What Makes the Best YouTube Video Editor?

Whether you're a new YouTuber, or someone who simply wants to take their editing to the next level, you've come to the right place. The medium of online video content is evolving fast. The production value of the average YouTube video has skyrocketed over the past decade. People expect more from content creators, and a lot of tools, resources and tutorials have popped up to try and make it easier for people to edit YouTube videos well. 

This abundance of new tools can sometimes lead to analysis paralysis and make it difficult to find the one that's best for your needs. In this article, we're going to guide you to help you make that choice by telling you what to look for in a good video editing software. 

The Criteria for YouTube Video Editing Software

Knowing how to select the right YouTube video editor doesn’t come easy. If you are willing to invest time and money into a program, you want to know that it provides the features you need to create quality videos. When you start searching for a YouTube video editing program, you’ll get a lot of results. Comparing and contrasting these different programs is important in determining which one meets your needs.

We’ve compiled some of the key components of editing programs to help during your search. These are features you may need based on the types of videos you are producing. It can be helpful to read reviews from other users and take advantage of any free trials to get a better sense of what the video editing software can do for you.

Speed

This one is pretty self-explanatory. When talking a speed, what we mean is that you should look at how long the program takes to start and process your video, and whether the overall editing experience is sluggish or lags. If you're a solo content creator, you probably don't want to want your computer to be locked up for hours because your video editing program is struggling to render your video. If you don't already have a powerful computer, investing thousands of dollars in a powerful Desktop just to render videos quicker might also not make sense financially. 

So, if speed is your main concern, you can look into using an online video editor for your YouTube videos. These tools run in your web browser and use powerful cloud servers to render your videos. This means that they run smoothly on any computer (even on laptops or Chromebooks) and render videos in minutes. Switching to an online video editor will save you not just money, but also give you more time to focus on what matters. 

Stability

A lot of household computers and personal laptops can’t handle high-end YouTube video editing software. It doesn’t matter if you have the best of the best when it comes to editing software if it crashes every five minutes. A lot of high-quality programs can be taxing for your computer if you are using powerful effects. Thankfully, most video editing software programs have regular updates to solve shutdown issues as they arise.

Cost

Video editing programs can get quite expensive. The pricing models differ. Some software companies as for a monthly fee in order to allow you to use their video editing program, some are locked behind a one-time payment, while others offer free versions or trials so you can get an idea of how the software works before spending any money. 

Flixier is one such tool. We offer a free video editor that people can use to get an idea of what the paid, pro version is like. Free users get access to all of the core editing features from the main editor. The main limitations are that the videos they create can't be longer than 10 minutes and that free users only get 2GB of storage in their cloud library. 

Complexity vs. Usability

There’s a bit of a paradox here. You want a program that offers a lot of features, but you still need it to be simple to use. There has to be some level of balance between these two characteristics. What you look for in your YouTube video editing software is going to depend on your needs and your experience level. Are you comfortable editing videos? Are you looking to try new things and incorporate more advanced tools? If that is the case, you may be willing to sacrifice some simplicity in the navigation for additional features. For YouTubers new to video editing, starting off with a clean nav and fewer features could help you save time and headache as you learn the process. There is no right answer here, so reading reviews of each software can help give you an idea of who uses the program and how it benefits them.

Advanced Timeline

This feature allows for multiple videos to run at the same time. This is important if you want to create picture-in-picture effects. Picture-in-picture, or PIP, is very popular for gaming videos that show both the video game screen and the player, product demonstration videos, tutorials, and more. If you create videos that need PIP, be sure to check that your video editing software has this feature. This is also a tool that can cause slowdowns or even crashes if your software or computer is not up to speed for the task.  

Recording capabilities

Being able to record right in the editor can be very useful, especially for content creators that don't focus on IRL content. It can streamline your workflow by allowing you to record and edit your media all in one place, without having to rely on other pieces of software in order to be able to get the job done. Flixier, for example, offers an online voice recorder and screen/camera recorder that you can use right in your web browser. Once you're done recording, you can easily drag the footage over to your timeline to edit it along with the rest of your video.

Built-in Text Animations

Text animation videos are becoming increasingly popular. Knowing whether or not your YouTube video editor program of choice includes it can come in handy later. There are entire programs dedicated to text animation videos, but you can benefit from having the feature directly built-in to your favorite YouTube video editing software. With this tool, your videos can feature captions, quotes, mock text messages, titles, and more.

Built-in Access to Stock Footage

Can you purchase and insert stock footage directly from the program? If so, this will save you a lot of time instead of switching back and forth between programs and importing files. This is a feature reserved for online or cloud-based platforms, so the library does not slow down your software. If a video editor includes access to stock footage from the editing tool, this can also prevent crashes or slowdowns when importing stock footage. Once again, whether or not you need this feature is based on the videos you create. If stock footage is a key piece of your editing process, this is something you should look for in a program.

Direct Publishing to YouTube

This is often a bonus feature for online or cloud-based platforms. Direct publishing is another way to save some time because you do not have to wait to export your video file from your YouTube video editor and then upload it to YouTube. The process is streamlined, and you can login to your YouTube account directly from the program.

So, how do you select a YouTube video editor?

The first step in deciding which YouTube video editing software is right for you is to determine which features you need. Knowing what tools your videos require will help you sort through the many options for editing programs. You can easily start to eliminate programs that do not meet your needs and leave only viable contenders to choose from.

Once you’ve narrowed your list of possible editing tools, compare the cost of each program to the features you receive. Quickly eliminate anything outside of your budget so it does not sway your opinion of other programs that you can actually afford. Utilize free trials to get a feel for your top choices and consult user reviews to learn more about the pros and cons of each program. Research the return or refund policy for each video editing software as well, to know your options if the program is not what you anticipate.

Finally, it is important to look into the support options for each YouTube video editor. If you run into problems while editing your videos or need to ask a question, can you access support within the platform? Are there tutorials and guides available to help you get started or troubleshoot problems? Knowing this up front can help you save time later. No software is perfect, and you are bound to have questions throughout the process.

If you have a clear idea of your video editing needs, how much you can pay, and how you can access support, you are well on your way to selecting the right YouTube video editing software for your videos. Thankfully, there is a lot of relevant information, reviews, tutorial videos, and guides available online for many video editing tools. Do your homework to see which programs line up with your needs, and you are sure to find the best YouTube video editor for you!