State of Kdenlive

Kdenlive is putting more weight on stability and maintenance than feature expansion in 2025, while continuing to ship three major releases per year in line with the KDE Gear release cycle.

25.04.0 reflected the last large batch of features.

• Added automatic masking tool
• Rewrote OpenTimelineIO import/export functionality based on a C++ library
• Improved audio waveform generation performance by 300%
• Added background removal support via the SAM2-based Object Segmentation plugin

25.08.0 was a stabilization-focused release.

• Reflected over 300 commits and more than 15 crash fixes
• Redesigned the Audio Mixer for clearer level and threshold display
• Fixed HiDPI display issues
• Major overhaul of Markers and Guides
• Improved SVG/image support and resizing functionality in Titler

25.12.0 focused on refining user experience and interface.

• Added a Welcome Screen for first-run users
• Introduced a more flexible docking system with widget grouping and show/hide
• Improved the ability to save and share layouts as separate files
• Overhauled the Project Monitor audio waveform interface and minimap

The next release and roadmap will bring bigger structural improvements.

• Monitor mirroring and transition previews
• Batch changing playback speed across multiple clips
• 10/12-bit color support, OpenFX support, playback-optimized decoding
• Subtitle system refactoring, Advanced Trimming Tools, keyframing system refactor
• Implementation of a Dopesheet for handling keyframes of multiple effects simultaneously

Development and the ecosystem continue to expand.

• 38 people contributed code in 2025, about half of whom were first-time contributors
• 11,500,714 downloads were recorded based on the download page
• The Flathub package saw 41,499 downloads per month
• Collaboration and outreach continue through community sprints, Akademy, and regional meetups and workshops

Financially, donations have decreased but operations continue.

• Total 2025 donations were €9,344.80, a decrease from 2024
• About 30% of the total came from recurring sponsorships
• The project emphasizes that continued community support is needed to expand maintenance and further development capacity.