In the early days of cinema, film editors had to manually cut and paste film in order to edit footage. This process was both expensive and time-consuming as the wrong cut would require the lab to reprint the footage, delaying the editing process. There was no streamlined software, dual monitors, or endless tech resources. Thanks to today’s video editing software, non-destructive editing has enabled users to edit digital video sequences without altering the original content.
Video editing software allows users to edit digital video sequences on a computer. The latest software lets you cut out scenes, extract or insert audio, introduce effects, and perform many other tasks. Aside from being an essential tool in professional and amateur post-production, video editing software is being utilized by businesses to create targeted video content for uploading on their websites and social channels. As over 40% of people spend more than an hour each week watching videos on Facebook and YouTube, many digital marketers are using both channels to distribute more of their video content.
On the other hand, due to the growing number of available options, it can be hard for you to identify the right software that meets your needs, level of expertise, and budget. Hence, before picking a software, it’s important to identify the characteristics that set apart the best video editing software from the rest.
Which Video Editing Software is Best for Beginners?
Tools and features are easy to understand
First and foremost, the tools and features found in the software should be easy enough for the average person to understand and master. Though some video editing software specifically caters to professionals or beginners, nobody wants to work on software that proves too difficult to learn and use. Great video editing software shouldn’t hinder your workflow and creativity but should instead support it.
Most of the top video editing software tools will look to users like variations on a theme. The workspace features a preview window and timeline. The preview window is fairly simple with few variations, and will show you how your edits will look when you play them back.
Timeline structure and content will vary across editing programs, but in most cases timelines feature multiple tracks for combining video content, text, and audio into a single playable video.
Beyond those components, other functions and editing capabilities will vary. Fortunately, most video editing programs offer tutorials on how to put videos together from scratch, so learning how to edit a video with each program should just be a matter of following instructions and practicing.
Clear division between basic and advanced features
While a lot of video editing software comes packed with features, add-ons, plug-ins, and whatnot, great video editing software should have both basic and advanced features. This way, you won’t experience any bottlenecks due to your system’s limitations or feel overwhelmed by the number of tools in your program.
Introductory software packages generally have basic features. To access more advanced features, you’ll often have to buy a more robust edition of a video editing program.
Creators who only need basic functionality like merging videos with transitions, adding audio, and adding text can get away with less expensive or even free software.
To use advanced features like Look-up Tables (LUTs), image stabilization, or in-depth image correction, you’ll likely need more advanced video editing software for Windows or Mac.
If you’ve selected from among the best video editing software on the market, you should be able to customize your workspace by minimizing the tabs you’re unlikely to use. You can also prioritize the features you’ll play with regularly.
Wide range of supported file formats
Supported import/export file formats tend to vary between different applications. If you tend to work with an array of video formats, you may want to choose video editing software that supports a sizable range of popular video formats, as well as audio and image file formats.
With so many varieties of video cameras, file formats aren’t as straightforward as they once were. Some camera companies have proprietary formats, while others rely on common video formats.
If you plan to import video from multiple cameras, audio from various sources, and other visuals like jpegs, png files, and more, you’ll need a flexible program capable of working with a wide range of file formats.
If your chosen video editing software for Mac or Windows has file format limitations, you can first convert the format of your footage using a third-party conversion tool. Ideally, however, your video editing software for beginners will cover the full gamut of file formats.
Has a price that matches the user’s level of expertise
Video editing software doesn’t come cheap, with the more complicated and expensive ones being targeted towards professional users. Hence, it’s wise to avoid buying an expensive program you’re unlikely to maximize in the long run. Consider the price of the software first and then see if its features and tools fit your needs as a casual content creator or serious video producer.
Many editing programs are stand alone editions and won’t automatically upgrade or update over time. If you’re confident that you’ve chosen the best video editing software for your needs, then this sort of software purchase is sufficient. Hopefully, the technology will carry you through years of editing.
Several of the top video editing software options on the market use the subscription model. You pay a monthly subscription fee, then as updates and upgrades become available, they’ll automatically roll out to your computer.
If you plan to edit videos often, a subscription service is often the best video editing software choice, because it improves with time.
Best Video Editing Software
Adobe Premiere Elements 2022 Software
One video editing software tool that balances usability with practical features is Adobe Premiere Elements 2022. Loaded with useful tools and cool effects, this software enables you to trim footage, remove haze, correct color, remedy distortions, mix audio, make precise selections, reduce noise, and much more.
This edition includes a couple of useful upgrades that video creators will love. For starters, you can change the aspect ratio of your video while editing or exporting so you can create media designed for any social platform’s supported ratio. You can also reframe your videos automatically to ensure the subject remains prominent no matter how you crop the framing.
Animated overlays, double-exposure videos, dynamic time-lapse videos, freeze frames, and shadow and highlight adjustments are just a few of the impressive functions you can expect to use and enjoy with this great software. At its affordable price point and diverse functionality, Adobe Premiere Elements 2022 is hard to beat.
Avid Media Composer 8
Avid Media Composer is the video editing software of choice among professionals in the film and broadcast industries. This truly powerful and versatile editing tool can work with high volumes of media, deliver accelerated high-res and HD workflows, provide automated media management, and more.
Non-creative media management is simplified with its Dynamic Media Folders, which allows you to automate transcoding, consolidating, and copying media in the background, so that it performs these tasks while you work on your project. Users can also share their work and collaborate with other colleagues in real-time by connecting to the cloud-based Interplay.
Magix Video Pro X (10) High-End Video Production Software
When you need a professional-level video editing software tool but don’t want to pay a monthly subscription fee, Magix Video Pro 10 is a fantastic software to explore.
Magix has carefully honed their product to give filmmakers all the features they need in a straightforward and highly functional format. Designing a sustainable workflow was a major focus for this new edition, so Magix collaborated with professional filmmakers to identify and curate the functions that matter most.
All of your most frequently used tools are easy to find and access thanks to convenient keyboard shortcuts and a helpful toolbar. This software is packed with features to help you streamline your workflow and create quality content more quickly and easily.
Whether you’re editing and optimizing audio, performing advanced color grading, or correcting camera and lens-specific distortions, Video Pro X is up to the task.
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 17 Studio
When you need to collaborate with multiple team members on a project, Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 17 Studio is the perfect video editing software. Few films are created by a lone filmmaker or editor, so it’s exciting to find a software that lets multiple users access and edit projects simultaneously.
Filmmakers who are looking to edit videos in extreme resolution will appreciate this recent edition that supports footage of up to 120fps at 32K resolution. An included full suite of audio and video tools offers Dolby Vision support and HDR10+ grading and rendering.
This edition of DaVinci Resolve 17 contains some impressive upgrades, including Professional HDR Scopes, Scripting and Automation, Workflow Integration Plug Ins, Stereoscopic 3D, Remote Grading, Advanced Noise Reduction, and many other fantastic tools and features.
If you’re looking for a Hollywood-ready video editing software that even beginners can learn to master, DaVinci Resolve 17 is a powerful choice.
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve
Blackmagic Design has made a name for itself in the TV and digital film industries because of its budget-friendly but powerful video editing software, the DaVinci Resolve. The program carries a slew of features that professionals find handy, such as its facial recognition and color correction tools. The Fairlight tools, which is DaVinci Resolve’s biggest highlight, allows you to mix, record, and master a huge amount of audio files during post-production.
Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus 2021 Software
Whether you’re an experienced video editor or a total newbie, you’ll be able to make fantastic video edits with Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus 2021. This robust software includes a wide range of features, from fully automatic adjustments to painstaking manual editing features.
Multicam mode is a great tool that makes integrating multiple sources of footage simple. Movie Edit Pro Plus will even suggest automatic cuts to give your video a more professional look.
Editors who prefer a storyboard workflow can design a workspace that suits their talents and goals, while those who are used to working in a timeline format can get into the nitty gritty details and work frame by frame.
Compared with other video editing software, Movie Edit Pro Plus 2021 is designed to grow with you as you improve. Start out small with tutorials and automatic settings, then take off the training wheels and make even more nuanced design decisions.
Choosing a Video Editing Software Based On Your Needs
Many of the most popular video editing software for beginners offer free trial periods. If you’re just learning how to edit a video, this free trial period may give you all the time you need to see if an editing program’s workflow and tools will work for what you’re trying to achieve.
More experienced video creators can take advantage of free trials to test-run the quality of various tools to see which technology offers the best balance of price and productivity.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect video editing software for Mac or easy-to-learn video editing software for Windows, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the suggestions on this list. Balanced for learnability, price, and functionality, all the editing programs we’ve presented here make great video editing software for beginners.
