Video Editing Basics

Every editor uses the same ideas: you import clips, arrange them on a timeline, trim them, add sound and text, then export. Learn one well and the rest feel familiar. These are free to start as of October 2026:

Free plans change. Before you sink hours into a project, export a short test to check the resolution and whether a watermark is added.

A clip is one piece of video or audio. The timeline is the strip where you line clips up from left to right, in the order they'll play. The playhead is the line that shows where you are.

• Tracks stack on top of each other. Video on a higher track covers the one below (that's how b-roll and titles work). Audio tracks all play together.
• Trim means shortening a clip by moving its start (in point) or end (out point). The original file isn't changed; editing is non-destructive.
• Split (or “blade”) cuts a clip in two at the playhead so you can delete the middle.
• Ripple delete removes a piece and slides everything after it left so there's no gap.

Most of editing is deciding where to cut. Good cuts are invisible: the viewer just follows the story.

• Cut the boring parts. Trim the “um, okay, so” at the start and the reach for the camera at the end. Start on the action.
• Jump cuts remove pauses from someone talking to the camera. The image jumps a little, but it keeps the pace up. Common on YouTube and TikTok.
• Cut on action. If someone sits down, cut in the middle of the movement to the next angle. The motion hides the cut.
• Use simple cuts. A plain cut is right 95% of the time. Save fades for the very start, the very end, or a big change of time or place. Skip star wipes.

J cuts and L cuts

These split the audio and video so they change at different times. They make conversations and scene changes feel natural.

In most editors you detach or unlink the audio from the clip first (right-click the clip), then trim the audio and video ends separately.

A-roll is the main footage: someone talking, the main event. B-roll is the extra footage you lay on top to show what they're talking about: hands at work, the view, close-ups, the sign on the door.

• Put b-roll on the track above the A-roll. The talking audio keeps playing underneath.
• Use it to hide jump cuts, show instead of tell, and change the picture every few seconds.
• Shoot more b-roll than you think. Five-second shots of everything are gold in the edit.
• Keep b-roll shots short, usually 2 to 5 seconds each.

Titles and captions

• Add captions. Many people watch with sound off, and captions help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Most editors can auto-generate them; always proofread names and numbers.
• Keep text on screen long enough to read twice. Use high contrast, and keep it away from the edges, where apps put buttons.

Music and footage need rights. Popular songs can get your video muted or blocked. Use the editor's licensed library, the platform's own audio library, or music you have permission to use.

Viewers forgive shaky video, but not bad sound. Fix audio first.

Audio levels

• Watch the audio meter. Keep voices peaking around −12 to −6 dB. If the meter hits 0 dB and turns red, the sound clips and distorts.
• Music under talking should be much quieter than the voice, roughly −20 dB or lower. Lower it (“duck” it) whenever someone speaks.
• Add short audio fades (a few frames) at the start and end of clips to avoid clicks and pops.
• Use noise reduction gently. Too much makes voices sound underwater.
• Listen on headphones and a phone speaker before you export.

Color

1. Correct first: fix exposure (brightness), contrast and white balance so whites look white and skin looks natural.
2. Match shots: clips filmed in the same scene should look the same, so cuts don't jump in color.
3. Grade last: add a look (warm, cool, moody) once everything matches. Keep it subtle, and watch skin tones.

Exporting (or “rendering”) turns your timeline into one video file. The main settings:

• Aspect ratio: the shape. 16:9 is wide (YouTube, TV). 9:16 is tall (phones). Set this before you start editing.
• Resolution: the size in pixels. 1080p (1920×1080) is the safe standard. Don't export larger than your footage.
• Frame rate: frames per second. Export at the same rate you filmed (often 24, 30 or 60).
• Format: MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio works almost everywhere.
• Bitrate/quality: higher is sharper but bigger. “High” or “Recommended” is usually right.

Check before you post: watch the exported file all the way through. Look for black gaps, missing audio and typos in captions.