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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

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ModelVEGAS Movie Studio 15Vegas Pro 16MAGIX Movie Edit ProBest Video Editor – Movavi
Rating
Price

39,99 €

inkl. 19% gesetzlicher MwSt.

499,00 $

until 27th march

69,99 €

basic version

29,95 €

detailsbuydetailsbuydetailsbuydetailsbuy

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?

Nowadays, everone has got a camera or a smartphone they can take photos and high quality videos with. With a video editing software you can edit the single video files and create a movie with music in the background. So you are able to create unforgettable memories (for example of your last holidays). I can assure that it is very cool to see the memories as a movie again back home. Furthermore the process of video editing is great fun.

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.

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro

69,99 €

basic version
detailsbuy

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.

Vegas Pro 16

499,00 $

until 27th march
detailsbuy

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?

The first question someone asks when looking for a video editing program is whether a free video editing program is sufficient or whether a paid video editing program is more useful. There are some free programs on the Internet that certainly includes the basic features and which is able to edit simple videos. Here, too, there are differences in the scope of functions and in the user interface. In my opinion, free programs are good for testing whether you like video editing. But if you want to edit videos, it is necessary to buy a really great video editing software. There are many video editing programs on the market that are aimed at beginners and are designed super easy. The Movavi Video Editor, for example, costs only 30€, but has the clearest interface I know and offers some useful additional functions. Free programs are often confusing and have only a few functions. I tried to cut my very first video with the Windows Movie Maker. However, there was no timeline, so cutting to the beat was almost impossible. Finally I bought Movie Edit Pro, a program for beginners and advanced users with a great range of functions. Sure, I had to get used to this as well. But it was much more fun to work with a program that has a neat interface and many functions on board.

Steps from the idea to an awesome video

1. Film

Of course you need enough video material for a good video first. In any case, you should rather record too much than too little, because it is always better to have a good selection of videofiles later. Also make sure that you film from different perspectives and positions, because for the audience who probably was not present when the film was shot, a normal video gets boring quickly.

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

When you are satisfied with the finished video, you can export it. This can take a long time under certain circumstances. When the export was successful, you are ready. You can watch the movie whenever you want.

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

That’s how I did it. For my first program, an early version of Movie Edit Pro, there were hardly any tutorials on Youtube. That means I just searched in the menu if I wanted to add a special effect.
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.

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • If you have tested something by yourself, you can remember it more quickly and don't have to search for the same function twice.

    • Learning by doing takes the most time of the three ways, because even if a program has a good surface, it can take a long time to find the effect you want - if it exists at all. Moreover, you don't always have the motivation to browse the menu and are content with mediocre scenes, so that the video doesn't end up as beautiful as you intended it to be. Sometimes you find a super function even after weeks and are annoyed not to have it found earlier.

      2. Watch Tutorials

      Sometimes manufacturers offer tutorial videos on their video editing programs or you get a guide in the program itself that shows you the most important functions. Otherwise, there are also videos on Youtube that answer your questions about the well-known video editing programs.
      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.

      Advantages

      Disadvantages

      • You can specifically search for an effect.
        There are video series of Youtubers who record themselves editing a video. So you can see which things are especially important and how exactly you edit a video.

      • Often you don't know the name of the function you need and don't know what to look for. Correspondingly, you won't find anything that will help you.

      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.

      Advantage

      Disadvantage

      • Within two hours you learn more than you can learn by doing in a week.

      • A course usually costs about 20€. Whether this is worth it is up to you.

      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.
      I can tell you, if you are interested in the topic and try to edit a video, then you will have a lot of fun. Of course, not everyone likes video editing, but for me in any case it is super fun. Simply try it out ;D

      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.
      In my opinion, it is very important that the image matches the sound, but of course you don’t have to follow the guidelines. Each video is unique and each filmmaker can express himself individually in his video. Everyone creates a story with his film, which they can express as they like. Everyone has their own way of making and editing a video. That’s the beauty of a video. You depends on your creativity. There are no guidelines (as long as the video material does not violate the law :D)

      What’s most important

      By far the most important thing to keep in mind when editing video is this: The video should not be boring!

      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?

      Are you looking for a suitable video editing program? There are many different manufacturers out there, all offering several products in different price ranges. How can you keep track and find the best video editing program in the crowd? First of all, there is no “best video editing program” Everyone has a different level of experience and may want to edit quite different videos. One just wants to create a nice slideshow, the other wants to combine quiet nature shots with smooth transitions, and still others want to edit music videos, vlogs or whole movies and put an incredible amount of work into them.
      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.
      My favourite video editing programs are on the one hand Magix Movie Edit which I started with, on the other hand the Movavi Video Editor which is the best editor for beginners.

      Travel videos – What to consider?

      Actually, you can’t define travel videos exactly, because you can shoot a vlog on your journey or just take nature shots and then combine them to a slide show. I mostly do vlogs on journeys and try to record as 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

      With travel videos I often make many cuts and hard transitions between the individual videos. So the movie gets a bit more action-packed and exciting. But everyone has to judge that according to their own taste. Some editors onnly make very few cuts, in order to be able to enjoy the individual pictures and videos longer.

      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

      As you can probably imagine, there is an incredible number of video editing programs from different manufacturers that make it easy to edit your videos. Most of them accept the Windows operating system. When I switched from Windows 8 to Windows 10 about a year ago, there were no problems with the editing program. However, there are a few applications that only work on Macs, such as Final Cut Pro or iMovie, which were also developed by Apple. Windows users have much more choice. However, there are also manufacturers which make their programs available for both operating systems. If you don’t know if the program you chose works on your computer, just check the system requirements on the manufacturer’s website.

      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?

      Maybe you know the following situation. You come home from your holiday, made many great photos and videos and now you can’t wait to edit a video from it. That’s how I started. If you have never edited a video before, I would recommend you to start with a free video editing program first. In most cases the first video looks like a slide show and you don’t know how much fun video editing really is. There are some free video editing programs which you can download from the internet and which are certainly not bad for a start, such as Avidemux, Shotcut or the Windows Movie Maker. For a freeware program Shotcut offers a really good range of functions. It has a timeline, some effects and even color grading capabilities. On the website of Shotcut or on Youtube there are additionally many tutorials, with which one gets to know all functions quite fast. As you can see, you can already do a lot with free programs and as an absolute beginner you don’t have to take money immediately to buy a comprehensive video editing software, which maybe has many functions you don’t need. But if you have already gained experience in video editing, you will soon reach the limits of the freeware program. That’s why there are so many video editing programs on the market that are mainly aimed at beginners. These often have a very clear surface and offer enough functions and effects for great videos. In my opinion, video editing is also more fun if you have bought a reasonable program.
      For those who have never edited videos before, a free video editing program is definitely a great thing to check it out.
      I would recommend to download the free version of the Movavi Video Editor. This program is designed perfectly for beginners and it is free for 30 days. Furthermore it is absolutely safe because you don’t have to enter any payment information in these 30 days.

      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?

      It depends on the software. Of course the companies make an effort to make the user interface as clear as possible. I used Movie Edit Pro in the beginning, a software which is relatively easy to use so that you will be able to edit your first videos within a short time. Of course there are always questions and ambiguities when it comes to special functions, but on YouTube I usually found a suitable answer.

      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

      Of course, there are no features or requirements you need to meet in order to edit videos. Anyone can use a video editing program after a few minutes. However, it should be fun to record videos and create movies. You can’t edit anything without videofiles.

      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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