You edit a YouTube video by putting your best footage in order, cutting out mistakes and balancing the audio. First, collect your footage in one folder. Then create a complete version without effects. Only after that should you add extra footage, text and, if needed, music. Save your edit as a video file and watch it all the way through before uploading it.
Below, you will learn how to do this, from preparation to the final check on YouTube.
Prepare your YouTube edit while filming
Before filming, write down in one sentence what you want to show. This will make it easier later to choose the footage you need.
Suppose you are making a video about repairing a bicycle tyre. In this fictional example, you show how to find the puncture, patch the tyre and check whether it is sealed. Your search for the bicycle pump does not need to be in the video.
- Make a short shot list. Note the problem, the actions and the result you want to film.
- Film details too. For example, record the location of the puncture and applying the patch separately.
- Start a little earlier and stop a little later. Leave some time before and after an action. This gives you room to make cuts.
- Test your audio. Record a short sentence and listen back to it before continuing to film.
Already have the footage? Watch it and note which parts you want to use. You do not need to film again just because you did not have a plan beforehand.
Which free editor can you use for your YouTube video?
An editor is a program for editing videos. Choose one that lets you easily shorten, move and listen to your recordings. You do not need advanced effects for your first edit.
| Where should you edit? | An option to start with | Try this first |
|---|---|---|
| On a Mac | iMovie is a free option from Apple. | Place three recordings one after another and save them as one video. |
| On Windows, Mac or Linux | Shotcut is a free editor for computers. | Cut out a mistake and adjust the volume of a recording. |
| On your phone | Start with the editor you already have or a simple editing app. | Check whether you can combine recordings and save them without an unwanted watermark. |
First, make a test video of about thirty seconds. With a new app, check whether you can save the video for free in the desired quality. This lets you discover limitations before spending an entire afternoon editing.
Your editor saves your work in a project file . It contains, for example, the order of your footage and where you made cuts. This is not yet the video file you upload to YouTube.
Also keep your original recordings. It is better not to move them while editing, because your editor needs to be able to find them.
Create your first edit of the YouTube video
First, create a version that you can watch from beginning to end. This is called a rough cut. You put the footage in the right order, but refine the audio and details later.
- Collect your material. Put footage, separate audio recordings and images in one folder for your project. Keep a copy of the original files.
- Open the usable recordings in your editor. Leave clearly failed attempts out for now.
- Place your clips on the timeline. A clip is a piece of video. The timeline is the strip where you can see the order and length of those pieces.
- Cut out empty sections and mistakes. For example, remove setting up the camera and repeated explanations.
- Watch the entire video. Is the order clear to someone who was not there during filming?
Show immediately at the beginning what your video is about. In the bicycle tyre example, you could briefly show the puncture. Then show the tools and steps. A long greeting is not necessary.
Save a new version of your project before deleting large sections. That way, you can try a different order while keeping your earlier edit.
Improve audio, pacing and visuals in your YouTube edit
Make sure your voice is easy to understand
Listen without music first. Is one recording much louder than another? Then adjust the volume for each clip. Viewers will not have to keep turning the sound up or down.
Do you hear crackling, or does your voice sound distorted? Turning it down does not always fix a damaged recording. If necessary, record that sentence again and play this explanation over the footage.
Use music only if it suits your video. Set the music clearly lower than your voice. Check that you have permission to use the music and what conditions apply. For example, you may sometimes need to credit the creator.
Remove waiting time, but show the steps clearly
Cut out long silences and repetitions. Leave important actions on screen for long enough. Viewers need to be able to follow where you apply the patch, even if you already know it by heart.
A regular cut between two shots is usually enough. Use a transition, such as a fade, only if it makes the change clearer. A different effect between every clip can be distracting.
Add footage and text that support your explanation
You can show additional footage while your explanation continues. This is also known as B roll. In the bicycle example, you show the tire in a container of water while explaining how to identify air bubbles.
This kind of footage can also make a cut between two sentences less noticeable. Make sure you show something that fits what you are saying at that moment.
Add text where it helps, such as the name of a component. Also view the text on your phone. Cannot read it comfortably? Make the text larger or shorter.
What can you edit in your video in YouTube Studio?
According to YouTube Help on trimming and cutting you can remove sections from the beginning, middle or end on a computer without uploading again. This works for videos shorter than six hours.
This is useful if you notice after uploading that you are still walking towards the camera at the end. For a complete edit with separate recordings, music and text, use a separate editor beforehand.
The layout of YouTube Studio may change. As a result, screenshots from older guides may no longer be accurate. Cannot find the expected option? Consult the instructions for that edit. Before saving, check carefully which section you are removing.
Do you not want to cut out just a section, but remove the entire upload? Read how to delete a YouTube video .
Make room for an end screen in your YouTube edit
Would you like to recommend another video at the end? Leave room for it while editing. In the YouTube’s beginner advice on video editing it states that you can add end screens through YouTube Studio.
For example, you can make a calm ending of about fifteen seconds. This is an editing choice, not a fixed YouTube rule. Show the result and leave part of the frame clear for the end screen. Do not place important explanations or small text there.
You could mention a relevant next step, such as: “Also see how to inflate your tyre.” Choose a video that follows naturally from what you have just shown.
When adding it, check that the end screen appears in the right place and at the right time. Adjust your edit if necessary. This gives viewers another viewing choice, but additional views are not guaranteed.
Which settings should you use to save a YouTube video?
When your edit is finished, turn it into one playable video file. This is called exporting . For a standard landscape video, you can use the settings below as a starting point. They are not required for every upload.
| Setting | Practical choice | Explanation and check |
|---|---|---|
| File format | MP4 | This format keeps video and audio together in one file. |
| Video codec | H.264 | A codec determines how images are stored and how the file is compressed. |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 pixels for landscape recordings at that quality | This is the width and height of your image in pixels. Saving at a larger size does not make blurry footage sharper. |
| Frames per second | Match your main recordings | Did you film them at 30 frames per second? Then also choose 30 when exporting. |
| Audio | AAC if your editor offers that option | This is an audio format. Listen to make sure your voice is easy to understand in the saved file. |
| Quality | Start with a high quality setting. | Especially with moving images, check for blocks or smearing. |
The stated image dimensions are for a landscape video. Did you deliberately film vertically? Keep that vertical format in your project and when exporting.
An MP4 file is not automatically sharp or lossless. The quality of your recordings and the settings you choose also matter. Therefore, export from your original project. Avoid saving the same video repeatedly through different apps.
Check your edited YouTube video before sharing it
Watch the saved video file all the way through. Pay extra attention to the points where you made cuts and where music or text begins.
- Is it immediately clear what you are going to show?
- Are all the actions in the right order?
- Have black frames, duplicate sections and mistakes been removed?
- Is your voice still easy to understand through your phone’s speaker?
- Is text on screen long enough to read?
- Are private details and people you do not want shown kept out of frame?
- Are you allowed to use the footage and music?
- Does important content remain visible beside the end screen?
- Have you kept the project and original files?
After uploading, also watch the version on YouTube before sharing it. Choose a title and thumbnail that clearly show what the video contains.
Would you also like to put the video on your own website? Read how to embed a YouTube video . Share your video further in places where the subject is relevant. Briefly explain what someone can gain from it.
Curious about the platform’s beginnings? Also read about the first video on YouTube.
