Charting the Course to YouTube Success – Top 5 Strategies Inside

Charting the Course to YouTube Success – Top 5 Strategies Inside

YouTube is undoubtedly the most famous video sharing platform in the world. More than 5 billion videos are watched every single minute on YouTube. And the ever-growing user base has propelled YouTube to the status of 2nd most popular social media platform in the world, and the second most visited website after Google in 2021.

YouTube marketing is great for both businesses and individuals who want to make careers out of YouTube. Many businesses make use of YouTube ads to get their products to their customers and it’s really effective. However, you can make more organic traffic using YouTube video marketing. With a successful YouTube video marketing strategy, you can generate leads without any ad investments.

And in this guide, we will discuss some YouTube video marketing tips that will help you get more subscribers and build your brand outreach.

Tip #1: Create A Roadmap Leading To Your Main Goal

A roadmap is basically a level by level approach to your vision. Instead of just looking at the end plan, you are building your platform up through short attainable goals. There is immense power in setting short term goals. Some serious questions that you should ask yourself are:

Step 1: Start with the question of why you need a YouTube channel in the first place! Decide on what your channel should be about and how the viewers are going to benefit from it.

Step 2: The next step is to prepare a content plan. Here must decide the type of videos and how often it will be published on your channel.

Step 3: What is your target in terms of subscribers and traffic conversion. Do you plan to take the audience to a separate landing or are you planning on making money solely from YouTube?

Planning out such specifics will help you build your platform gradually to the main goal.

Tip #2: Do tests within your strategy

Understanding the audience preferences is paramount to the success of YouTube channels. There are some important tests that you can do to understand the genre that you are targeting.

a. Test video duration

Nobody likes to see a 2 hour long YouTube video unless it’s super interesting. Thankfully, there have been studies that have been conducted to measure the audience reaction to videos of different lengths.

By default, when you create a YouTube account, the maximum upload length is restricted to just 15 minutes. You can go past this limit by verifying your account on YouTube.

When you look at the most trending videos on YouTube, they generally fall within 10 minutes. The average video size on YouTube is 4.4 minutes .

For example, let us look at YouTube videos that explain the same concept, but with different video lengths and see if the audience engagement differs with the videos. we have ensured that both videos are from channels who have a similar subscriber count in order to eliminate disproportionality that arises from viewer base.

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

Top 8 Gratis Video Cutting Tools For Online Content Creation

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

Also read:

• [Updated] Boosting Your YouTube Presence with Extended Videos
• Dealing with YouTube's Challenging Earnings Model for 2024
• Effortless iDevice Integration for Video Sharing Platforms for 2024
• [Updated] Elevating Video Quality Tips for Breathtaking Unboxing Experiences
• Optimal Screen Recorder Selection for YouTube Professionals
• The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Earnings Across Devices
• Dive Deep Into Dynamic Dialogue Dives
• Comprehensive Techniques for Gauging YT Popularity & Monetization for 2024
• Free Tools and Tricks Creating Compelling YouTube Video Ads
• [Updated] Discovering the Most Innovative Youtube Channel Names A Vlogger's Must-Have List (Maximum Length 156 Characters)
• 2024 Approved Boost Engagement Advanced YouTube Tag Strategies Revealed
• Paving the Way for Individuality in the Digital Age Your YouTube Journey
• Android Advantage 5 Unique Playlist Downloaders Reviewed
• [New] Best 10 Volume Elevators for Windows, iOS & Android
• Best Free YouTube Video Editing Apps for iPhone & iPad & How-Tos
• In 2024, Best YouTube to MP3 Converters Free Download [Online/Win/Mac]
• [New] Copycatting Charisma Making Ingenious Parodies
• [Updated] 100+ Cool Gaming Channel Names for Every Gamer
• Audience Expansion Masterclass Skyrocketing Your Youtube Numbers for 2024
• Maximize View Count Best YT Thumbnail Sizes
• Best 8 Linux Platforms for Video Mastery
• The Right Sound, The Right Mic Top Recommendations for Diverse Online Presence
• Mastering YouTube Scriptwriting for Viral Impact
• 2024 Approved Essential 8 Tools Linux-Based Edits Software
• Earn Online via YouTube How Reaching 500 Subscribers Pays Off
• YouTube Riches with Best Hash Tags Tips
• Channel Success Story Turning Budget Into Brands
• Captivating Imagery in Thumbnail Designs for 2024
• 2024 Approved Analyzing the Income Generated by Every YouTube Viewer
• Essential Science YouTube Networks Expand Your Mind
• 2024 Approved Becoming a Billionaire on the Blockchain Non-Ad Profits on YouTube
• 2024 Approved Enhancing Clicks YouTube Thumbnail Sizes Explored
• [New] Analyzing Video Platforms Vimeo and YouTube
• Step Into the World of YouTube Transcription A Comprehensive No-Fee Guide
• [New] Evolving Channels 8 Fastest Video Climbers
• Master Your YouTube Thumbnail Size & Ratio
• Updated The Silent Movie Revolution Procedures for Deleting Sound Elements in MOV Files Across Computers and Devices for 2024
• Pioneering RPGs Rogelikes & Their Descendants for 2024
• Top 10 AirPlay Apps in Realme 10T 5G for Streaming | Dr.fone
• How To Unlink Apple ID From Apple iPhone 14
• 2024 Approved Cushioning Calm Top Relaxing PC Titles
• 2024 Approved Taking IGTV Viewership to New Peaks 5 Innovative Approaches
• Age of Empires Unleashed Exploring the 7 Greatest Battles
• Updated The Ultimate List of Free Online Video Editing Tools for 2024
• How to Fake Snapchat Location on Apple iPhone XS | Dr.fone
• In 2024, Master the Art of Sowing and Cultivation in Valheim
• 2024 Approved Key Elements of Viral Success in Instagram Videos
• [New] Enhance Engagement Personalize Twitter Videos with New Thumbnails for 2024
• New Movie Magic 9 Best Intro Makers for Your Video Projects for 2024
• In 2024, 5 Most Effective Methods to Unlock Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max in Lost Mode
• How To Erase Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Data Permanently | Dr.fone
• [New] Discord's Favorite Font Makers IOS & Android Edition for 2024
• In 2024, Is Your Apple iPhone 13 in Security Lockout? Proper Ways To Unlock
• 2024 Approved Instagram's Backward Glimpse Reverse Video Tips
• [New] Rising Above the Rest Crafting Content for Top Spot at Vimeo
• In 2024, CatchEmAll Celebrate National Pokémon Day with Virtual Location On Motorola Razr 40 Ultra | Dr.fone
• Does Life360 Notify When You Log Out On Xiaomi Redmi 13C? | Dr.fone
• Fixing Foneazy MockGo Not Working On Realme 10T 5G | Dr.fone
• [New] In 2024, Enhance Your Video Impact with Slow Motion on IG
• How to use Snapchat Location Spoofer to Protect Your Privacy On Honor Magic Vs 2? | Dr.fone
• How to Send and Fake Live Location on Facebook Messenger Of your Motorola Edge+ (2023) | Dr.fone
• Updated In 2024, In This Article, We Are Going to Take You Through some of the Best Time-Lapse Video Editing Software, You Can Find on the Market
• [New] Premier List of Affordable Virtual Meetings & Live Desktop Sharing
• How to Change Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Location on Skout | Dr.fone
• New 2024 Approved The 15 Best Apps to Turn Photos Into Cartoons and Sketches