Editing a video to fit into your portable media device can be a lengthy process. This is especially the case when the video is hosted online and not on your computer. You'll have to download the video, pass it through a video editor and converter, and then transfer it to your media device.
Our take? There's got to be a better way. Here are the three best video converters for media online.
1. Veed.io
Veed.io is a super-slick in-browser video editor and converter. The design of this website is borderline Apple at its minimalist peak; bright, open, and inviting, it makes every task a pleasure to carry out. Once you create an account and sign in, you can use a URL to import your video of choice.
With a free account, you'll only be able to export videos up to ten minutes long, but the features that they offer under this limit are undeniably stellar. This is a fully fledged video-editing web app, complete with advanced features such as noise reduction and a draw-on feature.
Some other features like auto-subtitles will cap out after your project reaches a certain length and your export will be subject to an unfortunate watermark. If you do this type of work regularly, however, Veed.io might be worth the investment.
2. Kapwing
As far as in-browser, online video editors go, Kapwing is among the easiest to use. All that you have to do is paste your desired URL into the homepage, and you'll be taken immediately to their in-browser user interface.
As an example, we've got a deep-fried lasagna recipe all queued up here and ready to rumble. You can trim the video, adjust its spatial parameters, and, of course, add more from the web. Once you're done, hit Export Video at the top to download an MP4 of your project.
If you want a version without the watermark, you'll need to create an account, and to export any project over seven minutes, you'll actually have to upgrade.
Still, Kapwing is a great service if you would like to compile several YouTube videos into one project and have some money to play with. If you're a vlogger or a content aggregator, and you prefer to edit online, this just might be the ticket for you.
3. Freemake
Freemake is your everyday, run-of-the-mill video converter, with one exception: it does not appear to support YouTube URLs. There's still plenty that you can do with it when it comes to videos hosted on sites like Vimeo and Dailymotion, however.
You can extract audio files with Freemake, ripping content directly from any of the streaming services that the program is compatible with. They support dozens of file types, including MP4, WMV, AVI, SWF, MOV, and Xvid.
One slightly off-putting aspect of this app is that it constantly demands that you upgrade. This service is free to use with media downloaded to your device, but the online video converter will cost you. If you're willing to fork up, simply hit Paste URL, and you'll be on your way.
Download: Freemake for Mac | Windows (Free)
Online Video Conversion Made Easy
If you've got the videos for your project bookmarked and are eager to dive in, an in-browser video editor and converter is the fastest way to get started.
Whether you're an influencer with something to prove, a scholar citing their sources, or simply just a mega-fan of the latest K-Pop icon, you'll likely find yourself relying on one of these sites for all of your video editing needs.
Who would have thought that it would be possible to pack the power of Adobe Media Encoder into a web app? If we didn't know any better, we might be tempted to make the switch to one of these services officially.