecodes. This represents the length of the video. This is where the playhead will be situated, and move when you play the video preview.

The tracks Tracks are ways to position your clips relative to each other. On one specific track, you can't overlap clips with each other, they have to be placed one after another. If you want to display, for example, an image on top of a video clip, you have to use two different tracks. The items placed in the upper tracks will be shown on top of the clips placed in the lower tracks. Think of it as layers on GIMP or photoshop: the top layer is the one in front, and hides the content of any layer placed under it.

The audio tracks work differently: at any given point on the timeline, all audio will be played, whether it's the audio included in a video clip, or on a clip placed in an audio track. This means that if you include a video clip with music, for example, and your own music track, both will be played simultaneously.

Each track has a type: video, or audio, and you can create an almost infinite number of them, depending on what you need. I found that I never needed more than 8 or 9 video tracks for complex projects and 3 audio tracks, but your mileage may vary. To add a track, just right click on any track, and choose "Add Track". You'll then get to choose where to add the track, above or under the one you right clicked, and select whick kind of track, audio or video.

First, you can lock a track: click on the lock icon, and you'll block adding or removing clips to and from that track. Click that icon again to unlock it. I mostly use this to lock the audio in, once I've finished editing it, just to make sure I dont accidentally mess it up.

You can also mute a track by clicking on its speaker icon. This means that no sound will be played from this track, while previewing it. Careful though, it doesn't remove the sound from the final rendered video, it only blocks it while ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx_4eDENSUU