Supported Kdenlive Import File Formats

Kdenlive is a highly versatile, open-source video editor capable of importing a vast range of media files. Thanks to its integration with the powerful FFmpeg framework, Kdenlive supports almost all major video, audio, and image formats. This article outlines the specific file formats and codecs you can successfully import into Kdenlive for your editing projects.

Video Formats and Containers

Kdenlive supports a wide variety of video containers and codecs, ranging from highly compressed consumer formats to professional edit-ready formats.

• Common Containers: MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WebM, FLV, MPEG, WMV, and MXF.
• Video Codecs:
  • H.264 (AVC) & H.265 (HEVC): Widely used for consumer cameras, smartphones, and online video.
  • VP8 & VP9: Open formats often used in WebM containers.
  • AV1: The modern high-efficiency open standard.
  • ProRes & DNxHD/DNxHR: High-quality, intermediate codecs preferred for professional editing workflows due to their low CPU overhead.
  • MPEG-2 & MPEG-4: Older standards still commonly used in legacy broadcasting and DVD/Blu-ray rip files.
  • DV & HDV: Legacy tape-based digital video formats.

Audio Formats

You can import both standalone audio files and multi-channel audio tracks embedded within video files.

• Uncompressed & Lossless Audio: WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF (ideal for maintaining maximum audio quality).
• Lossy Audio: MP3, AAC, M4A, OGG (Vorbis/Opus), and WMA.

Image and Graphic Formats

Kdenlive allows you to import still images, image sequences, and vector graphics directly into the timeline.

• Standard Images: JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and WebP.
• Vector Graphics: SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), which can be resized infinitely without losing quality.
• Animated Images: Animated GIFs and APNGs.
• Image Sequences: You can import a numbered sequence of images (e.g., frame_001.png, frame_002.png) to be read as a continuous video clip, which is useful for time-lapses and 3D renders.

Other Supported Formats

Beyond traditional media, Kdenlive supports additional specialized formats:

• Subtitles: SRT, ASS, and VTT files can be imported to add subtitles to your video timeline.
• Lottie Animations: JSON-based Lottie animations are supported for advanced motion graphics and titles.