Although video editing and production work has been around for years, improvements in technology and social trends have given rise to remote video editing jobs. It is becoming more common to work from home, get projects for YouTube editing, and because of the demand, consider honing your skills to make a career out of it.
So how do you get remote video editing jobs which you can work from home, focus on YouTube editing, and create a career from these skills? You can do this by focusing on becoming a video editing freelancer and set up your equipment in your home office so that you can work from home. By focusing on finding video editing projects by YouTubers, you can gain expertise and even some visibility as a YouTube video editor. Finally, you should continually improve your skills by getting extra training and which will enable you to make a solid career in video editing.
Video editing has come a long way over the last 10 to 20 years. There are multiple software programs available on multiple devices, and techniques have become simplified as well. However, to satisfy potential customers and be able to compete with other video editors for projects, it’s good to have a set up that you can rely on and techniques that set you apart from your competition. Let’s take a more in-depth look.
Work From Home as a Freelancer – Get Remote Video Editing Jobs
There’s always the option to find a company to work for and learn and do video editing. These days, however, it is a real option to be able to become a freelancer and work from home. To do this correctly, it’s wise to create a reliable home office from which to work from. It’s a good idea to have video editing software and equipment that you know how to use well for processing projects. One other thing that will help you is to make your home office desk comfortable and usable for video editing.
Working From Home
As a video editor working from home, there are a few key things that you should have so that you can effectively process your projects:
● Have one corner of your home or apartment perfectly laid out for your home office – the place where you work and process your projects
● Have a fast Wi-Fi so that you can download and upload project files. It’s common to have a cloud server solution like dropbox or Amazon web storage
● Ideally, you would have your home office in a soundproof room, but often it’s not possible, especially with small apartments. So you have to take into consideration how you can keep sound and distractions to a minimum when you’re working on video editing projects that have deadlines
● Keep yourself effective and productive – Working from home gives the ultimate flexibility to work on your own schedule and when your energy is high. Productivity is something that you need to work at. Use the right tools and methods to be sure you are making progress on your projects and not doing busywork. Always aim for high productivity in the hours you have set aside for working on your video editing projects.
Video Editor Equipment and Software
In the table below, I have detailed out the type of video editor equipment or software, and indicated a price investment level that is needed. I’ve also indicated if it required or recommended for beginners just starting out and if the equipment is required for professional video editing.
Table 1 - Video Editor Equipment and Software
| Equipment or Software App Name | Description | Price Investment $0-$99 / $100-$499 /$500 + | Recommended for Beginners | Required for Professional Video Editing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | A computer with enough RAM and processing power | $500 + | Yes | Yes |
| Video Editing Keyboard | A keyboard specifically made for video editing | $100-$499 | No | Yes |
| Monitors & Mounts | External monitors and mounts for those monitors | $100-$499 | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers / Headphones | External speakers or headphones to listen to video clips | $100-$499 | Yes | Yes |
| Photo / Video editing console | A harware console designed to make photo or video editing easier with featured knobs, buttons and dials | $100-$499 | No | Yes |
| Filmora | A video editing software application | Free / $0-$99 a month | Yes | No |
| VideoPad | A video editing software application | Free / $0-$99 a month | Yes | No |
| DaVinci Resolve | A video editing software application | Free / $0-$99 a month | Yes | No |
| Adobe Premiere Pro CC | A video editing software application | $0-$99 a month | No | Yes |
| Final Cut Pro X (Mac) | A video editing software application | $100-$499 | No | Yes |
| Pinnacle Studio 22 | A video editing software application | $0-$99 a month | No | Yes |
| Equipment or Software App Name | Description | Price Investment $0-$99 / $100-$499 /$500 +/Detailed sign-up | Recommended for Beginners | Required for Professional Video Editing |
Video Editor Desk
Having a proper video editor desk to work at can be the underlying factor in enjoying the work that you do or being stressed with processing your employment.
To start with, determine the types of video editing projects you do. Do they incorporate lots of special effects, or is it simple video processing? By doing this, you can get an idea of the processing power that your computer equipment will need and also if you require multiple monitors to do your editing. Naturally, more power and monitors are always nice to have in video editing, but it’s not still possible to have everything on your desk.
There is also physical editing equipment that can be used in conjunction with software, and depending on the need may be an excellent addition to your computer desk for video editing and processing remote video editing jobs and projets. Here’s a list of a few of them:
● Dual and triple monitors for video editing – using multiple monitors can help speed up the video editing process. Depending on your needs, consider setting this up.
● External video decoder – Sometimes you will need extra decoder power and to separately decode videos while you do other editing. This can be an option.
● Video editing hardware console – video editing consoles make adjustments to videos while editing much faster. There are several options available.
Remote Video Editing Jobs – Freelance Youtube Video Editors
The latest YouTube trends indicate that not only is the number of videos on YouTube increasing but the demand for videos based on watch time – video consumption is increasing. In 2019, YouTube states that there are One billion hours watched daily on their platform.
For a freelance video editor, this is great news. It means that the demand for video editing will only increase. Let’s take a look at YouTube and how to get remote video editing jobs.
Do YouTubers Hire Editors?
Many YouTubers, especially if they have a small channel or are just starting out, do their video editing by themselves.
It’s an issue of having to work by themselves and also not having the money to hire a video editor.
When the channel grows, or they become too busy to spend time on video editing, then they will hire a video editor. According to some statistics, the average video editing charges per hour can range from $75-$150 for YouTube editing. In the big picture, it will depend on the project and the skill level of the video editor, and there are no hard and fast rules.
It’s an excellent opportunity for video editors to target YouTubers. Many smaller channels are growing, and the demand for videos and consumption of videos is growing. To break into this area, you need to be able to show some competence and preferably some experience with other YouTube channels.
Youtube Gaming Video Editor
One big area of growth on YouTube is gaming. If you browse YouTube, you will find that there are increasingly more gaming channels being set up, and also, the amount of videos on the gaming channel is significant. As previously mentioned, if the channel is small, there is a likelihood that the channel owner will do their own video editing. Once that channel is growing, as you can see with many gaming channels that have hundreds of videos, it can be time-consuming to do the video editing.
Gaming channels on YouTube are not the only area where there is an increase in the number of channels. All types of business and product review channels are experiencing growth.
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Related Freelancing and Work at Home Articles You Might Also Be Interested In:
How Can You Create the Perfect Freelancer Workspace at Home?
Freelance Portfolio – How to Build It, Use It and Promote It
How to Have a Minimalist Home Office Desk Setup (Workspace, Computer, Decor)
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Find Jobs on Freelance Platforms, Social Media, and Write Directly
Where can you find these YouTube video editor jobs? The first place that people typically think about is, of course, freelance job platforms like Freelancer, Upwork, or Fiverr. It is undoubtedly a place where you can find YouTube editing projects.
An alternative way to find remote work at home YouTube video editor jobs is to go on social media like Facebook or Reddit. In some groups, you can join and discuss directly with YouTube channel owners and then propose to do some video editing. It’s also possible that you write directly to the channel owner via their YouTube channel and ask if they would consider trying out your video editing skills. You should engage them by telling them how you might be able to improve the look of their video, which will increase their views.
However, as mentioned in other articles on this website, it might be best to use a combination of methods to find a freelance project and not only rely on sizeable freelance job platforms as many people do.
YouTube Video – Importance of Video Editing by Lark Media
Is Video Editing a Good Career?
Many young people today start video editing as a freelancer, but video editing has been around in multiple industries for years. Is video editing the right career choice? Let’s take a look at that.
Are Video Editors in Demand?
In general, yes, video editors are in demand. According to the US Department of Labor, demand for video editors has been increasing since 2004 – and increasing 11% faster than other careers. YouTube and video as a medium have been growing faster than average as well.
Video Editor Job Description
In looking at video editing as a career, let’s now define a general job description of video editing and take a look at the different types of industries that use video editors.
According to BetterTeam, a typical job description for a video editor is:
“Video Editors manipulate film and video footage to create a coherent and complete project that accurately depicts the film Directors envision. They use complex editing software to piece together stills, footage, sound effects, dialog, and animation effects.”
Depending on the industry that you are working in – the movie industry or YouTube or TV industry, the descriptions may differ. Additionally, for freelance video projects the descriptions may be more targeted to the final editing preferences of the customer.
In the following table, I outline the different types of video editors within industries. There is a column whether a degree is generally required, whether freelancing is a possible option, a column indicating difficultly to start or break into the trade.
Table 2 - Types of Video Editors in Industries
| Type of Video Editor | Description | Degree Required Yes-No-Sometimes | Freelance Possibility? | Level of Video Editing Equipment Needed 1-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Editor | Edits YouTube videos from creators | No | Yes | 2 |
| TV & Film Editor | In the TV or Film industry, edits footage for shows or films | Yes | No | 4 |
| Multimedia Artist & Editor | In companies that use multimedia, edits branding videos for customers | Sometimes | Yes | 3 |
| Advertising/Commercial Video Editor | Similar to multimedia artist, edits for companies using mulimedia for branding, sales and marketing | Yes | Yes | 3 |
| Music Video Editor | Edits music videos for music companies or artists | Sometimes | No | 4 |
| Cinematographer | In industries that shoot films or movies, edits video. Can also be shooting video on assignment | Sometimes | Yes | 3 |
| Videographer | Shoots videos for weddings or other events, then edits video on post production | No | Yes | 3 |
| Type of Video Editor | Description | Degree Required Yes-No-Sometimes | Freelance Possibility? | Level of Video Editing Equipment Needed 1-5 |
How Do I Start a Career in Video Editing?
If you want to start a career in video editing, there are two routes that you can go to. One, you can focus on getting experience with this many projects as possible. It will allow you to compete effectively on freelance job platforms and proposing projects on social media and directly to YouTube channel owners. You will gain experience and skills by doing multiple projects.
The second way to go is the traditional route of getting an education, a two-year degree or a four-year degree, and then positioning yourself to land a job with the company. Formal education is not always necessary, and many places will teach you online about video editing. Here is a list of online schools that offer video editing courses:
● Udemy – Good courses to learn professional-level video editing.
● Skillshare – Offers courses to learn popular video editing software
● LinkedIn Learning – Specific courses based on need and level of expertise
● Creativelive – Video editing software courses
● Coursera.org – Video editing software courses
If you are thinking of a more formal education, with two and four year degree programs, Study.com has a video editing school table which has some excellent information to help you make your decision.
Conclusion
Video editing puts the final touch on video content and can significantly impact how a video message is received. It’s entirely possible to become a freelancer and get remote video editing jobs. As the demand for videos continues to expand, why not position yourself with the skills and experience that can set you up in a career for years? Good luck, and give this a shot.
