The Best Video Editing Software for Beginners

With the boom of the internet and digital platforms, video marketing has gained immense popularity. If you are someone looking to create and share your videos, you’re in the right place. This article lists the top video editing software for YouTube beginners, specially curated with powerful features and easy-to-use interfaces.

YouTube currently boasts over 2 billion active users, with 250 million hours of videos consumed daily. Unlike television, YouTube allows users to choose the type of content they want to engage with. Brands are continually incorporating video content into their marketing strategies. If you’re a beginner unsure of where to start, professional, high-quality video editing software can help you stay ahead of the curve.

Did you know that people spend more time watching videos than reading texts or viewing images? Over 85% of the US internet audience watch videos online every day. Videos are one of the easiest types of content to consume, hence their popularity.

Now let’s get to the core part of this article – the top video editing software for YouTube beginners.

Shortcut

Shotcut is a free, open-source, cross-platform video editing software. It offers a wide range of video editing capabilities including trimming, cutting, encoding, and filtering. Its user interface may seem a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll appreciate its flexibility and power. The software supports a wide range of video formats and it’s highly customizable to suit your editing needs. One standout feature is the native timeline editing, which allows you not to import your video into the editor: this can save time with large video files.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Adobe Premiere Pro CC is a professional video editing software widely used in the film and TV industry. Known for its seamless integration with Adobe’s other products like After Effects and Photoshop, it offers a comprehensive toolset for video editing. Premiere Pro supports 4K, 8K, and VR formats, and its multi-cam angle editing is second to none. It includes a wide array of video and audio editing features, color grading tools, and advanced effects. However, it comes with a steep learning curve and a subscription-based pricing model, so it might not be the best choice for beginners or hobbyists.

EaseUS Video Editor

EaseUS Video Editor is a user-friendly video editing software that’s perfect for beginners. It offers a wide range of features like trimming, cutting, splitting, merging, rotating, and mixing video clips. You can also enhance your videos by adding filters, overlays, transitions, and custom sound effects. While it doesn’t offer the advanced features found in more professional software, it’s a great choice for those who want to create high-quality videos without a steep learning curve.

Apple iMovie

Apple iMovie is a free video editing software exclusive to Mac and iOS devices. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, iMovie is very user-friendly, even for complete beginners. It allows users to create high-quality videos using a variety of features like video trimming, audio editing, and transition effects. The software also offers themed templates to create professional-looking movie trailers. Although limited in advanced features, iMovie’s integration with Apple’s ecosystem makes it a good starting point for Apple users.

Lightworks

Lightworks is a professional non-linear editing system (NLE) for editing and mastering digital video in various formats, including 2K and 4K resolutions, and television in PAL, NTSC, and high-definition formats. It’s been used on many famous Hollywood films, including Pulp Fiction, The Wolf of Wall Street, and many others. Lightworks offers a free version with limited features and a pro version with expanded capabilities. Its robust editing tools and high-end capabilities make it a favorite among professional video editors, but its unique interface and complex features might be challenging for beginners.

Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro X is a professional-level video editing software developed by Apple for macOS systems. With its magnetic timeline, you can edit footage in a flexible, trackless format. This software is great for multi-camera editing, automatic color coding, and robust media organization. Final Cut Pro X supports 360-degree video, HDR, and HEVC. It is a little pricey, but a free trial is available for those who want to try before buying.

HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express is a free video editing and visual effects software. It gives you all the tools you need to construct your project, be it a movie, music video, or a short clip for your YouTube channel. This software provides great features like advanced cutting tools, a great set of audio and video filters, layers and masking, compositing options, and keying for green screen effects. It might be a bit overkill if you are just starting, but it’s very useful when you get more comfortable with video editing.

Adobe Premiere Rush

Adobe Premiere Rush is the cross-device, user-friendly version of Adobe Premiere Pro. It offers most of the features of its big brother but is more suited to those with less experience in video editing. Its primary features include motion graphics templates, audio clean up, graphics creation, and AI-powered capabilities like Auto-Ducking. It is available on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, enabling users to edit videos on the go.

Filmora 9

Filmora 9 is a powerful, easy-to-use video editing software. It’s perfect for beginners because of its intuitive interface and user-friendly features. It offers a range of basic and advanced editing tools that allow you to quickly cut, trim, merge, and split videos. Filmora 9 also provides a variety of filters, animated elements, and other modern video effects. The software is compatible with both Windows and macOS.

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate is a very user-friendly and feature-rich video editing platform. It provides advanced tools such as a multi-camera editor, a motion tracking feature, and an intuitive 360-degree video editor. The software also boasts a library of over 2,000 filters and effects, making it a versatile choice for any creative project. Corel VideoStudio Ultimate is compatible with Windows.

Blender

While primarily a 3D rendering software, Blender also has a very robust video editor. The video editor in Blender is designed to allow you to perform basic actions like video cuts and splicing, as well as more complex tasks like video masking. It offers features like live preview, luma waveform, chroma vectorscope, and histogram displays. The software is free and open-source, making it a great choice for beginners looking for a comprehensive editing tool without the cost. Blender is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Tips to Improve Video Quality

Understand Your Equipment: Get to know the capabilities and limitations of your camera or smartphone. Learn about the settings and features to fully utilize its potential. This includes understanding the importance of resolution, frame rate, and focus settings which can significantly impact video quality.
Good Lighting is Crucial: Always ensure that your subjects are well lit. Good lighting is one of the key elements in video production. If possible, use natural light, but don’t hesitate to use artificial light sources to enhance visibility when necessary.
Stable Footage: Keep your camera stable while shooting. Use tools like tripods, monopods, or gimbal stabilizers to reduce shaky footage. If you are moving while filming, practice making your movements as smooth and slow as possible.
Pay Attention to Audio: Remember, poor audio quality can ruin even the best video. Make sure to invest in a good microphone, take steps to reduce background noise, and consider using audio editing software to enhance the sound quality in post-production.
Post-Production: In the post-production phase, use editing software to further enhance your video quality. This can include color correction, audio improvements, adding effects, and much more.

Learning from Top YouTubers

Study Their Content: Understand what makes their content engaging. Look at their storytelling techniques, the video structure, and the topics they cover.
Analyze Their Branding: Top YouTubers have a consistent brand image. This includes their video thumbnails, channel art, logo, and even their presentation style.
Engage with Their Community: See how they interact with their community. This includes the comments section, social media, and even their own merchandise.
Understand Their Marketing Strategy: Look at how they promote their videos, use SEO, collaborate with other creators, and leverage sponsorship opportunities.
Emulate but Innovate: Take inspiration from top YouTubers but always strive to bring something unique to your channel. Never copy content, but learn from their best practices.

Consistency in Video Styles

Consistent Branding: Keep your branding consistent across all videos. This includes colors, logos, intro/outro sequences, and even your presentation style.
Video Format: Stick to a consistent video format or structure. This could include the order of sections in your video, the types of shots you use, and even the length of your videos.
Content Themes: Stay consistent with the themes or topics of your content. This helps build a loyal audience who knows what to expect from your channel.
Release Schedule: Try to maintain a consistent upload schedule. This helps keep your audience engaged and looking forward to your next video.
Quality Over Quantity: While it’s important to upload regularly, never sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. A consistent level of high-quality content will be appreciated by your viewers and can help your channel grow.