Video EditingBeginner

How to Remove a Video Background in CapCut Without a Green Screen

Use CapCut's AI auto cutout to delete the background behind a person in any clip, no green screen required.

7 minBeginner

CapCut's auto cutout uses AI to detect a person and erase everything around them, so you can drop them onto a new background, a solid color, or a blurred version of the original scene. It works best on a clip where the subject is well lit and clearly separated from the wall behind them.

What you need

  • CapCut desktop or mobile, signed in
  • A clip of a single person, ideally with even lighting
  • An optional second clip or image to use as the new background

Step 1: Stack two layers

Put your new background on track V1. Then drag the clip of the person onto track V2, directly above it. The cutout removes the background of the top layer, revealing whatever sits underneath.

CapCut - Layered timeline
Timeline
------------------------------------------------
V2 |==== subject_talking.mp4 (top) ==========|
V1 |==== city_skyline.mp4 (background) ======|
A1 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ waveform ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
The subject clip on V2 sits above the new background on V1.

Step 2: Select the subject clip

Click the clip on V2 once to select it. The right-hand panel switches to show its properties: Basic, Audio, Animation, and crucially Cutout (sometimes labeled Matting).

Step 3: Turn on Auto cutout

Open the Cutout tab and toggle Auto cutout on. After a short processing pass, the background disappears and your V1 layer shows through.

CapCut - Cutout panel
[ Basic ] [ Audio ] [ Animation ] [ Cutout ]
--------------------------------------------
[x] Auto cutout (processing... )
[ ] Custom cutout
Edge feather: o------------ 12
Stroke: [ off | on ]

Step 4: Clean up the edges

If the outline looks jagged, increase Edge feather slightly to soften it. Avoid pushing it too far or the subject starts to look like a sticker. For stray patches, use Custom cutout and the eraser brush to paint corrections frame by frame on tricky shots.

Lighting is everything
Auto cutout fails when the subject wears clothing the same color as the wall, or when motion blur smears the edge. If results are messy, re-light the original shot rather than fighting the cutout.

Step 5: Preview and export

Scrub through the whole clip to confirm the cutout holds during movement, then export at 1080p. The composite renders with the new background baked in.

Example: a phone clip filmed against a plain bedroom wall becomes a presenter standing in front of a moving skyline, with no green screen anywhere in the shot.

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Tags
#background-removal#cutout#auto-cutout#compositing