Every YouTuber Should Read These Editing Tips

For many online content creators, editing is the most monotonous part of the job. You start with way more footage than you can use, then you have to whittle it down to a ten-minute video. While it can be challenging, editing is arguably the most important part of making a YouTube video.

With the right tricks up your sleeve, editing can be a breeze. Here are a few editing tips every YouTuber should read.

Royalty-free music and stock footage can really bring your content to life.

When you’re editing a video, you may get tired of listening to the sound of your own voice. If you’re bored watching, then your viewers will be, too. You can enhance your viewers’ experience as well as your own by using royalty-free music and stock footage.

Background music and stock footage help your video tell a story. Think about the way soundtracks and shot changes influence your experience when you’re watching a movie. They bring it to life.

Make sure that whatever you’re using is copyright-free or royalty-free. Even if the content is free to use, you should still credit the original creator in the description of your video.

Cut out pauses and other things that slow your video down.

Nothing loses a viewer’s attention quicker than a video that drags. If you’re constantly pausing, saying “um,” or losing your train of thought in a video, then viewers may grow distracted or frustrated with the pace of the video.

So, before you export your final cut, you should watch the video a few times to cut out awkward pauses or other moments that slow your video down. You might even ask a friend to watch it as well and mark the time codes where the video drags.

Patch jump cuts with b-roll.

Once you’ve cut out the pauses in a video, you may be left with a good number of jump cuts. While jump cuts used to be a hallmark of YouTube content, increases in viewers’ expectations of quality have left this practice looking amateur.

Instead of leaving your jump cuts in, patch your video with b-roll. Use stock footage or other clips to create a bridge over the audio between the clips you’ve cut. That way, the audio and video both transition seamlessly.

Learn your editing software’s shortcuts.

Finally, in order to speed up your video editing, you should learn the keyboard shortcuts that are specific to the editing software that you use. You can find online guides or video tutorials. You might also ask a friend who’s a more advanced editor than you are.

The more tricks you can learn, the faster your editing will become. Check out the video below to see how this creator edits video using only keyboard shortcuts.

Editing your videos doesn’t have to be monotonous or challenging. Utilize these tips and share your favorite editing hacks in the comments!

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Kristen Harris enjoys listening to a wide range of music, from Taylor Swift to, on occasion, Celtic instrumental. She also spends her time writing, reading, and baking.