Nowadays, one goes from photography to videography in no time, as all digital cameras can record video and audio. Some produce impressive 8K resolutions. This means the same camera you use to take photos can also be used to create YouTube videos and short movies. But video editing is a different story. You can’t use the same software to edit photographs and videos. Furthermore, video editing software tends to be complicated and expensive. However, this article will show you the best video editing software for beginners. That way, you can be comfortable editing your videos in no time.
How to Choose Video Editing Software for Beginners
As a beginner, you probably don’t need complex tools used for Hollywood movies. Your first step is understanding how video editing software works and how to put a video together. That’s why, in my opinion, you should start with video editing software that’s easy to use. Even if the first videos aren’t perfect, they give you an idea about what you need to do differently. This back-and-forth between filming and editing helps you learn.
The first thing is to consider your hardware resources. Video editing software takes a toll on your computer. It has high system requirements in terms of processor performance, work memory, and graphics card speed. If you don’t have a fast computer, choose programs with good reviews from people using similar systems as yours and try web-based video editing software.
Last but not least, consider your budget. Many beginner videographers prefer to start with free video editing software. That’s because free software is often simpler, but also because people don’t know whether they are going to like the program and continue using it. Buying an expensive video editing software license and deciding not to use the program is a waste.
That being said, free software may not be the best software. Therefore, take a look at paid software as well. Install trial versions and give it a go before deciding to commit and buy the license or subscription. Some paid programs offer a free version with fewer features. Install the free version and see if it fits your workflow and works on your computer. When your videography business takes off, you can upgrade to the paid version without learning a new program from scratch.
Top Video Editing Software for Beginners
The list below includes free and paid video editing software as well as simple and advanced programs. Although it is time-consuming, try to install and test more than one program before making a decision. Also, test them by putting them to work in a real context, using footage you actually want to edit.
iMovie
iMovie is a free video editing app preinstalled on Mac laptops, iPads, and iPhones. It’s designed for beginners and amateur videographers, hence its simplicity and fast learning curve. iMovie allows you to create videos by putting together video and audio footage, images, and music. It also provides templates for creating trailers. Similar to photo editing, you can improve the quality of your video footage by adjusting color and contrast, cropping the frames, improving image stabilization, and reducing noise. You can add video and audio effects, titles, transitions, and backgrounds.
Thanks to Apple’s iCloud, you can access photos, videos, and iMovie projects across all your Apple devices. This comes in handy for videographers recording material on the go with whatever device they have (e.g., news, events, snapshots, etc.). Other benefits of iMovie are its perfect compatibility with Apple devices and its resemblance with Apple’s professional video editing software, Final Cut Pro X.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve offers a free version that gives you a taste of what the video editor can do and a paid Studio version for advanced users. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems. Furthermore, if you buy a Blackmagic camera, such as Blackmagic Cinematic Camera 6K, you receive DaVinci Resolve Studio for free.
The program features everything a videographer or filmmaker needs, from video editing, color correction, and visual effects to audio post-production and motion graphics. The workspace is impressive and fluid, making editing, cutting, coloring, and creating effects and animations smooth and efficient. It has media management functionality and AI-based tools.
DaVinci Resolve is not as easy to learn and use as other video editing software for beginners. Still, it puts you on the right path. This is the editing tool used in many Hollywood cinema productions. So it is more than capable. You start with the free version and switch to the paid one when you need advanced tools, and that’s it. You won’t need anything else.
Riverside
Riverside is an online platform that allows you to edit videos and even record them. It has a free version and two paid subscription-based versions with access to more advanced tools. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac OS X.
Riverside is ideal for talking head YouTube videos, interviews, and podcasts because it provides text-based editing, which helps you edit the video by editing the transcript. You get separate video and audio tracks, similar to more advanced video editing software, a collection of backgrounds and titles, layouts for various purposes (e.g., social media), and video and audio effects.
The major drawback is that the free version comes with a watermark, meaning you can only use it for learning purposes.
Adobe Premiere Elements
Adobe Premiere Elements, or easy video editing software as Adobe puts it, is Adobe’s option for beginners. It’s the lite version of Adobe Premiere Pro, video editing software used by professionals worldwide. However, Premiere Elements is not free.
The program features exquisite image adjustments that completely change the look and feel of your videos, noise reduction, AI-based reframing and trimming, video effects, and much more. Being a member of the Photoshop family, Elements includes precise selection tools, tools for transforming a series of photos into a movie, templates, media management functionalities, and media sharing functionalities.
Furthermore, Premiere Elements can be used as a web-based program or as an app, which comes with 5GB of cloud storage.
Clipchamp
Designed for YouTube and social media, Clipchamp works as an in-browser, desktop, or mobile app. Accessibility and usability are its most valuable principles. You can simply add images and videos, select a video style, and let Clipchamp create the video for you. However, suppose you need to be in control. In that case, you can use the program to resize the material and enhance it with text, logos, stickers, music, and many more. Clipchamp comes with a broad range of video and audio effects, filters, and color adjustments.
In addition, the program generates subtitles and transcribes the video, allows you to record voiceovers, and even coaches you on how to speak. Featuring a large library of templates and stock images, Clipchamp is a fast solution for creating catchy videos.
Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is video editing software powered by AI, which means it is fast, efficient, and easy to learn. Although it’s not free, it offers a free trial, so you can test it before buying. It runs as a desktop and mobile app.
In terms of AI features, Filmora includes smart cutting, vocal removal, text-based editing, a thumbnail creator, and a music generator. The library of templates, effects, stickers, and other creative assets is impressive, which is not a surprise, considering Filmora targets commercial videographers, such as influencers, small and mid-sized businesses, and marketers. You can create intros, trailers, and countdowns pretty fast. Like Clipchamp, Filmora is a good choice if you record interviews, tutorials, online courses, and anything that needs subtitles and voiceover because going from text to audio and back is effortless.
However, being so invested in automatic tools and templates, Filmora forgets a little bit about manual adjustments.
CapCut
CapCut offers free video editing software for in-browser, desktop, and mobile use. It features easy tools for removing backgrounds, transforming speech to text and vice versa, recording on-screen action, adding animations and effects, and creating tutorials and slideshows. The stock and template library is large enough for a beginner, although not as large as Filmora’s.
CapCut includes color corrections, lightness and clarity adjustments, HSL and Curves tools, auto reframing, and face retouching. It also has an AI-based automatic color correction for quick fixes. And if you want to overlay multiple video and audio tracks, you are welcome to do so. Other advantages are the free 1GB cloud storage, cloud collaboration, video compressing, and media asset management.
Conclusion
Video editing software can be overwhelming if you start with advanced programs, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro X. Using sophisticated software that exceeds your requirements, skills, and resources can slow you down. However, if you want to become a cinematographer, these are smart choices in the long run. If, on the other hand, you don’t want to invest the time in learning the ins and outs of the software, focus on a video editing tool with a simple interface that gets the job done. Your main focus should likely be recording high-quality video and audio footage, creating powerful narratives, and conceptualizing your next project. Although video editing is essential to a videographer’s workflow, it doesn’t produce amazing videos by itself. So start with video editing software for beginners and grow from there.
