10 Best Video Editing Software Tools for YouTube

People watch nearly 5 billion videos on YouTube every day. It’s no wonder content creators choose this channel to share their ideas, products, and skills – they know there is potential to attract a large following and potential customers. Given the multitude of videos that live on the platform, it is important that you make your videos stand out if you want the same thing.

The quality of your video will depend on your film equipment and the editing software you use. A high-resolution video, adequate lighting, and seamless video editing is the foundation for great, professional-looking content.

To help you with this, we’ve compiled a list of the best (free and paid) video editing tools out there. With all of these tools, you can create beautiful, great content for the world’s most popular streaming service.

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Shotcut, a free, open source video editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, offers a host of impressive features comparable to Windows Movie Maker. The tool allows you, for example, to trim video material to a certain length before converting it, and to offer filters and effects to make your video look slimmer. Shotcut can handle streaming in a variety of formats, from HTTP to RTSP to UDP.

While the user interface is minimalistic, the tool is actually very comprehensive and all of the video and audio filters are fully customizable. Best of all, you can always add, remove, or change your changes as the editing in Shotcut is non-linear. or can be edited in chronological order.

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Price: Free

Available for: Windows, Mac and Linux

2. VSDC Free Video Editor

VSDC lets you either import existing clips or record directly from your webcam, making it a great option for YouTube vloggers. The user interface is simple and the tool has options for applying “Instagram-like filters,” voice-overs, titles, shapes, and other stunning visual and audio effects. In addition, VSDC allows you to export directly to YouTube or any other social network.

If you’d like to export your videos from the free version, select the gear icon in the top right corner, click “Acceleration Options”, and then uncheck the box for “Use hardware acceleration to encode videos”.

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Price: Free or $ 19.99 for the Pro version

Available for: Windows

3. DaVinci Resolve 15

Matti Haapoja, a YouTuber with a channel focused on the filmmaking process, has reviewed this tool and compared it in quality to Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro (unlike these programs, DaVinci Resolve 15 is completely free). DaVinci Resolve 15 provides tools for offline and online editing, color grading, audio effects after production, and visual effects. In addition, the software allows you to collaborate with others during the editing process. This can be especially helpful if you have multiple video editors on your team.

Best of all, DaVinci Resolve has 15 impressive features to help you improve your video ranking for SEO. For example, you can use smart bins to automatically sort and display footage based on metadata criteria (you can also sort it manually). You can also enter custom keywords and tags.

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Price: Free for DaVinci Resolve 15 or $ 299 for DaVinci Resolve 15 Studio

Available for: Windows, Linux, Mac

4. LightWorks

If you’re looking for fully customizable, professional-grade software, LightWorks is the place for you. Investing in this software, while available for a free trial, provides a much richer user experience. LightWorks offers media production capabilities that let you edit movies non-linearly, with over 100 special effects. In addition, it supports resolution up to 4K and is compatible with both HD and SD formats. Users can also enjoy a variety of royalty-free audio and video content that is compliant with YouTube’s copyright guidelines. The software offers new social media templates for smooth transitions, thumbnails, and more that can prove beneficial when uploading to many different channels.

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Price: Free, $ 24.99 monthly or $ 174.99 annually for full access

Available for: Mac, Linux, Windows

5th Magisto

Magisto is software that simplifies video editing for those intimidated by more technical processes. Designed with the novice and novice user in mind, this user interface uses AI to create video content in minutes. Users just need to upload footage and audio files and the software will do most of the work based on the video style requested. Editors can use their professional automatic editing functions such as face recognition, filters and more on a PC or smartphone. Magisto’s easy-to-use, streamlined process is an efficient way to create large-scale business video on iOS and Android devices.

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Price: Free for the basic plan, $ 4.99 to $ 34.99 monthly

Available for: iOS, Android

1. Wondershare Filmora9

Called the “All Developer Video Editor,” this tool is incredibly easy to use, whether you are an inexperienced video editor or a professional. Filmora9 lets you use filters, overlays, transitions, and custom titles to freshen up your content for YouTube and engage your audience.

In addition, the tool offers audio functions for removing keyframes and background noise, as well as an audio equalizer. If you have multiple clips that you want to combine into one cohesive video, this is a good tool for you. They can import up to 100 layers of media and have features that let you overlay your clips.

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Price: Free trial, one-time fee of $ 59.99 or $ 44.99 per year

Available for: Windows, Mac or app version for iOS or Android

2. Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is one of the highest quality video editor tools you will find. Used by Hollywood filmmakers, TV editors, and YouTubers, the software has all of the creative features you need to create polished videos. Premiere Pro offers color correction, data visualization, and audio tools for removing background noise. In addition, Premiere Pro now includes Premiere Rush CC, an app that lets you edit footage on your phone and then share it directly on your social networks, including YouTube.

Leticia De Bortoli, Senior Video Editor at HubSpot, shares what takes her videos to the next level. She uses Premiere when editing her team’s videos, as well as Audition for sound and DaVinci for color grading. Bortoli names these software, great lighting, and audio tools as the secrets of her sharp videos.

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Price: As a standalone app, Premiere Pro costs $ 239.88 per year

Available for: Mac, Windows

3. VideoStudio

VideoStudio is great video editing software that is intuitive even for a beginner. This software has all the standard functions for storyboarding and sound editing for footage up to 4 KB. Users can benefit from VideoStudio as it has custom auto-creating features like Highlight Reel Creator to simplify the editing process. Starting your YouTube channel using VideoStudio is a smart way to create your content.

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Price: One-time payment from $ 59.99 to $ 79.99 depending on the package

Available for: Mac, Windows

4. Pinnacle Studio 24

Pinnacle Studio 24 is editing software for video enthusiasts who want to create unique and eye-catching content. Not only does this software offer high-end features like fast rendering performance, motion tracking, and color correction, but it also supports 360 camera and VR footage in its Studio Ultimate package. Pinnacle’s range of effects goes beyond the software mentioned earlier by letting users create frame-by-frame edits for enhanced masking or distortion of footage for amazing visual effects. Aside from the dynamic features, it can also make screen recording or editing with multiple cameras easy, which is perfect for a wide variety of YouTube series formats.

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Price: One-time payment of $ 59.95 to $ 129.95 depending on the package

Available for: Windows

5. CyberLink PowerDirector 365

Users who subscribe to PowerDirector can enjoy video and audio software with new effects, music samples, and general enhancements added monthly. The difference between this and other software is that this editing software gives you functionality similar to Photoshop for your shots. You can create vector shape designs in the same interface that you use for desired YouTube titles and transitions in the same interface that you use to edit frames of footage. While there is a learning curve with CyberLink PowerDirector, the possibilities are limitless to begin with.

Additionally, David Guerrera, Senior Hub Creator and Animator at HubSpot, mentioned the Film Riot YouTube channel as another inspiration for creating unique videos with powerful software. “Film Riot is a great resource for filmmakers of all skill levels who want to learn new techniques for their next low-budget or big-budget video project.”

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Price: $ 19.99 monthly and $ 69.99 annually

Available for: Mac, Windows

Ultimately, you need to choose software that is right for your team and budget, but creating high quality YouTube videos doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you can find plenty of tools that are either free or that come under $ 100.

The hardest part of starting a YouTube channel is getting started. There’s a lot of competition on the platform, but there are ways to break through the noise. Creating a channel of video with smooth video editing, high definition image, and clear audio recording sets the standard for your channel’s success.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for completeness.