The best cameras and microphones alone do not make the perfect YouTube video. Yes, it’s true that those gears and accessories can help you capture high-quality videos while giving them a professional look. However, you still need the best video editing software in order to be able to bring out your ideas and fully captivate the attention of your audience.
YouTube is a video-sharing website that has grown to the point where content creators, otherwise known as YouTubers, now utilize the platform as a full-time workspace. And since the platform makes it possible to earn money via views and ads, more people are starting to take their content seriously. YouTubers create beautiful videos in the highest resolutions possible, add captivating intros and outros, include serenading music, create time-lapses, and do a lot of other things.
So now you may be thinking “how will my videos stand out in the midst of the over 1 billion videos available on YouTube every month?” Since you’ve got the gear and the accessories, what else do you need to create YouTube videos that captivate the attention of your audience? Well, the answer lies in editing software. While it’s true that you need to get the best gear you can afford, it’s also important to invest in the best editor for videos you can afford.
What Editing Software Is Best For YouTube?
We’ll be taking a look at some of the top editing software used by YouTubers. Mastering and knowing how and where to use these software will bring a dramatic change to your YouTube career. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the top editing software used by YouTubers;
Adobe Premiere Pro CC
This software is one of the most popular video editing software for YouTubers. Not only is the Adobe Premiere Pro CC a professional-grade software, but it’s also one that is being used in both TV and movie productions. This software comes with multiple tools that make editing a breeze. Many professional YouTubers find it accommodating and flexible. And since it’s also one of Adobe’s large family of programs dedicated to creatives, integrating it into your workflow is super easy. Combining this editor with the other programs in the Adobe family allows you to create even better and more unique videos.
This program is incredibly easy to use. While it may take a while for a complete beginner to learn the ropes, it’s not an exceedingly difficult task to master. The Adobe Premiere Pro CC is an editing app that’s quite accessible. As a first time user, you get a quick tutorial overview of how the major features work. This allows even a complete beginner to get a basic scope of what a particular button does and how to use them.
The Premiere Pro CC also comes with a beautiful and simple user interface that’s divided into four for an easy and interactive editing session. You can easily resize and customize these pages by adding and pinning your most-used tools. This program also comes with touchscreen support, which means that you can drag and drop with your fingers, pinch to zoom in and out, crop pictures with your fingers, and more.
The timeline is clutter-free so you are able to concentrate on your work. And thanks to a recent update, you can now have multiple projects open at once. This is incredibly useful for when you are looking to add old footage into a new YouTube video or when you want to simply add your regular components like intros, outros, signatures, etc. This allows you to speed up your work process easily. And since the Adobe Premiere Pro also comes with some of the tools that were only available on the Adobe After Effects program, you’ll be saving some cash on subscriptions too.
Pros
YouTubers love this video editing software for many reasons. With the Adobe Premiere Pro CC, you can customize every bit of your YouTube video, including the footage itself as well as the audio. Also, you don’t need to worry about the kind of camera you’re working with as the Premiere Pro CC supports all video formats.
YouTubers who work together on one channel can collaborate together to create stunning videos. It doesn’t matter where you are, you can easily collaborate with the editing team and push out your ideas right through the program. Another advantage of the Adobe Premiere Pro CC is its time-saving features, which include JKL trimming, automatic video and audio syncing, keeping effects applied to a clip no matter how many times they’re used, and more.
The fact that the Premiere Pro CC allows you to have total control on every part of your video is why most YouTubers like it. With this video editing software, you can calibrate gradients, filters, light balance, and more easily. You can even select specific portions such as background and faces, and work on them. Additionally, you can filter out the noise in your audio and use equalizers to bring it up to par.
Cons:
The Adobe Premiere Pro CC is a subscription-based software. The CC in the name means Creative Cloud, which simply means that the app is a cloud-based software too. While this method allows you to enjoy the latest updates as soon as they are released, it also means you won’t be getting access to your assets and contents if you’re not subscribed to the $20.99 service. Also, rendering can be slow sometimes and it doesn’t render directly to YouTube.
Final Cut Pro X
The Final Cut Pro X is Apple’s premium video editing software. It is simply one of the best editors for YouTube videos you can use. Whether you want to adjust your video’s lighting, animation, background, look, or color, the Final Cut Pro X is one tool that can help you out significantly. It is user-friendly and comes with pre-made effects and transitions. Also, it has an incredible Multicam feature and can export videos directly to YouTube, unlike the Premiere Pro CC. This simply means that you don’t have to export your YouTube videos to your computer, then upload them to YouTube.
Pros:
The Final Cut Pro X is a video editing program that comes with voice noise reduction. This allows you to reduce the noise in your video while enhancing low-light conditions. Its Multicam function contributes to why many YouTubers love it. The Final Cut Pro X allows you to automatically synchronize your YouTube video from up to 64 different angles. This simply means that you can edit footage from multiple cameras simultaneously.
As if that isn’t enough, the Final Cut Pro X comes with controls that allow you to create, edit, and add closed captions to your videos. This can be very useful for YouTubers whose followers complain about their accents or if you speak a different language and would like your international audience to understand you. Also, unlike the Premiere Pro that comes with a 7-day trial, the Final Cut Pro X features a 30-day trial period and can be purchased for a one-time fee of about $300.
Cons:
This video editor is a little difficult to understand, especially if you’re a complete beginner. The Final Cut Pro X also comes with shortcuts, but you’ll need to utilize multiple buttons in order to use some of them. It isn’t as easy to use and straightforward as the Premiere Pro. But once you get the hang of it, the Final Cut Pro X is a video editing program you’ll love.
Sony Vegas Pro
The Sony Vegas Pro is another video editing software many YouTubers use. While it’s only available on the Windows platform, it’s still one of the best video editors you can use. It is a professional and advanced software that helps YouTubers create better sceneries as well as great audio and video quality. However, just like the Final Cut Pro X, this video editing software isn’t one of the best options for beginners.
Pros:
Just like the Final Cut Pro X, the Sony Vegas Pro offers Multicam-editing and color correction. It also comes with masking tools and the auto white balance feature, both of which help bring creativity into your videos. Other advanced features embedded in this YouTube video editing software include 3D editing, compositing, chroma-keying, automatic crossfades, and more. As long as you’re a pro who’s conversant with the intricacies of video editing, this is one software you’re going to love.
Cons:
This video editing software is quite expensive. It sits in the $600 price range, which may be a bit steep for a beginner YouTuber. Also, the user interface isn’t the best, which means you’ll have to be a pro to figure things out easily. Basically, if you’re a YouTuber who isn’t very conversant with how video editing works, it may take a while for you to figure out how this software works. Additionally, this video editing software works on Windows OS only. So users with devices running other operating systems, such as Mac, will need to look elsewhere.
iMovie
Complete beginners who are looking to delve into the video editing space should look into this video editing software. It’s one of the best video editors beginner YouTubers use to make their videos look better. Available on Mac only, this editor removes the need to download third-party apps in order to create a good video. First released in 1999, iMovie has been included in every version of the Mac OS since 2003.
Pros:
It’s a free video editing app with basic features. While advanced creators won’t find it to be very useful, beginner YouTubers can use it as their training ground before deciding to go for third-party apps that cost real money. iMovie allows you to trim, crop, and arrange your videos in any way you like. You can also add audio files, titles, and create effects. It also allows you to fix shaky videos so you’ll be able to post more stable videos on your YouTube channel.
Thanks to the consistent upgrade of this video editing software, the latest version now allows users to edit 4K and HD videos. This simply means that even if you capture the video with your iPhone camera, GoPro camera, or any other digital camera, you can easily edit it on your Macbook via iMovie. To make things even better, you can easily share your videos in 4K resolution to your YouTube channel and other social media websites right from this free video editing software. It’s simply an editor of videos many beginner YouTubers have used and found to be beneficial.
Cons:
iMovie is a program made for macOS only. In other words, only iOS and Mac users can access it. Also, many advanced users won’t find it to be the best as it doesn’t come with a lot of advanced features.
- See also the Best Travel Camera
- Why not check out the best mirrorless camera
- On a budget? Check out the Best Video Cameras Under $500
How Do YouTubers Edit Their Videos?
YouTubers use many different methods and video editing tools to edit their videos. However, there are four basic steps that you’ll need to follow when you’re editing a video for your YouTube channel. We’ll be taking a look at these steps below:
The Video Editing Program
The first step to editing your video is by choosing a software you’re comfortable with. This software can be one of the ones mentioned above or any other program you feel will help your editing process. The program you choose will be used to edit individual clips, turning them into a single video file that can then be uploaded to your YouTube channel. Your video editing program should also come with editing tools that allow you to manipulate your graphics, add on-screen texts, reduce audio noise, add and fine-tune audio, enhance the background and color, etc.
Many of these programs are paid, expensive programs, including Adobe’s Premiere Pro, and Apple’s Final Cut Pro. There are free programs too that can be used for basic polishing, such as iMovie and Windows Movie Maker. The one you choose depends on how much editing you want to use in your videos.
Editing Your Production
The next step is to edit your video and make it into a seamless production that tells your story. Most of the video editors available offer a timeline view where you can drag and drop individual shots. You take each of these shots, which are separate video files, and bring them together to create a master video.
Depending on what you want in your videos, you can shorten and trim individual shots, move them around, and delete the video content that won’t suit your purpose. You can even add transitions between shots in order to achieve a distinct and more professional look.
Graphics, Text, and Special Effects
Once you’ve created a complete master timeline by adding your individual shots together to create one video, it’s time to add your special effects. You can add different special effects to your YouTube videos as long as it suits your message. Some special effects you can add include soft focus, split-screen, sepia-tone, background music, as well as superimposing texts and graphics.
Many of these effects aren’t difficult to carry out. Some video editors provide users with guides on how to edit videos and how to use these editing features. However, as fun and tempting as special effects may seem, it’s good to make it simple and not go overboard. The essence of the video is to pass your message across not to show your audience how cool you are at making fancy videos.
Saving In The Right Format
Once you’re done with your video edits, the next thing you want to do is save your video using the best format possible. YouTube is a platform that accepts most file formats so you should be able to upload your video content no matter what format you choose. However, if you’ll be uploading the same video to other media websites, you may need to consider your format before saving. It’s recommended that you save your videos in .AVI, .WMA, and .MP4 formats as these are some of the most accepted formats online.
Also, many viewers tend to expect their videos in 16:9 screen sizes. So when making your edits, ensure that you’re using this screen ratio. Another thing you want to do is render your videos in higher resolutions. It is recommended that you render them in 720P, 1080P, or 4K resolutions. Most mobile devices, computer monitors, and TVs can now stream videos in high definition. So you want to make sure that your viewers are able to get the best resolution possible no matter what their devices may be.
Conclusion
Creating videos for your YouTube channel shouldn’t be a difficult task. You don’t need to spend tons of cash on multiple products in order to get great clips. As long as you have the right camera, accessories, and tools, you’ll be able to provide your viewers with the perfect, professional video.
As a beginner, we recommend that you try out a free video editor before deciding to go for a paid version. Once you have reached the peak of the learning curve and you’re ready for more advanced features, you can then use Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and other high-end products on the market. You can try out their free-trial versions before deciding to buy a subscription or paid version.
