Video editing is where the real magic happens — turning random footage into something actually worth watching. If you're here to learn how to make that magic yourself, you're in the right place.

Editing makes the difference between raw footage that puts people to sleep and a video that keeps them glued to the screen. It's the essential but often overlooked ingredient in every successful video project, and even basic editing skills will dramatically improve whatever you're creating.

The good news? Even if you're totally new to this, today's editing tools have eliminated many of the technical barriers. You can produce surprisingly good videos much faster than most people think — without spending years mastering complex software.

And while every project comes with its own unique challenges and requirements, the core principles of video editing remain basically the same whether you're creating a quick social clip or a feature-length film.

There's no one "correct" way to edit a video — despite what YouTube tutorials might tell you — but there are proven techniques that will make your editing process smoother and your final product more engaging.

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Platform-specific editing tips for faster workflows

Whether you’re on iOS, Mac, Android, or Windows, choosing the right editing app can drastically speed up your workflow. On iOS, the built-in Clips app simplifies splitting clips by dragging the playhead, and iMovie for Mac features drag-and-drop storyboards for quick trailer creation VideoMaker timeline fundamentals. Android users can take advantage of CapCut’s AI filters and auto-captions for up to 98% accuracy CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. On Windows, DaVinci Resolve’s Magic Mask tool uses advanced object tracking to create professional-looking composites with minimal effort 4K editing requirements. Experiment with these platform-specific apps to find the best fit for your style and budget.

Preparing to edit your video

Define your video editing goals

Before you go near a camera, figure out the goals of your video content. Understanding what you're trying to achieve will shape your entire editing approach. Maybe you're making:

• A TikTok video for marketing
• A highlight video for Instagram Reels
• An explainer or how-to YouTube video
• Something for personal use, for fun, or for a client

Keeping the answers front-of-mind from the start will help you determine everything from the equipment and tools you'll need to the kind of music and sound effects you'll use.

It'll also give you a sense of what your editing process will ultimately look like — do you have equipment or budget constraints that'll limit what you can produce? Will your piece be high-energy with lots of quick cuts or more streamlined and relaxed? How many rounds of edits will you need for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram? You get the idea.

Organize your footage and files

This is less about editing itself and more about making your life easier. The last thing you want when you sit down to edit is a massive folder of randomly named files. Proper organization is a fundamental video editing basic that beginners often overlook.

How much time you give yourself to get creative with edits — the most important (and fun) part of making something good — will have a lot to do with how well you organize your media. Every editor has a system that works for them, but here are a few things we recommend for beginners learning how to edit videos:

• Write some sort of script. Having a script or storyboard, even if it's rough, to work from is indispensable during shooting and editing.
• Log your shots while filming. Label all files properly to reflect the scene and the take, then drop them in folders separated by theme, and organize them in such a way that you can find them quickly, as you need them.
• Name your footage and media systematically. We know — when you're thinking about how to learn video editing, the last place your brain goes is to something as boring as file-naming. But it's essential to have a system for naming video files, audio files, still images, and so on. The video production team at Descript standardizes the names of all files in the same format: TITLE>DATE>VERSION. Each project has a specific title, date, and multiple versions if more than one are produced in a day. So it might look like DescripTip-07-15-2022-v1.
• Use folders wisely. Create a main folder for each project to house your project file, as well as subfolders for your footage, music, images, and anything else you need. For easy access, store everything on the same drive.

Choose the right video editing software

First things first, you'll need video editing software like Descript before you start.

Descript makes it super easy to edit videos using transcription-based editing. Basically, after you upload a video, Descript creates a transcription for it, like so. This approach is particularly helpful for beginners since you can edit video by simply editing text.

Then, you can edit it like a Word document. By simply deleting text, you can trim unwanted segments from the video. This makes the editing process far more intuitive, especially for those not familiar with traditional, timeline-based video editing. No need to learn complex keyboard shortcuts or struggle with precise trimming.

With Descript, you can also easily perform common video editing techniques:

• Generate new voiceover content from text
• Manage and edit different audio and video tracks separately
• Screen record clips for creating tutorials or presentations
• Automatically remove filler words like “um” and “uh”

The best part? Descript uses non-destructive editing, meaning it preserves your original files as you edit, so you can revert if you change your mind or make a mistake.

Other great options include Adobe Premiere Pro (for the advanced editors) and iMovie, which is built into the Apple operating system. If you've filmed videos on your iPhone or Android, you'll want a more mobile-friendly video editing app like KineMaster. Each platform has specific strengths - Premiere Pro offers professional-grade features, while mobile apps make quick edits on the go much easier.

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Back up your video project files

Anyone who's ever spent hours writing a draft or creating a presentation and forgotten to hit “save” knows the agony of not backing up your work. Yet this is a step a lot of people overlook. Don't be one of them. Save your project often — set reminders on your phone or computer if you need to.

Many seasoned editors swear by the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of every file you need in at least two different places, e.g. an external hard drive and a Cloud-based service like Google Drive. In addition to saving frequently, note the date and time of each version, so you can go back if you get too heavy-handed on edits at some point. This practice is essential for both beginners and professionals.

Descript makes the first step here irrelevant, and the second easy. If you have an internet connection, Descript automatically saves your project as you work.

How to edit videos: step-by-step guide

After all of that preparation you may be saying to yourself, but how do you edit a video? Here are the basic steps.

Review all your raw footage

When you're first learning how to edit videos, it's hard to know where to start. A great first step is to watch all the raw video you have from start to finish, prior to any cutting or trimming. This helps you get familiar with all your footage before making editing decisions.

Imagine you're a seasoned journalist sitting down to write — you'd want to read through all of your reporting notes before you even attempt a first draft. Same goes for video editing. At this stage, many editors will start to cut down on the amount of files, deleting extra takes and obvious mistakes. For beginners, this initial review helps identify your best footage and understand what you're working with.

Create your first rough cut

Open your video editing software; drag and drop all of your video footage in. The process will look a little different depending on what software you're using.

In Descript, as soon as you open a new project, you can start dragging media into your workstation, including video clips, voiceover, music, graphics, or other images.

Add B-roll, captions, stock media — whatever you want. At this stage, you want to pick your best clips and put them together into a rough cut, or a loose version of the story you want to tell. It's the same idea as a rough draft in writing — you're getting the content in rough order here before moving on to more technical edits. This is where you start to see your video take shape.

Fine-tune your video edit

This is when your rough draft transforms into something more cohesive, and your vision starts to come to life. Play around with the pacing, adjust the color and sound, and make sure dialogue is audible. These fine-tuning steps are where your video starts to look and sound professional.

Then add visual effects like keyframe animation, shapes, and transitions. Get subtitles and captions in your chosen font, and add stickers, GIFs, and sound effects. These elements help optimize your video for different platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or social media stories.

If you're working in Descript, you can edit your video by editing the transcript (just like you'd edit a doc). You can cut your video into scenes so it's easy to control when visuals appear (and manipulating the visuals is as easy as in a slideshow).

Also, remove filler words (e.g. “ums,” “uhs,” and “likes”) in a single click, and add transitions, B-roll, animated captions, and other effects in just a few more.

You can also use AI-powered tools like Studio Sound, which automatically removes background noise and enhances speakers' voices.

Polish your final edit

Watch your video again and look for ways to make it better. Maybe cut slow or sloppy parts to keep your narrative moving and your video tight. Maybe you need to add a shot or scene where there's a piece missing in the story. You might also play around a bit more with transitions and cuts, and then layer in music and any other finishing touches. This final polish is what separates amateur videos from professional-looking content.

Get feedback and finalize your video

After you've spent some time getting your video how you want it, it's good to get some outside perspective. If you have time, walk away for at least a full day and call in reinforcements.

Showing what you've made to someone you trust is often the easiest and quickest way to find out what's working and what's not. Return with fresh eyes, incorporate your final tweaks, and wrap it up. Even professional editors rely on feedback to catch issues they might miss.

Harness ai-driven editing trends for 2024

As AI technology continues to evolve, new tools are emerging to speed up and simplify video editing. Platforms like OpusClip can automatically identify high-virality moments and reframe them into short segments for TikTok or YouTube Shorts CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. Runway ML offers Gen-2 features for text-to-video tasks and advanced green screen removal, making complex effects more accessible to beginners. With Descript’s transcript-based editing, you simply delete words to remove unwanted sections, and machine learning handles the rest CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. These AI-driven approaches enable creators to streamline their workflows and focus on storytelling rather than getting bogged down by technical details.

Exporting and sharing your video

Once you're happy with your video, there are just two things left to do: export it and share it. If you're wondering how to upload a video to specific social media platforms, check out these quick guides:

• How to Upload a Video to YouTube
• How to Upload a Video to Facebook
• How to Upload a Video to Instagram

Frequently asked questions about video editing

What is the easiest way to edit videos?

The easiest way to edit a video is using Descript. Simply drop your footage into the software and Descript generates a transcription of your video. Then, you can edit the video by adjusting the text, much like editing a Word document. This text-based approach makes video editing significantly more accessible to beginners who might be intimidated by traditional timeline editors.

How to edit videos on your phone?

Mobile video editing tools like KineMaster can let you edit media on the go. KineMaster has a drag-and-drop interface where you can easily import your own video, trim clips, split footage, rearrange clips, apply special effects, and more with simple touch controls. You can also download extra editing features like transitions and clip graphics through KineMaster's Asset Store. This is perfect for creating quick social media videos directly from your phone.

How to edit videos on a Mac?

Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac come with iMovie as default. You can easily start editing a video on iMovie, add an intro, overlays, and background music, and end up with a great video. iMovie also includes a number of templates, called "Themes", with visually related titles and transitions. You can add them as you build your movie. The simplicity makes it ideal for beginners learning how to edit videos.

If you want more advanced features, you can buy Final Cut Pro in the Mac App Store for $299.99.

What are the best video editing software options?

Some of the best video editing software include Descript, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, LightWorks, and KineMaster.

How to edit vertical videos for TikTok?

To optimize for TikTok's 9:16 ratio, you can use CapCut’s Auto Reframe or Premiere Pro’s Social preset CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. Always aim to capture attention within the first half-second by using a strong hook. Incorporate trending music or hashtags for greater discoverability. Keep your edits tight and visually engaging since TikTok videos often run under a minute. When exporting, ensure your resolution is at least 1080 x 1920 for a crisp look.

Best free video editor for beginners?

DaVinci Resolve stands out as a professional-grade yet free option for those seeking robust features 4K editing requirements. If you prefer an even simpler approach, Canva Video provides drag-and-drop functionality and templated designs for quick edits CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. Both solutions allow you to experiment with advanced effects like color grading or AI-assisted transitions without the upfront cost. Make sure to test multiple tools to find one that suits your style. Keep in mind that while some free editors offer premium features, the base software can be adequate for most beginners.

How to reduce background noise?

You can use Adobe Podcast’s ‘Enhance Speech’ tool or Descript’s Studio Sound to quickly clean up noisy audio CNET's coverage on AI editing tools. Both tools harness AI to isolate and amplify voices, minimizing ambient sounds. For best results, record in a quiet environment and use a quality microphone. Reducing echoes with acoustic foam or blankets can also help before editing. Always preview your final mix through headphones to ensure accuracy.