I’m a newbie to CapCut but experienced Adobe Premiere user. I’m trying out CapCut FREE version. My question is, how do I create a space between clips on the time line? I have turned off the Auto Snapping but when I drag clip/s to the right, they still snap back to fill the space. Many thanks. Mark.
Hi Mark,
Great to hear you are trying out CapCut especially with your Premiere Pro background, the transition will be relatively smooth once you understand CapCut's quirks.
You are trying to create a gap between clips on the timeline, but even with Auto Snapping turned off, CapCut still closes the gap when you move a clip.
CapCut (Free version) does not support timeline gaps between clips it automatically "magnetizes" and removes space between clips, even if you disable snapping.
This is by design in CapCut, which is optimized for mobile and quick social content not full editing flexibility like in Premiere.
Workarounds you can try:
Option 1: Use a blank placeholder (Hacky but works)
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Create a blank PNG (black/white/transparent), say 1080x1920.
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Import it into your media.
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Place it between clips as a “gap filler” and adjust the duration.
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It acts as an artificial space.
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You can even apply a fade-in/fade-out or blur if needed.
Option 2: Use Keyframes for visual delay
If you are trying to create a pause effect between scenes, you can:
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Take a freeze frame or screenshot of the last frame of the previous clip.
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Insert that image between clips.
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Set keyframes (e.g., for zoom or opacity) to keep it visually seamless.
Option 3: Use black video or empty audio
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Insert an audio clip with silent sound or a black video (you can generate this in other editors).
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Import it into CapCut and place it to simulate a pause.
Additional Pointers
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CapCut Pro/PC doesn’t change this behavior even on desktop, there’s no true gap system like Premiere's timeline.
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CapCut always treats timelines as continuous unless something fills the space.
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Auto snapping being off only affects alignment, not gap removal.
CapCut is designed to be gapless by default. The only way to simulate a gap is to insert a visual placeholder (blank image, black frame, freeze frame) or use keyframes creatively.
CapCut "Gap Simulation" template
This guide helps you create a fake gap between clips using a black image placeholder.
STEP-BY-STEP:
1. Open CapCut PC.
2. Import your media clips and the provided 'black.png' file.
3. Drag Clip 1 to the main timeline.
4. Drag 'black.png' to the timeline after Clip 1.
- Adjust its duration to 1 second (or however long you want the gap).
5. Drag Clip 2 to the timeline after 'black.png'.
6. Optional: Add transitions or fade effects between clips and black image.
You have now simulated a gap between clips.
This method works because CapCut does not allow real gaps on the timeline.
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