Video to timelapse
Squeeze a sunset, a commute or a four-hour build into seconds. Pick anything from 8× to 60×, and the planner tells you which speed fits.
- Runs in your browser: no upload
- Free, no watermark, no sign-up
- Exports MP4 (H.264 + AAC)
Timelapse planner
- Speed factor
- 40×
- One output frame every
- 1.3 s
Drop or choose a video
MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV. It stays on this device.
Timelapses are exported without sound: at 20× any audio would be a blur.
More options
How to make a timelapse from a video
- Record the scene as a normal video with the phone on something steady. Any shake is multiplied by the speed factor.
- Use the planner above to pick a speed from the real length and the result you want.
- Open the clip in the tool, choose the speed, and press Change speed. Long clips take a while to decode even though most frames are discarded.
- Download the MP4 and add music.
Choosing a speed by subject
| Subject | Typical speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crowds, traffic, city streets | 8–15× | People still read as people, just busy. |
| Clouds, cooking, drawing | 15–30× | Clouds need a fairly windy day to move visibly. |
| Sunset or sunrise | 30–60× | Start 15 minutes before and lock exposure if your camera allows. |
| Tides, construction, plants | far above 60× | Use a camera’s interval (photo) timelapse mode instead of video. |
Some changes are too slow even for 60×: the Moon needs about two weeks to wax from new to full, and ahaboo has a narrated explainer on why its phases happen.
Frame skipping vs frame blending
At 20×, the plain export keeps one frame in twenty and discards the others: crisp, but moving things jump. Blend frames mixes the discarded frames into each output frame, which smears moving objects into streaks like a long-exposure photo. Car headlights and waves look good blended; people usually look better crisp.
For smaller speed-ups (up to 4×) with sound, use the speed up video tool.
Questions people ask
How do I turn a video into a timelapse?
Open the video in the tool above, pick a speed between 8× and 60× (the planner helps you choose), press “Change speed” and download the MP4. The result plays at 30 fps with no audio.
What speed should a timelapse be?
Divide the real length by how long you want the result to be. A 20-minute sunset squeezed into 30 seconds is 40×. Clouds and traffic look good at 10–30×; sunsets, tides and building projects need 30× or much more.
Is this the same as a camera’s timelapse mode?
The look is similar, but a camera timelapse captures one photo every few seconds, so it can run for hours without filling your storage. Speeding up a normal video keeps only a few frames and throws the rest away, which works well for clips up to around 30 minutes.
Why is there no sound?
At 8× and above, audio is an unrecognisable blur, so timelapses are exported silent. Add music in your editor.
Can I make the motion smoother?
Turn on “Blend frames” under More options. It mixes skipped frames into each output frame, which gives a soft motion-blur look, like a long exposure. It makes exports slower.