Best Video Editor for YouTube!

I recall my very first try at editing a YouTube video—a complete failure, I must add. I had a wonderful idea in my head, but I was not able to cut the video correctly. My timeline resembled a jigsaw puzzle put together the wrong way! With time, I came to understand that editing can make or break a video.

Regardless of how great your video is, if it’s disjointed, people will click away. Don’t worry, though, don’t let that frighten you. With the appropriate tools and some practice, editing can be the enjoyable part of content creation.

Key Features to Look For

If you’re new to video editing, a cluttered interface can leave you feeling as though you’re trying to pilot an airplane without attending flight school. Believe me, I’ve been there. Look for software that features an intuitive layout so you can dive in and experiment without needing to spend an hour looking for the “split clip” button.

Editing Effects and Tools

Simple cuts such as cutting, splitting, and joining clips together can be dull, but they are your best friends early on. I’ve spent hours fiddling with flashy transitions, only to find that simple cuts did a lot better job of holding people’s attention.

Audio Editing

Don’t underestimate the strength of good sound. I once posted a video in which my voiceover could hardly be heard—essentially, my viewers were hearing me whisper. A good audio panel will allow you to amplify vocals, cut out background noise, and even add some catchy background music.

Export Options

If you’re going to be uploading all over the web, you’re going to want software that can handle a range of file sizes and resolutions. Uploading to YouTube is also included with some editors, a time-saver when you’re in a crunch (or you’re just feeling extremely lazy, because let’s be real, sometimes that’s me).

If you’re looking to increase your subscribers, using tools to refine your editing skills is key.

Speed and Performance

Waiting for your video to render is like watching paint dry—especially if you’re working with 4K footage. If your software is excruciatingly slow on your computer, you’ll probably leave your project mid-edit, so it’s nice to have a program that’s a middle ground between performance and your computer’s capabilities.

Popular Video Editing Software

These are the professional tools that you can use.

• Adobe Premiere Pro is essentially the gold standard for most creators, but I found it hard to learn how to do even basic things at first. Completely worth it if you’re working at a pro level, however.
• Final Cut Pro is great if you’re on a Mac. My friend swears by it since it’s really fast and super stable.
• DaVinci Resolve is free to begin with, which is incredible. Its color grading abilities are top-notch, although I once accidentally turned my footage neon green by accident because I had no clue what I was doing!
• Filmora is relatively simple. I tried it out once, and in an hour, I had a good video prepared—no great pains.
• iMovie is an old friend to Mac users. It is not flashy, but hey, it does the job without making you nuts.

Free Alternatives

• Lightworks also has a solid free version. It’s been used in professional environments, which is kinda cool to boast about.
• HitFilm Express even has VFX tools, although they can be somewhat finicky if you’re unaccustomed to layering effects.
• Shotcut is multi-platform and open-source. It is not flashy, but I appreciate that it is so stable.

Leveraging Views4You’s engagement support can complement your editing skills and help videos reach the right audience.

Compatibility and System Requirements

Not all editors are compatible with all systems. I once downloaded some fancy program and discovered it wouldn’t operate on my aging laptop. Complete disappointment. Do pay attention to suggested RAM, GPU, and CPU specs. Also, verify your camera’s file format is supported—nobody wishes to waste 2 a.m. grappling with strange codec issues.

I once believed that software monthly payments were not a big deal, until all of those subscriptions began to add up. A few editors, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, are subscription-based only, while others such as Final Cut Pro are one-time purchases. Decide what is best for your wallet in the long term.

The majority of paid programs provide free trials, which is great since you get to dip your toes in. Just beware of watermarks—they can be right in the center of your screen, which is not exactly where you’d like it to be for a final upload.

Others entice you with a low price, only to find out you have to pay extra for frilly transitions or special audio enhancements. I found out about this one the hard way some years ago, and was not happy with my surprise invoice.

If you want to improve your stats from here, knowing your options for software and marketing tools is essential.

Advanced Editing and Special Effects

Ever wished to record yourself on a beach while you’re really in your cluttered bedroom? Green screen can make that possible. Just be ready to invest some time in getting the lighting correct, or you’ll be left with strange flickering edges.

Title screens, lower thirds, or even animated subscribe buttons can make your videos look professional. I used to overdo the animations, and my audience complained that it was distracting. Less is more.

Color can determine the mood of your whole video. That’s why everybody loves DaVinci Resolve—it’s incredible for color-correcting your video. Just make sure to practice first before you end up ruining the original colors, like I did when I made someone’s face bright orange.

Multicam editing is a lifesaver if you’re working with interviews or more than one camera. It’s bewildering initially, but in fact an enormous time-saver once you get the knack of it.

Efficiency and Workflow

Believe me, it will pay off in time in the long run to name your clips and put them into folders (bins). I wasted afternoons trying to find one specific clip because I’d titled all of them “Clip 1,” “Clip 2,” etc.

Keyboard shortcuts are your friends. After you’re accustomed to them, you’ll never wish to click on a menu again. Editing goes from “drag-and-drop” to “bam, done” in half the time.

If you’re collaborating on a group project, seek out cloud or collaborative editing capability. That way, you won’t need to carry around a large hard drive or worry about losing an important version of your work.

Online Resources and Tutorials

Alright, I’ll confess: I do skip the official docs from time to time. But they can definitely familiarize you with all the secret features you had no idea about.

There are so many professional editors who post tutorials on YouTube. I even picked up a complex masking technique from a 15-minute tutorial once. It’s free school—why not take advantage of it?

Forums are your friend when you’re stuck on something really specific. Other people on there have likely already encountered whatever crazy glitch you’re dealing with.

Tips for Editing YouTube Videos

Don’t waste time—audiences do not have long attention spans, particularly online. I found this out to my cost when my 20-minute monologue was being watched for an average of 2 minutes.

Use the same intros, color schemes, or lower-thirds. Not only is it cool, but it also makes your content immediately identifiable.

Captions are a total game-changer for accessibility, and also for people who watch with the sound turned off. It’s a small step that can open your audience in a big way.

FAQ

What is the best beginner video editing software? 

iMovie or Filmora are super easy to begin with.

Which free editing software has no watermark? 

DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, and Lightworks.

What are the specifications for video editing?

At least 16GB of RAM, a multi-core CPU, and a dedicated GPU.

How do I enhance my editing skills?

Practice, tutorials, and experimentation.