Time-Lapse Video Editing: Top Picks for Free and Paid Tools

Best Time-Lapse Video Editing Software in 2024

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

All types of vistas change as time passes. Consequently, an outdoor scene looks differently throughout different parts of the day, which makes it impossible to capture the full extent of its beauty by snapping a single photo or recording a short video of it.

That is why you must utilize the time-lapse technique to depict the passage of time at a particular shooting location and create a sequence in your video that suggests that a certain amount of time has passed by. So in this article, we will take you through some of the best time-lapse video editing software you can find on the market in 2024.

Best Time-Lapse Video Post-Production Software in 2024

There are two different recording methods you can use to create time-lapse videos. You can either record videos or take photos at a precisely set interval, but regardless of the approach you choose, you must have the right equipment for the job.

This means that you must have a time-lapse tripod that ensures the smooth movement of your camera, an intervalometer, and a camera setup capable of taking pictures or recording videos over an extended period of time.

Most importantly, you must have access to a video editor that enables you to process the footage and control its playback rate. Let’s take a look at the best post-production software products that allow its users to create stunning time-lapses video.

1. Filmora : Best Time-lapse Software for Beginners [Windows & Mac]

Price: Freemium

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

Mac and PC users can create time-lapse videos with Filmora effortlessly, even though the actual steps you will need to take throughout the process depend on the type of footage you’re using to create a time-lapse. If you decide to make a time-lapse out of still images, you must ensure that you have enough footage since the video you’re producing must have 24 or 30 frames per second. That’s why you need 30 or 24 photos for each second of your time-lapse video, and you must arrange all of these images on the editor’s timeline before you begin adjusting their duration.

Select all timeline photos placed in the timeline panel, right-click to access the Duration setting, and then set the input duration of each picture to 0.01 seconds.

Click OK to continue, and you’ll find that the duration of all timelapse photos has changed to a brief second. Click the playback button in the Preview window, and you’ll see the time-lapse video is made already.

If you are working with video files, you should double the playback rate to create the time-lapse effect. The results you will get largely depend on the quality of the footage you’ve recorded. You must do everything in your power to capture the photos or videos properly before you start the video editing process.

You can check the details about two ways of making a time-lapse video in Filmora here.

2. iMovie : Best Free Time-lapse Software for Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS and iOS

iMovie may not be the most advanced video editing software for Mac computers, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use iMovie to create time-lapse videos. In fact, all you have to do to make a time-lapse video with this software is to arrange the photos on the editor’s timeline and change their duration to 0.1 seconds from the Clip Information panel.

However, if you do this, your time-lapse video will play only 10 frames per second, so to speed it up , you first have to export the video you’ve created in this manner and then import it back into iMovie.

Afterward, you can select the Custom option from the Speed menu that lets you select the playback speed of a video clip. Making a time-lapse video in iMovie is a slow process that requires a lot of patience, especially if you are working with a large number of photos or video clips.

If you want to edit videos further with iMovie, here is a brief tutorial about How to Use iMovie to Edit Videos .

3. VirtualDub : Free Time-lapse Video Editor for Windows

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows

This open-source video editor is commonly used for batch-processing of AVI video files and sets of BMP image files. Even though VirtualDub doesn’t offer a lot of video editing tools, its batch-processing capabilities make it a perfect choice for all PC users who want to create time-lapse videos.

Nonetheless, the process of making a time-lapse in VirtualDub is highly technical as you’ll need to make sure that all the images you want to use in the video are the same size. Besides, you’ll have to set up the video’s frame rate , aspect ratio , and compression manually, before you can apply it to all files you imported into the video editor. That’s why you first need to familiarize yourself with VirtualDub and then start using it to make time-lapse videos.

4. GoPro Quik : Best Video Editor for Creating Time-Lapse Photos Shot With GoPro

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

GoPro cameras offer a plethora of ways to capture the footage you can later turn into time-lapse videos. Besides a GoPro camera, you will also need additional equipment like rotating camera mounts, extra batteries, or several memory cards to record the time-lapse footage properly.

GoPro’s Quik video editor features all the tools you’re going to need to organize large quantities of video and photo files and create time-lapse videos. The software also enables you to add panning effects to your time-lapses that simulate the camera movement. However, GoPro Quik is a good choice only for filmmakers and video content creators who record most of their footage with different models of GoPro cameras.

5. Final Cut Pro X : Best Professional Video Editing Software for Time-lapse Video on Mac

Price: $299.99

Compatibility: macOS

Controlling the playback speed of the files you import into a project in FCPX is simple, since you just have to place the photos or videos on the timeline and select them. Afterward, you should head over to the Retime submenu that is located in the Modify drop-down menu and select one of the Custom Speed, Blade Speed or Fast options.

You will have to tweak the particular settings depending on the option you select, but your main goal should be to speed up the footage just enough to suggest the rapid passage of time. Try out different values to find the playback speed that is best suited for the time-lapse video you’re working on.

Learn more details about Making a Time Lapse Video in Final Cut Pro .

6. Adobe Premiere Pro : Best Professional Video Editing Software for Time-lapse Video on Windows

Price: $20.99 per month as a single app

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

The way you capture your photos and organize them is crucial in creating a time-lapse video in Adobe Premiere Pro. You must arrange all the photos numerically, and once you’re ready to import them into the software, you must make sure that the Image Sequence checkbox is selected. Adobe Premiere Pro will automatically generate a video from the photos so you can add a video file to the timeline instead of hundreds of still images. This professional video editing software provides with a broad range of video editing tools you can use to simulate camera movement, perform color correction or control the video’s playback speed. The process of creating a time-lapse video with Adobe Premiere Pro isn’t complicated, but you must be prepared for each step of this process if you want to go through it smoothly.

7. LRTimelapse

Price: Free trial available, subscription plans start at $99.00

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

The time-lapse photos you take with your camera must be edited before you can turn them into a video. LRTimelapse software is designed to reduce the amount of time you have to spend editing the footage. It allows you to process each image in Adobe Lightroom and then import those edits into the project you created in LRTimelapse. Furthermore, this app for PC and Mac computers lets you fade in and fade out time lapses, adjust the white balance throughout the sequence you’re creating, or get rid of the unwanted flickering effect. LRTimelapse allows you to export videos in resolutions up to 8K, making it a perfect choice for all filmmakers and photographers in need of powerful time-lapse post-production software.

Conclusion

Preparation is the most important segment of the time-lapse video production process. The photos or video clips you want to include in the video must be captured perfectly to depict the passage of time seamlessly. Moreover, the video editing software you choose must provide you with all the tools you’re going to need to create a professionally-looking time-lapse video. Each of the time-lapse post-production software products we featured in this article enables you to create a time-lapse video with ease. Which video editing software are you using to create time-lapse videos? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

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