Video Editing – Create unique memories!
You are looking for a video editing software you can easily edit your videos from your last holidays with? You are looking for a program, which has a very clear surface and which is uncomplicated to use? Or you are looking for a professional software for high quality movies? No matter what video editing program you search. We definitely will find the best for you!
These are my test winners
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
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| Model | VEGAS Movie Studio 15 | Vegas Pro 16 | MAGIX Movie Edit Pro | Best Video Editor – Movavi |
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| Price | 39,99 € inkl. 19% gesetzlicher MwSt. | 499,00 $ until 27th march | 69,99 € basic version | 29,95 € |
| detailsbuy | detailsbuy | detailsbuy | detailsbuy |
Every year new video editing programs in very different price ranges are released. I will explain on this website what is important and what you need to know in the event of buying a video editing software. I edit videos as a hobby now since 2 years and I use a professional software called Vegas Pro. I’ve started with Magix Movie Edit. It’s a great program which I can recomend especially to beginners. However, there are many other good video editing programs, which I later will compare. You will find out what is important for a good software and which functions are necessary. Video Editing doesn’t have to be hard as long as you have enough creativity.
What do I need a video editing software for?
I’m sure that everybody already has seen a video on youtube he is excited about because it is edited so well. It doesn’t matter if it is a vlog, a review or a gameplay. Everyone who creates such videos needs a video editing software. It is easy. Everyone is able to edit videos with the right software. So what you are waiting for? 😀
On my website I will answere most of your questions and I will present the in my opinion best video editing programs. If you have more questions please use the commentary function at the bottom of the side.. Have fun!
The best video editing software for beginners
What makes up the price difference of the programs?
There are either programs for beginners like the Movavi Video Editor for only 30€ or professional video editors like Vegas Pro for more than 400€.
This big price range comes from the wealth of functions which are integrated in the program. With a normal video editor for beginners you are able to edit your video files and to create your first movies with a few effects and background music.
However, if you edit your videos with a program like Vegas Pro almost everything is possile. You can change every colour of your video so that it’s possible to create new looks like you know it from Hollywood. Furthermore such a software offers much more special effects which I can’t enumerate now. On Youtube you find hundrends of tutorials how to create every single effect.
On my German website I made a video to this topic. Until now it is not translated. I will do my best to do it as fast as possible.
Top 3 Video Editing Software for beginners
Magix Movie Edit Pro
Movie Edit Pro 2019 is the newest software of the Movie Edit series. I already have done good experience with this kind of software because my very first video editor was the Movie Edit Pro-program of the year 2016. Like every year this program comes in three versions on the market. First there is the normal one, which I used, then the plus-version and finally the premium software with the most functions.
The best point of this video editor is maybe the assistant which edits your videos by itself. You only have to choose a template. The Plus-version also includes video editing with proxy-files and 360°-Video-Editing.
Movavi Video Editor 14
The Movavi Video Editor is undoubtedly the best video editing software for beginners. It hasn’t got the same range of functions like movie edit pro, but the surface is so clear that everyone can work with it directly. Furthermore the price of 30€ is amazing. Other programs start at 70€.
Powerdirector 17
I only have tested the older version, so I can’t say much until I release the newest test on my website.
The Powerdirector isn’t as easy to use as a movavi video editor, but it offers many special and unique functions for example a color correction tool by one click, the possibility to edit vertical mobile videos or also 360°-video-editing.
Best professional video editing software
Recently I bought a new video editor for myself – Vegas Pro 15 Edit. It’s an ingenious program which includes endless functions and possibilities. Along with Adobe Premiere Pro it adresses mainly professionals or adanced video editors.
You don’t know which program is the best for yourself?
Composition of a video editing software based on Movie Edit Pro
Preview monitor
At the top-left you find a black small box, calles preview monitor. With this you can play your actual video of your timeline or it shows you a preview of effects.
Import/Effect menu
At the top-right you can see the buttons import, effects, templates and audio. If you click on import you are able to drag videos, photos or music and drop it into the timeline, where they will be edited. With the effects the videofiles can be edited and reworked. There is for example the possibility to change colours, sharpness or the focus or to make the video faster or slower to create awesome time lapses and slow motion videos. With the templates you can draw up texts or animations which shall fly into your movie. The audio sections gives you the option to access directly to audio files, but this feature I only have seen in Magix software. The compositions of video editing programs are always a little bit different.
function strip
In the grey strip under the menu and the preview monitor you find the most important use elements, which you need for video editing. With the scissors symbol video files can be cut. Furthermore you can reset processes, set markers or put together video files to groups so that the work progress gets much easier. In principle in this strip there are all functions available which you need to edit normal videos. It is very clear and self-explanatorily. If you point on the symbols the function of this button is explained. To get more possibilities to edit your movie you have to access the effect menu. The functions can also be reached by quick accesses with the keyboard.
Timeline
At the bottom you see the timeline. There you drop the video files and switch and edit them randomly. So you can create transitions and the lonely video files become an awesome movie. There are many tracks (figures at the left), so that different files can be listed among each other. You need it for example to play music in the background.
Free or chargeable video editing software?
Steps from the idea to an awesome video
1. Film
2. Transfer on your pc
When you have got enough video material, you can transfer it to your computer. Before you start editing, it makes sense to watch the videos again calmly. So you can remember which scenes should be integrated into the movie later. Then I would arrange the videos and photos, for example according to events or in chronological order, depending on how the film shall look like.
3. Choose the right music
This is a very important step you should invest enough time in. Music underlines the mood you want to express in the video. Therefore you should not simply insert the first MP3 file. After you’ve found the right music, you can start editing…
4. Import & Editing
Now you need creativity. In general, a good video should always contain an introduction and an end, but of course you can also start directly with the important content. When I’m editing a travel video, I often start with scenes like packing my suitcase or with excerpts from the car ride or the flight – sometimes even without music. After that first scene I add music and often a title flys into the video. Time-lapse shots can also be a good beginning or end of a video, for example of a sunrise or a sunset.
5. Improvements
After you have edited the video, work isn’t done with a good video editing software. Of course, it is up to you how much time you want to spend on the beautification of your movie. I personally prefer to edit the videos and I often change the frame rate (play videos faster or slower). I don’t like working with color grading, which is why I never invest much time in it. But those who enjoy improving the colours can still achieve a lot with it.
6. Export & Save
Learning video editing – 3 methods
You want to be able to create breathtaking videos as fast as possible? I’ll show you three ways to learn how to edit your videos.
1. Learning by doing
But since you probably don’t know any or only a few effects at the beginning, you can’t search for them either. The first edited movies were therefore relatively unspectacular. Over time, however, you’ll discover new effects that you can integrate into your videos. It is also possible that after months you will still find an effect that you have never used before.
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2. Watch Tutorials
However, there are only tutorials for the most popular video editors. Tutorials are good for beginners who don’t even know how to edit videofiles. That’s how I learned the basics. For those who already know the basics, I would rather recommend a learning course, because the tutorials there intervene deeper into the matter and it is shown how effects can be combined with each other.
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3. Learn courses
There are also inexpensive video courses on the Internet that describe in detail how to edit a video with the program. There are not only courses for beginners, but also for advanced users, in which several effects are sometimes combined, so that completely new possibilities are created, which one would never have thought of.
I had the opportunity to test a learning course for Video Deluxe. Although I have already edited many videos with the program and therefore already had experience with it, I was able to learn more in the course than I thought.
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What do I need to start with video editing?
There are four things which you definitely need to edit videos, without these thing nothing works at all. But which items do I mean?
Camera
A camera is necessary to be able to edit anything at all. You don’t need a video editing program if you don’t have a camera. There are countless cameras on the market. Basically, it doesn’t matter which camera you use. It should only be able to take pictures and videos. Most of the time I film with a GoPro, which is an actioncam with an excellent video quality. Besides, it is super practical, because of its size. You basicly can take it everywhere. Furthermore I film with a Casio Exilim digital camera, my first camera. No, you don’t need super expensive cameras to edit excellent videos. You can also use your cell phone first. Most mobile phone cameras already have a quite good video quality.
Computer
Without a computer you also can’t edit videos. But I think if you’re reading this, you already have a one. Normally it is possible to edit with any computer. There are system requirements, but these are met by almost all computers.
Video Editing Software
Who’d have thought? In order to edit videos, you need a video editing program. I’m assuming you don’t have one, if you’re reading this. That’s why you’re right on my side. Below you will find a table in which I recommend a few video editing programs, depending on how much experience you have with video editing.
Creativity
When you’ve bought all the things above, you’re ready to start. Nevertheless, I would like to add one more thing to the list. Creativity. If you just take a few shots and edit them to a small collection of cenes, the video usually looks rather boring. To edit really good videos you need creativity. It’s really not hard to edit interesting videos. If you enjoy video editing and constantly try out new things, whether in the program or while filming, the quality of your videos will quickly improve.Criteria which a good video editing program should meet
- It should be clearly arranged and well structured so that even beginners can find their way around after a few minutes.
- A timeline contributes to the overview.
- You should be able to drag and drop files into the timeline without any problems.
- The program shouldn’t jerk too much even with large files, because otherwise you will quickly lose your desire.
- In the best case, it should have image stabilization, since hand-filmed shots often jerk slightly, although a lot of effort has been put into filming.
These are just the main criteria that I think every video editing program should have. Of course, it is up to you to decide which aspects are most important to you.
With many programs it is already possible today to edit videos in 4K quality. I haven’t tried it myself yet because I neither have a 4K camera nor a suitable screen. But you should always make sure that the computer you are using for editing has enough power. Because when the program starts to jerk, you quickly lose the desire and editing videos to the beat of the music becomes much more difficult.
Video editing alone is not all a video editing program can do.
You’ve probably seen a credits from a normal movie before. I’m not talking about an elaborate blockbuster in which several people are only responsible for video editing, but about a Sunday evening thriller, for example. In the credits, one person is often named for the editing, one for the image editing and one for the sound. In order to edit a professional film, different programs are probably used, each focused on a specific area of editing, for example a program for sound editing only. However, most of the video editing programs that I present on this page offer functions for all three categories, which means that you can not only edit videos with your video editing program, but also edit the sound and change the colors. Most people only think of the editing process itself when hearing a video editing program, but a modern software offers much more.
All video editing programs are able to – as the name suggests – edit videos. This is usually very simple.
Color Grading
After the rough cut, it’s time for color editing to make your video look more professional. You can change the colors and create movie looks, or simply apply a filter to the entire movie for quick results. You also have the possibility to change the speed of your videos. Time-lapse and slow-motion shots always provide ingenious effect possibilities. You can also animate titles and texts and fly them into the video at a suitable point. With a good video editing program and a large amount of creativity, you can realize almost anything that comes into your mind.
Audio Editing
But that wasn’t all. You can also edit sounds and tones with video editing software. I use these possibilities very rarely, because I mostly only run songs in the background, which don’t have to be edited 
anymore. Nevertheless, it can be a funny effect when the song suddenly slows down or speeds up. So, for example, you can make a scene that should cause boredom even more boring ? . The effect also is very cool when you let the music and the video slow down or speed up at the same time. You can also use most programs to change the pitch and remove noise such as wind and crackling.
If you have a video editing program that doesn’t have sound editing features or if you’re just looking for sound editing software, I recommend Audacity. This is completely free, but offers a lot of functions. I’ve been using the program for a long time. You can also use it to record your own voice by Audacity accessing the microphone, so you have the possibility for recording gameplays.
Note: Not all of the video editing programs have all the effects I mentioned, but most do.
What makes your video look awesome?
- Music is one of the most important aspects for a good video because it also reflects its emotions. A video of a flower meadow and rock music in the background simply doesn’t work well.
- The cuts in the finished film should be matched to the beats of the music. Especially when it’s music where you can hear the rhythm very clearly. Of course, it also depends on which emotions you want to express with the video. If you back up your video with classical music, smoother transitions such as fades are also possible.
- With appropriate music not too many soft transitions. “Hard” cuts look more professional.
- The length of the individual takes (scenes in the video) should also match the type of video (i. e. how many cuts take place in which period). With a vlog, as you often see it on YouTube, cuts at very short intervals are a good idea, similar to an action movie. This makes the video look more alive. For nature shots or quiet shots, the distances between the cuts should be longer.
- When do time-lapse and slow motion work particularly well? In a feature film you rarely see such effects, because the story should look as “realistic” as possible. Time-lapse recordings can be used at the beginning as an introduction to a video or also for vlogs. Slow motion shots are especially effective for event shots, such as a celebration.
What’s most important
Just try to include a lot of individual scenes in your movie. Each film should include a plot (except footages or nature shots). In my first videos I only filmed sightseeing places during my holidays and edited them to a video. Such a movie may be a nice memory for you, but for everyone else it’s quite boring, as there is little plot and almost no characters to be seen. You should therefore try to capture as many different perspectives as possible and maybe even record videos in everyday situations. Scenes from you, your friends or your family make the film unique and a great memory.
This video is an example of many scenes of the same action, which you can use perfectly in a vlog.
How do I find the best video editing program for me?
First of all, all video editing programs can do exactly the same. Edit videos, add sounds, create a movie. These are the three basic things that all programs can do and you can also edit all kinds of videos with one and the same program, whether vlogs, music videos or slide shows. The most important thing is that you know how much experience you already have and what you want to do. If you’ve edited a lot of videos and now you’re making movies on a professional level, you should go for a professional video editing software with a lot of features. But if you are a beginner, have never been in contact with video editing before and just want to try it out, a free program with small functionality or a trial version of a beginner’s program will fulfill your expectations.
Travel videos – What to consider?
many everyday experiences as possible, because watching the video you can relive your holiday and awaken memories you might otherwise have forgotten. Nature shots of the area where you spend your holidays can also be found on the Internet. It’s supposed to be a special video of your vacation. On journeys you can experience many happy moments and see new things and I try to reproduce these experiences also in my video in the best possible way. These are a few tips I use in my videos which maybe can help you to make your videos more beautiful.Intro – Suitcase Packing and Traveling
As an intro I often show scenes, how I pack my suitcase, how we get into the car and drive off. Then the music begins and a picture appears, mostly of a famous sight at the holiday resort. In front of the picture or the video appears a title, which fits to the place. Then it continues with the car journey or the flight (here time-lapse recordings from the airplane window are excellently suited for take-off).
Sunrise and sunset
On vacation I always take a time lapse shot of the sunrise and also of the sunset with my actioncam. These can be used as transitions between the days or as the last scene in the movie.
Happy music
Music selection is one of the most important things before you start editing. When it comes to holiday videos, the music should of course be cheerful. Mostly it is not so difficult to find suitable music for travel videos, because you connect the music that you often hear on the journey with the holiday. For example, you can pay attention when you are on holiday in Spain to take a song with Spanish lyrics.
Adjust frequency of cuts
Outro – Journey, Arrival and Review
When the holiday in the video is over, scenes from the return trip/flight will come again. The penultimate scene in my videos mostly shows how the front door opens and how we arrive at home. At the very end there is a review of the most beautiful moments of the journey, which means that you should save your favourite music until the end. Also funny as the last scene is how to sit down at the desk, open the laptop and start the video editing software.
These were just a few of the things I use myself for my videos. Each video is individual, what you use of it in your videos is up to you. Soon I will publish an article on this website, in which I list even more tips for travel videos and describe the above mentioned in more detail.
Video editing software for Windows 10
Do video editing programs support all file formats?
With my first video editing program, I didn’t pay any attention at all to which file formats it supports. What happened? I installed the program full of anticipation and wanted to try it out directly, but when I inserted the video files of my camera into the timeline, there was only one error message, because the MOV files that my camera produced were not supported by the program. After the next update and a few settings it still worked fortunately.
Normally, modern video editing programs support all common file formats and devices. However, it is worth checking to see if your device is supported. Otherwise there may be unpleasant surprises. But you have to say that the video editing program I used back then was already very old and it lay around unused for a long time before I discovered it. The camera on the other hand was quite new. Video deluxe, for example, already supports 40 file extensions, including of course image and audio files.
Many people are simply looking for a video editing program to edit Mp4 videos. That should definitely be possible.
You are new to video editing and don’t know how to start?
For those who have never edited videos before, a free video editing program is definitely a great thing to check it out.
Windows Movie Maker or a chargeable video editing program?
The Windows Movie Maker is good to make slideshows and maybe to edit short videos, but it doesn’t look really professional. In any case, I recommend a paid video editing software, because it has a lot more features to offer and does not necessarily cost much. I don’t know of any paid video editing program that doesn’t have a timeline. In my opinion, a timeline is the most important thing. It contributes to the overview and it is possible to set cuts to the beat, which directly seems much more professional. There are some very good video editing programs for beginners, which are also not very expensive. One example is the Movavi Video Editor. This software costs 30€ and has all the important functions you need as a beginner.
Advantages of a chargeable video editing software
- The manufacturers make a lot of efforts to make the user interface as user-friendly as possible. It’s faster to learn, easier to find features, and more fun to edit videos.
- Since a paid video editing software offers a lot of functions and effects, working with the program does not get boring. You always have new ideas to make your movie perfect.
- Post-processing the image: A very big advantage when buying a video editing program is the option to do color grading. Perhaps there are already free programs that have a few possibilities. However, with most paid programs you can spend hours optimizing the videos as perfectly as possible and creating cinema looks. A professional camera doesn’t replace the post-processing, but the quality of the normal videos can certainly be raised to a new level.
- Sound Editing: Another significant point is sound editing. Many programs have tools that allow to play music slower or faster, change the pitch or adjust the bass.
- Also, the speed of most video editing programs is significantly better than that of free programs.
- If you want to edit 4K videos, you actually have no choice but to buy a program. Almost all modern video editing programs are already capable of editing 4K video material smoothly because of proxy editing. Although the Windows Movie Maker states that it can also edit 4K videos, I can imagine that the speed of the program then suffers a lot. But I haven’t tried it yet.
The only advantage of a free video editing software is that you don’t have to spend any money. Anyone who is not sure whether video editing is fun and who doesn’t know whether they enjoy editing videos at all, can definitely download a free trial version of a beginner’s program. Almost all manufacturers offer visitors a free trial version on their homepage.
What about iMovie?
If you own a Mac, you’ve probably heard of iMovie, a free video editing program from Apple. I have not tested it except at Mediamarkt and cannot say much about it.
Another video editing application from Apple is Final Cut Pro, the professional version for Macs. Also here I had not yet the possibility to test the software. However, there are many YouTubers who are super satisfied with the program. Apple is known for its simple and comfortable operation, which can also be found here. Unfortunately, Windows users do not have the possibility to use these software. However, many other video editing programs are also not available for Macs.
Are video editing programs difficult to use?
If you want to check out a really professional video editing program, you can download the trial version of VEGAS, but I would definitely not recommend such a software to beginners. I downloaded the free trial version myself and was totally overwhelmed at the beginning.
Requirements for good videos
Creativity is also very important when editing exciting videos. Here you only can try all the functions the software offers. The first videos won’t be as good as you imagined. At least that’s how I started. You need a bit of motivation to get thoroughly involved with what you actually want to do. Before I sit down at the computer, I think about what the finished video should look like and what kind of scenes it should contain. After that I start editing the video, because it’s quite annoying when the video is finished and you notice that a beautiful scene is not yet included in the video.
How long does it take to edit a beautiful video?
That can take a while. . . if you try hard.
I edited a video of my last vacation, which lasted about 25 minutes at the end. I was busy with colorgrading and everything for a week every day for 2-3 hours, but that of course depends on how much effort you put in and how much time you really want to invest into the post-processing. Editing alone doesn’t take that long. It also depends on how much video material you have available. I like making movies myself and I had a lot of material, but of course it’s different for everyone. If you just want to make a nice slide show, where all pictures have the same length, you can do that as well. That’ll be done within a few hours. But also the suitable song selection needs its time.
Can I also achieve good results with inexpensive programs?
Even with inexpensive beginner programs you can edit very nice videos. However, the software should be fast enough to edit large files without jerking, because in my opinion cutting to the beat is one of the most important criteria for a video to look professional. Nowadays everybody is able to edit videos. Manufacturers are responding more and more to the wishes of their customers and the surfaces are becoming more and more user-friendly. Affordable video editing programs offer everything a hobby filmmaker needs, and if you try hard, average programs can produce excellent results. Of course – the more professional the program is, the more professional videos can be created with it.
If you are not satisfied with your results, it probably isn’t because of the program you are using. Practice is everything. The videos become really good only after many attempts. If the video editing program really doesn’t meet your needs anymore, you might consider switching to a more professional one.
Any beginner, who has never been involved with video editing before, I definitely recommend to buy a cheap program first and practice with it. I edited my first videos with a video editing software that lay around unused for years until I found it. It was quite slow, but it was sufficient for the first attempts.
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