Crafting a Simple Subscription Web Address for YT

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Building a YouTube channel isn’t a walk-in-the-park. As a content creator, you go toiling several processes to ensure its success. More so, you are probably building a brand and want people to know about your product or services. What about one easy way to remember the URL and share it with your potential subscribers? Besides sending such links to people, you’ll be reminding them to subscribe with just a click. And that’s YouTube auto-subscribe link. It is a more effective way than asking or directing to check your YouTube channel. They’ll probably not find it easy, maneuvering around numbers of other channels that bear names close to your channel. A visitor will quickly give up. You can save them the crap and engage more effectively.

In this article

01 How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

02 How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

03 Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe.

How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

A YouTube auto-subscribe link will be beneficial in many ways. Here are the steps to subscribe to a YouTube channel. You can subscribe from your phone or computer.

Using a phone

1. First, open the YouTube app. Look for it on your phone’s home screen or search through apps.
2. Then sign in to your “Google” account for you to be able to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Next, locate the channel that you want to subscribe to. You can either subscribe from the channel home page or watch the channel video.
4. Tap on the “Subscribe” button. The text on the “Subscribe” button will immediately change to “Subscribed” once you hit the subscribe tab.
5. Finally, hit the “Subscriptions” tab to manage your channel subscriptions. You’ll also manage to see other latest updates from your subscription.
6. You can now easily manage your notifications. You now start to receive notifications of other new channels by default. It is possible to modify this by choosing “All,” “None,” or “Personalized” to determine how to get notifications.

Using a computer

1. First, visit the YouTube web page https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. The YouTube website will then be open.
2. Then sign in to your YT account. Remember, you must also be signed in to a Google account to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Browse for a channel and find what’s trending in the left-side panel of the screen.
4. Hit the “Subscribe” button to subscribe to a channel. Once you are subscribed, the Subscribe text button will turn grey and change to “Subscribed.”
5. View subscriptions by clicking the “three horizontal lines” found at the top-left corner of YouTube. You can also adjust your notification preferences to receive more or fewer updates from a channel.

How an auto-subscribe link will help boost your YouTube channel?

1. Links will auto-prompt visitors to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

2. You can use the link anywhere and reach very many visitors.

3. It works automatically to boost your subscriber count.

How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

Here are the steps to create YouTube auto subscribers’ links on your computer and mobile device.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your computer

• Step 1. First, go to your YouTube Channel URL.
• Step 2. Press on your “Profile,” then click on the “Settings” option in the drop-down menu.
• Step 3. Next, click on the “Profile” picture and copy the URL link.
• Step 4. Add your “YouTube” channel URL with an “Auto Subscribe Tag.” “YouTube channel URL + ?sub_confirmation=1 Then remove the Plus Sign in between to get a YouTube subscribe link.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your mobile

• Step 1. Launch the YouTube app on your mobile phone, then click on the “Profile” icon.
• Step 2. Then go to the “Menu” tab and click on the “Your Channel” option.
• Step 3. Select the “Share” option from the drop-down menu.
• Step 4. Next, click on the “Copy link” of your YouTube Channel.
• Step 5. Finally, add your “YouTube” channel URL with the Auto Subscribe Tag.

How to locate your YouTube Channel URL

Unfortunately, many people don’t know their YouTube Channel URL. Check out how to locate your URL.

1. Click on your “Profile” icon in the top-right corner of the YouTube page.
2. Choose the “Settings” option from the drop-down menu.
3. Next, hit the “Advanced” tab below your name.
4. Boom! You get your link.
5. Finally, combine your channel URL with the “Auto Subscribe” Tag.

● The formula: YouTube channel URL + “?sub_confirmation=1.” Remember to remove the parenthesis to get your auto-subscribe link.

Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe

As a content creator, you need to do more to add YouTube auto subscribers to your channel.

Use closed captions to improve accessibility

Including subtitles or closed captions can drive a larger audience to access your content. Some YouTube users have challenges, for example, the deaf or those with hearing problems. Creating a video and not considering this may limit such users from getting to your channel as they may not get all the needed information. Follow these steps to create subtitles or closed captions.

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then select the “Subtitles” option from the left menu.
• Click on the video that you wish to edit.
• Next, click on the “Add Language” button and select your language.
• Go to the “Subtitles” section and select the “Add” button.
• Finally, enter your captions as the video plays. It will enable viewers who find it challenging to understand your video in detail and probably hit the subscribe button.

Translate your video descriptions

YouTube is accessed worldwide and not necessarily by those who speak your language. You can increase the chances of subscribers by translating your video titles and descriptions to make them understandable to people from across the world. It will make your videos more discoverable and show that you care about those from other regions. Check out how to add translations to YouTube videos.

• First, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the left menu and select the “Subtitles” option.
• Choose the video in which you want to add the translations.
• It would be best if you choose a language for your video. Click the “Confirm” button.
• Then select the “Add language” option and choose the language you wish to translate your video into
• Go to “Titles & descriptions” and select the “Add” tab.
• Lastly, enter the translated description and hit the “Publish” button.

Use end screens for extra content promotion

An end screen call-to-action is essential in every video that you post on YouTube. They appear in the last 10 seconds and are useful in directing viewers to your chosen destination. Use them to direct a viewer to visit another channel, subscribe to your channel, or play another video. Here’s how to do it:

• Firstly, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the “Videos” page and select a video to use.
• Select the “Editor” tab from the left menu.
• Next, choose the “Add an end screen” option to direct viewers appropriately.

Add a comment to your feed

This functionality is essential if many commenters repeatedly ask the same question. Besides, it will help you to boost engagement with a question.

Here are the simple steps on how to pin a comment to the top of your feed.

• Go to your “Community” tab.
• Then choose the comment that you wish to pin.
• Click on the “More” tab > “Pin” option.

Bonus: Will YouTube auto-subscribe me to a new channel?

It is not necessarily true that YouTube auto-subscribe will subscribe to a new channel. However, some reasons may contribute to that. You may have realized that YouTube just subscribed you to random channels without asking you. Here are the possible reasons for that.

• Spinoff Channel
A content creator may decide to come up with a Spinoff channel. In this case, they may automatically subscribe you to their new channel. In most cases, such content creators want to promote their new channel.

• Check your extensions
One of your browsers may be playing tricks on your YouTube account. Extensions may change your browser’s settings and make the “Unsubscribe” option unavailable. Try disabling all of your browser extensions, then check back if YouTube still subscribes you to channels unknown to you. If so, solve the issue by uninstalling the specific extensions. These could be ad blockers or free VPN extensions.

• Someone else can hit the button
Do you share your computer with other fellows? The chances are that someone hit the “Subscribe” button without your consent. Just unsubscribe and keep watching next time.

Conclusion

● The internet arena is very competitive. It would be best if you did everything right to drive as many YouTube auto-subscribers as possible to your channel. And creating a YouTube auto-subscribe link is the first step to making things easier for your potential subscribers. We have covered how to create a YouTube subscribe link and shown other tricks to help you keep your viewers locked.

Try It Free Try It Free

Building a YouTube channel isn’t a walk-in-the-park. As a content creator, you go toiling several processes to ensure its success. More so, you are probably building a brand and want people to know about your product or services. What about one easy way to remember the URL and share it with your potential subscribers? Besides sending such links to people, you’ll be reminding them to subscribe with just a click. And that’s YouTube auto-subscribe link. It is a more effective way than asking or directing to check your YouTube channel. They’ll probably not find it easy, maneuvering around numbers of other channels that bear names close to your channel. A visitor will quickly give up. You can save them the crap and engage more effectively.

In this article

01 How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

02 How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

03 Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe.

How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

A YouTube auto-subscribe link will be beneficial in many ways. Here are the steps to subscribe to a YouTube channel. You can subscribe from your phone or computer.

Using a phone

1. First, open the YouTube app. Look for it on your phone’s home screen or search through apps.
2. Then sign in to your “Google” account for you to be able to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Next, locate the channel that you want to subscribe to. You can either subscribe from the channel home page or watch the channel video.
4. Tap on the “Subscribe” button. The text on the “Subscribe” button will immediately change to “Subscribed” once you hit the subscribe tab.
5. Finally, hit the “Subscriptions” tab to manage your channel subscriptions. You’ll also manage to see other latest updates from your subscription.
6. You can now easily manage your notifications. You now start to receive notifications of other new channels by default. It is possible to modify this by choosing “All,” “None,” or “Personalized” to determine how to get notifications.

Using a computer

1. First, visit the YouTube web page https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. The YouTube website will then be open.
2. Then sign in to your YT account. Remember, you must also be signed in to a Google account to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Browse for a channel and find what’s trending in the left-side panel of the screen.
4. Hit the “Subscribe” button to subscribe to a channel. Once you are subscribed, the Subscribe text button will turn grey and change to “Subscribed.”
5. View subscriptions by clicking the “three horizontal lines” found at the top-left corner of YouTube. You can also adjust your notification preferences to receive more or fewer updates from a channel.

How an auto-subscribe link will help boost your YouTube channel?

1. Links will auto-prompt visitors to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

2. You can use the link anywhere and reach very many visitors.

3. It works automatically to boost your subscriber count.

How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

Here are the steps to create YouTube auto subscribers’ links on your computer and mobile device.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your computer

• Step 1. First, go to your YouTube Channel URL.
• Step 2. Press on your “Profile,” then click on the “Settings” option in the drop-down menu.
• Step 3. Next, click on the “Profile” picture and copy the URL link.
• Step 4. Add your “YouTube” channel URL with an “Auto Subscribe Tag.” “YouTube channel URL + ?sub_confirmation=1 Then remove the Plus Sign in between to get a YouTube subscribe link.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your mobile

• Step 1. Launch the YouTube app on your mobile phone, then click on the “Profile” icon.
• Step 2. Then go to the “Menu” tab and click on the “Your Channel” option.
• Step 3. Select the “Share” option from the drop-down menu.
• Step 4. Next, click on the “Copy link” of your YouTube Channel.
• Step 5. Finally, add your “YouTube” channel URL with the Auto Subscribe Tag.

How to locate your YouTube Channel URL

Unfortunately, many people don’t know their YouTube Channel URL. Check out how to locate your URL.

1. Click on your “Profile” icon in the top-right corner of the YouTube page.
2. Choose the “Settings” option from the drop-down menu.
3. Next, hit the “Advanced” tab below your name.
4. Boom! You get your link.
5. Finally, combine your channel URL with the “Auto Subscribe” Tag.

● The formula: YouTube channel URL + “?sub_confirmation=1.” Remember to remove the parenthesis to get your auto-subscribe link.

Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe

As a content creator, you need to do more to add YouTube auto subscribers to your channel.

Use closed captions to improve accessibility

Including subtitles or closed captions can drive a larger audience to access your content. Some YouTube users have challenges, for example, the deaf or those with hearing problems. Creating a video and not considering this may limit such users from getting to your channel as they may not get all the needed information. Follow these steps to create subtitles or closed captions.

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then select the “Subtitles” option from the left menu.
• Click on the video that you wish to edit.
• Next, click on the “Add Language” button and select your language.
• Go to the “Subtitles” section and select the “Add” button.
• Finally, enter your captions as the video plays. It will enable viewers who find it challenging to understand your video in detail and probably hit the subscribe button.

Translate your video descriptions

YouTube is accessed worldwide and not necessarily by those who speak your language. You can increase the chances of subscribers by translating your video titles and descriptions to make them understandable to people from across the world. It will make your videos more discoverable and show that you care about those from other regions. Check out how to add translations to YouTube videos.

• First, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the left menu and select the “Subtitles” option.
• Choose the video in which you want to add the translations.
• It would be best if you choose a language for your video. Click the “Confirm” button.
• Then select the “Add language” option and choose the language you wish to translate your video into
• Go to “Titles & descriptions” and select the “Add” tab.
• Lastly, enter the translated description and hit the “Publish” button.

Use end screens for extra content promotion

An end screen call-to-action is essential in every video that you post on YouTube. They appear in the last 10 seconds and are useful in directing viewers to your chosen destination. Use them to direct a viewer to visit another channel, subscribe to your channel, or play another video. Here’s how to do it:

• Firstly, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the “Videos” page and select a video to use.
• Select the “Editor” tab from the left menu.
• Next, choose the “Add an end screen” option to direct viewers appropriately.

Add a comment to your feed

This functionality is essential if many commenters repeatedly ask the same question. Besides, it will help you to boost engagement with a question.

Here are the simple steps on how to pin a comment to the top of your feed.

• Go to your “Community” tab.
• Then choose the comment that you wish to pin.
• Click on the “More” tab > “Pin” option.

Bonus: Will YouTube auto-subscribe me to a new channel?

It is not necessarily true that YouTube auto-subscribe will subscribe to a new channel. However, some reasons may contribute to that. You may have realized that YouTube just subscribed you to random channels without asking you. Here are the possible reasons for that.

• Spinoff Channel
A content creator may decide to come up with a Spinoff channel. In this case, they may automatically subscribe you to their new channel. In most cases, such content creators want to promote their new channel.

• Check your extensions
One of your browsers may be playing tricks on your YouTube account. Extensions may change your browser’s settings and make the “Unsubscribe” option unavailable. Try disabling all of your browser extensions, then check back if YouTube still subscribes you to channels unknown to you. If so, solve the issue by uninstalling the specific extensions. These could be ad blockers or free VPN extensions.

• Someone else can hit the button
Do you share your computer with other fellows? The chances are that someone hit the “Subscribe” button without your consent. Just unsubscribe and keep watching next time.

Conclusion

● The internet arena is very competitive. It would be best if you did everything right to drive as many YouTube auto-subscribers as possible to your channel. And creating a YouTube auto-subscribe link is the first step to making things easier for your potential subscribers. We have covered how to create a YouTube subscribe link and shown other tricks to help you keep your viewers locked.

Try It Free Try It Free

Building a YouTube channel isn’t a walk-in-the-park. As a content creator, you go toiling several processes to ensure its success. More so, you are probably building a brand and want people to know about your product or services. What about one easy way to remember the URL and share it with your potential subscribers? Besides sending such links to people, you’ll be reminding them to subscribe with just a click. And that’s YouTube auto-subscribe link. It is a more effective way than asking or directing to check your YouTube channel. They’ll probably not find it easy, maneuvering around numbers of other channels that bear names close to your channel. A visitor will quickly give up. You can save them the crap and engage more effectively.

In this article

01 How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

02 How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

03 Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe.

How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

A YouTube auto-subscribe link will be beneficial in many ways. Here are the steps to subscribe to a YouTube channel. You can subscribe from your phone or computer.

Using a phone

1. First, open the YouTube app. Look for it on your phone’s home screen or search through apps.
2. Then sign in to your “Google” account for you to be able to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Next, locate the channel that you want to subscribe to. You can either subscribe from the channel home page or watch the channel video.
4. Tap on the “Subscribe” button. The text on the “Subscribe” button will immediately change to “Subscribed” once you hit the subscribe tab.
5. Finally, hit the “Subscriptions” tab to manage your channel subscriptions. You’ll also manage to see other latest updates from your subscription.
6. You can now easily manage your notifications. You now start to receive notifications of other new channels by default. It is possible to modify this by choosing “All,” “None,” or “Personalized” to determine how to get notifications.

Using a computer

1. First, visit the YouTube web page https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. The YouTube website will then be open.
2. Then sign in to your YT account. Remember, you must also be signed in to a Google account to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Browse for a channel and find what’s trending in the left-side panel of the screen.
4. Hit the “Subscribe” button to subscribe to a channel. Once you are subscribed, the Subscribe text button will turn grey and change to “Subscribed.”
5. View subscriptions by clicking the “three horizontal lines” found at the top-left corner of YouTube. You can also adjust your notification preferences to receive more or fewer updates from a channel.

How an auto-subscribe link will help boost your YouTube channel?

1. Links will auto-prompt visitors to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

2. You can use the link anywhere and reach very many visitors.

3. It works automatically to boost your subscriber count.

How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

Here are the steps to create YouTube auto subscribers’ links on your computer and mobile device.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your computer

• Step 1. First, go to your YouTube Channel URL.
• Step 2. Press on your “Profile,” then click on the “Settings” option in the drop-down menu.
• Step 3. Next, click on the “Profile” picture and copy the URL link.
• Step 4. Add your “YouTube” channel URL with an “Auto Subscribe Tag.” “YouTube channel URL + ?sub_confirmation=1 Then remove the Plus Sign in between to get a YouTube subscribe link.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your mobile

• Step 1. Launch the YouTube app on your mobile phone, then click on the “Profile” icon.
• Step 2. Then go to the “Menu” tab and click on the “Your Channel” option.
• Step 3. Select the “Share” option from the drop-down menu.
• Step 4. Next, click on the “Copy link” of your YouTube Channel.
• Step 5. Finally, add your “YouTube” channel URL with the Auto Subscribe Tag.

How to locate your YouTube Channel URL

Unfortunately, many people don’t know their YouTube Channel URL. Check out how to locate your URL.

1. Click on your “Profile” icon in the top-right corner of the YouTube page.
2. Choose the “Settings” option from the drop-down menu.
3. Next, hit the “Advanced” tab below your name.
4. Boom! You get your link.
5. Finally, combine your channel URL with the “Auto Subscribe” Tag.

● The formula: YouTube channel URL + “?sub_confirmation=1.” Remember to remove the parenthesis to get your auto-subscribe link.

Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe

As a content creator, you need to do more to add YouTube auto subscribers to your channel.

Use closed captions to improve accessibility

Including subtitles or closed captions can drive a larger audience to access your content. Some YouTube users have challenges, for example, the deaf or those with hearing problems. Creating a video and not considering this may limit such users from getting to your channel as they may not get all the needed information. Follow these steps to create subtitles or closed captions.

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then select the “Subtitles” option from the left menu.
• Click on the video that you wish to edit.
• Next, click on the “Add Language” button and select your language.
• Go to the “Subtitles” section and select the “Add” button.
• Finally, enter your captions as the video plays. It will enable viewers who find it challenging to understand your video in detail and probably hit the subscribe button.

Translate your video descriptions

YouTube is accessed worldwide and not necessarily by those who speak your language. You can increase the chances of subscribers by translating your video titles and descriptions to make them understandable to people from across the world. It will make your videos more discoverable and show that you care about those from other regions. Check out how to add translations to YouTube videos.

• First, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the left menu and select the “Subtitles” option.
• Choose the video in which you want to add the translations.
• It would be best if you choose a language for your video. Click the “Confirm” button.
• Then select the “Add language” option and choose the language you wish to translate your video into
• Go to “Titles & descriptions” and select the “Add” tab.
• Lastly, enter the translated description and hit the “Publish” button.

Use end screens for extra content promotion

An end screen call-to-action is essential in every video that you post on YouTube. They appear in the last 10 seconds and are useful in directing viewers to your chosen destination. Use them to direct a viewer to visit another channel, subscribe to your channel, or play another video. Here’s how to do it:

• Firstly, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the “Videos” page and select a video to use.
• Select the “Editor” tab from the left menu.
• Next, choose the “Add an end screen” option to direct viewers appropriately.

Add a comment to your feed

This functionality is essential if many commenters repeatedly ask the same question. Besides, it will help you to boost engagement with a question.

Here are the simple steps on how to pin a comment to the top of your feed.

• Go to your “Community” tab.
• Then choose the comment that you wish to pin.
• Click on the “More” tab > “Pin” option.

Bonus: Will YouTube auto-subscribe me to a new channel?

It is not necessarily true that YouTube auto-subscribe will subscribe to a new channel. However, some reasons may contribute to that. You may have realized that YouTube just subscribed you to random channels without asking you. Here are the possible reasons for that.

• Spinoff Channel
A content creator may decide to come up with a Spinoff channel. In this case, they may automatically subscribe you to their new channel. In most cases, such content creators want to promote their new channel.

• Check your extensions
One of your browsers may be playing tricks on your YouTube account. Extensions may change your browser’s settings and make the “Unsubscribe” option unavailable. Try disabling all of your browser extensions, then check back if YouTube still subscribes you to channels unknown to you. If so, solve the issue by uninstalling the specific extensions. These could be ad blockers or free VPN extensions.

• Someone else can hit the button
Do you share your computer with other fellows? The chances are that someone hit the “Subscribe” button without your consent. Just unsubscribe and keep watching next time.

Conclusion

● The internet arena is very competitive. It would be best if you did everything right to drive as many YouTube auto-subscribers as possible to your channel. And creating a YouTube auto-subscribe link is the first step to making things easier for your potential subscribers. We have covered how to create a YouTube subscribe link and shown other tricks to help you keep your viewers locked.

Try It Free Try It Free

Building a YouTube channel isn’t a walk-in-the-park. As a content creator, you go toiling several processes to ensure its success. More so, you are probably building a brand and want people to know about your product or services. What about one easy way to remember the URL and share it with your potential subscribers? Besides sending such links to people, you’ll be reminding them to subscribe with just a click. And that’s YouTube auto-subscribe link. It is a more effective way than asking or directing to check your YouTube channel. They’ll probably not find it easy, maneuvering around numbers of other channels that bear names close to your channel. A visitor will quickly give up. You can save them the crap and engage more effectively.

In this article

01 How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

02 How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

03 Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe.

How to subscribe to a YouTube channel?

A YouTube auto-subscribe link will be beneficial in many ways. Here are the steps to subscribe to a YouTube channel. You can subscribe from your phone or computer.

Using a phone

1. First, open the YouTube app. Look for it on your phone’s home screen or search through apps.
2. Then sign in to your “Google” account for you to be able to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Next, locate the channel that you want to subscribe to. You can either subscribe from the channel home page or watch the channel video.
4. Tap on the “Subscribe” button. The text on the “Subscribe” button will immediately change to “Subscribed” once you hit the subscribe tab.
5. Finally, hit the “Subscriptions” tab to manage your channel subscriptions. You’ll also manage to see other latest updates from your subscription.
6. You can now easily manage your notifications. You now start to receive notifications of other new channels by default. It is possible to modify this by choosing “All,” “None,” or “Personalized” to determine how to get notifications.

Using a computer

1. First, visit the YouTube web page https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. The YouTube website will then be open.
2. Then sign in to your YT account. Remember, you must also be signed in to a Google account to subscribe to YouTube channels.
3. Browse for a channel and find what’s trending in the left-side panel of the screen.
4. Hit the “Subscribe” button to subscribe to a channel. Once you are subscribed, the Subscribe text button will turn grey and change to “Subscribed.”
5. View subscriptions by clicking the “three horizontal lines” found at the top-left corner of YouTube. You can also adjust your notification preferences to receive more or fewer updates from a channel.

How an auto-subscribe link will help boost your YouTube channel?

1. Links will auto-prompt visitors to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

2. You can use the link anywhere and reach very many visitors.

3. It works automatically to boost your subscriber count.

How to create an auto-subscribe link for your YouTube channel?

Here are the steps to create YouTube auto subscribers’ links on your computer and mobile device.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your computer

• Step 1. First, go to your YouTube Channel URL.
• Step 2. Press on your “Profile,” then click on the “Settings” option in the drop-down menu.
• Step 3. Next, click on the “Profile” picture and copy the URL link.
• Step 4. Add your “YouTube” channel URL with an “Auto Subscribe Tag.” “YouTube channel URL + ?sub_confirmation=1 Then remove the Plus Sign in between to get a YouTube subscribe link.

How to create a YouTube subscribe link on your mobile

• Step 1. Launch the YouTube app on your mobile phone, then click on the “Profile” icon.
• Step 2. Then go to the “Menu” tab and click on the “Your Channel” option.
• Step 3. Select the “Share” option from the drop-down menu.
• Step 4. Next, click on the “Copy link” of your YouTube Channel.
• Step 5. Finally, add your “YouTube” channel URL with the Auto Subscribe Tag.

How to locate your YouTube Channel URL

Unfortunately, many people don’t know their YouTube Channel URL. Check out how to locate your URL.

1. Click on your “Profile” icon in the top-right corner of the YouTube page.
2. Choose the “Settings” option from the drop-down menu.
3. Next, hit the “Advanced” tab below your name.
4. Boom! You get your link.
5. Finally, combine your channel URL with the “Auto Subscribe” Tag.

● The formula: YouTube channel URL + “?sub_confirmation=1.” Remember to remove the parenthesis to get your auto-subscribe link.

Other tricks that work besides YouTube auto-subscribe

As a content creator, you need to do more to add YouTube auto subscribers to your channel.

Use closed captions to improve accessibility

Including subtitles or closed captions can drive a larger audience to access your content. Some YouTube users have challenges, for example, the deaf or those with hearing problems. Creating a video and not considering this may limit such users from getting to your channel as they may not get all the needed information. Follow these steps to create subtitles or closed captions.

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then select the “Subtitles” option from the left menu.
• Click on the video that you wish to edit.
• Next, click on the “Add Language” button and select your language.
• Go to the “Subtitles” section and select the “Add” button.
• Finally, enter your captions as the video plays. It will enable viewers who find it challenging to understand your video in detail and probably hit the subscribe button.

Translate your video descriptions

YouTube is accessed worldwide and not necessarily by those who speak your language. You can increase the chances of subscribers by translating your video titles and descriptions to make them understandable to people from across the world. It will make your videos more discoverable and show that you care about those from other regions. Check out how to add translations to YouTube videos.

• First, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the left menu and select the “Subtitles” option.
• Choose the video in which you want to add the translations.
• It would be best if you choose a language for your video. Click the “Confirm” button.
• Then select the “Add language” option and choose the language you wish to translate your video into
• Go to “Titles & descriptions” and select the “Add” tab.
• Lastly, enter the translated description and hit the “Publish” button.

Use end screens for extra content promotion

An end screen call-to-action is essential in every video that you post on YouTube. They appear in the last 10 seconds and are useful in directing viewers to your chosen destination. Use them to direct a viewer to visit another channel, subscribe to your channel, or play another video. Here’s how to do it:

• Firstly, sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Then go to the “Videos” page and select a video to use.
• Select the “Editor” tab from the left menu.
• Next, choose the “Add an end screen” option to direct viewers appropriately.

Add a comment to your feed

This functionality is essential if many commenters repeatedly ask the same question. Besides, it will help you to boost engagement with a question.

Here are the simple steps on how to pin a comment to the top of your feed.

• Go to your “Community” tab.
• Then choose the comment that you wish to pin.
• Click on the “More” tab > “Pin” option.

Bonus: Will YouTube auto-subscribe me to a new channel?

It is not necessarily true that YouTube auto-subscribe will subscribe to a new channel. However, some reasons may contribute to that. You may have realized that YouTube just subscribed you to random channels without asking you. Here are the possible reasons for that.

• Spinoff Channel
A content creator may decide to come up with a Spinoff channel. In this case, they may automatically subscribe you to their new channel. In most cases, such content creators want to promote their new channel.

• Check your extensions
One of your browsers may be playing tricks on your YouTube account. Extensions may change your browser’s settings and make the “Unsubscribe” option unavailable. Try disabling all of your browser extensions, then check back if YouTube still subscribes you to channels unknown to you. If so, solve the issue by uninstalling the specific extensions. These could be ad blockers or free VPN extensions.

• Someone else can hit the button
Do you share your computer with other fellows? The chances are that someone hit the “Subscribe” button without your consent. Just unsubscribe and keep watching next time.

Conclusion

● The internet arena is very competitive. It would be best if you did everything right to drive as many YouTube auto-subscribers as possible to your channel. And creating a YouTube auto-subscribe link is the first step to making things easier for your potential subscribers. We have covered how to create a YouTube subscribe link and shown other tricks to help you keep your viewers locked.

YouTube Editing Made Easy with The 8 Best No-Cost Software Options

The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube (Top 8 Reviews)

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 02, 2022• Proven solutions

0

What makes a YouTube video good? The most important element is obviously you, the creator. Your personality, ideas, and unique viewpoint are what will make your content special and turn viewers into subscribers.

The next most important thing – even more important than the camera you use – is editing.

Editing a YouTube video doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple. Your focus when you’re perfecting your video should be on that ‘most important thing’ we mentioned earlier – your creativity. Editing for a YouTube video should be art, not mechanical engineering.

Below is a list of the top free video editing software ranked according to how appropriate it is for YouTube videos.

Rank	Editor	Make Cuts	Audio Features	Multiple Video Tracks	Video Effects	Intuitive Score (1-5)	Compatibility
1.	OpenShot Video Editor	Yes	Fade In/Out, set volume levels	Yes	Transitions, text, ability to animate. Blur/Saturation/Brightness controls.	5	Windows, Mac, Linux
2.	Shotcut	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	You can customize color presets and other effects. No animations.	4	Windows, Mac, Linux
3.	Hitfilm Express	Yes	Audio effects and transitioning.	Yes	Every imaginable picture customization. Some FX (more if you pay). Text tool.	4	Windows, Mac
4.	VideoPad Video Editor	Yes	Noise removal, equalizer, audio effects.	Yes	Moving text, transitions, filters.	5	Windows
5.	Lightworks	Yes	Detailed audio editing	Yes	No premade effects, but you can add text/color edit.	3	Windows, Mac, Linux
6.	VSDC Video Editor	Yes	Some audio features blocked in free version	Yes	Filters, transitions, text, and more.	1	Windows
7.	Machete Video Editor Lite	Yes	None	No	None	3	Windows
8.	Avidemux	Yes	Some audio features	No	Some picture adjustments	2	Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Ready to upgrade to a simple, powerful, paid software that’s perfect for YouTube? Check out the free trial of Wondershare Filmora . It is an advanced tool that is focused more on newbie editors who are new to the videography world but want to compete with professionals!

1. OpenShot Video Editor – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Easy to use
2. Includes transitions
3. Keyframing
4. Alpha Channel
5. Unlimited video tracks

OpenShot Video Editor Review

OpenShot completely lives up to the claim that it was designed to be ‘easy to use, quick to learn, and surprisingly powerful’.

The first time you use OpenShot there will be helpful tutorial notes to guide you through the program. The interface is intuitive enough that you may not always need them, but having them should erase any confusion.

All of the basic editing features, like cutting clips up, are easy to access in the timeline. You have unlimited tracks, and it’s easy to drag your clips between them. There’s a helpful magnet feature that fits clips together if you slide them together, but which still allows for blank space if you choose to leave it.

Most other functions – setting volume levels, adjusting the speed, adding movement/zoom effect – are accessible simply by right-clicking on your clip in the timeline and choosing what you want from the menu that pops up.

Is OpenShot Video Editor good for YouTube?

OpenShot is a great, free, choice for YouTubers at any editing skill level.

Beyond simply ordering your clips, OpenShot includes text and transition options within the program. You can even animate the text, and access Animated Titles if you use OpenShot in tandem with a free animation program called Blender. Titles and transitions are vital to a lot of popular YouTube styles.

OpenShot does not provide the same level of detail as the runner up, Shotcut, when it comes to color correction or audio editing. However, the features it does have (volume levels, control of saturation) will satisfy most YouTubers.

2. Shotcut – Open Source (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Pros

1. Detailed audio editing
2. Color grading, ability to save presets
3. Fairly intuitive timeline

Shotcut Review

Shotcut delivers a smooth, detailed, editing experience for free. It is not as easy to jump into as some of the other programs on this list, but it still only takes a half-hour or so of playing around to understand it well enough to make a video. There are also tutorials up on Shotcut’s site that can help you.

You can edit using multiple video tracks in Shotcut, making it easy to combine multiple clips, and basic functions like splitting or copying clips are as easy as clicking the right icon on the toolbar.

All of the video and audio effects, including things like chroma key, you might want to apply to your video are found under the Filters menu. It will look empty when you first open it, and you have to click the plus sign to see what your options are. If you want to create a color tint (like what you might think of as an Instagram filter) then you can do that through the Color Grading option. If you want to do something like invert your colors or add an ‘old film’ look, you’ll find that here as well along with all of the audio editing features (balance, bass and treble, and gain to name just a few).

Is Shotcut good for YouTube?

Shotcut is a great choice for YouTubers. It allows you to do some advanced editing, and it’s easy to learn compared to a program targeted at professional editors.

The only complication with Shotcut for entry-level editors who will primarily use the program for YouTube might be that animations – like moving text – are not available through the program (you can add and customize text, but it just sits there). You can get them from elsewhere and use them in the program (Shotcut has an alpha channel), but it’s a bit more involved a process than simply customizing something that’s already provided.

3. Hitfilm Express – Windows, Mac

Pros

1. Compositing mode (2D and 3D)
2. The Most effect customization
3. Helpful User Guide & tutorials

Cons

1. Can be overwhelming
2. Its main strength is FX, but you only get a couple for free. Most have to be bought separately.

Hitfilm Express Review

Hitfilm Express is the best free editor if you want to add special effects to your projects. OpenShot’s alpha channel will be enough for most people, but if you think of yourself as an aspiring filmmaker then it’s hard to beat Hitfilm’s range of functions.

This is an editor designed for people who want to make movies, and it’s a lot more intuitive than most professional-grade software. Film-quality FX (lasers, explosions, etc.) are available through Hitfilm Express for a reasonable price ($10-$50, depending on what you want), and even without paying extra for the packs, there’s a lot you can do to give your video a ‘film look’ using compositing layers and the multitude of customizable effects provided through the program.

Another highlight of Hitfilm Express is the extensive selection of tutorials and helpful information they have available both through YouTube videos and their User Guide. You will need those because this program can be overwhelming. It has so many functions and areas you can customize that it is easy to get lost.

That said, basic editing in Hitfilm Express is not difficult to jump into. It’s only when you start getting fancy that things get dicey.

Is Hitfilm Express good for YouTube?

Yes. It will not be the best option for everyone, but it’s not a bad option for anyone either.

If what you want to make is a vlog where you have a series of clips, and intro, and maybe a couple of title effects, then Hitfilm express might be overkill. You don’t want to have to master compositing just to add some text.

If what you want to make is a vlog that’s interrupted by an alien invasion and turns into an action sequence with lasers and falling debris, it’d be hard to do better than Hitfilm Express.

4. VideoPad Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Easy to jump into
2. Moving text
3. Huge audio waveforms
4. Audio and visual effects
5. Lossless exports

Cons

1. No longer updated

VideoPad Video Editor Review

VideoPad Video Editor is an extremely easy to use program. It may be the easiest program on this list to jump into, which you could also realistically create your entire video inside (there are easier programs, but you can only do some of your work in them). Part of its simplicity comes from not being as feature-rich as the programs ranking higher than it on this list, however.

You do not get the same range of functions with VideoPad as you do from the top 3 free editors, but it has enough to satisfy people who are just starting out. Creating moving text effects is easy, you have huge audio waves to work with while you’re syncing, and effects like transitions and filters are easy to find.

VideoPad does suffer a bit from being dated. This program is no longer being worked on, and the interface doesn’t look particularly modern. This is a bit more than a cosmetic issue because some features, while not difficult to find, are placed a bit oddly compared to other editors.

One slightly annoying feature of VideoPad is that it will prompt you to buy the commercial version sometimes (the free version is only for non-commercial use). There have been reports of exports being blocked in the free version, but I exported several times for the sake of this review and the issue never came up.

Is VideoPad Video Editor good for YouTube?

VideoPad makes a decent YouTube editor. You can jump right in and start making cuts, adding filters, and ordering your clips. If you have the kind of channel where voiceovers are important (like in gaming or makeup), then you’ll be happy with the size of the audio waves you have to work with for syncing.

The thing about VideoPad is that you’re probably going to outgrow it quickly as you become a more capable editor.

5. Lightworks – Windows, Mac, Linux

Pros

1. Detailed color and audio editing
2. Multicam editing

Cons

1. Exports limited to 720p for the free version
2. Difficult to learn compared to other free software

Lightworks Review

On their website, Lightworks claims to have an ‘intuitive interface’ and ‘easy timeline editing’. This is true if you compare it to other professional-level editing suites. Compared to the other programs on this list, Lightworks is complicated.

The first thing I attempt when I review this program is to simply split a clip, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure this feature out in Lightworks (a more advanced editor could have found it faster, but these reviews are meant to help people with less experience). Lightworks does have a whole tutorial series on using the software, so if you are interested in learning to use it there is ample material out there to help you.

Lightworks has a wide range of functions (i.e. detailed audio editing and color correction), and it has been used for big movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. It is the most professional program on this list, and it’s a great free alternative to something like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Note: there is no time limit on the free version of Lightworks, but it will ask you to renew your free license every 7 days. When it says your license is ‘expired’ it isn’t kicking you off the free version, you just need to renew.

Is Lightworks good for YouTube?

Whether or not Lightworks is right for your YouTube channel depends on your goals as a video editor.

If what you want is to jump in and start making YouTube videos quickly, Lightworks might not be a great choice. It’s not an easy program to just jump into, you’ll have to either take time to learn it or accept that it’ll take some trial and error to get the hang of.

If what you want is to become a professional-level video editor, then Lightworks is a great program to start on (although, Hitfilm Express may still be better). Taking the time to learn it could certainly pay off in the long run.

However, if one of your priorities is for your YouTube channel to come across as professional, then the free version of Lightworks does have some disappointing limitations. You can only export videos in 720p, which is lower quality than viewers on YouTube expect (you probably want at least 1080p). Your output format is limited too. The royalty-free audio and video content Lightworks offers are also not free; you can just buy them through the program.

6. VSDC Video Editor – Windows

Pros

1. Diagrams and charts
2. How To Get Started Guide
3. Lots of features

Cons

1. Very confusing
2. Paid features show up in the free version, but they’re blocked

Review of VSDC Video Editor

There’s a lot to like about VSDC Video Editor, but you have to do a lot of work to uncover any of it. Accessing even the most basic features is confusing.

One of the first things I tried to do as I tested the program was make a jump cut (where you cut out part of a video so the playback ‘jumps over’ the deleted segment) and, while I was able to do it, it was not an intuitive process. There is a multitude of toolbars and icons surrounding your preview window in VSDC, and none of those icons was for making cuts to your clips. To make any cuts you have to find the ‘cutting and splitting’ option under the Editor tab at the top of the page, which will open a second window in which you still cannot make any cuts. Instead what you can do is place markers, and when you click ‘apply changes’ to exit the window cuts will be made where you placed markers. There is nothing in the window to explain what the markers are for.

Other basic functions, like adding text, are just as complicated.

Is VSDC Video Editor good for YouTube?

I would not recommend VSDC for YouTube. It ranks higher than two other items on this list because they are, do to functional limitations, unable to create full YouTube videos without the support of other programs (at least realistically). You certainly could create your full YouTube video in VSDC, but it’d be a headache.

7. Machete Video Editor Lite – Windows

Pros

1. Great for harvesting clips from longer footage
2. Lossless exports

Cons

1. Cannot swap or add audio
2. Only supports two formats (AVI and WMV)
3. Slightly awkward timeline

Machete Video Editor Lite Review

Machete Lite claims that you’ll be able to edit your videos “within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you’ve never edited a video before”, and that is true. It might even be better if you haven’t edited a video before because the interface is slightly awkward if you’ve come from a program with a more traditional timeline setup. Machete Lite is easy to use for the most part, but it doesn’t work like most other editors and that can be awkward to navigate around.

Instead of seeing a timeline with all of your individual clips, Machete treats your entire video as one clip. You will only be able to see where you have inserted a separate video clip or cut out a portion of the video by watching the video back or jumping through it (Machete Lite does allow frame-by-frame scrolling). You won’t be able to see this information at a glance, and you won’t be able to adjust the lengths of clips you’ve added separately.

To take out any portion of your overall video you’ll need to find a keyframe at the beginning, set that as the beginning of your selection, then find a key frame at the end and set that as the end of your selection. You will then be able to delete that selection. This will not work if the frames you have set as the beginning and end are not considered keyframes by the program, so it can be difficult to be precise, but since the program allows you to jump through keyframes it’s not difficult to find a point that works.

Is Machete Video Editor Lite good for YouTube?

Machete Lite is not a good choice for YouTubers unless it is used in combination with another program.

It doesn’t work as a YouTube editor because you cannot edit or swap audio, the transition between clips, or create layers of videos and images.

However, the thing Machete Lite is really good at is cutting out clips from longer videos. You can create a selection of a part of your longer clip and then export it (with no quality loss) as its own video file.

This is what the Machete Lite toolbar looks like when you’ve created a selection. Tools like cut and copy which were greyed out before are now available, as is the save icon on the far right. If you click the save icon, you’ll be able to save that selection as its own video.

You can’t create a complete YouTube video in Machete Lite, but you can harvest clips to use in a different program.

8. Avidemux – Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD

Pros

1. Can add subtitle files

Cons

1. Not intuitive
2. Doesn’t support MOV or WMV
3. The website is not informative, no tutorials

Avidemux Review

Avidemux is not an easy program to jump into. I almost wrote that it couldn’t do anything besides make cuts to a clip before I saw a YouTube tutorial about how to find the contrast and brightness tools. If you decide to try it out, remember that you have to choose your output format before Avidemux will let you access tools like Hue/Saturation and Contrast (click Filters under Video Output to find them).

There are no official tutorials for Avidemux you can access from their site, so you’ll have to rely on the forums and tutorials from users if you want to learn it.

You can import multiple clips into Avidemux, but you have to import them in the order you want because you can’t drag them around the timeline after. Everything becomes one big clip.

Is Avidemux good for YouTube?

No. It has more functionality than Machete, which is ranked higher on this list, but the difference is that Machete is excellent at one thing. They both suffer from the same main weakness – you could not complete your full YouTube video either (at least not without a lot of trouble). Machete could still be useful to a YouTuber, though, because it allows for the lossless exporting of segments of clips. You can use it to harvest clips for your larger project in another program.

In theory, you could do some picture editing and snipping in Avidemux and then put your project together/add titles in another program, but your other program can probably do all that just as well if not better. Avidemux isn’t a bad program, but it doesn’t excel at anything. There are a lot of better options which are also free.

What has your experience with free video editors been like?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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