How to trim a Facebook live video

Chances are, you've either watched or hosted a Facebook Live at least once. Maybe it was a marketing specialist talking about the latest AI hacks, an anime enthusiast deep into a live reading session, or live cooking with your favorite celebrity next to a famous chef. 
 

In a nutshell, live videos have their unique charm. From the raw, unpredictable, and unscripted vibe to real-time engagement through comments or reactions. It simply seems to pay off all the efforts that go into making it.  

But after the broadcast ends, does it vanish into the depths of your feed? A one-time show  never to be seen again? Most times, it is, but it doesn't have to. Your Facebook Live can work long after the camera stops rolling. In fact, there are dozens of ways to repurpose your Facebook Live, keep the information fresh, maximize reach, and turn it into content that keeps delivering value. But for that, your best bet involves trimming your live Facebook video and probably even some fine-tuning for more impact. 

But how do you do that and square away the limited requirements for live videos on Facebook?

• Keyframe size: 2 seconds to 4 seconds
• Video length: up to 8 hours maximum
• Pixel aspect ratio: 16:9

There are two ways, in-platform but in a lumpy style and off-platform with more control and more tweaking options. 

Can you trim a live video?

The short answer? Yes. And here's the catch after the short answer: only after the live streaming ends. You can use Facebook basic trimming tools to cut out the beginning and end of your video, usually where awkward pauses, silence, the "uhs," "ums," or the classic "test mic 1,2,3" happens. You can trim a live video in Live Producer or Meta Business Suite. 

But if you want to clean up the middle, remove long pauses, off-topic rants, or anything that doesn't add value, you need a third-party app to do so. And tools like Flixier allow you to trim and edit live Facebook videos without downloading them. And yes, this guide will show you how you can trim and edit Facebook videos with Flixier(for free).

How to trim a Facebook live video in Live Producer

You can trim the live video after it ends within the Live Producer. Live Producer allows you to use your device's camera or streaming software to make live videos. It’s a straightforward process where you can go live immediately or schedule your live broadcast up to 24 hours in advance. Once your live stream ends, here's how to trim it:

Step 1: Log into your Facebook account

Open the Facebook app on your desk and sign in. The trimming feature is only available on desktop devices.

Step 2: Access the trimming option

After your live video ends, go to the Quick Actions card and choose Trim your video option.

Step 3: Choose how to trim your video

You have two options to trim your video:

• Set the desired start and end times of your video into the timestamps.
• Drag the sliders under the video to set where the video should start and end.

Step 4: Save edits

Simply click Trim video, and you'll receive a notification once the trimming process is complete.

If there’s a particular moment you want to extract from your live video, you can create short 60 seconds-clips during or after with the Clipping option(from Distribution menu).

How to trim a Facebook live video in Meta Business Suite

Meta Business Suite is used to manage your Facebook and Instagram content in one single dashboard. It features many tools, and it can track content performance and edits, manage and schedule posts and stories, and more. And, of course, it lets you go live on Facebook.
 

To trim your video from Meta Business Suite, you need to:

Step 1: Open Meta Business Suite

Head to Meta Business Suite on your computer and sign in.

Step 2: Find your live video

Go to the Content tab, click on Post type and from the drop-down menu select Live. Find the video you want to edit, and click the three-dot icon to select Edit post.

Step 3: Access trimming tool

A new window will display, leading you to the Live Producer dashboard. 

Step 4: Trim your video

Choose Trim your video from the Quick Actions card and follow the same previous steps from Live Producer.

How to crop a video

Sure, you can do the trimming using Facebook's default feature, which is conveniently placed within the platform. Yet, trimming is quite limited only to the start and end point, with no advanced edits. If you're serious about repurposing content, you need more control than this. And for that, your best bet is third-party tools. 

Software like Flixier gives you the freedom to get the best outcome from one piece of content and easily fine-tune it for other platforms. 

How to efficiently crop a Facebook Live video

Most creators who do live streams on Facebook use Flixier's free Facebook video editor to crop, trim, or enhance quality, create video snippets for TikTok, and even add captions in other languages.

Usually, the downside of third-party tools is that they force you to download your live video from Facebook and then upload it into their editor. Truth is this extra step lowers video and audio quality, eats up storage, and wastes time(especially if it's a three-hour-long podcast). 

But with Flixier, instead of downloading, all you need to do is copy the link to your Facebook live video and then paste it into Flixier. From there, the video will automatically be added to your library. No quality is lost, and no extra space is needed on your device.

How to trim, crop, and edit live video with Flixier without downloading it

Step 1: Open Flixier in your browser

You don't need to go through complex software installs or lengthy downloads. Simply type flixier.com in your browser and open the dashboard. Yes, you don't need to sign up for an account either. 

Step 2: Import your Facebook live video 

Just head to the Import or Record menu, then choose the External link option, where you paste your Facebook Live video link. That's it. Flixier imports your video in seconds at full quality.

Step 3: Trim, crop, and edit video with full control

Drag and drop your live video to the timeline and fine-tune it right away as you need it.

Trim out the exact parts you want, remove awkward pauses, or censor content, whether at the beginning, middle, or end.

Split it into multiple parts and create a series of engaging TikTok clips. Crop it to any size, keep only a specific area, or make it fit platforms like TikTok or Instagram reels.

Need more?

• Add background music, picture-in-picture overlays, or motion titles to keep viewers hooked.
• Insert a responsive CTA to make sure your audience takes action.
• Fine-tune visuals, tweak gamma values, or use transitions to further polish your video.
• Generate voiceovers in over 130 languages that are indistinguishable from real humans, whether male, female, or child.

From basic to advanced edits, Flixier puts no limits on your creative genius.

Why edit your Facebook Live video with Flixier?

• Repurpose and share live videos on other platforms.
• Maximize your reach by perfectly tailoring your video for each platform. Crop it, resize it, and tweak it to fit perfectly on Instagram Story, TikTok feed, or YouTube Shorts.
• Embed it to your website or landing page. Turn your Facebook Live video into your sales tool or presentation on your homepage or landing page. Embed it to your website using the embedding code generated by Flixier. 
• Turn video into blog articles, guides, or learning materials. Go from video to text with one click. Make any necessary edits to the text, then save it in different text formats and repurpose it as blog posts to boost SEO, PDF guides, newsletters for lead generation, learning materials for future courses, tutorials, or social media content. 

Squeeze every drop of value from your Facebook live video with Flixier right in your browser.