How to Edit YouTube Videos: A Beginner’s Guide

As a video marketer, knowing how to edit YouTube videos is an important skill, especially when it comes to post-production.

If you can’t stitch your shots together or cut to the right frames, your video won’t look polished and will alienate your audience.

That said, if you are working on a low budget, you may not be able to afford it. video editing software, So what’s a video marketer to do without software?

Luckily, YouTube offers a web-based video editor that is completely free and accessible through its platform.

Learn how to use YouTube Native in this postvideo editingTools, as well as best practices to keep in mind when editing your videos to make sure you keep your viewers engaged and interested in watching more.

How to use YouTube’s video editor

YouTube’s video editor is an extremely basic editing tool, but it can still allow you to trim clips from any part of your video, so read on to learn how to cut your videos directly in the video platform. .

1. Sign in youtube studio,

YouTube Studio is a platform provided by YouTube to creators to control their presence, edit and upload videos, and track performance. The studio can be accessed via desktop or app.

2. Click on Content.

If you’re using the desktop version, go to the sidebar on the left and click on Contents. If you’re using an app, the Content tab is at the bottom.

3. Click on the thumbnail of the video you want to edit.

While YouTube is compatible with several formatting types (3GPP, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG4, MPEGPS, WebM, and WMV), YouTube recommends that the format be MPEG4 or “MP4” when uploading any video in order to maintain the highest possible quality.

If you are currently using another format, you can use a tool like Veed’s video converter To convert any video to MP4. This will allow you to upload videos to YouTube without compromising on video quality.

4. In the left sidebar, click Editor.

5. Trim the beginning or end of your video.

Select if you want to trim the beginning or end of your video trimIt’s next to your video’s timer and just above your Timeline panel.

You should see a blue box appear around your video timeline panel. Drag them to crop the beginning or end of your rough cut that you don’t want to include in your final published version. Click Preview To view edits, click more save at the top right corner if you are satisfied.

6. Cut the clip in the middle of your video.

Select if you want to trim a specific clip from the middle of your video. trim, Next, in your Timeline panel, click on the beginning of the portion of the clip you want to delete and press split,

Next, in your Timeline panel, click on the end of the clip you want to delete and press split re.

7. add end screen for your video.

If you want to give your viewers the option to watch one of your related videos or playlists or subscribe to your channel, click on the End Screen icon shown at the bottom of your Timeline panel.

The image below displays the end screen icon outlined in red.

You can upload your existing end-screen template by clicking apply template Choose from the pop-up menu (here’s a helpful guide to creating your own) or from the editor’s native options: Video, playlist, subscribe, ChannelOr Add,

While YouTube’s video-editing tools in Creator Studio can be helpful, you might be looking for a more robust editing tool. If this sounds like you, check out our post on some Best YouTube Video Editor Alternative.

how to edit videos for youtube

Understanding how to edit your videos is essential, but it’s also important to make sure you’re editing videos into an end product that users are interested in. Let’s discuss best practices to keep in mind when editing your videos during post-production.

Create attractive thumbnails for each video.

Thumbnails are the first thing your viewers see before watching your video, so they’re your first chance to grab their attention and engage your audience.

Your thumbnails can be screenshots of specific moments in your video or text-based titles, but they should be exciting and leave your audience curious and wanting to learn more.

is here helpful guide To create youtube thumbnails.

tell a story.

Just as we do when we read a book, we want the video we watch to tell a story. This means that your video should flow and follow the fundamentals of storytelling: a beginning, a middle, and an end.

You want your story to guide viewers through what you’re sharing with them, and not leave them confused and wondering how one clip relates to another.

this post is full explanation Storytelling Basics and how you can apply its principles when editing your videos.

Use eye-catching elements in all your videos.

In addition to telling a story, adding engaging elements to your videos during editing is a great way to keep your viewers engaged.

Engaging elements can be things like images, text and shapes, animations, music, and fun transitions.

Be sure to choose an element that makes sense and complements your video, as you don’t want to take away from your high-quality content.

Build a basic video editing style.

One of the best ways to streamline your editing process and engage your audience is to develop a basic editing style that you’ll use and apply to each video.

This means a consistent way to edit your videos, thumbnail styles, music, transitions, and any other added elements you’ll always use.

You’ll spend less time finding new elements each time you sit down to edit, and your audience will come to recognize your consistent style.

For example, maybe you always give a snippet of the most dramatic or exciting moment at the beginning of your video to hook your viewers in later.

Maintain this consistent style with all of your videos, as this will give you a consistent framework to work with and keep your viewers engaged and wanting more.

keep it simple.

Although it can be tempting to do as much as you can to attract your audience, it is also important to keep it simple and not overwhelm your audience.

Too many unnecessary transitions, loud music, images and text can distract from your video content and have the opposite effect.

Aim to find a careful balance of the original video content and complementary elements.

Take time to walk away and come back.

video editing Can be stressful, especially if you sit in front of a computer for hours at a time.

It can be easy to second-guess your work, so it can be beneficial to step away for a while so that you are refreshed, energized, and ready to make the final cut.

You can think of it this way: If you’re at a desk editing video for six hours, you’re hyperfocusing on it and nothing else. You may start to feel stuck or feel like you’ve hit a wall and your video is bad.

If you step away for a few hours or days, you can come back with fresh eyes to make final edits and feel that your video is good; You just needed to take a break and come back refreshed.

Editing YouTube Videos for Dummies: A Checklist

Before, during, or after editing your YouTube videos, keep this checklist in mind:

• Include SEO-optimized tags and titles for your videos. tubbuddy, AhrefsAnd hubspot All have tools you can use to optimize your videos to help them rank higher in the SERPs.
• Have a realistic and consistent production timeline. For example, if you want to upload videos every two weeks, make sure you allocate enough time to meet your deadline.
• Include an attractive thumbnail.
• Make sure you have good quality audio. It doesn’t matter how well edited your videos are — if the audio is bad, audiences won’t tune in or share.
• Share on all appropriate social media channels. Make sure to promote your videos on your brand’s social media platforms to reach as many people as possible.
• Track your post-uploaded analytics. You need to track the performance of your videos so that you know what you need to improve or focus on next time.
  

Track trends, like when your viewers are most active or which videos they enjoy the most.

Whether you use YouTube’s native tools or third-party software, editing your videos should be fun. Take the time to understand what works for the content you produce, create a consistent editing strategy, and watch the ideas roll in.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.