The open-source video editor OpenShot has taken a significant leap forward with the release of version 4.0 , now available on GitHub. This update, following version 3.5.1 , represents a technological shift from Qt5 to Qt6, bringing with it improvements in performance and compatibility with Linux systems, particularly regarding Wayland and fractional screen scaling. Furthermore, numerous new tools have been incorporated to make the program more accessible to a professional audience.
Among the most notable new features is a new recording dock that allows you to capture audio, screen, or webcam footage directly within an existing project. Clips are inserted into the timeline while recording and are automatically imported upon completion. An analysis view and template system have also been added to ComfyUI, facilitating audio cleanup and enhancement using artificial intelligence. All of this is complemented by a range of new visual effects, such as shadow, glow, displacement map, and film grain.
Migration to Qt6 and interface improvements in OpenShot 4.0
The migration to Qt6 is the most significant change in this version. While it doesn't directly alter the visual appearance, it does improve stability and support for modern technologies. The developers have taken the opportunity to reorganize the interface: there are now simple, color, and recording views, and you can create and save custom workspace layouts. The advanced view is gone, but this is compensated for by the ability to define your own layouts. In addition, the menus have been refined and obsolete options removed, making the program feel cleaner and more organized.
AI-powered audio tools and effects
OpenShot 4.0 incorporates four new ComfyUI workflows for audio : noise reduction, speech enhancement, audio resolution upscaling, and basic repair of damaged clips. These processes run on an external ComfyUI server, to which OpenShot sends the files and retrieves the results. On the local side, the AI ​​effects interface has been simplified: models are now downloaded automatically when needed, and a live preview is displayed for object masking . A YOLO model selector has also been added for the object detection filter, although this feature was already available in previous versions.
New effects and export improvements
New video effects include shadow, glow, displacement map, and film grain, as well as an audio visualization effect that lets you overlay waveforms, bars, or spectra onto the clip. New camera and animation presets have also been added to the Motion menu, and waveform visualization has been improved with peak and RMS options. For social media, dedicated export filters for TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms have been added. The documentation has also been updated to reflect all these changes.
Overall, OpenShot 4.0 represents a very comprehensive update that, for the first time in a long time, has not resulted in any crashes during testing. While reliability may vary depending on the system, this version appears to have fixed many of the issues that have historically plagued the program. With the migration to Qt6, new recording tools, and advancements in AI, OpenShot positions itself as a solid option for video editors looking for a free and open-source tool.
