# Exporting Video from the Concat Video Editor

> Concat exports H.264, HEVC or AV1 video up to 4K at 60 fps with 10-bit color and no watermark, but in 0.2.7 an export can hang without an error if a file with the same name already exists.

URL: https://concatvideoeditor.com/features/export
Updated: 2026-10-18
Source: Concat Video Editor Guide, an independent guide. Not the official Concat website.

The Concat video editor exports video in H.264, HEVC or AV1 at up to 4K and 60 fps, with an optional 10-bit color mode. There is no watermark, no account and no paid tier for higher resolutions, which already sets it apart from CapCut's free plan. In our test a 32 second 1080p project with captions finished in about 40 seconds on a plain CPU.

![Export screen in the Concat video editor with resolution, frame rate, H.264 codec, the 10-bit colour switch and High, Balanced and Small quality presets](/images/feat-export.webp)

## How do you export a video in the Concat video editor?

1. Press **Ctrl+E** or click **Export** at the top right of the editor. On a Mac use Cmd+E.
2. Under **Output**, check **Resolution** and **Frame rate**, then pick a **Codec**.
3. Turn on **10-bit colour** if your footage and your viewers can use it.
4. Pick a **Quality** preset: **High**, **Balanced** or **Small**. Each shows an estimated file size.
5. Under **Destination**, type a file name that is not already in use and click **Browse** to choose the folder.
6. Check the **Summary** box for format, duration and contents, then start the export.

## Which codec and quality preset should you use?

H.264 with the Balanced preset is the safe default and the one the Concat video editor marks as recommended. Use the table to decide when to change it.

| Codec | Pick it when |
|---|---|
| H.264 | You want the file to play on almost any device or upload site |
| HEVC | You want a smaller file at the same quality and your target supports it |
| AV1 | You want the smallest files and know the platform or player can decode AV1 |

The presets trade size for quality. For our 32 second 1080p project at 25 fps the estimates were:

| Preset | Label | Estimated size |
|---|---|---|
| High | Master | About 54 MB |
| Balanced | Recommended | About 28 MB |
| Small | Share | About 14 MB |

The same screen also shows **Bitrate** mode (VBR in our project) and **Colour range** (Limited).

## Which project shapes and sizes can you export?

Your export follows the shape you chose when you created the project. The New project screen offers these options:

| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Shape | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3 |
| Size | 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K, Custom |
| Frame rate | 10, 20, 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 48, 50, 59.94, 60, Custom |

![New project screen in Concat with 9:16 shape, 1080p size and 25 fps selected](/images/feat-new-project.webp)

The new project dialog says these settings cannot be changed later, but in 0.2.7 you can. Click empty space on the timeline, click **Modify** in the Details panel and change **Frame** (16:9, 4K, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 21:9 or custom), **Frame rate** and **Color** in the Project sheet. Picking 9:16 at 1080p from the start is still the easy route for Reels, Shorts and TikTok.

![Project sheet in the Concat video editor with the Frame menu open, listing 1920 × 1080, 3840 × 2160, 1080 × 1920, 1080 × 1080, 1440 × 1080, 2560 × 1080 and Custom](/images/project-settings.webp)

## How fast is export in the Concat video editor?

Fast enough for short videos even without a GPU. Since Concat is free, you can time it on your own footage at no cost. Our 32 second 1080p project with captions took about 40 seconds on Linux with software rendering. The README describes a GPU compositor with hardware decoding, so a machine with a working GPU should do better.

## What are the limits?

- **The "file already exists" stall.** In 0.2.7 the export just waited, with no error, when a file with the same name was already in the folder. Renaming the output fixed it. Give every export a new name until this is fixed.
- **Shape is set in the project, not at export.** The Export screen does not crop a 16:9 edit to 9:16. Change the frame in the project settings first and reposition your clips.
- **We timed one export.** Our numbers come from a single 1080p job. We did not time 4K, HEVC or AV1.
- **Estimates are estimates.** The preset sizes depend on your footage and length.

## Questions people ask

### Does Concat add a watermark when you export?

No. Concat never adds a watermark, at any resolution and with any effect in the project. It also needs no account to export.

### Can Concat export in 4K for free?

Yes. Concat exports up to 4K at 60 fps at no cost. Free CapCut exports stop at 1080p and 4K needs a paid plan there.

### Why is my Concat export stuck?

In 0.2.7 the export kept waiting with no error when a file with the same name was already in the destination folder. Change the name in Destination and export again.

### Which codec should I choose in Concat?

Pick H.264 for the widest playback support. Choose HEVC or AV1 when you want smaller files and know the place you upload to or the device you play on handles them.

### Where does Concat save the exported video?

In the folder you pick with Browse under Destination, using the name typed in the field next to it. In our test the name started as the project name, Untitled project.