How To Edit a YouTube Video Like a Pro: 9 SIMPLE TIPS

The difference between a good and an amazing YouTube video depends upon how perfectly the content is presented. If you’re wondering how to edit a YouTube video that is easy to watch and understand to get the max out of your hardwork behind the video, you’ve come to the right place.

Though the quality and the value you provide through your YouTube video is definitely the first thing that matters.

But other than that, there are a few small pointers that can make your YouTube video look well-put.

The tips that we’re going to discuss in this post revolve around the editing part of your YouTube video creation.

There are a ton of videos on YouTube, so it is essential that yours stand out.

Believe me, if you put all these tips into action, you yourself will feel that your video now looks more professional.

Also, it creates an impact on the viewer that says that the person in the video knows what he or she is talking about. (Content quality still remains the top-most thing that decides how great your video is)

Are we warmed up yet? Let’s dive in.

9 Tips on how to edit a YouTube video

Are you still editing on a phone?

If you are really serious about YouTube and want to be a quality YouTube content creator that people go to for answers, edit YouTube videos on a desktop.

I agree that editing on a phone is much easier and comfortable.

But it restricts you in so many ways.

When you edit your YouTube video on a software on your laptop or desktop, you will more flexibility in the terms of editing.

One obvious benefit is that the screen is bigger, which will let you see and inspect your video closely. On the tiny mobile screen, you can’t add proper headings and subtitles because you can’t actually make out how they will look on a desktop.

Don’t be overwhelmed.

Editing on a desktop is not as hard as you think.

There are different video editing softwares available online, some are free while some are paid. They also have different levels of ease of use and complexity.

The ones I have used and tried are: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Premiere Rush, Da Vinci Resolve 16 and Filmora.

Out of these, ranking in the order of easiest-to-hardest: Adobe Premiere Rush > Filmora > Da Vinci Resolve 16 > Adobe Premiere Pro.

If you haven’t worked on an Adobe software before and are a complete fresher when it comes to video editing, I won’t recommend Premiere Pro.

Filmora has amazing, simple drag and drop features, animated overlays, transitions, etc.

Da Vinci Resolve gives you a bit more flexibility and more pro tools to edit your videos. Try these out and start editing on a desktop from today.

Also Read: How to monetize your YouTube Channel

Click baits are annoying, SKIP THEM

Yes, click baits work most of the time.

But they are a huge turn off and will definitely make people unsubscribe if they had previously subscribed to your channel.

Keep your video’s title short and to-the-point. Include your keywords in it.

Pay attention to the audio

You might be getting good-enough audio from your camera itself.

But it will always be better if you use an external device such as a mic for recording the audio.

You don’t essentially need to buy a very expensive one. There’s a Boya collar mic on Amazon available for just Rs. 784.

At the points where your background music starts and ends, fade off the sound so that it increasing gradually and not abruptly.

Also Read: How to Reuse Videos on Multiple Social Media Platforms

Cut and trim to perfection

It is natural that in a sit-down-talking-video there would be moments in which the person speaks words such as umm.. uhh… etc.

Cut these off to make it look smoother, without a hitch.

It will take some precision to cut out the exact moments from the video clips but it will be worth it.

Talk slow. You know what you’re talking about because you’ve written and rehearsed it but the viewer is listening to it for the first time.

Give the viewer some time to register the info you shared and understand. Don’t rush.

Here’s a video from the YouTube Channel – Garden Up. She talks at the perfect pace that is easy and comfortable to follow. I wasn’t that interested in plants before, but the way she speaks made me see the entire video anyway.

Also Read: Affordable decor items for your YouTube video setup

Different angles & filler video clips to keep the viewer engaged

The video can become a bit monotonous and boring if it is just you talking for 5 minutes in a single shot.

No other angles at all.

This can make the viewer lose his or her attention and maybe even stop watching it.

You have to keep them engaged throughout the video. How to do that?

While you’re shooting the sit-down video explaining a topic, keep one recording device in the front and another at an angle.

Another great thing to do is, shoot filler video clips.

I’m guessing you have the script written down in a notebook? If not, you should.

Shoot some video clips related to the things you are going to talk about in the video. For example, if your video is about blogging tips, you can shoot video clips of you typing on your laptop – a zoomed in shot of your fingers on the keyboard.

A shot of you turning your laptop on, opening a notebook and writing down a plan etc.

Here’s an example, a video by Pick Up Limes on YouTube,

Also Read: Grow Your YouTube Channel With TubeBuddy Extension

Choose background music that suits your niche

There’s plenty of free-to-use music available on the Internet.

Don’t use background music that speaks more about your personal taste in music, rather than the topic of the video.

The background music shouldn’t overpower your own voice in the video or take the attention away from the actual content in the video.

Keep it subtle and on a low-volume.

Here are some YouTube channels you can explore to get copyright free music for your videos,

1. Audio Library – Music for Content Creators
2. No Copyright Sounds
3. LuKremBo – This is a recent find. The music collection is quite aesthetic. Do check this one out.
4. Audio Library Plus – Official Releases
5. Vlog No Copyright Music

Check out this video about slow living, notice how the background music is slow and soothing? Feels quite cohesive.

Maybe switch from intros to extros?

This one is a bold move.

Most of the videos on YouTube have an intro sequence or a channel trailer where the name of the channel shows up, quirky animation, or just the person introducing the channel and himself or herself.

When you are looking for a YouTube video to learn something, are you really in the mood to watch an intro first?

Moreover, an intro paired with a long talking session can sometimes come off as a little off-topic for some people.

But if you have a channel or your video is about a casual conversation, that’s okay. You know your target audience the best.

This is my personal opinion which I think you should think over and see if you feel the same way.

I absolutely love it when a video starts with the main point right from the beginning, no need to skip ahead multiple times to find where is that thing you want to know.

Switch from adding intros to extros where you ask people to like, share and subscribe if they like your video.

Have a look at this video by best dressed on YouTube, she starts talking about the 30 fall outfit ideas (as mentioned in the title of the video) in just 8 seconds!

Add animated overlays, you can get them for FREE

Have you looked at cool animated overlays in videos and wondered how do they do it?

You don’t need to have exceptional animation skills for it.

You can find them for free on YouTube, like this one:

In order to use these in your videos, place them over your video and change its blend mode to screen or overlay.

Changing the blend mode will remove the black background and only the animated part will show up on the video.

Be careful and not go overboard while using overlays.

Make the video more fun with sound effects

Add interesting sound effects to your videos to make it more fun.

These sounds can be of suspense when you’re revealing a useful hack, sound of a wrong answer when you’re telling people what they shouldn’t do etc.

You can find online sites that provide sound effects.

Usually, the good ones are paid. But you can, again, find them on YouTube for free.

Simply download the YouTube video as mp3 and trim out the sound effect that you need.

Sounds in this video:

dunn dunn dunn 0:08 crickets 0:13 yeet 0:17 water bubbles 0:19 fart 0:24 aye 0:26 suspense 0:28 denied 0:45 heart beat 0:48 ba dumm tsss 0:52 wasted 0:56 run 1:11 rewind 1:20 sad violin 1:24 wah wah wah 1:34 correct answer 1:38 troll song 1:41 beep 1:50 bruh 1:54 wrong answer 1:55 air horn 1:57 pop 2:13 ilumanati 2:19 sad piano 2:35 i believe i can fly 2:47 alarm 2:54 type writer 2:57 punch 3:03 cellphone 3:07 photo 3:15 clapping 3:21 kids cheering 3:29 computer mouse 3:39 thunder 3:51 drummroll 3:55 wait… 4:02 flash back 4:09 crowd talking 4:37 boo 4:44 whoosh 4:49

Here are some other reads about YouTube that you might be interested in,

TubeBuddy Extension for Chrome: 5 Reasons to install it

How to see when your audience is online on YouTube

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