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I’ve mentioned a few times in my video series and blog posts that I use Sony Vegas Movie Studio to edit my videos. However, I wanted to point out that you could easily spend far too much time educating yourself on the finer points of video editing. In fact, people go to school for years to refine their techniques. I’m assuming that you don’t have that kind of time, so let’s get on with it.

In today’s post I have an alternative to having to buy any video editing software at all (FREE)  and a quick tutorial on how to use it. And believe it or not… it’s on YouTube!

It’s a simple editing program that allows you to put multiple videos together, add music and transitions. It’s definitely not the most advanced editing program in the world, but is great for fast, on the fly editing.

Here’s how to use the YouTube editor.
You can log on to the editor here >>

Step 1: Drag and Drop All the Videos You Want

On the upper left hand side is a listing of your videos. Drag and drop the videos you want to the timeline below.

Step 2: Trim Each Video

Trimming is the process of telling YouTube when you want each video to start and end. Hover your mouse over the video in the timeline and click the scissors button.

The trimming screen will appear. Click and drag the handles on the left and right of the timeline to trim the video. Click save when you’re finished.

Step 3: Adding Audio

Click the Audio button at the top to access the audio menu.

Click and drag any audio to the audio timeline to add the audio to your video.

You can search for specific songs and artists along the time. Unfortunately, you can’t use your own audio as YouTube only lets you use songs that they’ve acquired the copyrights to.

Step 4: Adding Transitions

Transitions are things like fade ins and fade outs, slide in the next video, etc in between videos. If you don’t add transitions, each video will simply jump to the next and look very choppy.

To add transitions, first click on the transitions tab along the top.

Click and drag the transition of your choice between the videos where you want the transition to appear.

Optional: Rotation and Effects

Rotation and effects are two more features that the YouTube editor lets you do.

Rotations allow you to rotate your video in 90 degree angles, clockwise or counter clockwise. Hover your mouse over the video in the timeline and click the rotate button to rotate.

The effects button allows you to increase and decrease the brightness and contrast or switch the video to black and white. Hover over the video and click effects.

Step 5: Click publish!

Once you’re finished, click the publish button to publish your video.

iMovie or Windows Movie Maker:

1. Audio. If you were recording straight audio, you’d be a little more picky about what you kept and what you edited out. But don’t let this tempt you to over edit. Take a look/listen to your video, and only cut out the really bad, tongue-tied moments.

2. Start/End. If you are filming yourself, you may have a moment at the beginning and end of your video when you are reaching forward to turn the camera on and off. One very simple edit is to just cut out these few seconds of video. Suddenly, you’ve gone from Blair Witch Project to Citizen Kane! Yay, you!

3. Intro/Extro. Think of your favorite sitcom or TV show. Whether it’s “Howdy Doody” or “CSI: Las Vegas,” as soon as you hear that music, you know what’s coming!  While you don’t need a professional to compose and record a jingle just for you, a slide introducing you, your website, and the topic will set the stage for your audience.  Music is optional.

There are some definite do’s and don’ts to video editing. Here are a few of the basics:

  • Don’t over-edit. If you try to take out every “er” or “um,” you can end up with a very choppy, uncomfortable to watch video. Instead, just eliminate the really bad parts where you mis-speak, or where there are unduly long pauses.
  • Keep your mouth shut. That may sound funny, but a trick to video editing is to cut the video frame when your mouth is shut so you don’t end up with that wide-eyed, yawning look.
  • Leave it a little rough. People want to know you’re a real person, not an over-processed corporate drone, especially when putting video on the internet. Keep it natural. Slickness scares people; natural is good.

As mentioned above, video editing is a specialized field and it can easily become another way to procrastinate your way out of ever getting it done, if you let it. Remind yourself that you’re after passable, not perfection, and move on!

So far in this series I’ve covered a lot of tips on creating videos.  Is there anything you have questions about that you would like answers to?  I may not be the most proficient video creator, but I’m excellent at offering guidance (and research if I don’t have the answers)!

Let me know below how I might better serve your needs! Even if it’s something other than video, I’m open to any subject about building your business online.  Advice on my blog is always free! (And that’s a bargain.)

By the way, part of this post is one section of my new YouTube Feature Guide. If you would like the full guide (FREE) simply request it by filling out the form below…

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The full guide contains how to guidance on:

  • Creating a YouTube Playlist
  • Adding Annotations to Your YouTube Videos
  • Using the YouTube Video Editor
  • Adding an AJAX Video Bar to Your Website

Related posts:

  1. 5 – Mashing It Up On Video (and Other Vlog Strategies)
  2. 6 – Screen Capture Video
  3. 4 -Video Scripting
  4. 10 – Why Video? It’s 6 Times As Effective!