An estimated two million people log in to YouTube every month. It is the platform of choice for creators and influencers to showcase their ideas and promote products to maximize reach. However, it is also one of the most competitive when it comes to grabbing a viewer’s attention.
Creating quality videos involves many factors, including filming equipment, editing software, and editing skills–of course, you can opt to hire a video editor for YouTube projects on a reliable freelancer hiring platform, like Guru. How much YouTube editors get paid per video varies, but hiring experts is typically a great way to streamline the YouTube video-making process for those who aren’t skilled videographers or editors. Here are some tools freelance video editors may use to make sure your videos are as professional and high-quality as possible:
Shotcut
Shotcut is an open-source video editing tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has several valuable features that rival Windows Movie Maker. For example, this software enables editors to trim video footage to a specified length before conversion and provides filters and effects for more polished videos. Shotcut comes in many streaming formats, including HTTP, UDP, and RTSP.
Although the user interface is simple, Shotcut packs a lot of powerful features. It has bespoke video and audio filters, and editing is non-linear, so editors can work on clips out of order. They can choose the standard resolution presets up to as high as 4K at sixty FPS or opt for a custom resolution and frame; they can also easily add media by dragging and dropping using their mouse, the control icons, or the keyboard, so it’s pretty intuitive.
A few downsides of Shotcut include its inability to automatically add new layers. Also, thumbnail previews are not displayed, and there is a lag when modifying effects, so editors may have to wait a few seconds before seeing changes.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe Premier is a well-known video editor famous for its wide use in Hollywood films. The non-linear editing interface, unparalleled tools, and powerful features make it the industry-standard video editing software. It has improved its import and export experience by adding automatic subtitle generation, and it has a user-friendly editing timeline that allows users to conveniently arrange and trim clips and add audio tracks. It also comes with 360 VR and 4K support.
For easier edits, your editor can use simple effects that don’t need much tweaking, though previous experience using Photoshop will help them with adjustment layers as they work the same way as hold effects or color adjustments.
One downside to Premier is its sound design because the more advanced features are complicated to use. Auto reframing is not always perfect, and editors will likely need to fine-tune videos as they go.
Premiere Rush is a basic version of Adobe Premiere Pro. Its primary target users are YouTube content creators and vloggers. It offers color correction, video resizing, audio manipulation, and other features. This app provides professional templates to create stunning title effects, and while its functionality can be limited, it’s a helpful tool for editing videos shot with a smartphone and allows editors to make sure you can easily share videos on social platforms.
LightWorks
If an editor is searching for customizable professional video editing software, LightWorks is the perfect solution. They can accomplish non-linear, multi-track editing using more than one hundred special effects; the app also supports resolutions up to 4K and HD and SD formats. LightWorks allows access to a plethora of royalty-free audio and video content that adheres to YouTube’s guidelines and provides social media templates for smooth transitions and thumbnails.
Editors can take advantage of keyframes, and LightWorks offers impressive audio controls beyond the standard equalizer. For instance, it allows adjustments of vocals, including tweaking the pitch and amplitude of a female or male voice.
Your editor may experience slight lag when using larger files, but this isn’t an issue with the free version as it only goes to a maximum of 720p. For a YouTube creator, however, this resolution is good enough for the platform, especially when uploaded directly to your YouTube and Vimeo channels.
iMovie
While iMovie only allows an editor to add one overlay video, it is suitable for video creators who only need basic editing or lack experience in the editing process. iMovie has a background noise reduction that minimizes static while preserving dialogue, although it still is not as good as the post-production sound enhancement of more established video editing tools.
iMovie’s features are intuitive, so it takes little effort to create good videos, but keep in mind that it does not offer 360° editing. To create professional-looking and polished videos, your editor may need to upgrade to more robust software. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to have your editor experiment and bring your ideas to life, we recommend taking iMovie for a spin.
In Conclusion
There are many great places for video editors to work on creating and editing video content that is of top-notch quality, and there may be quite a few aspects of these platforms that are a bit tricky for anyone without a range of editing experience. This is why it’s best to hire a professional video editor on Guru–check out our array of available freelancers today.
