Rewind time with the VHS tape effect
Capture your audience’s attention by creating a retro effect to your video and using a VHS effect. When you use a VHS filter or a VHS transition to add to the feel of your video, you’re causing viewers to feel reminiscent of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, when VHS tapes were the only way we could watch (or binge-watch) our favorite shows and films.
With over 50 video transitions and effects, you have full creative control over how you want the videotape to feel in your video. Take it a step further by applying filters to make your content look black and white or sepia color. Now we’re back in time.
How to Add VHS Effect to Video
- Upload videoUpload a video to a new project to get started.
- Choose a VHS effectOpen the “Images” tab in the left-hand sidebar and search for “VHS effect gif.” Select one effect out of hundreds of VHS overlays and adjust its opacity to lay on top of your video.
- Export and downloadExport your project and download a file for yours to keep. Share your new video on any platform by uploading or sharing your own unique video URL link.
Bring back style with the VHS aesthetic
From Polaroid photos to VHS tape filters on video footage and clips, it’s safe to say these two aesthetics are timeless. Go back to the roots of video recordings and use the VHS effect to create a sense of nostalgia that your audience can’t help but hold onto while watching your entire video.
Drag and drop the VHS overlay onto your video for an easy way to add the effect without having to download anything or install new, heavy software. Use the tape effect as a transition in your video or search for another VHS overlay png to use in the copyright-free media library. The vast library of stock footage, animated effects, transparent overlays, and more are all ready for you to use at any time within the video editor.
Take your YouTube videos a step further when you apply a VHS overlay or a VHS transition effect. With Kapwing, there’s no need to watch any YouTube tutorials on how to add a VHS effect to video. Everything you need to make your video more compelling is right at the tip of your fingers.
Discover even more features on Kapwing
Add Subtitles
Generate and customizable captions that automatically sync to your video. Use our AI-powered tool to create a transcript of your video, and then customize your auto-synced subtitles to make them perfect for your content creation needs. Resize, swap out fonts, or add in professional animations and transitions - all your edits will instantly be applied to the entire video.
Smart Cut
Smart Cut automates your video editing process by detecting and removing silences from your video in a matter of seconds. You'll be saving hours of editing time and completing your rough cut faster than ever for talking head videos, recorded presentations, tutorials, vlogs, and more. Editing has never been so seamless.
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Resizer
Repurpose videos faster and make them look more professional with our Resize Canvas feature! In just a few clicks, you can take a single video and adjust it to be the right size for every other platform, whether it's for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, or somewhere else.
Background Remover
With Kapwing's smart background removal tool, you can isolate people from the background of a video for free, without a green screen. All it takes is a few clicks. Upload your content, select the Remove Background tool, and use the preview to choose the threshold that best works for you.
Clean Audio
Enhance your project’s audio in seconds with Kapwing. In one click, Clean Audio automatically removes background noise, corrects loudness, and helps reduce popping sounds in your audio and videos. To use it, simply upload a video or audio file, then select Clean Audio on the right side.
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Collaborative editing
Work with your team directly in Kapwing. Create and edit content, then send it to share and collaborate with your teammates. Make team workspaces, comment in the editor, and work on videos together in real time or asynchronously.
Trimmer
Edit the length of your video clip by dragging the timeline handles or by using the Split tool. It’s never been easier to cut out silences, rearrange clips, or adjust the length of your audio to fit your video.
Waveforms
Kapwing's customizable waveforms let you bring your audio or podcast content to life. Our Waveform tool creates an automatically-generated, animated graph showing the frequency and amplitude of your audio over time. Choose between a classic waveform style and a stacked “bars” style to bring your own touch to your project.
Unlimited Overlays
Make your content pop with image overlays, emojis, progress bars, and audio waveforms. Then simply resize and position them to customize your project. With unlimited overlays, the possibilities are endless.
Stock Assets
Browse hundreds of royalty-free images, GIFs, videos, sound effects, and music clips directly in our editor. Curate assets that will bring your project to life, then edit them the way you want to all in one place.
Templates
Get inspired by hundreds of trendy video templates made to unleash your creativity. Select the template that best suits your project, and then make it your own with custom videos, images, or text. Making professionally designed videos or memes has never been faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I add a VHS video effect without Adobe Premiere Pro?
If you don’t have Adobe Premiere Pro, you can make your video look like a VHS tape with Kapwing, the online video editor. Add a VHS video effect directly from your web browser on any device – no downloads or payment required. With Kapwing, you have the full video-editing toolkit you need to add any effects to your video without worrying about downloading, installing, and learning a new, heavy software.
How do I get free VHS effects?
You can get free VHS effects without having to download any files with Kapwing. With over hundreds of VHS overlays and effects, you have full control over the feel of your video, image, or GIF from start to finish.
How do I make my phone camera look like a VHS tape?
To make your phone camera look like a VHS tape, apply the VHS filter after you’ve recorded your video or taken your picture. You can use Kapwing directly in your web browser to do this, so you don’t have to use any phone storage by downloading a new app or overlay. Simply tap on the VHS tape effect in the editor, and you’re good to go!
What's different about Kapwing?
Easy
Start creating immediately with thousands of templates and copyright free videos, images, music, and GIFs. Repurpose content from the internet by pasting a link.
Free
Kapwing is completely free to start. Just upload a video and start editing. Supercharge your editing workflow with our powerful online tools.
Accessible
Automatically subtitle and translate videos with our AI-powered Subtitler tool. Caption your videos in seconds, so that no viewers get left behind.
Online
Kapwing is cloud based, which means your videos are wherever you are. Use it on any device and access your content anywhere in the world.
No spam or ads
We don't serve ads: we're committed to building a quality, trustworthy website. And we will never spam you nor sell your information to anyone.
Powerful
Kapwing works hard to help make the content you want, when you want it. Get started on your project today.
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Best online video service ever. And a miracle for deaf people.
[Subtitler] is able to autogenerate subtitles for video in almost any language. I'm deaf (or almost deaf, to be correct) and thanks to Kapwing I'm now able understand and react on videos from my friends :)
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This tool should be in every social media account managers' bookmark list.
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Studio Production Manager at Formlabs
With Kapwing, we're always ready to create.
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CEO at MOXIE Nashville
Spend less time learning... and more time crafting stories.
Kapwing helps you spend less time learning complex video editing platforms and more time crafting stories that will connect with your audience and customers. We've used the platform to help create engaging social media clips from our clients' podcasts and we can't wait to see how the platform simplifies this process going forward. If you've learned graphic design with Canva, you can learn video editing with Kapwing.
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Co-Founder at AuthentIQMarketing.com
It keeps getting better!
Kapwing is probably the most important tool for me and my team. It’s always there to meet our everyday needs in creating scroll-stopping and engaging videos for us and our clients. Kapwing is smart, fast, easy to use and full of features that are exactly what we need to make our workflow faster and more effective. We love it more each day and it keeps getting better.
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Managing Partner at EPATHLON
By the far the most user friendly software to use.
As a housewife at home looking to start a Youtube channel for fun with absolutely zero editing experience, it was so easy for me to teach myself via their YouTube channel. It takes the tediousness out of editing and encourages creativity. As long as Kapwing is around, I will be using their software.
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Youtuber
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Director of Content
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Video Editor
Love this site.
As an English Foreign Language Teacher, this site helps me to quickly subtitle interesting videos that I can use in class. The students love the videos, and the subtitles really help them to learn new vocabulary as well as better understand and follow the video.
Heidi Rae
Education
Excellent subtitling features
[It] works perfectly for me. Have been using Kapwing for a year or so, and their automatic subtitle tool gets better and better every week, it's rare that I have to correct a word. Keep up the good work!
Natasha Ball
Consultant
Best online video service ever. And a miracle for deaf people.
[Subtitler] is able to autogenerate subtitles for video in almost any language. I'm deaf (or almost deaf, to be correct) and thanks to Kapwing I'm now able understand and react on videos from my friends :)
Mitch Rawlings
Information Services Freelancer
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