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Looking to polish your videos and engage more viewers? Adding transitions and effects can set your video's mood, tone, pace, and style.
Whether you’re creating travel videos, music videos, daily vlogs, promo ads, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, take your videos to the next level with transitions.
Read on to explore the best creative transitions you can add to your videos with Clipchamp’s free online video editor.
What are video transitions?
Video transitions are essential in any video editor’s tool kit. The post-production technique creatively connects two or more video clips through transitions like fading to black, fade-out, pan, zoom, jump cuts, swipe, glitch, and cross-dissolve.
Video transitions can determine how the audience perceives the pace of the video clip and can even help engage viewers and increase video watch time. The pace refers to the video’s speed and how fast or slow the video is.
Read on to take a look at some popular video transitions creators use on YouTube and Instagram videos.
12 video transitions and effects you need to try
1. Fade through black and fade through white transitions
Fade through black is a video transition that makes a clip gradually dissolve into a black background. The fade-through white transition gradually dissolves into a white background. These versatile but simple video transitions can suit any video. They are commonly used to create suspense in storytelling, change between scenes in a cinematic video or close out a video. They work especially well for performance, dance, and music videos.
To use the fade transitions, search “Fade through white” and “Fade through black” in Clipchamp.
2. Close transition
Close is a video transition that diagonally closes one clip and spins into the next. A close transition can be used on any style of video but are very popular on social media posts like Instagram Reels and Facebook video ads. Add personality to your fashion look books, lifestyle vlogs, cooking tutorials, or promo videos.
To use the close transition, search “Close” in Clipchamp.
3. Tiles transition
Tiles are a pattern motion transition that fades between clips using a ‘tile’ or box design. If you want to add a creative touch to your video, the tile motion effect is an excellent option for social media videos, slideshows, tutorials, demos, and promo ad videos.
To use the close transition, search “Tiles” in Clipchamp.
4. Ink transition
The ink video transition creates a fluid ink effect resembling a paintbrush stroke between two video clips. The creative video effect is perfect for any video, particularly slideshows of art exhibitions, school projects, and music videos.
To use the close transition, search “Ink” in Clipchamp.
5. Glitch and glitch reveal transition
The glitch and glitch reveal transitions replicate a camera or video encoding distortion moving between two clips. Also known as Chromatic Aberration, the transition adds a dramatic flair to your videos by creating intensity, and building suspense between two clips by imitating a problem with the video signal. The well-known transitions are trendy in spooky Halloween videos, emphasizing a product or business launch or when video editors create a hype video.
To use the close transition, search “Glitch” and “Glitch reveal” in Clipchamp.
6. Zoom in and zoom out transitions
The zoom-in and zoom-out transitions are essential in every video editor's toolkit. The zoom-in transition moves closer to the main subject, and the zoom-out transition moves further away from the subject or focal point in the video. This easy effect instantly grabs the attention of your viewers and is perfect for social media and gaming videos on YouTube.
To use the close transition, search “Cross fade” in Clipchamp.
7. Spin transition
The spin transition rotates a video into the following clip with a fast 180-degree spin. Each clip turns into the other creating a fun, artistic video effect. The spin transition is a simple but powerful motion graphic, popular on short-form videos like action videos, vlogs, tutorials, lifestyle YouTube videos, and social media ads. Video creators can even spin clips to the beat of a royalty-free song.
To use the close transition, search “Spin” in Clipchamp.
8. Wipe right and wipe left transition
The wipe right and wipe left are popular video transitions that replace clips through a side swipe motion. Whether you’re creating a slideshow, YouTube Short, or telling a story, the wipe right and wipe left effect can even replicate a page turn. These simple but effective motion transitions are a great way to give any video a professional touch.
To use the close transition, search “Wipe right” and “Wipe left” in Clipchamp.
9. Wipe up and wipe down transitions
Wipe up and wipe down are video transitions that slide between video clips in a seamless ‘wipe’ motion. If you’re creating a slideshow, promo, commercial, or corporate video, the wipe-up transition could introduce your product then wipe-down can display the description text.
To use the close transition, search “Wipe up” and “Wipe down” in Clipchamp.
10. Cross blur and cross fade transitions
The cross blur transition moves between two clips by blurring the first clip's end and the following clip's beginning. Edit like a pro on underwater videos, slideshows, social media ads, and corporate videos. Close in and out scenes from movies, performances, and music videos with the cross blur transition.
To use the close transition, search “Cross blur” and ‘Cross fade” in Clipchamp.
11. Push left and push right transitions
Push left and push right are video transitions that quickly slide through clips either in a left or right motion. This video transition is similar to wipe left and right but moves through clips quicker. The push left and push right effects are ideal for holiday slideshows, showing a change of topic, and pair well with sound effects and audio.
To use the close transition, search “Push left” and “Push right” in Clipchamp.
12. Push up and push down transitions
The push-up and push-down transitions progress through video clips by moving a video up or down, resembling a slideshow. This transition is perfect for showcasing your favorite holiday moments, a new catalog, photoshoot, or slideshow videos. Improve the flow of your YouTube and Instagram videos with the push-up and down transition.
To use the close transition, search “Push up” and “Push down” in Clipchamp.
Video transitions tips
Choosing the right transition effect for your video depends on the style, mood, and tone you’re creating for your viewers to perceive.
Try to edit your videos with various transitions and see what style best suits your aesthetic. You don’t have to make the right decision first go. Customize your videos with an array of transitions from Clipchamp’s transition library.
Enhance your videos with transitions
Seamlessly move through video clips and bring your video together with Clipchamp’s free online video editor.
