Key Video Editing Tips Every Beginner Should Know

Whether you’re planning to build a career in videography or simply love editing videos for the art of storytelling, you might be wondering how to get started. At first glance, the world of video editing can seem intimidating, with its vast collection of tools and techniques, but you’ll quickly discover that it’s a space overflowing with creative potential.

We wouldn’t want uncertainty to hold you back, which is why we’ve put together this beginner’s guide filled with practical video editing tips for YouTube and other platforms to help you dive into video editing with full confidence and enthusiasm. 

Why video editing matters 

Did you know that as of 2024, video accounts for 82.5% of global internet traffic? That means more than 8 out of 10 people go on the internet specifically to consume video content – whether it’s a short and funny TikTok clip, a detailed how-to cooking tutorial, or the latest tech unboxing. 

Video content is clearly the king of the internet, capturing people’s attention like never before. The stats back it up: 82% of consumers reported that watching a video influenced their decision to purchase a product or service. This speaks to the massive power of video to engage and persuade. 

But why should video editing matter for you beyond the raw numbers? Well, at the end of the day, video is a wonderful tool for storytelling and creative expression. It enables you to communicate facts and opinions, but also convey emotions, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. 

Essential video editing tips for beginners

If you’re at the beginning of your video editing journey, you need some solid, actionable tips for editing videos to get you started and help you build a strong foundation. 

Pre-editing stage tips  

Never underestimate the importance of preparing your footage before diving into editing. Taking the time to get things right from the start can save you a lot of headaches later on and help you have a quick, efficient, and enjoyable editing process. 

Plan your project

Start by outlining your video concept – as simple or complex as it may be – and maybe even create a storyboard to help you visualize your ideas better. Consider creating a shot list, meaning a list of all the shots (video clips) and even audio tracks you will need for a particular scene or for the entire video.
 

Shoot with editing in mind

Always film more than you think you'll need. Don’t hesitate to do multiple takes until you get it just right. And don’t worry too much about perfect quality while filming –  you can always fix or improve that with a video enhancer. The key is to have plenty of footage to choose from (and obviously, cut from) so you won't need to go back and reshoot. All that extra footage can always be used as B-roll to make your video more authentic and interesting. 

Editing stage tips

Once you’ve properly filmed and organized your footage, it’s editing time! Here are some of the most helpful editing tricks to keep in mind as you start editing:

Cut with confidence

If a clip doesn’t add value to your story, don’t hesitate to cut it (but keep it handy as B-roll). It’s natural to feel reluctant about giving up footage you worked hard to capture, but remember, the end goal is to create a cohesive, engaging story that keeps your audience entertained from start to finish. Prioritize clips that highlight key moments, show action, or drive the plot forward, and get rid of all awkward angles and speaking errors.

Use a tool like Flixier to cut videos online easily and remove any unwanted footage in seconds directly from your browser. 

Get familiar with aspect ratios

Whether you’re creating long-form content for YouTube or short videos for other social media platforms, knowing your aspect ratios is key.

Aspect ratios are essentially the dimensions of your video frame, expressed as a width-to-height ratio (e.g., 16:9). Different platforms and devices require different formats. For example:

• 16:9 – standard widescreen format, ideal for YouTube or desktop viewing.
• 9:16 – most used vertical format, used for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and other mobile-focused content.
• 1:1 – square format commonly used mainly for Instagram posts

Keep aspect ratios in mind while filming to save yourself a lot of trouble during the editing process. Filming with the intended sharing platform in mind reduces the need to crop your videos online later. If you do need to crop your videos, though, you can always use Flixier’s social media safe zones overlays to guide you through the framing process.

Add transitions

One of the best magic tricks of video editing is the use of transitions. Video transitions do more than just connect scenes – they help set the mood, build anticipation, and guide your audience through the story. No matter what editing software you use, you’ll probably have plenty of transitions to choose from. Here at Flixier, we’ve got a huge library just waiting to be explored.

When it comes to transitions, less is more. While it may be really tempting to incorporate as many of these video effects as you can, using too many transitions can overwhelm your viewers. Keep it simple and stick to the ones that fit your story best.

Bring sound into your video

Whether you want to add new sounds to your video or enhance existing ones, learning how to handle audio in videos is a highly important skill. Sound can dramatically transform the way your video feels and how your audience connects with it, and it makes it easier for you to tell compelling stories with very little effort. 

You can use an audio enhancer to clean up your existing sound, removing background noise and reverb, or you can add new royalty-free music and sound effects from Flixier’s audio library. 

If you wish to truly add a personal touch to your videos, you can record a voiceover directly in the app or have an AI narrator do the talking through our text to speech tool. 

Color-correct your videos

Remember when I mentioned fixing image quality after filming? Now’s your chance! If your footage isn’t as sharp or bright as you’d like it to be, no worries – you can easily improve it in the editing stage. As a beginner, it’s best to start with the basics, and color correction is an essential editing technique you can easily get into.

Use an online video editor to tweak brightness, contrast, and vibrance, or add filters to balance the colors. These small adjustments can make a big difference, helping you set the right mood and giving your video a polished feel. 

Choose a tool with wide format compatibility

If you’re just starting out in the video editing world, there’s no need to concern yourself with video format conversions. It’s better to rely on video editing tools that support a wide variety of video file formats, such as MP4, MOV, AVI, FLAC, and more. This gives you the flexibility to work with footage from different cameras, devices, or sources seamlessly.

Experiment with text on video

Adding text to video is a simple yet powerful way to provide context, improve accessibility, and make your content stand out wherever it’s shared. Even the smallest addition of text can do so much: highlight key points, organize information, or even make your video easier to follow when people are watching on mute (which happens a lot on social media!).

If you’re planning to use Flixier to add text to video, you’re in for a treat. You’ve got tons of options at your fingertips, from auto-generated captions that can be instantly translated and customized to dynamic motion titles for extra flair. Play around with fonts, colors, and animations to perfectly match your video’s vibe and make your video pop! 

Ready… set… edit! 

With these helpful editing tricks, you’re all set to kick off your video editing adventure. It’s going to be a wild ride full of creativity, learning, and maybe a few challenges – all worth it in the end.  As you dive into it, don’t be afraid to experiment, make mistakes, and try new things. 

And maybe consider choosing an intuitive tool like Flixier that will gently guide you through the editing process and help you create the most memorable stories through video!