It used to be that video editing was only for hard working industry professionals. They were able to edit video to make sure that their vision showed up on the screen. With the introduction of smartphones and the prevalence of recording abilities, now everyone has the capability of editing your own videos.

Whether you’re trying to become a YouTube star, or just want to share some good times with friends, almost everyone with a smartphone has shared a video they have taken with someone or the public. The internet is video editing continues to increase with each passing year. While many phones offer some basic video editing like filters, there is a whole world of editing options that can take place.

How Video Editing Software Works

Video editing software works on essentially the same premise that old video editing used. Back in the days of reels and film, the film would actually be altered by adding or removing parts of the reels.

Video editing software works on much the same principle. Video is placed into the editing software. From there, parts can be taken out or moved around to create a presentation that is appealing to the editor. Think of old “home movies”. They could go on for hours with a few great highlights and lots of downtime. Video editing software would have allowed these old movies to be compiled into a highlight reel to be enjoyed quickly in minimal amounts of time.

Video editing software is a great first step for amateur editors. Try to create your own movies or documentaries and see what comes out. The step after that may be increasing the quality of equipment involved.

Free Video Editing Software

One thing to consider about video editing is that it can take more computing power than some other situations. There’s a large amount of data that’s being moved around. Therefore, it’s still mainly done on desktops or powerful laptops. The first step for new editors should be trying out free video editing software. Many of these are online video editors. No software is needed, though they will access either computing power from the cloud, or computing power from your machine. Free video editing software tends towards simpler aspects of editing. Not all will have included sound editing or it will be basic. Some of the most popular free video editing software options are:

• Lightworks - Has an upgraded pro version for $25 per month.
• Blender - Available on all operating systems.
• HitFilm Express - Built in YouTube upload capability.
• Openshot - Simple interface and intuitive.
• iMovie - Easy to use, but limited. Mac only.

Most Popular Video Editing Software

It can sometimes be difficult to determine the best video editing software. Many have a good balance of features, power and value. In the end, the best software is the one designed to do a great job with your project, whether it’s something small or a major movie. Since person taste and use come into play, many of the popular video editing software options out there can claim to be best. Some of the very best include:

• Adobe Premiere Pro CC - Many Consider this the very best for Windows users and has subscriptions from $21 to $50 per month.
• Kinemaster - This is one of the rare apps which allow for solid video editing straight from your smartphone.
• Corel VideoStudio Ultimate 2019 - This is an excellent choice for novices as they learn the practice of video editing.
• Final Cut Pro X - Many consider this to be the best video editing software that anyone can get to run on Mac. The price for the software can range from around $190 to $300 depending on vendor.