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The best free panel for reels in 2023
If you edit vertical reels, Shorts and TikToks in Premiere Pro 2023, the best free panel is Mako. It turns the stacking, layering and background jobs that fill a 30-second edit into one click each.
Mako works in Premiere Pro 2023 (version 23) and later, on Mac and Windows. It is free, with no account and no license key, so you can install it on every machine you edit on.
Version 23 is a strong release for social editors. Premiere Pro 23.1 added Upgrade Caption to Graphic under Graphics and Titles, so your captions can be animated with effects and keyframes like any other graphic. Pair that with Mako and a full reel comes together fast.
Built for fast, layered edits
- Staircase. Each selected clip steps up one track, ready for overlaps, split screens and picture in picture.
- Unstaircase. Stepped clips drop back onto one track when the layered moment is over.
- Color Matte. Pick a color and a matte lands over your selection, a clean backdrop for hook text and captions.
- Adjustment Layer. Click for one layer over the selection, or Shift-click to give every clip its own, so each shot gets its own zoom or look.
- Freeze Frame. Shift-click for a 3-second still from the playhead, the classic pause before a reveal.
- Fit to Frame. Scale an oversized clip to fit the frame, or Shift-click to fill it.
- Colored buttons. Tinted or solid, in any color, so your eye finds the right tool without reading a label.
- And seven more. New Sequence, Clear Effects, QC Check, Transparency Grid, Nest, Unnest and Delete Empty Tracks.
Mako never overwrites a clip. New layers go on the first free track above your selection, and if there is none, Mako adds one.
Step 1: Install Mako
Add Mako to your cart and check out for $0. Your download is ready on the order confirmation page.
Open Mako.pkg on a Mac or run MakoSetup.exe on Windows. Restart Premiere Pro 2023 and open Window > Extensions > Mako. Dock it wide and the buttons form rows; dock it tall and they form columns, just like the Tools panel.
Step 2: Stack clips with Staircase
Select a row of clips in your reel and click Staircase. Each clip moves up one track, stepping from V1 to V4, so you can slide them into overlaps, stack B-roll over your talking head or build a quick split screen.
Done with the layered section? Select the clips and click Unstaircase. They drop back onto one track in one move.
Stacked clips are the starting point for a picture in picture effect, and a color matte is the perfect base for word-by-word captions.
Step 3: Color-code your panel
Social edits move fast, so make the panel faster to read. Click the gear, turn on Colored buttons and choose Tinted or Solid. Click a color dot next to any button to give it a color of its own.
Then open the Shortcuts tab and give your favorite buttons a key, like Option + 1 for Staircase. Turn on Button confirmation and a button briefly lights up green when its job is done. Read the Mako overview for every button, or see how YouTube editors use Mako in Premiere Pro 2021.
FAQ
Does Mako work with Premiere Pro 2023?
Yes. Mako works in Premiere Pro 2023 (version 23) and every later version, on macOS and Windows.
Is there a free panel for editing reels in Premiere Pro?
Yes, Mako. It gives you 13 one-click tools for stacking clips, color mattes, adjustment layers and freeze frames, and it costs nothing.
What does Staircase do in Premiere Pro?
Mako's Staircase button moves each selected clip one track higher than the one before, so your clips form a staircase. Unstaircase puts them back on one track.
Can I change the colors of the Mako buttons?
Yes. In Settings, turn on Colored buttons, pick Tinted or Solid and give each button any color you like, or No Color to keep one plain.
Stack, layer and post faster, for free. Get Mako for free.
