Export Video from Kdenlive Using AV1 Codec

Exporting videos using the modern AV1 codec in Kdenlive allows you to achieve high-quality video compression at significantly lower file sizes than older codecs like H.264. This step-by-step guide explains how to locate the built-in AV1 presets in Kdenlive, customize the rendering settings for optimal encoding speed and quality, and set up a custom hardware-accelerated AV1 profile if your graphics card supports it.

Step 1: Open the Render Dialog

Once you have finished editing your project on the timeline, you need to open the rendering menu. 1. Click on the Render button in the top toolbar, or go to the top menu and select Project > Render. 2. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Enter (macOS).

Step 2: Select a Built-in AV1 Preset

Kdenlive includes pre-configured rendering profiles for AV1 encoding. 1. In the Render dialog, make sure the Render Project tab is selected. 2. In the format list on the left, expand the Generic (HD for Tesco/Web) or Ultra-High Definition category. 3. Look for and select MP4-AV1 (which uses the SVT-AV1 encoder) or WebM AV1.

Step 3: Adjust Quality and Speed Settings

AV1 is highly efficient but can be CPU-intensive to encode. You can balance rendering time and file size using the quality and speed sliders on the right side of the Render dialog: * Encoder Speed (Preset): SVT-AV1 uses presets ranging from 0 (slowest, highest quality compression) to 13 (fastest, lower compression efficiency). A preset between 4 and 6 is generally recommended for a good balance of speed and quality. * Quality (CRF): Constant Rate Factor (CRF) controls the visual quality. A lower CRF value results in higher quality and larger file sizes. For AV1, a CRF value between 24 and 30 yields excellent visual results.

Step 4: Create a Custom AV1 Profile (Optional)

If your Kdenlive installation lacks a default AV1 preset, or if you want to use GPU-accelerated AV1 encoding (such as NVIDIA’s av1_nvenc or AMD’s av1_amf), you can create a custom profile: 1. Click the Create New Profile icon (the small plus sign) next to the profile selection box. 2. Give the profile a name (e.g., “Custom SVT-AV1”). 3. Set the Group to “Generic”. 4. Set the Extension to mp4 or mkv. 5. In the Parameters field, enter the following FFmpeg arguments for CPU-based SVT-AV1: f=mp4 vcodec=libsvtav1 acodec=libopus crf=26 preset=6 g=240 6. (Optional) If you have an NVIDIA RTX 40-series card or newer and want hardware-accelerated encoding, use this parameter line instead: f=mp4 vcodec=av1_nvenc acodec=aac cq=24 7. Click OK to save the profile.

Step 5: Render the Video

  1. In the Output file field at the top, choose the destination folder and name your file.
  2. Ensure Full Project is selected under the render zone options unless you only want to export a selected guide zone.
  3. Click the Render to File button at the bottom of the window to begin the encoding process.