As a video marketer, knowing methods to edit YouTube videos is a vital skill, especially with regards to post-production.
When you can’t seamlessly weave your shots together or get your cut to hit the proper frame, your video will seem unpolished and disengage your viewers.
That said, for those who’re operating on a shoestring budget, you may not have the ability to afford video editing software. So what’s a video marketer to do without editing software?
Fortunately, YouTube offers a web-based video editor that’s entirely free and accessible through its platform.
On this post, learn methods to use YouTube’s nativevideo-editingtools, in addition to best practices to remember when editing your videos to make sure you’re keeping your audience engaged and all for watching more.
How you can Use YouTube’s Video Editor
YouTube’s video editor is an especially basic editing tool, butit can still allow you to trim clips out of any a part of your video, so read on to learn methods to chop up your videos right within the video platform.
1. Sign up to YouTube Studio.
YouTube Studio is a platform provided by YouTube for creators to regulate their presence, edit and upload videos, and track performance. The studio is accessible via desktop or app.
2. Click Content.
When you’re using the desktop version, go to the sidebar on the left and click on Content. When you’re using the app, the Content tab is at the underside.
3. Click the thumbnail of the video you ought to edit.
While YouTube is compatible with multiple formatting types (3GPP, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG4, MPEGPS, WebM and WMV), YouTube recommends format is MPEG4 or “MP4” when uploading any videos to retain the best quality possible.
When you’re currently using one other format, you should use tools like Veed’s video converter to alter any video to MP4. It will permit you to upload the video to YouTube without compromising video quality.
4. Within the left sidebar, click Editor.
5. Trim the start or end of your video.
If you ought to trim the start or end of your video, select Trim, which is next to your video’s timer and right above your timeline panel.
You must see a blue box around the edges of your video timeline panel. Drag them to cut off the parts of the start or end of your rough cut that you just don’t want to incorporate in your final published version. Click Preview to view the edit, and click on Save on the highest right-hand corner for those who’re satisfied.
6. Trim clips out of the center of your video.
If you ought to trim a particular clip out of the center of your video, select Trim. Next, in your timeline panel, click the start of the portion of the clip you’d wish to remove and press Split.
Next, in your timeline panel, click the tip of the clip that you just’d wish to remove and press Split again.
Finally, click on the blue line at either the start or end of your clip and drag it to the opposite side to trim it out of your video. Click Preview to view your edited video, and click on Save for those who’re satisfied.
7. Add an end screen to your video.
If you ought to give your viewers the choice to look at certainly one of your related videos or playlists or subscribe to your channel, click the tip screen icon shown at the underside of your timeline panel.
The image below displays the tip screen icon outlined in red.
You’ll be able to upload your existing end-screen template by clicking Apply template within the pop-up menu (this can be a helpful guide for creating your individual) or select from the editor’s native options: Video, Playlist, Subscribe, Channel, or Link.
While YouTube’s video-editing tool in Creator Studio will be helpful, chances are you’ll be searching for a more robust editing tool. If this appears like you, try our post on a few of one of the best YouTube video editor alternatives.
How To Edit Videos For YouTube
While understanding methods to edit your videos is important, it’s also essential to be sure you’re editing videos right into a final product that users are all for. Let’s discuss best practices to remember when editing your videos during post-production.
Create engaging thumbnails for every video.
Thumbnails are the very first thing your viewers see before watching your video, in order that they’re your first probability to capture attention and attract your audience.
Your thumbnails will be screenshots of specific moments out of your videos and even text-based titles, but they needs to be exciting and leave your audience intrigued and wanting to learn more.
Here’s a helpful guide to creating YouTube thumbnails.
Tell a story.
Just as we do once we read a book, we would like the videos we watch to inform a story. Which means your videos must have a flow and follow the basic elements of storytelling: having a starting, middle, and end.
You’ll want your story to guide viewers through what you’re sharing with them, and so they won’t be left confused and wondering how one clip is expounded to a different.
This post is a radical explanation of the fundamentals of storytelling and the way you’ll be able to apply its principles when editing your videos.
Use engaging elements in all of your videos.
Along with telling a story, adding engaging elements to your videos during editing is a fantastic solution to keep your audience engaged.
Engaging elements will be things like images, text and shapes, animations, music, and fun transitions.
Be sure you select a component that is smart and complements your videos, as you don’t wish to take the main target away out of your high-quality content.
Create a baseline video editing style.
Among the best ways to streamline your editing process and keep your audience engaged is to develop a baseline editing style that you just’ll use and apply to each video.
This implies a consistent way of editing your videos, thumbnail style, music, transitions, and every other added elements that you just’ll at all times use.
You’ll spend less time finding recent elements each time you sit all the way down to edit, and your audience will come to acknowledge your consistent style.
For instance, possibly you mostly give a snippet in the beginning of your videos of essentially the most dramatic or exciting moment that may occur afterward to attract in your audience.
Sustain this consistent style with all of your videos, because it will provide you with a consistent framework to work from and keep your audience engaged and wanting more.
Keep it easy.
Although it will probably be tempting to do as much as you’ll be able to to attract in your audience, it’s also essential to maintain it easy and never overwhelm your viewers.
Too many unnecessary transitions, loud music, images, and text can distract out of your video content and have the alternative effect.
Aim to seek out a careful balance of original video content and supplemental elements.
Take time to step away and are available back.
Editing video will be stressful, especially for those who sit in front of a pc for hours at a time.
It might probably grow to be easy to second-guess your work, so it will probably be helpful to step away for some time so you’ll be able to come back fresh, energized, and able to make a final cut.
You’ll be able to consider it like this: for those who’ve been sitting at a desk for six hours editing a video, you’ve been hyperfocused on that and nothing else. You could begin to feel stuck or such as you’ve hit a wall and that your video is bad.
When you step away for a couple of hours or days, you’ll be able to come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes to make final edits and realize that your video is nice; you only needed to take a break and are available back refreshed.
Editing YouTube Videos for Beginners: A Checklist
Keep this checklist in mind before, during, or after editing your YouTube videos:
- Include Search engine optimization-optimized tags and titles in your videos. TubeBuddy, Ahrefs, and HubSpot all contain tools you should use to optimize your videos to assist them rank high SERPs.
- Have a sensible and consistent production timeline. For instance, if you ought to upload videos every two weeks, be sure you allot enough time to fulfill your deadlines.
- Include an attention grabbing thumbnail.
- Ensure you have got good-quality audio. It doesn’t matter how well-edited your videos are — if the audio is poor, audiences won’t tune in or share.
- Share to all the right social media channels. Ensure to advertise your videos in your brand’s social media platforms to succeed in as many individuals as possible.
- Track your post-uploaded analytics. It’s good to keep track of your video’s performance in order that you recognize what you must improve or deal with next time.
Keep a watch out for trends, reminiscent of when your audience is most energetic or what videos they enjoy essentially the most.
Whether you utilize YouTube’s native tools or third-party software, editing your videos needs to be fun. Take the time to know what works for the content you produce, create a consistent editing strategy, and watch the views roll in.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
