How to Speed Up or Slow Down Videos for Different Effects
Speed is one of the most powerful tools in video editing. Speed up a boring segment to keep viewers engaged, or slow down an action shot to create dramatic impact. From TikTok trends to tutorial videos, knowing how to manipulate video speed opens up endless creative possibilities.
In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to speed up or slow down your videos for any platform, with tips for when to use each technique.
Why Video Speed Matters
Speed changes aren't just about making videos shorter or longer. They affect how viewers perceive your content:
- Speeding up creates energy, urgency, and humor
- Slowing down adds drama, emphasis, and emotional weight
- Speed ramps (changing speed mid-clip) create dynamic, cinematic effects
When to Speed Up Your Video
Speeding up works great for:
- Time-lapses - Show hours of work in seconds (cooking, art, construction)
- Tutorials - Skip repetitive steps while keeping them visible
- B-roll footage - Keep supplementary footage dynamic
- Comedy content - Fast motion is inherently funny
- Meeting platform time limits - Fit more content into TikTok's or Reels' time constraints
"Speed up the video to 2x"
This doubles the playback speed, cutting a 60-second video to 30 seconds.
When to Slow Down Your Video
Slow motion is perfect for:
- Action shots - Sports, stunts, fast movement
- Emotional moments - Reactions, reveals, heartfelt scenes
- Product showcases - Water splashing, objects in motion
- Dance and music videos - Emphasize specific moves or beats
- Nature footage - Birds flying, water flowing, leaves falling
"Slow down to 0.5x speed"
This creates a half-speed slow motion effect, doubling a 10-second clip to 20 seconds.
How to Change Video Speed with Editly
Changing video speed in Editly is as simple as describing what you want:
- "Speed up the video" - Default 2x speed increase
- "Make it 3x faster" - Specific speed multiplier
- "Slow motion" - Default 0.5x slow down
- "Play at 0.25x speed" - Dramatic slow motion
- "Double the speed" - 2x faster
What Happens to Audio When You Change Speed?
When you speed up or slow down video, the audio changes too:
- Sped up audio - Becomes higher pitched and faster (chipmunk effect)
- Slowed audio - Becomes lower pitched and drawn out
For some content, this effect works great. For others, you might want to:
- Add background music instead of keeping the original audio
- Remove audio entirely for silent speed changes
- Record a voiceover at normal speed to play over sped-up footage
Common Speed Settings and Their Uses
- 0.25x - Dramatic slow motion for action/impact
- 0.5x - Standard slow motion, still smooth
- 0.75x - Subtle slow down for emphasis
- 1.25x - Subtle speed up, barely noticeable
- 1.5x - Noticeably faster, good for tutorials
- 2x - Standard fast forward
- 4x-10x - Time-lapse territory
Master Speed, Master Storytelling
Speed manipulation is one of the easiest ways to make your videos more engaging. Whether you're creating a quick tutorial, a dramatic sports highlight, or a funny skit, knowing when and how to adjust speed will elevate your content.
Try it yourself - upload a video to Editly and experiment with different speeds to see what works for your content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my video look choppy when sped up?
Videos typically look smooth when sped up. However, extreme speeds (10x+) may appear choppy since frames are being skipped. For time-lapses, this effect is usually desirable.
Can I change speed for just part of my video?
Yes! You can first trim your video to the section you want to speed change, apply the effect, then combine it with other clips if needed.
What's the maximum slow motion I can achieve?
You can slow videos down to 0.25x (quarter speed) or even slower. Keep in mind that very slow speeds may appear less smooth since you're stretching the available frames.
