Elevate Your Edits: The Beginner’s Insider Look at Editing Techniques

YouTube Video Editing Tips for Beginner Editors

Marion Dubois

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Creating good-quality videos regularly can be difficult, especially when you are a beginner. The most crucial part of making a video is editing. This is the part where you have to look at every intricate detail. This is the part where you remove unwanted footage and place useful shots in their position. Every creator has their editing style by which they put their mark on their videos.

Editing can be a long and tedious process. It takes time, patience, and an immense amount of creativity to create a video good enough to impress the viewers. Here are few tips that will make your editing process easier and cut your editing time in half.

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Top 10 Video Editing Tips for YouTube Beginners

The following will not tell you how to edit your YouTube videos, but will surely make editing a little more convenient.

1. Choose a Good Video Editor

One of the first things you have to do is make sure that you have chosen a video editor that is best for you.

Using either too complicated or too basic a video editor can only create problems for you. An advanced video editor may create very high-end, professional videos, but it will take months just to get the hang of the software. Whereas a free basic video editor may not give as many options as you’d need to edit your videos properly.

2. Use Fast Computers

Being a video creator, you’ll have to store numerous huge files on your computer. To improve your current PC, you can invest in an SSD, which is a lot faster than the traditional hard disk.

SSD will not only improve your export, loading, and rendering time but it will allow you to access files and editing software much faster. Another improvement you can make to make your editing process faster is to increase the RAM of your computer (it should be at least 8 GB). Also, make sure to get the recommended video card and processor for your video editor.

3. Invest Your Time in Video Editing Tutorials

You can watch video editing tutorials to learn and perfect the art of video editing. You can easily find free tutorials online, visiting websites like Skillshare and Red Giant tutorials to access free video editing tutorials. Search for tutorials that are specific to the editing software you use. You can also search for tutorials that will help improve your content.

4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Learn the keyboard shortcuts for various functions in the software, especially the ones that are usually repeated throughout the process like undo, redo, delete, etc.

You can also invest in an Editing keyboard, they are software specific and already have keyboard shortcut icons in them.

5. Add Good Music

Another important tip to keep your audience all ears is to add good music to your videos. Whether it is background music or a soundtrack in between shots, it has to pair well with your video.

If you are on a budget and don’t want to spend money on music, there are royalty-free options available. But, know that good music only comes at a price.

6. Add Text, Titles, and Graphics

You can choose from a wide variety of text and titles. You’ll also have tools to enhance the graphics of your video. When you have so many options, choosing the right one can be difficult. It is better to keep the font of the text simple.

You can also use video editors to add flashy motion graphics to your videos. You can either create your graphics by hand or you can also choose from a variety of ready-made graphics templates.

7. Don’t Forget to Color Correction

Not color correcting your videos may render them looking dull and lifeless. Color is one of the major elements that play a crucial part in setting the mood of your video. Depending upon the type of content you’re portraying in the video, you can use a color scheme to highlight specific aspects or to evoke certain emotions in the audience.

Color correction is used to make your video appear consistent throughout the scenes. Whereas color grading is used to make videos stand out. Both are essential to differentiate certain scenes from others.

8. Learn Important Terms

Learn the terms commonly used in video editing. It will help you become proficient with the software and the process of editing. Some common terms used in the editing sphere are:

• Cutaways
• Jump Cuts
• Match Cuts/Match-Action Montage
• J and L Cuts
• Cutting on Action

9. Store Your Video Files on an External Drive

Storing your huge video files on an external drive will free up a lot of space on your computer. This will help speed up your device so you don’t have to worry about slow rendering.

10. Make Copies of Your Files

Always make more than two copies of your files. You can use the 321 rule. The rule is to make 3 copies of your files, store them in two different places, where one place should be physically separate from the other.

The Best YouTube Video Editing Software for Beginners

There are many video editing software available in the video editing market, but Wondershare Filmora is the best video editor for beginners and professionals alike. It has a beginner-friendly interface, contains advanced editing tools, and is available at a reasonable price.

Here is a list of few features offered by Wondershare Filmora.

1. AI Portrait

It helps make your videos vibrant and colorful

2. Visual and Audio Effects

Visual and audio effects can be added to improve the image and sound quality of the video

3. Audio Ducking

You can layer one sound on top of the other.

4. Cool Texts

You can add cool texts and titles from the library.

5. Screen Recording

You can record the screen activity of your device.

Final Word

As a beginner, the time and effort required to make a good video can be reduced to half if you follow a few simple tricks that professionals use daily. It’s all about working smart and not hard. You can save time by learning the editing term and keyboard shortcuts. You can save your files in an external drive to save storage and make backup in case of any mishaps. Remember to color grade, add cool texts and good music to make your videos distinct.

Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Marion Dubois

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