In 2024, Video Editing Tips to Know Before Editing First Draft

In 2024, Video Editing Tips to Know Before Editing First Draft

Morgan Lv12

Video Editing Tips to Know Before Editing First Draft

Whether your video is short or long, you may want to make it better and appealing. Video editing involves the manipulation of your videos through which the desired transformation is achieved and you can flaunt every move of your video in a more preferable way. Video editing involves cutting the video short, changing the speed, organizing the video in a seamless flow. In short, the better the cuts of your videos, the better your message/story is conveyed.

video-editing-tips

Part 1: Things to Learn Before Editing First Draft

You have shot your video and now you’re stuck on the post-processing of that video. Don’t worry! We got you covered through this article which will guide you through the different things which you must learn before editing the first draft of your video.

Start a video project

Your smartphone and digital camera can let you record multiple videos but what now? You head out to edit your first draft by choosing a suitable platform or software and then you can surely lay back and see the software doing wonders to your raw videos. By starting off with editing, you choose your video editing preferences and then you just let the video editing tools do the magic.

Get to know the video editing software workspace

Video editing software offer customizable workspaces for different editing tasks. The software workspace streamlines routine actions you take with clips, like editing clips, making DVD and Blu-ray menus, and sharing movies. By placing panels in the layout that best matches your working style, you can personalize your workspace. The additional panels adjust automatically to fit the window as you rearrange them. For various jobs, such as one for editing and one for preview, you can build and store multiple workspaces.

Understand the timeline

The timeline of your video is the backbone of your digital video editing process. It’s called a timeline because the various pieces of video will be lined up horizontally. In a video editing software, the timeline is where you arrange your video clips and plan out all the modifications you want to do. As you work, you will see every single one of your video and audio clips, effects, and transitions sorted chronologically from beginning to end. All the fundamentals of video editing, including reordering, trimming, and enhancing your footage, are available. To preview how your adjustments will turn out, you can also play your project at any point in the timeline.

Add clips to timeline

When you have grasped the idea behind a timeline, the next step you need to follow is to add clips into your timeline. Before adding clips to your timeline, it is suggested that you label each clip. Although it does seem like a lot of work, it will be easier to locate all of the clips later on if you’re working on a large project. after the footages are gathered and named, add important clips in the beginning of the timeline to begin establishing the video’s overall structure and order.

Editing tools

Besides basic cutting, trimming and cropping, video editing software offer multiple professional editing tools which enhance the outlook your videos and make them 10x better. For example, instead of cutting up a clip into a bunch of small clips and unwanted gaps, use the Ripple Edit tool keep your timeline clean. This means when a clip is trimmed, it causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of your timeline, shifting all other clips into a new timeline position.

Similarly, when working with lengthy timelines, the Razor tool is also really helpful because you can select the clip you wish to cut by dragging your razor over it. So, the Razor cut is the tool to use if you need to make a lot of cuts in your videos quickly.

Syncing audio and video

You already know how annoying it can be if audio and video don’t sync while you’re listening to a podcast or viewing a YouTube vlog. The video editing software offer helpful manual and auto sync tools. It can be though a bit of hard work for beginners, but the ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ approach works best in syncing your audio with your video. To sync audio, you need to record audio first and then through matching the wavelengths displayed on your timeline, you can sync the audio with your video.

Edit download talking head/interview footage

Now with professional video editing tools, you can make ‘talking head videos’ if you want to share your expertise as a YouTube vlogger or if you want to do employee training. Talking head films are a fantastic way to stimulate the mind and the heart while increasing learner retention in this digital age.

Additionally, with other video editing tools, you can edit your interview footages and for that, you don’t have to mess with timestamps, cutting or splicing videos, or creating transitions between clips, you just edit the transcript of the video and the video edits itself to match.

Video properties: Scale, position, opacity

Any screen recording, camera-based video, imported video clips, and text picture clips can have their visuals altered using video properties. In video editing software, multiple video properties are offered which include scaling, positioning, rotating, changing the opacity, changing level of reflection and shadow. Additionally, Video properties also include editing the video as a whole or just altering a clip from the video.

Types of cuts: Straight, J-Cut, L-Cut etc

The different types of cuts used in the video editing process is an effective way to make the transitions in your video pop. Basically, these cuts join two or more clips together via audio. Professional editors call these cuts as ‘split edits. The most common cuts are called J-Cut and L-Cut. They help to mix the content’s flow and keep the on-screen narrative in motion. In essence, these edits are necessary to make your scenes feel warm and more authentic.

Part 2: Practical Video Editing Tips

Choose right software

The push start of video editing for beginners is based on one common step: know your software or workspace. Selecting the appropriate software for editing your video is the first step in streamlining your video editing process. Although all software often includes the tools that you need to make ordinary video edits, you could favor one over the others based on its usefulness, digital interface, and features. Instead of just using the latest and trending video editing software available, the key is to choose what functions for you and your editing style.

Use a fast computer

Slow rendering hinders video editing process and other commands given to a computer. From a practical point of view, it is recommended that irrespective of the model of the computer or version of your software; your computer must be efficient to help you to access your files and software easily and to speed up your export time. With a slow computer, you will definitely feel stuck and the video editing complications will haunt you in your dreams.

video-editing-tips

Watch video editing tutorials

None of us is a pro until we’ve practiced something enough to know everything about it. Video editing requires both; technical knowledge as well as your creativity, so it is better not to do try things on your own. A little guidance can surely help you get through the basics of the video editing process. There are tons of helpful tutorials for making excellent videos on YouTube, vlogs, and educational websites. The majority of tutorials you’ll discover online are free, making the readily available at the tip of your fingers.

Get the project files

Most of the beginner video editors prefer to use the same project files as the tutorial instructors when they are following along. Your work will exactly resemble the demo’s sample, which will aid in your understanding of the steps. For precisely this reason, many tutorials let you download the project files. You can repeat a process with your own video files once you’ve mastered this technique.

Edit for a story

Remembering your creative objective to create a wonderful story or message through your edited video is one of the most crucial lessons you should learn from this article. It is critically important that you make your film visually appealing and dramatically engaging to effectively evoke the right emotions and to communicate your desired message. Instead of merely adding a huge amount of effects to wow your audience, use your practical and technical skills to do this.

Maintain an efficient workflow

You’ll need to be systematic and organized in addition to having an editing software if you want to become a more competent editor. Putting your projects and files in folders that you may use repeatedly is one method to streamline your process. Besides this, organizing your projects and files into an external hard drive or USB is recommended in case of losing access to your intricately designed projects.

video-editing-tips

Utilize keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts speed up the process of video editing and save you ample time. Different keyboard shortcuts are compatible with different video editing software; leaving a few which are mutual in every software. Don’t attempt to put all of these shortcuts into action at once. Pick a small number to begin with, and as they become instinctive, add more. You’ll progress more quickly if you use less mouse while editing your video.

Learn important terms

As a beginner, you may not want to feel a lump in the throat caused by the complicated dictionary of video editing software. There are some broad video editing terms that refer to videography as a whole as well as video editing terms specific to the process of editing footage. You must first learn what these terms means for example you may want to know what the terms like ‘aspect ratio, B-roll, bit rate, close up, compression, crop and compositing’ mean.

Color correct your clips

Do you own a rather boring video? Perhaps it’s a little too dull or the colors don’t stand out as much as they should? A crucial step is to modify the video’s color. This will assist in reducing the saturation and revive your video. Yet, there are some color correcting presets which can be easily accessed in different video editing apps.

video-editing-tips

Select good music

You ever saw an ad on YouTube or other social media platforms without an audio background. You may just want to skip it because the video, which may apparently be appealing, fails to strike you. Coordinating and complimenting your video with a music in the background is like cherry on top. It’s a huge plus to attract viewers’ attention. Though it is necessary that the music you choose must be relevant to your video file and should target the majority. So, choose good music to adorn your videos and trigger emotions in your target audience.

Add text and graphics

Some people are attracted more towards textual descriptions rather visual representation of content. It is crucial that considering the preferences of majority, you add significant details to your video which can target your audience in a multidimension. You might need to include more text in addition to the title, opening/closing billboards (for broadcasting), and film credits, depending on the type of film you’re making. However, you can make dazzling visuals using your editing program if you feel the urge to do so.

Export web versions

When your film is finished and is ready to be exported, you would have a natural urge to export it at the highest video resolution possible. If it’s going to be shown in theatres and on ultra-HD screens, this is unquestionably the best course of action. However, you should also export smaller, higher-quality versions for simpler viewing in the modern day where video projects are typically promoted online and on social media.

The objective of creating a file for the web is to keep its high quality while not making it too large for upload and online viewing. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the export settings to utilize. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo all provide suggested export settings to assist you in correctly resizing your content.

Part 3: 10 Advanced Editing Tips for Professionals

We all definitely have experimented with video editing tools to some extent. But now, it is definitely time to become a pro. Don’t worry, the process isn’t as scary as we imagine it to be. This article is your best stop to grab some fine guidelines about how to become a video editor, in fact, a Pro video editor.

  1. Make titles stand out

You’re skilled in video editing, but do your titles seem a little…unfinished? Do those lower thirds strike you as being monotonous and boring? Is your typography competing for attention against your pictures? It appears that you would benefit from some basic title design advice, and lucky for you, we have some. Your title must be readable by majority and always choose your safe way in selecting texts for example, a sans-serif typeface is usually going to be a safe choice for video. You can also animate text to highlight it so that it is more captivating.

  1. Put video inside text or logos effects

Videos resonate with your brand and content if you add a specific logo or text effects to it. Almost all the video editors allow this featuring so that the identification of your work is maintained and copyright claim can be imposed if you see your content being copied or manipulated.

  1. Add light leaks, film burns and lens flares

Incorporating unique transitions into your monotonous videos can get you your viewer’s attention in a go. Lens flares, light leaks, and film burns can result in a unique look, but are not always easy to add naturally in-camera. Some of the best video editing software which allow access to adding lens flares, light leaks and film burns include: Free 4K Light Leaks – RocketStock, Motion Array Free Light Leaks, WZZLY Free Light Leaks, LIGHT LEAK FILM OVERLAY and many more.

  1. Add the vintage old film look

The quick Instagram-category of filters are common today but what makes your videos more natural and appealing is the addition of some presets which almost every video editor offers. These presets add a classic vintage old film look to your videos by manipulating color correction effects, framerate settings, overlays, and aspect ratio hacks. Some popular vintage old film effects are found in software namely VSDC, VEED, Adobe Premium Pro and many others in list.

  1. Add type-on effect

A type-on effect added to your videos comprehend your content more firmly. Simply by tabbing on ‘Add text effect’ in any video editor, you can add type-on effect to your videos and to add ravishing component to the overall structure of your video.

  1. Zoom in or out effect

The zoom-in or out feature (if available) in your video editing software can allow you to magnify any part of your video quickly and easily. Some of the best video editors featuring this specification include: Wondershare DemoCreator Zoom in Video Effect, DaVinci Resolve, Wondershare Filmora , Windows Movie Maker and Apowersoft Screen Recorder.

  1. Custom wipe on/off reveal effect

The wipe on/off reveal transition or effect is one of the earliest ways of transitioning from one scene to another. An object (usually a line) moves across the screen, revealing the next scene, while simultaneously removing (or wiping) the previous scene and when used properly, they can create a very powerful effect. It involves creative fading in and out transitions to give a more dramatic look.

  1. 4k, 8k, HD resolution

The latest video editing software offer the export your edited video in multiple formats, out of which 4k, 8k and HD resolution formats are preferable for majority of the professional video editors. It is necessary that even after the video is uploaded to a platform, the pixels do not decrease and the quality of the video is maintained. Although attractive to the viewers, the higher the resolution, the more the data with which you must deal. It is suggested that a standard or default resolution is chosen to play and replay the video in different computers.

video-editing-tips

  1. B-roll

B-roll is secondary video that is frequently used as cutaway video to add context and visual interest to your story. The term is originated from the early days of Hollywood when there used to be an A-roll which was the primary video and B-roll which served as a secondary video footage. This can help you visualize your video from different dimensions, giving it a more realistic look for captivating viewers.

video-editing-tips

  1. Compression rate, bit depth, bit

The amount of data the camera records each second is referred to as bit rate. Every single second of a video is subject to significant data processing by cameras. The higher the quality of the video, the more is the bit rate. Bit depth refers to the number of colors your camera can read per pixel. Common bit depths are 8-bit and 10-bit, which enable a camera to read 256 million or 1.07 billion colors respectively. To upload your edited video, a compression is usually required to convert your resolution to internet quality so that the upload can be made simpler, without distorting the video resolution.

Whether your video is short or long, you may want to make it better and appealing. Video editing involves the manipulation of your videos through which the desired transformation is achieved and you can flaunt every move of your video in a more preferable way. Video editing involves cutting the video short, changing the speed, organizing the video in a seamless flow. In short, the better the cuts of your videos, the better your message/story is conveyed.

video-editing-tips

Part 1: Things to Learn Before Editing First Draft

You have shot your video and now you’re stuck on the post-processing of that video. Don’t worry! We got you covered through this article which will guide you through the different things which you must learn before editing the first draft of your video.

Start a video project

Your smartphone and digital camera can let you record multiple videos but what now? You head out to edit your first draft by choosing a suitable platform or software and then you can surely lay back and see the software doing wonders to your raw videos. By starting off with editing, you choose your video editing preferences and then you just let the video editing tools do the magic.

Get to know the video editing software workspace

Video editing software offer customizable workspaces for different editing tasks. The software workspace streamlines routine actions you take with clips, like editing clips, making DVD and Blu-ray menus, and sharing movies. By placing panels in the layout that best matches your working style, you can personalize your workspace. The additional panels adjust automatically to fit the window as you rearrange them. For various jobs, such as one for editing and one for preview, you can build and store multiple workspaces.

Understand the timeline

The timeline of your video is the backbone of your digital video editing process. It’s called a timeline because the various pieces of video will be lined up horizontally. In a video editing software, the timeline is where you arrange your video clips and plan out all the modifications you want to do. As you work, you will see every single one of your video and audio clips, effects, and transitions sorted chronologically from beginning to end. All the fundamentals of video editing, including reordering, trimming, and enhancing your footage, are available. To preview how your adjustments will turn out, you can also play your project at any point in the timeline.

Add clips to timeline

When you have grasped the idea behind a timeline, the next step you need to follow is to add clips into your timeline. Before adding clips to your timeline, it is suggested that you label each clip. Although it does seem like a lot of work, it will be easier to locate all of the clips later on if you’re working on a large project. after the footages are gathered and named, add important clips in the beginning of the timeline to begin establishing the video’s overall structure and order.

Editing tools

Besides basic cutting, trimming and cropping, video editing software offer multiple professional editing tools which enhance the outlook your videos and make them 10x better. For example, instead of cutting up a clip into a bunch of small clips and unwanted gaps, use the Ripple Edit tool keep your timeline clean. This means when a clip is trimmed, it causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of your timeline, shifting all other clips into a new timeline position.

Similarly, when working with lengthy timelines, the Razor tool is also really helpful because you can select the clip you wish to cut by dragging your razor over it. So, the Razor cut is the tool to use if you need to make a lot of cuts in your videos quickly.

Syncing audio and video

You already know how annoying it can be if audio and video don’t sync while you’re listening to a podcast or viewing a YouTube vlog. The video editing software offer helpful manual and auto sync tools. It can be though a bit of hard work for beginners, but the ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ approach works best in syncing your audio with your video. To sync audio, you need to record audio first and then through matching the wavelengths displayed on your timeline, you can sync the audio with your video.

Edit download talking head/interview footage

Now with professional video editing tools, you can make ‘talking head videos’ if you want to share your expertise as a YouTube vlogger or if you want to do employee training. Talking head films are a fantastic way to stimulate the mind and the heart while increasing learner retention in this digital age.

Additionally, with other video editing tools, you can edit your interview footages and for that, you don’t have to mess with timestamps, cutting or splicing videos, or creating transitions between clips, you just edit the transcript of the video and the video edits itself to match.

Video properties: Scale, position, opacity

Any screen recording, camera-based video, imported video clips, and text picture clips can have their visuals altered using video properties. In video editing software, multiple video properties are offered which include scaling, positioning, rotating, changing the opacity, changing level of reflection and shadow. Additionally, Video properties also include editing the video as a whole or just altering a clip from the video.

Types of cuts: Straight, J-Cut, L-Cut etc

The different types of cuts used in the video editing process is an effective way to make the transitions in your video pop. Basically, these cuts join two or more clips together via audio. Professional editors call these cuts as ‘split edits. The most common cuts are called J-Cut and L-Cut. They help to mix the content’s flow and keep the on-screen narrative in motion. In essence, these edits are necessary to make your scenes feel warm and more authentic.

Part 2: Practical Video Editing Tips

Choose right software

The push start of video editing for beginners is based on one common step: know your software or workspace. Selecting the appropriate software for editing your video is the first step in streamlining your video editing process. Although all software often includes the tools that you need to make ordinary video edits, you could favor one over the others based on its usefulness, digital interface, and features. Instead of just using the latest and trending video editing software available, the key is to choose what functions for you and your editing style.

Use a fast computer

Slow rendering hinders video editing process and other commands given to a computer. From a practical point of view, it is recommended that irrespective of the model of the computer or version of your software; your computer must be efficient to help you to access your files and software easily and to speed up your export time. With a slow computer, you will definitely feel stuck and the video editing complications will haunt you in your dreams.

video-editing-tips

Watch video editing tutorials

None of us is a pro until we’ve practiced something enough to know everything about it. Video editing requires both; technical knowledge as well as your creativity, so it is better not to do try things on your own. A little guidance can surely help you get through the basics of the video editing process. There are tons of helpful tutorials for making excellent videos on YouTube, vlogs, and educational websites. The majority of tutorials you’ll discover online are free, making the readily available at the tip of your fingers.

Get the project files

Most of the beginner video editors prefer to use the same project files as the tutorial instructors when they are following along. Your work will exactly resemble the demo’s sample, which will aid in your understanding of the steps. For precisely this reason, many tutorials let you download the project files. You can repeat a process with your own video files once you’ve mastered this technique.

Edit for a story

Remembering your creative objective to create a wonderful story or message through your edited video is one of the most crucial lessons you should learn from this article. It is critically important that you make your film visually appealing and dramatically engaging to effectively evoke the right emotions and to communicate your desired message. Instead of merely adding a huge amount of effects to wow your audience, use your practical and technical skills to do this.

Maintain an efficient workflow

You’ll need to be systematic and organized in addition to having an editing software if you want to become a more competent editor. Putting your projects and files in folders that you may use repeatedly is one method to streamline your process. Besides this, organizing your projects and files into an external hard drive or USB is recommended in case of losing access to your intricately designed projects.

video-editing-tips

Utilize keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts speed up the process of video editing and save you ample time. Different keyboard shortcuts are compatible with different video editing software; leaving a few which are mutual in every software. Don’t attempt to put all of these shortcuts into action at once. Pick a small number to begin with, and as they become instinctive, add more. You’ll progress more quickly if you use less mouse while editing your video.

Learn important terms

As a beginner, you may not want to feel a lump in the throat caused by the complicated dictionary of video editing software. There are some broad video editing terms that refer to videography as a whole as well as video editing terms specific to the process of editing footage. You must first learn what these terms means for example you may want to know what the terms like ‘aspect ratio, B-roll, bit rate, close up, compression, crop and compositing’ mean.

Color correct your clips

Do you own a rather boring video? Perhaps it’s a little too dull or the colors don’t stand out as much as they should? A crucial step is to modify the video’s color. This will assist in reducing the saturation and revive your video. Yet, there are some color correcting presets which can be easily accessed in different video editing apps.

video-editing-tips

Select good music

You ever saw an ad on YouTube or other social media platforms without an audio background. You may just want to skip it because the video, which may apparently be appealing, fails to strike you. Coordinating and complimenting your video with a music in the background is like cherry on top. It’s a huge plus to attract viewers’ attention. Though it is necessary that the music you choose must be relevant to your video file and should target the majority. So, choose good music to adorn your videos and trigger emotions in your target audience.

Add text and graphics

Some people are attracted more towards textual descriptions rather visual representation of content. It is crucial that considering the preferences of majority, you add significant details to your video which can target your audience in a multidimension. You might need to include more text in addition to the title, opening/closing billboards (for broadcasting), and film credits, depending on the type of film you’re making. However, you can make dazzling visuals using your editing program if you feel the urge to do so.

Export web versions

When your film is finished and is ready to be exported, you would have a natural urge to export it at the highest video resolution possible. If it’s going to be shown in theatres and on ultra-HD screens, this is unquestionably the best course of action. However, you should also export smaller, higher-quality versions for simpler viewing in the modern day where video projects are typically promoted online and on social media.

The objective of creating a file for the web is to keep its high quality while not making it too large for upload and online viewing. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the export settings to utilize. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo all provide suggested export settings to assist you in correctly resizing your content.

Part 3: 10 Advanced Editing Tips for Professionals

We all definitely have experimented with video editing tools to some extent. But now, it is definitely time to become a pro. Don’t worry, the process isn’t as scary as we imagine it to be. This article is your best stop to grab some fine guidelines about how to become a video editor, in fact, a Pro video editor.

  1. Make titles stand out

You’re skilled in video editing, but do your titles seem a little…unfinished? Do those lower thirds strike you as being monotonous and boring? Is your typography competing for attention against your pictures? It appears that you would benefit from some basic title design advice, and lucky for you, we have some. Your title must be readable by majority and always choose your safe way in selecting texts for example, a sans-serif typeface is usually going to be a safe choice for video. You can also animate text to highlight it so that it is more captivating.

  1. Put video inside text or logos effects

Videos resonate with your brand and content if you add a specific logo or text effects to it. Almost all the video editors allow this featuring so that the identification of your work is maintained and copyright claim can be imposed if you see your content being copied or manipulated.

  1. Add light leaks, film burns and lens flares

Incorporating unique transitions into your monotonous videos can get you your viewer’s attention in a go. Lens flares, light leaks, and film burns can result in a unique look, but are not always easy to add naturally in-camera. Some of the best video editing software which allow access to adding lens flares, light leaks and film burns include: Free 4K Light Leaks – RocketStock, Motion Array Free Light Leaks, WZZLY Free Light Leaks, LIGHT LEAK FILM OVERLAY and many more.

  1. Add the vintage old film look

The quick Instagram-category of filters are common today but what makes your videos more natural and appealing is the addition of some presets which almost every video editor offers. These presets add a classic vintage old film look to your videos by manipulating color correction effects, framerate settings, overlays, and aspect ratio hacks. Some popular vintage old film effects are found in software namely VSDC, VEED, Adobe Premium Pro and many others in list.

  1. Add type-on effect

A type-on effect added to your videos comprehend your content more firmly. Simply by tabbing on ‘Add text effect’ in any video editor, you can add type-on effect to your videos and to add ravishing component to the overall structure of your video.

  1. Zoom in or out effect

The zoom-in or out feature (if available) in your video editing software can allow you to magnify any part of your video quickly and easily. Some of the best video editors featuring this specification include: Wondershare DemoCreator Zoom in Video Effect, DaVinci Resolve, Wondershare Filmora , Windows Movie Maker and Apowersoft Screen Recorder.

  1. Custom wipe on/off reveal effect

The wipe on/off reveal transition or effect is one of the earliest ways of transitioning from one scene to another. An object (usually a line) moves across the screen, revealing the next scene, while simultaneously removing (or wiping) the previous scene and when used properly, they can create a very powerful effect. It involves creative fading in and out transitions to give a more dramatic look.

  1. 4k, 8k, HD resolution

The latest video editing software offer the export your edited video in multiple formats, out of which 4k, 8k and HD resolution formats are preferable for majority of the professional video editors. It is necessary that even after the video is uploaded to a platform, the pixels do not decrease and the quality of the video is maintained. Although attractive to the viewers, the higher the resolution, the more the data with which you must deal. It is suggested that a standard or default resolution is chosen to play and replay the video in different computers.

video-editing-tips

  1. B-roll

B-roll is secondary video that is frequently used as cutaway video to add context and visual interest to your story. The term is originated from the early days of Hollywood when there used to be an A-roll which was the primary video and B-roll which served as a secondary video footage. This can help you visualize your video from different dimensions, giving it a more realistic look for captivating viewers.

video-editing-tips

  1. Compression rate, bit depth, bit

The amount of data the camera records each second is referred to as bit rate. Every single second of a video is subject to significant data processing by cameras. The higher the quality of the video, the more is the bit rate. Bit depth refers to the number of colors your camera can read per pixel. Common bit depths are 8-bit and 10-bit, which enable a camera to read 256 million or 1.07 billion colors respectively. To upload your edited video, a compression is usually required to convert your resolution to internet quality so that the upload can be made simpler, without distorting the video resolution.

Whether your video is short or long, you may want to make it better and appealing. Video editing involves the manipulation of your videos through which the desired transformation is achieved and you can flaunt every move of your video in a more preferable way. Video editing involves cutting the video short, changing the speed, organizing the video in a seamless flow. In short, the better the cuts of your videos, the better your message/story is conveyed.

video-editing-tips

Part 1: Things to Learn Before Editing First Draft

You have shot your video and now you’re stuck on the post-processing of that video. Don’t worry! We got you covered through this article which will guide you through the different things which you must learn before editing the first draft of your video.

Start a video project

Your smartphone and digital camera can let you record multiple videos but what now? You head out to edit your first draft by choosing a suitable platform or software and then you can surely lay back and see the software doing wonders to your raw videos. By starting off with editing, you choose your video editing preferences and then you just let the video editing tools do the magic.

Get to know the video editing software workspace

Video editing software offer customizable workspaces for different editing tasks. The software workspace streamlines routine actions you take with clips, like editing clips, making DVD and Blu-ray menus, and sharing movies. By placing panels in the layout that best matches your working style, you can personalize your workspace. The additional panels adjust automatically to fit the window as you rearrange them. For various jobs, such as one for editing and one for preview, you can build and store multiple workspaces.

Understand the timeline

The timeline of your video is the backbone of your digital video editing process. It’s called a timeline because the various pieces of video will be lined up horizontally. In a video editing software, the timeline is where you arrange your video clips and plan out all the modifications you want to do. As you work, you will see every single one of your video and audio clips, effects, and transitions sorted chronologically from beginning to end. All the fundamentals of video editing, including reordering, trimming, and enhancing your footage, are available. To preview how your adjustments will turn out, you can also play your project at any point in the timeline.

Add clips to timeline

When you have grasped the idea behind a timeline, the next step you need to follow is to add clips into your timeline. Before adding clips to your timeline, it is suggested that you label each clip. Although it does seem like a lot of work, it will be easier to locate all of the clips later on if you’re working on a large project. after the footages are gathered and named, add important clips in the beginning of the timeline to begin establishing the video’s overall structure and order.

Editing tools

Besides basic cutting, trimming and cropping, video editing software offer multiple professional editing tools which enhance the outlook your videos and make them 10x better. For example, instead of cutting up a clip into a bunch of small clips and unwanted gaps, use the Ripple Edit tool keep your timeline clean. This means when a clip is trimmed, it causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of your timeline, shifting all other clips into a new timeline position.

Similarly, when working with lengthy timelines, the Razor tool is also really helpful because you can select the clip you wish to cut by dragging your razor over it. So, the Razor cut is the tool to use if you need to make a lot of cuts in your videos quickly.

Syncing audio and video

You already know how annoying it can be if audio and video don’t sync while you’re listening to a podcast or viewing a YouTube vlog. The video editing software offer helpful manual and auto sync tools. It can be though a bit of hard work for beginners, but the ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ approach works best in syncing your audio with your video. To sync audio, you need to record audio first and then through matching the wavelengths displayed on your timeline, you can sync the audio with your video.

Edit download talking head/interview footage

Now with professional video editing tools, you can make ‘talking head videos’ if you want to share your expertise as a YouTube vlogger or if you want to do employee training. Talking head films are a fantastic way to stimulate the mind and the heart while increasing learner retention in this digital age.

Additionally, with other video editing tools, you can edit your interview footages and for that, you don’t have to mess with timestamps, cutting or splicing videos, or creating transitions between clips, you just edit the transcript of the video and the video edits itself to match.

Video properties: Scale, position, opacity

Any screen recording, camera-based video, imported video clips, and text picture clips can have their visuals altered using video properties. In video editing software, multiple video properties are offered which include scaling, positioning, rotating, changing the opacity, changing level of reflection and shadow. Additionally, Video properties also include editing the video as a whole or just altering a clip from the video.

Types of cuts: Straight, J-Cut, L-Cut etc

The different types of cuts used in the video editing process is an effective way to make the transitions in your video pop. Basically, these cuts join two or more clips together via audio. Professional editors call these cuts as ‘split edits. The most common cuts are called J-Cut and L-Cut. They help to mix the content’s flow and keep the on-screen narrative in motion. In essence, these edits are necessary to make your scenes feel warm and more authentic.

Part 2: Practical Video Editing Tips

Choose right software

The push start of video editing for beginners is based on one common step: know your software or workspace. Selecting the appropriate software for editing your video is the first step in streamlining your video editing process. Although all software often includes the tools that you need to make ordinary video edits, you could favor one over the others based on its usefulness, digital interface, and features. Instead of just using the latest and trending video editing software available, the key is to choose what functions for you and your editing style.

Use a fast computer

Slow rendering hinders video editing process and other commands given to a computer. From a practical point of view, it is recommended that irrespective of the model of the computer or version of your software; your computer must be efficient to help you to access your files and software easily and to speed up your export time. With a slow computer, you will definitely feel stuck and the video editing complications will haunt you in your dreams.

video-editing-tips

Watch video editing tutorials

None of us is a pro until we’ve practiced something enough to know everything about it. Video editing requires both; technical knowledge as well as your creativity, so it is better not to do try things on your own. A little guidance can surely help you get through the basics of the video editing process. There are tons of helpful tutorials for making excellent videos on YouTube, vlogs, and educational websites. The majority of tutorials you’ll discover online are free, making the readily available at the tip of your fingers.

Get the project files

Most of the beginner video editors prefer to use the same project files as the tutorial instructors when they are following along. Your work will exactly resemble the demo’s sample, which will aid in your understanding of the steps. For precisely this reason, many tutorials let you download the project files. You can repeat a process with your own video files once you’ve mastered this technique.

Edit for a story

Remembering your creative objective to create a wonderful story or message through your edited video is one of the most crucial lessons you should learn from this article. It is critically important that you make your film visually appealing and dramatically engaging to effectively evoke the right emotions and to communicate your desired message. Instead of merely adding a huge amount of effects to wow your audience, use your practical and technical skills to do this.

Maintain an efficient workflow

You’ll need to be systematic and organized in addition to having an editing software if you want to become a more competent editor. Putting your projects and files in folders that you may use repeatedly is one method to streamline your process. Besides this, organizing your projects and files into an external hard drive or USB is recommended in case of losing access to your intricately designed projects.

video-editing-tips

Utilize keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts speed up the process of video editing and save you ample time. Different keyboard shortcuts are compatible with different video editing software; leaving a few which are mutual in every software. Don’t attempt to put all of these shortcuts into action at once. Pick a small number to begin with, and as they become instinctive, add more. You’ll progress more quickly if you use less mouse while editing your video.

Learn important terms

As a beginner, you may not want to feel a lump in the throat caused by the complicated dictionary of video editing software. There are some broad video editing terms that refer to videography as a whole as well as video editing terms specific to the process of editing footage. You must first learn what these terms means for example you may want to know what the terms like ‘aspect ratio, B-roll, bit rate, close up, compression, crop and compositing’ mean.

Color correct your clips

Do you own a rather boring video? Perhaps it’s a little too dull or the colors don’t stand out as much as they should? A crucial step is to modify the video’s color. This will assist in reducing the saturation and revive your video. Yet, there are some color correcting presets which can be easily accessed in different video editing apps.

video-editing-tips

Select good music

You ever saw an ad on YouTube or other social media platforms without an audio background. You may just want to skip it because the video, which may apparently be appealing, fails to strike you. Coordinating and complimenting your video with a music in the background is like cherry on top. It’s a huge plus to attract viewers’ attention. Though it is necessary that the music you choose must be relevant to your video file and should target the majority. So, choose good music to adorn your videos and trigger emotions in your target audience.

Add text and graphics

Some people are attracted more towards textual descriptions rather visual representation of content. It is crucial that considering the preferences of majority, you add significant details to your video which can target your audience in a multidimension. You might need to include more text in addition to the title, opening/closing billboards (for broadcasting), and film credits, depending on the type of film you’re making. However, you can make dazzling visuals using your editing program if you feel the urge to do so.

Export web versions

When your film is finished and is ready to be exported, you would have a natural urge to export it at the highest video resolution possible. If it’s going to be shown in theatres and on ultra-HD screens, this is unquestionably the best course of action. However, you should also export smaller, higher-quality versions for simpler viewing in the modern day where video projects are typically promoted online and on social media.

The objective of creating a file for the web is to keep its high quality while not making it too large for upload and online viewing. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the export settings to utilize. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo all provide suggested export settings to assist you in correctly resizing your content.

Part 3: 10 Advanced Editing Tips for Professionals

We all definitely have experimented with video editing tools to some extent. But now, it is definitely time to become a pro. Don’t worry, the process isn’t as scary as we imagine it to be. This article is your best stop to grab some fine guidelines about how to become a video editor, in fact, a Pro video editor.

  1. Make titles stand out

You’re skilled in video editing, but do your titles seem a little…unfinished? Do those lower thirds strike you as being monotonous and boring? Is your typography competing for attention against your pictures? It appears that you would benefit from some basic title design advice, and lucky for you, we have some. Your title must be readable by majority and always choose your safe way in selecting texts for example, a sans-serif typeface is usually going to be a safe choice for video. You can also animate text to highlight it so that it is more captivating.

  1. Put video inside text or logos effects

Videos resonate with your brand and content if you add a specific logo or text effects to it. Almost all the video editors allow this featuring so that the identification of your work is maintained and copyright claim can be imposed if you see your content being copied or manipulated.

  1. Add light leaks, film burns and lens flares

Incorporating unique transitions into your monotonous videos can get you your viewer’s attention in a go. Lens flares, light leaks, and film burns can result in a unique look, but are not always easy to add naturally in-camera. Some of the best video editing software which allow access to adding lens flares, light leaks and film burns include: Free 4K Light Leaks – RocketStock, Motion Array Free Light Leaks, WZZLY Free Light Leaks, LIGHT LEAK FILM OVERLAY and many more.

  1. Add the vintage old film look

The quick Instagram-category of filters are common today but what makes your videos more natural and appealing is the addition of some presets which almost every video editor offers. These presets add a classic vintage old film look to your videos by manipulating color correction effects, framerate settings, overlays, and aspect ratio hacks. Some popular vintage old film effects are found in software namely VSDC, VEED, Adobe Premium Pro and many others in list.

  1. Add type-on effect

A type-on effect added to your videos comprehend your content more firmly. Simply by tabbing on ‘Add text effect’ in any video editor, you can add type-on effect to your videos and to add ravishing component to the overall structure of your video.

  1. Zoom in or out effect

The zoom-in or out feature (if available) in your video editing software can allow you to magnify any part of your video quickly and easily. Some of the best video editors featuring this specification include: Wondershare DemoCreator Zoom in Video Effect, DaVinci Resolve, Wondershare Filmora , Windows Movie Maker and Apowersoft Screen Recorder.

  1. Custom wipe on/off reveal effect

The wipe on/off reveal transition or effect is one of the earliest ways of transitioning from one scene to another. An object (usually a line) moves across the screen, revealing the next scene, while simultaneously removing (or wiping) the previous scene and when used properly, they can create a very powerful effect. It involves creative fading in and out transitions to give a more dramatic look.

  1. 4k, 8k, HD resolution

The latest video editing software offer the export your edited video in multiple formats, out of which 4k, 8k and HD resolution formats are preferable for majority of the professional video editors. It is necessary that even after the video is uploaded to a platform, the pixels do not decrease and the quality of the video is maintained. Although attractive to the viewers, the higher the resolution, the more the data with which you must deal. It is suggested that a standard or default resolution is chosen to play and replay the video in different computers.

video-editing-tips

  1. B-roll

B-roll is secondary video that is frequently used as cutaway video to add context and visual interest to your story. The term is originated from the early days of Hollywood when there used to be an A-roll which was the primary video and B-roll which served as a secondary video footage. This can help you visualize your video from different dimensions, giving it a more realistic look for captivating viewers.

video-editing-tips

  1. Compression rate, bit depth, bit

The amount of data the camera records each second is referred to as bit rate. Every single second of a video is subject to significant data processing by cameras. The higher the quality of the video, the more is the bit rate. Bit depth refers to the number of colors your camera can read per pixel. Common bit depths are 8-bit and 10-bit, which enable a camera to read 256 million or 1.07 billion colors respectively. To upload your edited video, a compression is usually required to convert your resolution to internet quality so that the upload can be made simpler, without distorting the video resolution.

Whether your video is short or long, you may want to make it better and appealing. Video editing involves the manipulation of your videos through which the desired transformation is achieved and you can flaunt every move of your video in a more preferable way. Video editing involves cutting the video short, changing the speed, organizing the video in a seamless flow. In short, the better the cuts of your videos, the better your message/story is conveyed.

video-editing-tips

Part 1: Things to Learn Before Editing First Draft

You have shot your video and now you’re stuck on the post-processing of that video. Don’t worry! We got you covered through this article which will guide you through the different things which you must learn before editing the first draft of your video.

Start a video project

Your smartphone and digital camera can let you record multiple videos but what now? You head out to edit your first draft by choosing a suitable platform or software and then you can surely lay back and see the software doing wonders to your raw videos. By starting off with editing, you choose your video editing preferences and then you just let the video editing tools do the magic.

Get to know the video editing software workspace

Video editing software offer customizable workspaces for different editing tasks. The software workspace streamlines routine actions you take with clips, like editing clips, making DVD and Blu-ray menus, and sharing movies. By placing panels in the layout that best matches your working style, you can personalize your workspace. The additional panels adjust automatically to fit the window as you rearrange them. For various jobs, such as one for editing and one for preview, you can build and store multiple workspaces.

Understand the timeline

The timeline of your video is the backbone of your digital video editing process. It’s called a timeline because the various pieces of video will be lined up horizontally. In a video editing software, the timeline is where you arrange your video clips and plan out all the modifications you want to do. As you work, you will see every single one of your video and audio clips, effects, and transitions sorted chronologically from beginning to end. All the fundamentals of video editing, including reordering, trimming, and enhancing your footage, are available. To preview how your adjustments will turn out, you can also play your project at any point in the timeline.

Add clips to timeline

When you have grasped the idea behind a timeline, the next step you need to follow is to add clips into your timeline. Before adding clips to your timeline, it is suggested that you label each clip. Although it does seem like a lot of work, it will be easier to locate all of the clips later on if you’re working on a large project. after the footages are gathered and named, add important clips in the beginning of the timeline to begin establishing the video’s overall structure and order.

Editing tools

Besides basic cutting, trimming and cropping, video editing software offer multiple professional editing tools which enhance the outlook your videos and make them 10x better. For example, instead of cutting up a clip into a bunch of small clips and unwanted gaps, use the Ripple Edit tool keep your timeline clean. This means when a clip is trimmed, it causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of your timeline, shifting all other clips into a new timeline position.

Similarly, when working with lengthy timelines, the Razor tool is also really helpful because you can select the clip you wish to cut by dragging your razor over it. So, the Razor cut is the tool to use if you need to make a lot of cuts in your videos quickly.

Syncing audio and video

You already know how annoying it can be if audio and video don’t sync while you’re listening to a podcast or viewing a YouTube vlog. The video editing software offer helpful manual and auto sync tools. It can be though a bit of hard work for beginners, but the ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ approach works best in syncing your audio with your video. To sync audio, you need to record audio first and then through matching the wavelengths displayed on your timeline, you can sync the audio with your video.

Edit download talking head/interview footage

Now with professional video editing tools, you can make ‘talking head videos’ if you want to share your expertise as a YouTube vlogger or if you want to do employee training. Talking head films are a fantastic way to stimulate the mind and the heart while increasing learner retention in this digital age.

Additionally, with other video editing tools, you can edit your interview footages and for that, you don’t have to mess with timestamps, cutting or splicing videos, or creating transitions between clips, you just edit the transcript of the video and the video edits itself to match.

Video properties: Scale, position, opacity

Any screen recording, camera-based video, imported video clips, and text picture clips can have their visuals altered using video properties. In video editing software, multiple video properties are offered which include scaling, positioning, rotating, changing the opacity, changing level of reflection and shadow. Additionally, Video properties also include editing the video as a whole or just altering a clip from the video.

Types of cuts: Straight, J-Cut, L-Cut etc

The different types of cuts used in the video editing process is an effective way to make the transitions in your video pop. Basically, these cuts join two or more clips together via audio. Professional editors call these cuts as ‘split edits. The most common cuts are called J-Cut and L-Cut. They help to mix the content’s flow and keep the on-screen narrative in motion. In essence, these edits are necessary to make your scenes feel warm and more authentic.

Part 2: Practical Video Editing Tips

Choose right software

The push start of video editing for beginners is based on one common step: know your software or workspace. Selecting the appropriate software for editing your video is the first step in streamlining your video editing process. Although all software often includes the tools that you need to make ordinary video edits, you could favor one over the others based on its usefulness, digital interface, and features. Instead of just using the latest and trending video editing software available, the key is to choose what functions for you and your editing style.

Use a fast computer

Slow rendering hinders video editing process and other commands given to a computer. From a practical point of view, it is recommended that irrespective of the model of the computer or version of your software; your computer must be efficient to help you to access your files and software easily and to speed up your export time. With a slow computer, you will definitely feel stuck and the video editing complications will haunt you in your dreams.

video-editing-tips

Watch video editing tutorials

None of us is a pro until we’ve practiced something enough to know everything about it. Video editing requires both; technical knowledge as well as your creativity, so it is better not to do try things on your own. A little guidance can surely help you get through the basics of the video editing process. There are tons of helpful tutorials for making excellent videos on YouTube, vlogs, and educational websites. The majority of tutorials you’ll discover online are free, making the readily available at the tip of your fingers.

Get the project files

Most of the beginner video editors prefer to use the same project files as the tutorial instructors when they are following along. Your work will exactly resemble the demo’s sample, which will aid in your understanding of the steps. For precisely this reason, many tutorials let you download the project files. You can repeat a process with your own video files once you’ve mastered this technique.

Edit for a story

Remembering your creative objective to create a wonderful story or message through your edited video is one of the most crucial lessons you should learn from this article. It is critically important that you make your film visually appealing and dramatically engaging to effectively evoke the right emotions and to communicate your desired message. Instead of merely adding a huge amount of effects to wow your audience, use your practical and technical skills to do this.

Maintain an efficient workflow

You’ll need to be systematic and organized in addition to having an editing software if you want to become a more competent editor. Putting your projects and files in folders that you may use repeatedly is one method to streamline your process. Besides this, organizing your projects and files into an external hard drive or USB is recommended in case of losing access to your intricately designed projects.

video-editing-tips

Utilize keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts speed up the process of video editing and save you ample time. Different keyboard shortcuts are compatible with different video editing software; leaving a few which are mutual in every software. Don’t attempt to put all of these shortcuts into action at once. Pick a small number to begin with, and as they become instinctive, add more. You’ll progress more quickly if you use less mouse while editing your video.

Learn important terms

As a beginner, you may not want to feel a lump in the throat caused by the complicated dictionary of video editing software. There are some broad video editing terms that refer to videography as a whole as well as video editing terms specific to the process of editing footage. You must first learn what these terms means for example you may want to know what the terms like ‘aspect ratio, B-roll, bit rate, close up, compression, crop and compositing’ mean.

Color correct your clips

Do you own a rather boring video? Perhaps it’s a little too dull or the colors don’t stand out as much as they should? A crucial step is to modify the video’s color. This will assist in reducing the saturation and revive your video. Yet, there are some color correcting presets which can be easily accessed in different video editing apps.

video-editing-tips

Select good music

You ever saw an ad on YouTube or other social media platforms without an audio background. You may just want to skip it because the video, which may apparently be appealing, fails to strike you. Coordinating and complimenting your video with a music in the background is like cherry on top. It’s a huge plus to attract viewers’ attention. Though it is necessary that the music you choose must be relevant to your video file and should target the majority. So, choose good music to adorn your videos and trigger emotions in your target audience.

Add text and graphics

Some people are attracted more towards textual descriptions rather visual representation of content. It is crucial that considering the preferences of majority, you add significant details to your video which can target your audience in a multidimension. You might need to include more text in addition to the title, opening/closing billboards (for broadcasting), and film credits, depending on the type of film you’re making. However, you can make dazzling visuals using your editing program if you feel the urge to do so.

Export web versions

When your film is finished and is ready to be exported, you would have a natural urge to export it at the highest video resolution possible. If it’s going to be shown in theatres and on ultra-HD screens, this is unquestionably the best course of action. However, you should also export smaller, higher-quality versions for simpler viewing in the modern day where video projects are typically promoted online and on social media.

The objective of creating a file for the web is to keep its high quality while not making it too large for upload and online viewing. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the export settings to utilize. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo all provide suggested export settings to assist you in correctly resizing your content.

Part 3: 10 Advanced Editing Tips for Professionals

We all definitely have experimented with video editing tools to some extent. But now, it is definitely time to become a pro. Don’t worry, the process isn’t as scary as we imagine it to be. This article is your best stop to grab some fine guidelines about how to become a video editor, in fact, a Pro video editor.

  1. Make titles stand out

You’re skilled in video editing, but do your titles seem a little…unfinished? Do those lower thirds strike you as being monotonous and boring? Is your typography competing for attention against your pictures? It appears that you would benefit from some basic title design advice, and lucky for you, we have some. Your title must be readable by majority and always choose your safe way in selecting texts for example, a sans-serif typeface is usually going to be a safe choice for video. You can also animate text to highlight it so that it is more captivating.

  1. Put video inside text or logos effects

Videos resonate with your brand and content if you add a specific logo or text effects to it. Almost all the video editors allow this featuring so that the identification of your work is maintained and copyright claim can be imposed if you see your content being copied or manipulated.

  1. Add light leaks, film burns and lens flares

Incorporating unique transitions into your monotonous videos can get you your viewer’s attention in a go. Lens flares, light leaks, and film burns can result in a unique look, but are not always easy to add naturally in-camera. Some of the best video editing software which allow access to adding lens flares, light leaks and film burns include: Free 4K Light Leaks – RocketStock, Motion Array Free Light Leaks, WZZLY Free Light Leaks, LIGHT LEAK FILM OVERLAY and many more.

  1. Add the vintage old film look

The quick Instagram-category of filters are common today but what makes your videos more natural and appealing is the addition of some presets which almost every video editor offers. These presets add a classic vintage old film look to your videos by manipulating color correction effects, framerate settings, overlays, and aspect ratio hacks. Some popular vintage old film effects are found in software namely VSDC, VEED, Adobe Premium Pro and many others in list.

  1. Add type-on effect

A type-on effect added to your videos comprehend your content more firmly. Simply by tabbing on ‘Add text effect’ in any video editor, you can add type-on effect to your videos and to add ravishing component to the overall structure of your video.

  1. Zoom in or out effect

The zoom-in or out feature (if available) in your video editing software can allow you to magnify any part of your video quickly and easily. Some of the best video editors featuring this specification include: Wondershare DemoCreator Zoom in Video Effect, DaVinci Resolve, Wondershare Filmora , Windows Movie Maker and Apowersoft Screen Recorder.

  1. Custom wipe on/off reveal effect

The wipe on/off reveal transition or effect is one of the earliest ways of transitioning from one scene to another. An object (usually a line) moves across the screen, revealing the next scene, while simultaneously removing (or wiping) the previous scene and when used properly, they can create a very powerful effect. It involves creative fading in and out transitions to give a more dramatic look.

  1. 4k, 8k, HD resolution

The latest video editing software offer the export your edited video in multiple formats, out of which 4k, 8k and HD resolution formats are preferable for majority of the professional video editors. It is necessary that even after the video is uploaded to a platform, the pixels do not decrease and the quality of the video is maintained. Although attractive to the viewers, the higher the resolution, the more the data with which you must deal. It is suggested that a standard or default resolution is chosen to play and replay the video in different computers.

video-editing-tips

  1. B-roll

B-roll is secondary video that is frequently used as cutaway video to add context and visual interest to your story. The term is originated from the early days of Hollywood when there used to be an A-roll which was the primary video and B-roll which served as a secondary video footage. This can help you visualize your video from different dimensions, giving it a more realistic look for captivating viewers.

video-editing-tips

  1. Compression rate, bit depth, bit

The amount of data the camera records each second is referred to as bit rate. Every single second of a video is subject to significant data processing by cameras. The higher the quality of the video, the more is the bit rate. Bit depth refers to the number of colors your camera can read per pixel. Common bit depths are 8-bit and 10-bit, which enable a camera to read 256 million or 1.07 billion colors respectively. To upload your edited video, a compression is usually required to convert your resolution to internet quality so that the upload can be made simpler, without distorting the video resolution.

7 Best GoPro Video Editors for Mac

Have you ever used or seen small box-type cameras for recording videos? Well, those are called action cameras. Action cameras are compact go. They were basically made to shoot sports or any other activities videos. They are mountable on many surfaces so you can record freely during any activity. Many of them provide 4K videos at 60 fps or higher to provide crisp video quality or low resolution at 120 or 240 fps to record smooth slow-mo videos. Most of them are waterproof and have good video stabilization so you can record any sports hassle-free.

There are many action camera companies out there in the market but the one ruling the market at the moment is GoPro. It has some best action camera models with dozens of amazing features. It can also record in RAW format and GoPro max can also shoot 360 videos.

GoPro gives amazing results but sometimes videos aren’t up to your expectations and need a little bit of refinement. From sharpening to speed ramping there are many ways to enhance your GoPro videos. And for this purpose, you need a good video editing software which has all these features plus it also supports RAW and 360 video files. Here we have mentioned some noteworthy video editing softwares for you.

Wondershare - Filmora :

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you are looking for professional and easy-to-use software to edit your GoPro videos then Filmora Video Editor can be the right choice for you. It has many cool features to enhance your action cam footage. From stabilization to color grading to fish eye effect all can be done in this software. It has a simple and attractive UI.

It has hundreds of effects and cool transitions. It is a paid video editor which also provides a free version to check and practice your skills on. But the main disadvantage of the free version is that it leaves a watermark on export. If you don’t want to invest money in the beginning, till then you can practice on the free version and once you are satisfied with your skills then you can upgrade to a pro version.

Pricing: Wondershare Filmora offers three different plans. Monthly one at $9.99/a month, Yearly one at $69.99, and perpetual license for $79.99 where you can own the software’s specific version for perpetual. It also provides an educational plan for students and teachers.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K files and a wide range of file formats.
  • It has a simple UI that is suitable for beginners.
  • It Supports 360 video files (in equirectangular format).
  • Supports industry-standard plugins like Boris fx.
  • Have features like standard motion tracking, masking, chroma key, e.t.c.
  • The paid version has more features like Speed ramping, Auto-sync, keyframing, and animation.
  • Have vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • The free version leaves a watermark on export.
  • Have playback issues with 4k videos.
  • Lacks some standard editing features.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Filmora” then select the desired aspect ratio and click “New Project’ to start editing. Click on the “Import panel” to import media files.

gopro-editors

Edit: Drag and drop the clips to add them to the timeline. Drop the clips above or below to add them in layers. Click the top-left icon of the timeline to add layers. Select a clip and you will see a bunch of tools appear on the top bar of the timeline, use them to perform basic editing tasks like split, crop, speed ramping, keyframing, e.t.c.

Double-click on a clip to open its properties. . Click the blue “Ok” button to move back to the previous window.

Select the “Video” icon to transform the clip or to do motion tracking, stabilization, chroma-key, Masking, e.t.c.

Select the “Audio” icon to apply effects and enhance your audio.

Select the “Color” icon to do color correction and grading.

Select the “3D LUT” option to import a new customized lut.

Select the “Animation” icon to add preset animations or make custom animations by using keyframes.

Select the “Speed” icon to adjust the speed of the clip or to do speed ramping.

gopro-editors

Click the blue “OK” button below to go back to the previous window.

Effects: On the horizontal bar at the top-left corner of the screen, all the effects, transitions, title present, and stock library are located. Drag and drop to apply them.

gopro-editors

Export: Click the blue “Export” button to open export window, choose the desired settings than click “Export”. and don’t forget to save the project if you want to edit it again.

Free GoPro Video Editors for Mac:

If you are tight on budget but still want a professional video editor to edit your GoPro videos then here I have mentioned some free but powerful video editors. Whether you are a beginner or a professional content creator, these free softwares can get your job done.

Blackmagic - Davinchi Resolve:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a freelance video editor or an industry-level filmmaker, if you want to step up your game and stand out from your competition then you need a powerful video editor to help you out and Davinchi Resolve can be the right choice for you. From sports vlogging using action cams to Hollywood filmmaking using Red cinema cameras, Davinchi Resolve can handle and edit all this footage easily and smoothly. It is even used in the making of several Hollywood projects including Marvels’s feature films.

It is one of the best color grading software available in the market. It has advanced color grading tools that can help color grade your GoPro raw videos easily as raw videos look dull but provide greater flexibility. It is a timeline-based editor but its Fusion and Color grading panel provides a Node-based editing system which is hard to use but provides great flexibility once mastered.

Resolve has 6 different pages to deal with different editing parts:

“Edit” and “Cut” pages to deal with simple editing tasks. Its “Fusion” page allows users to do VFX and 3D compositing. The “Color Grading” page has all the professional grading tools. While the “Fairlight” page is designed to edit and enhance audio. And the “Deliver” page to export your files.

All these features are available for free without even giving a watermark. Although it has a studio version that provides some additional features to get more out of this amazing software.

gopro-editors

  • Davinchi Resolve Studio:

The free version has almost everything a professional video editor needs. but you can purchase the Studio version to get some really juicy features to enhance your video editing experience. It includes the Davinci neural engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, Dolby atmos audio mastering,e.t.c.

Pricing: Studio version is available at $ 295 for a lifetime license and with free updates.

~ Features:

  • It supports a 4K resolution at 60fps. (while the Studio version supports up to 32K resolution at 120 fps.)
  • It is a multi-feature software that provides editing, color grading, VFX, 3D compositing, and audio editing all in one place.
  • It has the most advanced and powerful Node-based color grading system, which is also used by Hollywood film studios.
  • Supports Raw and 360 videos from GoPro or other action cameras.
  • Supports multi-cam editing up to 16 camera angles.
  • Can make Compound clips and add adjustment layers.
  • Fairlight panel has professional audio production tools like waveform editing, audio ducking, and Channel mapping. (Dolby Vision mastering and 3D spatial Panning [audio editing in 3D space] are available in the Studio version.)
  • Supports third-party plugins.
  • Has a 3D workspace and provides a virtual set extension for 3D modeling and compositing.

~ Cons:

  • Its node-based editing style is quite difficult for beginners.
  • Requires a high-end workstation to run smoothly otherwise will often crash during editing.
  • Its node-based editing system is hard to learn.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Davinci Resolve’. Select a previously saved project or press “New project” to start a new one. Click “File” >> “Import” >> “Media” to import files or press “CTRL + I”.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to the timeline Use the tools present above the timeline to trim, cut or move your clips. Click the “Inspector” icon on the top-right corner of the window to open the Inspector tab. Here you will find the properties of all the clips, audio, transitions, effects, e.t.c. There are different editing tabs at the bottom of the window.

In the “Fusion” window, click “Nodes” to open the Node screen. Import a clip or use it from the editor timeline. Usually, a clip will have two nodes connected through a line. Above the nodes panel, different types of nodes are available. Drag any node in the panel and connect it through lines. or add a “merge” node to connect nodes.

Its color grading panel also has Node based editing system.

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Effects: Click “Effects Library” then select any effect and drop it in the timeline to apply it. You can change its properties in the “Inspector” panel.

Click the diamond icon on the right side of the property to start keyframing then change the value of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

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Export: Open the “Deliver” window, choose the desired settings then click “Add to Render Queue” to start exporting.

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FXhome - Hitfilm Express:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux also.

If you are looking for a free but powerful video editor to edit your GoPro clips then Hitfilm Express can be the right choice for you. It is a free timeline-based editing software with professional-grade VFX tools. It is a timeline-based editor where you can add dozens of audio, videos, and text layers.

It has a composite shot sequence where you can do complex editing like editing 3D videos and elements, lights e.t.c. It has physic-base behaviors and effects also to enhance 3D compositing. For professional-level editing almost most of the effects and properties have keyframing options. It has different workspace modes to suit your editing needs.

It can also edit 360 videos recorded from your GoPro max. It has a “GoPro Lens Reframe” effect to adjust your 360 clips, but some 360 toolkits can only be available when you purchase Hitfilm pro or buy a 360 toolkit add-on. Similarly, you can purchase more add-ons according to your editing needs or you can purchase Hitfilm Pro to gain access to all add-ons and features. But can use these pro features for free but without exporting as exporting with a paid effect can give a watermark.

Hitfilm Pro:

Although Hitfilm express doesn’t give a watermark on export, but to use more features like 3D composition, LUTs, e.t.c you need to purchase add-ons, there are over 30+ add-ons available to purchase which you can purchase depending on your needs, but if you want to get all the features than its better to get your hands on Hitfilm Pro.

Pricing: Available for purchase at £ 309 or $ 388 for a lifetime license. With 12 months of free updates. It has 3 seat license which means It can run on 3 PCs simultaneously.

~ Features:

  • It is a free editing software with no watermark.
  • It can edit 3D videos and it can also import and edit 3D models and tracking data.
  • It can edit 360 videos also.
  • You can add effects and color grades as layers in the timeline also.
  • Can add adjustment layers and create nested clips within nested clips to make complex editing easier.
  • It has a motion track and locked-on stabilization features.
  • Can do smooth keyframing and animation with the help of value graphs.
  • It supports multi-cam editing also.
  • Keyboard shortcuts make workflow quite easy and quick.

~ Cons:

  • It has some playback issues while using 4K videos.
  • It crashes sometimes, so it’s better to save the project frequently during editing.
  • Hitfilm express doesn’t have a dark mode.
  • Some common features are only available on the Pro version or add-ons.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Hitfilm”, Select “New Project” to open a blank project then click “open” to open an existing file or click “new” to create a new project. Then set project settings on pop-up then and click “ok”.

Then click the “Media” tab on the top-left corner of the screen. Then select the “Import” button to import videos, images, audio, or 3d models. You can also import previously made composite shots.

Edit: Drag and drop media files from the media tab to the timeline. or click the “New” tab to create a “Composite shot” or a solid plane layer. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to insert or delete layers. On the left side of the timeline, you will find some basic tools located on the vertical bar to do simple tasks.

In the “Viewer” tab, on the left side of the playback screen, you can find tools for masking and adding text.

In the “Controls” tab, you can adjust the properties of clips and other features related to the clip like masking, track, blend, transform, e.t.c.

Create a “Composite shot” to do complex editing like 3D compositing. Or select multiple layers then right-click and select “make Composite shot” to combine them for easy editing. Double-click the composite shot to open its contents.

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Effects: From the “Effects” tab drag and drop effects on the clip to add them. Some effects can be added as layers which can affect all the layers beneath it. Properties of these effects can be adjusted in the “Control” tab.

To do keyframing, Click the circle icon on the left side of the property to start keyframing then change the values of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

Export: Click the “Export” icon then “Export now” located at the top right side of the timeline to open the export window. The export will start automatically.

Shotcut:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

If you are making videos from your GoPro or mobile phone just for fun that doesn’t require much editing then you can look for a free and simple video editor and “Shotcut” can be the right choice for this purpose.

It is a free and open-source video editor with many cool features to get your hands on. It doesn’t have any pro version. It is simple and easy to use but takes some time to understand. It supports multi-track timeline editing. It has a basic timeline design but you can customize your timeline to meet your editing needs. It has some good color grading options, you can also import your color luts. It has many cool features and effects. It supports 360 video editing and also has a few 360 video filters. It has audio effects also.

~ Features:

  • All its features are for free and it doesn’t leave any watermark.
  • It supports 4K resolution and a wide range of file formats.
  • It also supports 360 video files.
  • Has keyframing and chroma kry features.
  • It has advanced color grading features.
  • It provides standard animation and keyframing features.

~ Cons:

  • It is a basic video editor and lacks some professional editing features.
  • Have playback issues with 4K videos.
  • It does have proper text editing tools.
  • It is difficult to understand as its UI is different from other familiar video editors.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Shot Cut” then click the “Open Files” button on the top-left corner of the window to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop clips on an empty timeline panel to add tracks and drag the clip from corners to trim them. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to add a video or an audio track. You will find a bunch of tools above the timeline to do some basic tasks.

You can choose from 6 different workspace designs (available in the top-right corner of the window) to suit your editing styles.

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On top of the window, you will see a bunch of icons like Timeline, filter, project, and properties. e.t.c. In the properties tab, you can change the aspect ratio and speed of the clip.

Effects: Click the “Filters” icon on top of the window to open the filters menu, Click “+” above it to add filters. Double click a filter to add it to the selected clip, then click the filter to open its properties menu. You can also add text from here.

Click the “Keyframes” icon on top of the window to open the Keyframes window. Select the “clock” icon on the filters to start keyframing then change the values at a specific time to add keyframes. Click the “Timeline” icon to go back to the previous window.

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Export: Click the “Export” button on the top of the screen. Select a preset or click the “Advanced” button to change export settings then click “Export File”.

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Paid GoPro Video Editor for Mac:

If you are a professional athlete or a vlogger using GoPro for all of your contents and want to invest some money on paid video editors to improve your content. Then here we have mentioned some paid video editors worthy of your investment.

Apple - Final Cut Pro:

It is available for Mac only.

If you are an Apple enthusiastic person and want everything Apple, then why look for any other video editor when you can have a powerful video editor “Final cut pro” made by Apple. It is a paid but professional software that can raise your GoPro videos to the next level. Whether it’s a 360 video or a RAW file recorded from your GoPro or from the RED cinema camera, all can be edited smoothly inside Final Cut Pro. It has dozens of useful features that a professional video editor looks for like 3D tracking, Motion Graphics, Color Grading, Audio Mixing, Multi-cam editing e.t.c.

Pricing: It is a one-time purchase software available at $ 299.9 for a lifetime license and all its future updates can be downloaded free of cost.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Support 360 and RAW video files.
  • Edit videos in complete 360 and 3D spaces.
  • Supports third-party video and audio plugins.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have professional color grading tools with HDR support.
  • Its UI is easy to use.

~ Cons:

  • It is designed for Apple devices only.
  • Requires a powerful PC.
  • Its UI is a bit different from other common video editors in the market.
  • ~ Steps:

Import: Open “Final Cut Pro” then click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the screen, then select “Project” to create a new project. In the “Files” menu, click “import” then “media” to import your media files. Here most of the work is done with Keyboard commands.

Edit: Drag and Drop clips on the timeline. In the viewer panel, press “I” and “O” to add input and output points then drag the clip to add only a specific part of the clip. Press “Cmd + B” to split the clip at the desired location. Or add the clips above to add the layer.

Click the “Text” icon on the top-left corner of the screen to open the text page. Choose from presets or import your own Text presets and drag them to the timeline. Click the text to open “Text Editor” on the left side of the screen.

Select multiple clips then Right-click and select “New Compound Clip” to combine them. Double-click the compound clip to edit its components.

Effects: Click 2 icons on the top-right side of the timeline to open the effects and transition panel. Drag and drop on the clip to use them. You can change their properties in the “Effects editor” tab located in the same place as “Text Editor”.

In the editor tab, click the diamond icon beside any property to start keyframing, then change its property to add keyframes at the desired time.

Press “Cmd + 6” to open the Color Grading tab, here you can color grade your clips.

Export: To export the edited video. Click “File” >> “Share” >> “Master file” to open export window. Choose the desired settings then click “Next” then “Save” to export the video.

Adobe - Premiere Pro:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a content creator or not, if you use a DSLR or an action camera for the first time, then maybe the output wouldn’t meet your expectations. In order to make it good, you need a video editor. And if you will ask your gathering about a good video editor, most of them will recommend you Adobe Premiere Pro, because it is such a versatile and well-known software available in the market. It is a subscription-based video editor.

It is an industry-level software with many professional and advanced features. From beginner video editing to film compositing, all can be done in this software. Whether you have a 360 video or a 4K video in Raw format recorded from your GoPro, just import it into premiere pro and start editing. It has a downloadable “GoPro FX Reframe” plugin to edit your 360 videos. It has different panels designed to deal with specific parts of post-production such as the Effects panel, Graphics panel, Sound panel, Colour Grading panel, e.t.c.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Have different panels to enhance different segments of post-production.
  • Have an essential Effects panel to create motion effects and animations using keyframes.
  • Supports hundreds of third-party extensions.
  • Have useful features like warp stabilizer and denoiser.
  • You can import or create your color LUTs.
  • Have a creative cloud with 100 Gb of storage.
  • The bundle also includes a mobile video editor and a stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Real-time rendering. It will take some time to render before exporting if you work on a mid-range PC.
  • Freezes or crashes sometimes.
  • Cache data fill-up quickly and eats a lot of storage. (It’s better to clear it after every project)

Pricing: It is cloud-based software, therefore it can’t be purchased one time. It has a monthly subscription starting at $ 20.99/month. It includes “premiere rush” mobile video editor and 100 GB of cloud storage within the plan. It also has a “Creative cloud All apps” plan that includes all 30+ Softwares + 100Gb cloud storage along with premiere pro for $ 54.99 only. All plans also include Behance (adobe creative community), Adobe Fonts, and Adobe stock assets for free. Adobe also provides educational access at a much discounted price.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Premiere Pro”. Click “New Project” to start with then Click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the window then select the “Import files” button to import files. Or press “CTRL + I” to import files or drag your files from their location to premiere pro.

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Edit: Drag and Drop the files to add them to the timeline. Drop a file above a clip to add as a layer. or drop over a clip to overwrite it. On the right side of the timeline, you can find a bunch of tools to do basic edits like trimming, splitting, speed ramping, masking, or adding text.

In the “Effects Control” tab you can transform the selected clip or change its properties.

Select multiple clips then right-click and select “make Nested clip” to combine them into a single clip for easy editing.

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Slide between 8 different workspace styles designed for specific post-production tasks by clicking the buttons available on the top of the window.

Effects: Go to the “Effects” panel on the bottom-left window to apply an effect or transitions. Here you can find all audio, video, 2D, and 3D effects. Drag and Drop on a clip to apply it. Change the properties of these effects in the “Effects Control” panel.

To color grade, your clips move to the “Color” workspace. Here you will find all the color grading features: correction, curves, color wheels, creative tab, e.t.c. To import a LUT click the “creative tab” then click “Browse” to import a LUT.

Export: To Export go to the “Files” tab on top of the screen then select the “Export” button to open the export tab. Select the desired settings then click “Export”.

Power Director 365 :

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly video editor that is powerful enough to edit your GoPro videos like a content creator then Power director can be the right choice for you. It has many unique and useful features. It has different plugins and design centers to do specific post-production tasks like Ad designer, Multicam editor, AI style plugins, e.t.c.

It also has a separate action cam center to fix or enhance action cam videos. IT also has chapter and subtitle rooms to add subtitles and chapters for your Youtube videos or films. It also has a vast stock and preset library to speed up your project.

Pricing: It has a subscription plan which is available at $69/year. It is now available at 30% off till 22nd May,2022.

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K videos and a wide range of import formats.
  • Have many built-in plugins and design centers.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have an action cam center to deal with action cam footage.
  • Have separate aspect ratio mode for 360 videos.
  • Also, have a chapter and subtitle room. many recording aspects of the video.
  • Have a content-aware editing feature that detects the recording aspects.
  • Can import presets and color LUTs.
  • Have a vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Have some playback issues with 4K videos. (create shadow files to overcome this issue to an extent).
  • Its UI is a little bit complicated for beginners.
  • Not ideal for fast pace editing.

~ Steps:

Import: Open Power director and a pop-up will appear, select desired aspect ratio then click “Full mode” to open the software. Or select 360 aspect ratio if you want to edit 360 videos.

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Click the “Import Media” icon below the Files tab in the top-left corner of the window to import files or press “CTRL + Q” to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to any desired layer in the timeline. Click the icon on the top left corner of the timeline to add layers. When you select a clip in the timeline, some tools appear on the top timeline. Select any specific tool to edit your selected clip. Or click the “Plugins” button on the top-left of the window to open a specific designer tab.

Double-click on the clip to open ‘PIP designer”. Here you will find all the editing tools to edit or animate your clip.

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After selecting a clip, in the “Plugins” menu click the “Action Camera Center” button to open an edit tab, Here you can fix your GoPro videos.

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Effects: On the top-left corner of the window in a vertical bar you will find all the effects material lile Project library, titles, effects, transitions, overlays, e.t.c. Simply just drag and drop them on the timeline to use them. Here you can also do audio mixing and add subtitles and chapters.

Double click a clip or an overlay element to open the designer window. Here you can customize the clips and overlays to enhance your project.

Export: Click the blue “Produce” button on top of the screen to export your edited file. Select the desired mode and file format and add an export destination, then click “Start” to start exporting.

Which One Should I Choose Free or Paid GoPro Video Editor?

You can choose free or paid softwares depending on your requirements and budget. If a free software meets your requirements then stay on it otherwise move towards a paid alternative. If you have a GoPro and you make videos just for fun then use a free and simple video editor. Even if you are an experienced video editor, I would recommend you to go for free video editors which I have mentioned above as they are quite powerful and professional software but if you are harvesting a good amount of money from this field then you can upgrade to pro versions of these free softwares or get a paid software from start. As almost all of these softwares are professional and can get your job done, so it’s better to choose one, which is comfortable for you to work on.

FAQs about GoPro Video Editing:

  1. Q) Does GoPro has its own video editor?

Yes, GoPro has its own video editor “Quik”. It is available on mobile phones and desktops both. It is simple and easy to use. It provides basic features to edit your video. But the main disadvantage of this desktop software is that it supports only GoPro videos, you can’t import files from other devices. Although this isn’t the issue with Quik mobile app, here you can import videos from other devices also.

  1. Q) Can I make videos for social media with a GoPro?

It was basically made for recording sports and action videos. But as the market is revolutionized and new models are released it has covered a wide range of the video industry like vlogging, travel and cooking videos e.t.c. As new models of GoPros are waterproof, you can get some amazing underwater shots for your Instagram.

  1. Q) What is GoPro media format?

GoPro export files in popular file format MP4. MP4 is the most common file format and is supported by almost all the video editors. While it is efficient and takes less storage but isn’t supported in many devices.

  1. Q) How do I transfer files from my GoPro to Mac?

You can transfer your GoPro files through 3 methods:

  • Eject the SD card from your GoPro and connect it to your Mac using a SD card adapter to transfer files.
  • Connect your GoPro to Mac through USB connector and use “iphoto” or any other photo importer to import files.

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K files and a wide range of file formats.
  • It has a simple UI that is suitable for beginners.
  • It Supports 360 video files (in equirectangular format).
  • Supports industry-standard plugins like Boris fx.
  • Have features like standard motion tracking, masking, chroma key, e.t.c.
  • The paid version has more features like Speed ramping, Auto-sync, keyframing, and animation.
  • Have vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • The free version leaves a watermark on export.
  • Have playback issues with 4k videos.
  • Lacks some standard editing features.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Filmora” then select the desired aspect ratio and click “New Project’ to start editing. Click on the “Import panel” to import media files.

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Edit: Drag and drop the clips to add them to the timeline. Drop the clips above or below to add them in layers. Click the top-left icon of the timeline to add layers. Select a clip and you will see a bunch of tools appear on the top bar of the timeline, use them to perform basic editing tasks like split, crop, speed ramping, keyframing, e.t.c.

Double-click on a clip to open its properties. . Click the blue “Ok” button to move back to the previous window.

Select the “Video” icon to transform the clip or to do motion tracking, stabilization, chroma-key, Masking, e.t.c.

Select the “Audio” icon to apply effects and enhance your audio.

Select the “Color” icon to do color correction and grading.

Select the “3D LUT” option to import a new customized lut.

Select the “Animation” icon to add preset animations or make custom animations by using keyframes.

Select the “Speed” icon to adjust the speed of the clip or to do speed ramping.

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Click the blue “OK” button below to go back to the previous window.

Effects: On the horizontal bar at the top-left corner of the screen, all the effects, transitions, title present, and stock library are located. Drag and drop to apply them.

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Export: Click the blue “Export” button to open export window, choose the desired settings than click “Export”. and don’t forget to save the project if you want to edit it again.

Free GoPro Video Editors for Mac:

If you are tight on budget but still want a professional video editor to edit your GoPro videos then here I have mentioned some free but powerful video editors. Whether you are a beginner or a professional content creator, these free softwares can get your job done.

Blackmagic - Davinchi Resolve:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a freelance video editor or an industry-level filmmaker, if you want to step up your game and stand out from your competition then you need a powerful video editor to help you out and Davinchi Resolve can be the right choice for you. From sports vlogging using action cams to Hollywood filmmaking using Red cinema cameras, Davinchi Resolve can handle and edit all this footage easily and smoothly. It is even used in the making of several Hollywood projects including Marvels’s feature films.

It is one of the best color grading software available in the market. It has advanced color grading tools that can help color grade your GoPro raw videos easily as raw videos look dull but provide greater flexibility. It is a timeline-based editor but its Fusion and Color grading panel provides a Node-based editing system which is hard to use but provides great flexibility once mastered.

Resolve has 6 different pages to deal with different editing parts:

“Edit” and “Cut” pages to deal with simple editing tasks. Its “Fusion” page allows users to do VFX and 3D compositing. The “Color Grading” page has all the professional grading tools. While the “Fairlight” page is designed to edit and enhance audio. And the “Deliver” page to export your files.

All these features are available for free without even giving a watermark. Although it has a studio version that provides some additional features to get more out of this amazing software.

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  • Davinchi Resolve Studio:

The free version has almost everything a professional video editor needs. but you can purchase the Studio version to get some really juicy features to enhance your video editing experience. It includes the Davinci neural engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, Dolby atmos audio mastering,e.t.c.

Pricing: Studio version is available at $ 295 for a lifetime license and with free updates.

~ Features:

  • It supports a 4K resolution at 60fps. (while the Studio version supports up to 32K resolution at 120 fps.)
  • It is a multi-feature software that provides editing, color grading, VFX, 3D compositing, and audio editing all in one place.
  • It has the most advanced and powerful Node-based color grading system, which is also used by Hollywood film studios.
  • Supports Raw and 360 videos from GoPro or other action cameras.
  • Supports multi-cam editing up to 16 camera angles.
  • Can make Compound clips and add adjustment layers.
  • Fairlight panel has professional audio production tools like waveform editing, audio ducking, and Channel mapping. (Dolby Vision mastering and 3D spatial Panning [audio editing in 3D space] are available in the Studio version.)
  • Supports third-party plugins.
  • Has a 3D workspace and provides a virtual set extension for 3D modeling and compositing.

~ Cons:

  • Its node-based editing style is quite difficult for beginners.
  • Requires a high-end workstation to run smoothly otherwise will often crash during editing.
  • Its node-based editing system is hard to learn.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Davinci Resolve’. Select a previously saved project or press “New project” to start a new one. Click “File” >> “Import” >> “Media” to import files or press “CTRL + I”.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to the timeline Use the tools present above the timeline to trim, cut or move your clips. Click the “Inspector” icon on the top-right corner of the window to open the Inspector tab. Here you will find the properties of all the clips, audio, transitions, effects, e.t.c. There are different editing tabs at the bottom of the window.

In the “Fusion” window, click “Nodes” to open the Node screen. Import a clip or use it from the editor timeline. Usually, a clip will have two nodes connected through a line. Above the nodes panel, different types of nodes are available. Drag any node in the panel and connect it through lines. or add a “merge” node to connect nodes.

Its color grading panel also has Node based editing system.

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Effects: Click “Effects Library” then select any effect and drop it in the timeline to apply it. You can change its properties in the “Inspector” panel.

Click the diamond icon on the right side of the property to start keyframing then change the value of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

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Export: Open the “Deliver” window, choose the desired settings then click “Add to Render Queue” to start exporting.

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FXhome - Hitfilm Express:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux also.

If you are looking for a free but powerful video editor to edit your GoPro clips then Hitfilm Express can be the right choice for you. It is a free timeline-based editing software with professional-grade VFX tools. It is a timeline-based editor where you can add dozens of audio, videos, and text layers.

It has a composite shot sequence where you can do complex editing like editing 3D videos and elements, lights e.t.c. It has physic-base behaviors and effects also to enhance 3D compositing. For professional-level editing almost most of the effects and properties have keyframing options. It has different workspace modes to suit your editing needs.

It can also edit 360 videos recorded from your GoPro max. It has a “GoPro Lens Reframe” effect to adjust your 360 clips, but some 360 toolkits can only be available when you purchase Hitfilm pro or buy a 360 toolkit add-on. Similarly, you can purchase more add-ons according to your editing needs or you can purchase Hitfilm Pro to gain access to all add-ons and features. But can use these pro features for free but without exporting as exporting with a paid effect can give a watermark.

Hitfilm Pro:

Although Hitfilm express doesn’t give a watermark on export, but to use more features like 3D composition, LUTs, e.t.c you need to purchase add-ons, there are over 30+ add-ons available to purchase which you can purchase depending on your needs, but if you want to get all the features than its better to get your hands on Hitfilm Pro.

Pricing: Available for purchase at £ 309 or $ 388 for a lifetime license. With 12 months of free updates. It has 3 seat license which means It can run on 3 PCs simultaneously.

~ Features:

  • It is a free editing software with no watermark.
  • It can edit 3D videos and it can also import and edit 3D models and tracking data.
  • It can edit 360 videos also.
  • You can add effects and color grades as layers in the timeline also.
  • Can add adjustment layers and create nested clips within nested clips to make complex editing easier.
  • It has a motion track and locked-on stabilization features.
  • Can do smooth keyframing and animation with the help of value graphs.
  • It supports multi-cam editing also.
  • Keyboard shortcuts make workflow quite easy and quick.

~ Cons:

  • It has some playback issues while using 4K videos.
  • It crashes sometimes, so it’s better to save the project frequently during editing.
  • Hitfilm express doesn’t have a dark mode.
  • Some common features are only available on the Pro version or add-ons.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Hitfilm”, Select “New Project” to open a blank project then click “open” to open an existing file or click “new” to create a new project. Then set project settings on pop-up then and click “ok”.

Then click the “Media” tab on the top-left corner of the screen. Then select the “Import” button to import videos, images, audio, or 3d models. You can also import previously made composite shots.

Edit: Drag and drop media files from the media tab to the timeline. or click the “New” tab to create a “Composite shot” or a solid plane layer. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to insert or delete layers. On the left side of the timeline, you will find some basic tools located on the vertical bar to do simple tasks.

In the “Viewer” tab, on the left side of the playback screen, you can find tools for masking and adding text.

In the “Controls” tab, you can adjust the properties of clips and other features related to the clip like masking, track, blend, transform, e.t.c.

Create a “Composite shot” to do complex editing like 3D compositing. Or select multiple layers then right-click and select “make Composite shot” to combine them for easy editing. Double-click the composite shot to open its contents.

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Effects: From the “Effects” tab drag and drop effects on the clip to add them. Some effects can be added as layers which can affect all the layers beneath it. Properties of these effects can be adjusted in the “Control” tab.

To do keyframing, Click the circle icon on the left side of the property to start keyframing then change the values of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

Export: Click the “Export” icon then “Export now” located at the top right side of the timeline to open the export window. The export will start automatically.

Shotcut:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

If you are making videos from your GoPro or mobile phone just for fun that doesn’t require much editing then you can look for a free and simple video editor and “Shotcut” can be the right choice for this purpose.

It is a free and open-source video editor with many cool features to get your hands on. It doesn’t have any pro version. It is simple and easy to use but takes some time to understand. It supports multi-track timeline editing. It has a basic timeline design but you can customize your timeline to meet your editing needs. It has some good color grading options, you can also import your color luts. It has many cool features and effects. It supports 360 video editing and also has a few 360 video filters. It has audio effects also.

~ Features:

  • All its features are for free and it doesn’t leave any watermark.
  • It supports 4K resolution and a wide range of file formats.
  • It also supports 360 video files.
  • Has keyframing and chroma kry features.
  • It has advanced color grading features.
  • It provides standard animation and keyframing features.

~ Cons:

  • It is a basic video editor and lacks some professional editing features.
  • Have playback issues with 4K videos.
  • It does have proper text editing tools.
  • It is difficult to understand as its UI is different from other familiar video editors.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Shot Cut” then click the “Open Files” button on the top-left corner of the window to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop clips on an empty timeline panel to add tracks and drag the clip from corners to trim them. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to add a video or an audio track. You will find a bunch of tools above the timeline to do some basic tasks.

You can choose from 6 different workspace designs (available in the top-right corner of the window) to suit your editing styles.

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On top of the window, you will see a bunch of icons like Timeline, filter, project, and properties. e.t.c. In the properties tab, you can change the aspect ratio and speed of the clip.

Effects: Click the “Filters” icon on top of the window to open the filters menu, Click “+” above it to add filters. Double click a filter to add it to the selected clip, then click the filter to open its properties menu. You can also add text from here.

Click the “Keyframes” icon on top of the window to open the Keyframes window. Select the “clock” icon on the filters to start keyframing then change the values at a specific time to add keyframes. Click the “Timeline” icon to go back to the previous window.

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Export: Click the “Export” button on the top of the screen. Select a preset or click the “Advanced” button to change export settings then click “Export File”.

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Paid GoPro Video Editor for Mac:

If you are a professional athlete or a vlogger using GoPro for all of your contents and want to invest some money on paid video editors to improve your content. Then here we have mentioned some paid video editors worthy of your investment.

Apple - Final Cut Pro:

It is available for Mac only.

If you are an Apple enthusiastic person and want everything Apple, then why look for any other video editor when you can have a powerful video editor “Final cut pro” made by Apple. It is a paid but professional software that can raise your GoPro videos to the next level. Whether it’s a 360 video or a RAW file recorded from your GoPro or from the RED cinema camera, all can be edited smoothly inside Final Cut Pro. It has dozens of useful features that a professional video editor looks for like 3D tracking, Motion Graphics, Color Grading, Audio Mixing, Multi-cam editing e.t.c.

Pricing: It is a one-time purchase software available at $ 299.9 for a lifetime license and all its future updates can be downloaded free of cost.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Support 360 and RAW video files.
  • Edit videos in complete 360 and 3D spaces.
  • Supports third-party video and audio plugins.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have professional color grading tools with HDR support.
  • Its UI is easy to use.

~ Cons:

  • It is designed for Apple devices only.
  • Requires a powerful PC.
  • Its UI is a bit different from other common video editors in the market.
  • ~ Steps:

Import: Open “Final Cut Pro” then click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the screen, then select “Project” to create a new project. In the “Files” menu, click “import” then “media” to import your media files. Here most of the work is done with Keyboard commands.

Edit: Drag and Drop clips on the timeline. In the viewer panel, press “I” and “O” to add input and output points then drag the clip to add only a specific part of the clip. Press “Cmd + B” to split the clip at the desired location. Or add the clips above to add the layer.

Click the “Text” icon on the top-left corner of the screen to open the text page. Choose from presets or import your own Text presets and drag them to the timeline. Click the text to open “Text Editor” on the left side of the screen.

Select multiple clips then Right-click and select “New Compound Clip” to combine them. Double-click the compound clip to edit its components.

Effects: Click 2 icons on the top-right side of the timeline to open the effects and transition panel. Drag and drop on the clip to use them. You can change their properties in the “Effects editor” tab located in the same place as “Text Editor”.

In the editor tab, click the diamond icon beside any property to start keyframing, then change its property to add keyframes at the desired time.

Press “Cmd + 6” to open the Color Grading tab, here you can color grade your clips.

Export: To export the edited video. Click “File” >> “Share” >> “Master file” to open export window. Choose the desired settings then click “Next” then “Save” to export the video.

Adobe - Premiere Pro:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a content creator or not, if you use a DSLR or an action camera for the first time, then maybe the output wouldn’t meet your expectations. In order to make it good, you need a video editor. And if you will ask your gathering about a good video editor, most of them will recommend you Adobe Premiere Pro, because it is such a versatile and well-known software available in the market. It is a subscription-based video editor.

It is an industry-level software with many professional and advanced features. From beginner video editing to film compositing, all can be done in this software. Whether you have a 360 video or a 4K video in Raw format recorded from your GoPro, just import it into premiere pro and start editing. It has a downloadable “GoPro FX Reframe” plugin to edit your 360 videos. It has different panels designed to deal with specific parts of post-production such as the Effects panel, Graphics panel, Sound panel, Colour Grading panel, e.t.c.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Have different panels to enhance different segments of post-production.
  • Have an essential Effects panel to create motion effects and animations using keyframes.
  • Supports hundreds of third-party extensions.
  • Have useful features like warp stabilizer and denoiser.
  • You can import or create your color LUTs.
  • Have a creative cloud with 100 Gb of storage.
  • The bundle also includes a mobile video editor and a stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Real-time rendering. It will take some time to render before exporting if you work on a mid-range PC.
  • Freezes or crashes sometimes.
  • Cache data fill-up quickly and eats a lot of storage. (It’s better to clear it after every project)

Pricing: It is cloud-based software, therefore it can’t be purchased one time. It has a monthly subscription starting at $ 20.99/month. It includes “premiere rush” mobile video editor and 100 GB of cloud storage within the plan. It also has a “Creative cloud All apps” plan that includes all 30+ Softwares + 100Gb cloud storage along with premiere pro for $ 54.99 only. All plans also include Behance (adobe creative community), Adobe Fonts, and Adobe stock assets for free. Adobe also provides educational access at a much discounted price.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Premiere Pro”. Click “New Project” to start with then Click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the window then select the “Import files” button to import files. Or press “CTRL + I” to import files or drag your files from their location to premiere pro.

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Edit: Drag and Drop the files to add them to the timeline. Drop a file above a clip to add as a layer. or drop over a clip to overwrite it. On the right side of the timeline, you can find a bunch of tools to do basic edits like trimming, splitting, speed ramping, masking, or adding text.

In the “Effects Control” tab you can transform the selected clip or change its properties.

Select multiple clips then right-click and select “make Nested clip” to combine them into a single clip for easy editing.

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Slide between 8 different workspace styles designed for specific post-production tasks by clicking the buttons available on the top of the window.

Effects: Go to the “Effects” panel on the bottom-left window to apply an effect or transitions. Here you can find all audio, video, 2D, and 3D effects. Drag and Drop on a clip to apply it. Change the properties of these effects in the “Effects Control” panel.

To color grade, your clips move to the “Color” workspace. Here you will find all the color grading features: correction, curves, color wheels, creative tab, e.t.c. To import a LUT click the “creative tab” then click “Browse” to import a LUT.

Export: To Export go to the “Files” tab on top of the screen then select the “Export” button to open the export tab. Select the desired settings then click “Export”.

Power Director 365 :

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly video editor that is powerful enough to edit your GoPro videos like a content creator then Power director can be the right choice for you. It has many unique and useful features. It has different plugins and design centers to do specific post-production tasks like Ad designer, Multicam editor, AI style plugins, e.t.c.

It also has a separate action cam center to fix or enhance action cam videos. IT also has chapter and subtitle rooms to add subtitles and chapters for your Youtube videos or films. It also has a vast stock and preset library to speed up your project.

Pricing: It has a subscription plan which is available at $69/year. It is now available at 30% off till 22nd May,2022.

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K videos and a wide range of import formats.
  • Have many built-in plugins and design centers.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have an action cam center to deal with action cam footage.
  • Have separate aspect ratio mode for 360 videos.
  • Also, have a chapter and subtitle room. many recording aspects of the video.
  • Have a content-aware editing feature that detects the recording aspects.
  • Can import presets and color LUTs.
  • Have a vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Have some playback issues with 4K videos. (create shadow files to overcome this issue to an extent).
  • Its UI is a little bit complicated for beginners.
  • Not ideal for fast pace editing.

~ Steps:

Import: Open Power director and a pop-up will appear, select desired aspect ratio then click “Full mode” to open the software. Or select 360 aspect ratio if you want to edit 360 videos.

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Click the “Import Media” icon below the Files tab in the top-left corner of the window to import files or press “CTRL + Q” to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to any desired layer in the timeline. Click the icon on the top left corner of the timeline to add layers. When you select a clip in the timeline, some tools appear on the top timeline. Select any specific tool to edit your selected clip. Or click the “Plugins” button on the top-left of the window to open a specific designer tab.

Double-click on the clip to open ‘PIP designer”. Here you will find all the editing tools to edit or animate your clip.

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After selecting a clip, in the “Plugins” menu click the “Action Camera Center” button to open an edit tab, Here you can fix your GoPro videos.

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Effects: On the top-left corner of the window in a vertical bar you will find all the effects material lile Project library, titles, effects, transitions, overlays, e.t.c. Simply just drag and drop them on the timeline to use them. Here you can also do audio mixing and add subtitles and chapters.

Double click a clip or an overlay element to open the designer window. Here you can customize the clips and overlays to enhance your project.

Export: Click the blue “Produce” button on top of the screen to export your edited file. Select the desired mode and file format and add an export destination, then click “Start” to start exporting.

Which One Should I Choose Free or Paid GoPro Video Editor?

You can choose free or paid softwares depending on your requirements and budget. If a free software meets your requirements then stay on it otherwise move towards a paid alternative. If you have a GoPro and you make videos just for fun then use a free and simple video editor. Even if you are an experienced video editor, I would recommend you to go for free video editors which I have mentioned above as they are quite powerful and professional software but if you are harvesting a good amount of money from this field then you can upgrade to pro versions of these free softwares or get a paid software from start. As almost all of these softwares are professional and can get your job done, so it’s better to choose one, which is comfortable for you to work on.

FAQs about GoPro Video Editing:

  1. Q) Does GoPro has its own video editor?

Yes, GoPro has its own video editor “Quik”. It is available on mobile phones and desktops both. It is simple and easy to use. It provides basic features to edit your video. But the main disadvantage of this desktop software is that it supports only GoPro videos, you can’t import files from other devices. Although this isn’t the issue with Quik mobile app, here you can import videos from other devices also.

  1. Q) Can I make videos for social media with a GoPro?

It was basically made for recording sports and action videos. But as the market is revolutionized and new models are released it has covered a wide range of the video industry like vlogging, travel and cooking videos e.t.c. As new models of GoPros are waterproof, you can get some amazing underwater shots for your Instagram.

  1. Q) What is GoPro media format?

GoPro export files in popular file format MP4. MP4 is the most common file format and is supported by almost all the video editors. While it is efficient and takes less storage but isn’t supported in many devices.

  1. Q) How do I transfer files from my GoPro to Mac?

You can transfer your GoPro files through 3 methods:

  • Eject the SD card from your GoPro and connect it to your Mac using a SD card adapter to transfer files.
  • Connect your GoPro to Mac through USB connector and use “iphoto” or any other photo importer to import files.

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K files and a wide range of file formats.
  • It has a simple UI that is suitable for beginners.
  • It Supports 360 video files (in equirectangular format).
  • Supports industry-standard plugins like Boris fx.
  • Have features like standard motion tracking, masking, chroma key, e.t.c.
  • The paid version has more features like Speed ramping, Auto-sync, keyframing, and animation.
  • Have vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • The free version leaves a watermark on export.
  • Have playback issues with 4k videos.
  • Lacks some standard editing features.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Filmora” then select the desired aspect ratio and click “New Project’ to start editing. Click on the “Import panel” to import media files.

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Edit: Drag and drop the clips to add them to the timeline. Drop the clips above or below to add them in layers. Click the top-left icon of the timeline to add layers. Select a clip and you will see a bunch of tools appear on the top bar of the timeline, use them to perform basic editing tasks like split, crop, speed ramping, keyframing, e.t.c.

Double-click on a clip to open its properties. . Click the blue “Ok” button to move back to the previous window.

Select the “Video” icon to transform the clip or to do motion tracking, stabilization, chroma-key, Masking, e.t.c.

Select the “Audio” icon to apply effects and enhance your audio.

Select the “Color” icon to do color correction and grading.

Select the “3D LUT” option to import a new customized lut.

Select the “Animation” icon to add preset animations or make custom animations by using keyframes.

Select the “Speed” icon to adjust the speed of the clip or to do speed ramping.

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Click the blue “OK” button below to go back to the previous window.

Effects: On the horizontal bar at the top-left corner of the screen, all the effects, transitions, title present, and stock library are located. Drag and drop to apply them.

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Export: Click the blue “Export” button to open export window, choose the desired settings than click “Export”. and don’t forget to save the project if you want to edit it again.

Free GoPro Video Editors for Mac:

If you are tight on budget but still want a professional video editor to edit your GoPro videos then here I have mentioned some free but powerful video editors. Whether you are a beginner or a professional content creator, these free softwares can get your job done.

Blackmagic - Davinchi Resolve:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a freelance video editor or an industry-level filmmaker, if you want to step up your game and stand out from your competition then you need a powerful video editor to help you out and Davinchi Resolve can be the right choice for you. From sports vlogging using action cams to Hollywood filmmaking using Red cinema cameras, Davinchi Resolve can handle and edit all this footage easily and smoothly. It is even used in the making of several Hollywood projects including Marvels’s feature films.

It is one of the best color grading software available in the market. It has advanced color grading tools that can help color grade your GoPro raw videos easily as raw videos look dull but provide greater flexibility. It is a timeline-based editor but its Fusion and Color grading panel provides a Node-based editing system which is hard to use but provides great flexibility once mastered.

Resolve has 6 different pages to deal with different editing parts:

“Edit” and “Cut” pages to deal with simple editing tasks. Its “Fusion” page allows users to do VFX and 3D compositing. The “Color Grading” page has all the professional grading tools. While the “Fairlight” page is designed to edit and enhance audio. And the “Deliver” page to export your files.

All these features are available for free without even giving a watermark. Although it has a studio version that provides some additional features to get more out of this amazing software.

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  • Davinchi Resolve Studio:

The free version has almost everything a professional video editor needs. but you can purchase the Studio version to get some really juicy features to enhance your video editing experience. It includes the Davinci neural engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, Dolby atmos audio mastering,e.t.c.

Pricing: Studio version is available at $ 295 for a lifetime license and with free updates.

~ Features:

  • It supports a 4K resolution at 60fps. (while the Studio version supports up to 32K resolution at 120 fps.)
  • It is a multi-feature software that provides editing, color grading, VFX, 3D compositing, and audio editing all in one place.
  • It has the most advanced and powerful Node-based color grading system, which is also used by Hollywood film studios.
  • Supports Raw and 360 videos from GoPro or other action cameras.
  • Supports multi-cam editing up to 16 camera angles.
  • Can make Compound clips and add adjustment layers.
  • Fairlight panel has professional audio production tools like waveform editing, audio ducking, and Channel mapping. (Dolby Vision mastering and 3D spatial Panning [audio editing in 3D space] are available in the Studio version.)
  • Supports third-party plugins.
  • Has a 3D workspace and provides a virtual set extension for 3D modeling and compositing.

~ Cons:

  • Its node-based editing style is quite difficult for beginners.
  • Requires a high-end workstation to run smoothly otherwise will often crash during editing.
  • Its node-based editing system is hard to learn.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Davinci Resolve’. Select a previously saved project or press “New project” to start a new one. Click “File” >> “Import” >> “Media” to import files or press “CTRL + I”.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to the timeline Use the tools present above the timeline to trim, cut or move your clips. Click the “Inspector” icon on the top-right corner of the window to open the Inspector tab. Here you will find the properties of all the clips, audio, transitions, effects, e.t.c. There are different editing tabs at the bottom of the window.

In the “Fusion” window, click “Nodes” to open the Node screen. Import a clip or use it from the editor timeline. Usually, a clip will have two nodes connected through a line. Above the nodes panel, different types of nodes are available. Drag any node in the panel and connect it through lines. or add a “merge” node to connect nodes.

Its color grading panel also has Node based editing system.

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Effects: Click “Effects Library” then select any effect and drop it in the timeline to apply it. You can change its properties in the “Inspector” panel.

Click the diamond icon on the right side of the property to start keyframing then change the value of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

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Export: Open the “Deliver” window, choose the desired settings then click “Add to Render Queue” to start exporting.

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FXhome - Hitfilm Express:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux also.

If you are looking for a free but powerful video editor to edit your GoPro clips then Hitfilm Express can be the right choice for you. It is a free timeline-based editing software with professional-grade VFX tools. It is a timeline-based editor where you can add dozens of audio, videos, and text layers.

It has a composite shot sequence where you can do complex editing like editing 3D videos and elements, lights e.t.c. It has physic-base behaviors and effects also to enhance 3D compositing. For professional-level editing almost most of the effects and properties have keyframing options. It has different workspace modes to suit your editing needs.

It can also edit 360 videos recorded from your GoPro max. It has a “GoPro Lens Reframe” effect to adjust your 360 clips, but some 360 toolkits can only be available when you purchase Hitfilm pro or buy a 360 toolkit add-on. Similarly, you can purchase more add-ons according to your editing needs or you can purchase Hitfilm Pro to gain access to all add-ons and features. But can use these pro features for free but without exporting as exporting with a paid effect can give a watermark.

Hitfilm Pro:

Although Hitfilm express doesn’t give a watermark on export, but to use more features like 3D composition, LUTs, e.t.c you need to purchase add-ons, there are over 30+ add-ons available to purchase which you can purchase depending on your needs, but if you want to get all the features than its better to get your hands on Hitfilm Pro.

Pricing: Available for purchase at £ 309 or $ 388 for a lifetime license. With 12 months of free updates. It has 3 seat license which means It can run on 3 PCs simultaneously.

~ Features:

  • It is a free editing software with no watermark.
  • It can edit 3D videos and it can also import and edit 3D models and tracking data.
  • It can edit 360 videos also.
  • You can add effects and color grades as layers in the timeline also.
  • Can add adjustment layers and create nested clips within nested clips to make complex editing easier.
  • It has a motion track and locked-on stabilization features.
  • Can do smooth keyframing and animation with the help of value graphs.
  • It supports multi-cam editing also.
  • Keyboard shortcuts make workflow quite easy and quick.

~ Cons:

  • It has some playback issues while using 4K videos.
  • It crashes sometimes, so it’s better to save the project frequently during editing.
  • Hitfilm express doesn’t have a dark mode.
  • Some common features are only available on the Pro version or add-ons.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Hitfilm”, Select “New Project” to open a blank project then click “open” to open an existing file or click “new” to create a new project. Then set project settings on pop-up then and click “ok”.

Then click the “Media” tab on the top-left corner of the screen. Then select the “Import” button to import videos, images, audio, or 3d models. You can also import previously made composite shots.

Edit: Drag and drop media files from the media tab to the timeline. or click the “New” tab to create a “Composite shot” or a solid plane layer. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to insert or delete layers. On the left side of the timeline, you will find some basic tools located on the vertical bar to do simple tasks.

In the “Viewer” tab, on the left side of the playback screen, you can find tools for masking and adding text.

In the “Controls” tab, you can adjust the properties of clips and other features related to the clip like masking, track, blend, transform, e.t.c.

Create a “Composite shot” to do complex editing like 3D compositing. Or select multiple layers then right-click and select “make Composite shot” to combine them for easy editing. Double-click the composite shot to open its contents.

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Effects: From the “Effects” tab drag and drop effects on the clip to add them. Some effects can be added as layers which can affect all the layers beneath it. Properties of these effects can be adjusted in the “Control” tab.

To do keyframing, Click the circle icon on the left side of the property to start keyframing then change the values of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

Export: Click the “Export” icon then “Export now” located at the top right side of the timeline to open the export window. The export will start automatically.

Shotcut:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

If you are making videos from your GoPro or mobile phone just for fun that doesn’t require much editing then you can look for a free and simple video editor and “Shotcut” can be the right choice for this purpose.

It is a free and open-source video editor with many cool features to get your hands on. It doesn’t have any pro version. It is simple and easy to use but takes some time to understand. It supports multi-track timeline editing. It has a basic timeline design but you can customize your timeline to meet your editing needs. It has some good color grading options, you can also import your color luts. It has many cool features and effects. It supports 360 video editing and also has a few 360 video filters. It has audio effects also.

~ Features:

  • All its features are for free and it doesn’t leave any watermark.
  • It supports 4K resolution and a wide range of file formats.
  • It also supports 360 video files.
  • Has keyframing and chroma kry features.
  • It has advanced color grading features.
  • It provides standard animation and keyframing features.

~ Cons:

  • It is a basic video editor and lacks some professional editing features.
  • Have playback issues with 4K videos.
  • It does have proper text editing tools.
  • It is difficult to understand as its UI is different from other familiar video editors.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Shot Cut” then click the “Open Files” button on the top-left corner of the window to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop clips on an empty timeline panel to add tracks and drag the clip from corners to trim them. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to add a video or an audio track. You will find a bunch of tools above the timeline to do some basic tasks.

You can choose from 6 different workspace designs (available in the top-right corner of the window) to suit your editing styles.

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On top of the window, you will see a bunch of icons like Timeline, filter, project, and properties. e.t.c. In the properties tab, you can change the aspect ratio and speed of the clip.

Effects: Click the “Filters” icon on top of the window to open the filters menu, Click “+” above it to add filters. Double click a filter to add it to the selected clip, then click the filter to open its properties menu. You can also add text from here.

Click the “Keyframes” icon on top of the window to open the Keyframes window. Select the “clock” icon on the filters to start keyframing then change the values at a specific time to add keyframes. Click the “Timeline” icon to go back to the previous window.

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Export: Click the “Export” button on the top of the screen. Select a preset or click the “Advanced” button to change export settings then click “Export File”.

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Paid GoPro Video Editor for Mac:

If you are a professional athlete or a vlogger using GoPro for all of your contents and want to invest some money on paid video editors to improve your content. Then here we have mentioned some paid video editors worthy of your investment.

Apple - Final Cut Pro:

It is available for Mac only.

If you are an Apple enthusiastic person and want everything Apple, then why look for any other video editor when you can have a powerful video editor “Final cut pro” made by Apple. It is a paid but professional software that can raise your GoPro videos to the next level. Whether it’s a 360 video or a RAW file recorded from your GoPro or from the RED cinema camera, all can be edited smoothly inside Final Cut Pro. It has dozens of useful features that a professional video editor looks for like 3D tracking, Motion Graphics, Color Grading, Audio Mixing, Multi-cam editing e.t.c.

Pricing: It is a one-time purchase software available at $ 299.9 for a lifetime license and all its future updates can be downloaded free of cost.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Support 360 and RAW video files.
  • Edit videos in complete 360 and 3D spaces.
  • Supports third-party video and audio plugins.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have professional color grading tools with HDR support.
  • Its UI is easy to use.

~ Cons:

  • It is designed for Apple devices only.
  • Requires a powerful PC.
  • Its UI is a bit different from other common video editors in the market.
  • ~ Steps:

Import: Open “Final Cut Pro” then click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the screen, then select “Project” to create a new project. In the “Files” menu, click “import” then “media” to import your media files. Here most of the work is done with Keyboard commands.

Edit: Drag and Drop clips on the timeline. In the viewer panel, press “I” and “O” to add input and output points then drag the clip to add only a specific part of the clip. Press “Cmd + B” to split the clip at the desired location. Or add the clips above to add the layer.

Click the “Text” icon on the top-left corner of the screen to open the text page. Choose from presets or import your own Text presets and drag them to the timeline. Click the text to open “Text Editor” on the left side of the screen.

Select multiple clips then Right-click and select “New Compound Clip” to combine them. Double-click the compound clip to edit its components.

Effects: Click 2 icons on the top-right side of the timeline to open the effects and transition panel. Drag and drop on the clip to use them. You can change their properties in the “Effects editor” tab located in the same place as “Text Editor”.

In the editor tab, click the diamond icon beside any property to start keyframing, then change its property to add keyframes at the desired time.

Press “Cmd + 6” to open the Color Grading tab, here you can color grade your clips.

Export: To export the edited video. Click “File” >> “Share” >> “Master file” to open export window. Choose the desired settings then click “Next” then “Save” to export the video.

Adobe - Premiere Pro:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a content creator or not, if you use a DSLR or an action camera for the first time, then maybe the output wouldn’t meet your expectations. In order to make it good, you need a video editor. And if you will ask your gathering about a good video editor, most of them will recommend you Adobe Premiere Pro, because it is such a versatile and well-known software available in the market. It is a subscription-based video editor.

It is an industry-level software with many professional and advanced features. From beginner video editing to film compositing, all can be done in this software. Whether you have a 360 video or a 4K video in Raw format recorded from your GoPro, just import it into premiere pro and start editing. It has a downloadable “GoPro FX Reframe” plugin to edit your 360 videos. It has different panels designed to deal with specific parts of post-production such as the Effects panel, Graphics panel, Sound panel, Colour Grading panel, e.t.c.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Have different panels to enhance different segments of post-production.
  • Have an essential Effects panel to create motion effects and animations using keyframes.
  • Supports hundreds of third-party extensions.
  • Have useful features like warp stabilizer and denoiser.
  • You can import or create your color LUTs.
  • Have a creative cloud with 100 Gb of storage.
  • The bundle also includes a mobile video editor and a stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Real-time rendering. It will take some time to render before exporting if you work on a mid-range PC.
  • Freezes or crashes sometimes.
  • Cache data fill-up quickly and eats a lot of storage. (It’s better to clear it after every project)

Pricing: It is cloud-based software, therefore it can’t be purchased one time. It has a monthly subscription starting at $ 20.99/month. It includes “premiere rush” mobile video editor and 100 GB of cloud storage within the plan. It also has a “Creative cloud All apps” plan that includes all 30+ Softwares + 100Gb cloud storage along with premiere pro for $ 54.99 only. All plans also include Behance (adobe creative community), Adobe Fonts, and Adobe stock assets for free. Adobe also provides educational access at a much discounted price.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Premiere Pro”. Click “New Project” to start with then Click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the window then select the “Import files” button to import files. Or press “CTRL + I” to import files or drag your files from their location to premiere pro.

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Edit: Drag and Drop the files to add them to the timeline. Drop a file above a clip to add as a layer. or drop over a clip to overwrite it. On the right side of the timeline, you can find a bunch of tools to do basic edits like trimming, splitting, speed ramping, masking, or adding text.

In the “Effects Control” tab you can transform the selected clip or change its properties.

Select multiple clips then right-click and select “make Nested clip” to combine them into a single clip for easy editing.

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Slide between 8 different workspace styles designed for specific post-production tasks by clicking the buttons available on the top of the window.

Effects: Go to the “Effects” panel on the bottom-left window to apply an effect or transitions. Here you can find all audio, video, 2D, and 3D effects. Drag and Drop on a clip to apply it. Change the properties of these effects in the “Effects Control” panel.

To color grade, your clips move to the “Color” workspace. Here you will find all the color grading features: correction, curves, color wheels, creative tab, e.t.c. To import a LUT click the “creative tab” then click “Browse” to import a LUT.

Export: To Export go to the “Files” tab on top of the screen then select the “Export” button to open the export tab. Select the desired settings then click “Export”.

Power Director 365 :

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly video editor that is powerful enough to edit your GoPro videos like a content creator then Power director can be the right choice for you. It has many unique and useful features. It has different plugins and design centers to do specific post-production tasks like Ad designer, Multicam editor, AI style plugins, e.t.c.

It also has a separate action cam center to fix or enhance action cam videos. IT also has chapter and subtitle rooms to add subtitles and chapters for your Youtube videos or films. It also has a vast stock and preset library to speed up your project.

Pricing: It has a subscription plan which is available at $69/year. It is now available at 30% off till 22nd May,2022.

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K videos and a wide range of import formats.
  • Have many built-in plugins and design centers.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have an action cam center to deal with action cam footage.
  • Have separate aspect ratio mode for 360 videos.
  • Also, have a chapter and subtitle room. many recording aspects of the video.
  • Have a content-aware editing feature that detects the recording aspects.
  • Can import presets and color LUTs.
  • Have a vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Have some playback issues with 4K videos. (create shadow files to overcome this issue to an extent).
  • Its UI is a little bit complicated for beginners.
  • Not ideal for fast pace editing.

~ Steps:

Import: Open Power director and a pop-up will appear, select desired aspect ratio then click “Full mode” to open the software. Or select 360 aspect ratio if you want to edit 360 videos.

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Click the “Import Media” icon below the Files tab in the top-left corner of the window to import files or press “CTRL + Q” to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to any desired layer in the timeline. Click the icon on the top left corner of the timeline to add layers. When you select a clip in the timeline, some tools appear on the top timeline. Select any specific tool to edit your selected clip. Or click the “Plugins” button on the top-left of the window to open a specific designer tab.

Double-click on the clip to open ‘PIP designer”. Here you will find all the editing tools to edit or animate your clip.

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After selecting a clip, in the “Plugins” menu click the “Action Camera Center” button to open an edit tab, Here you can fix your GoPro videos.

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Effects: On the top-left corner of the window in a vertical bar you will find all the effects material lile Project library, titles, effects, transitions, overlays, e.t.c. Simply just drag and drop them on the timeline to use them. Here you can also do audio mixing and add subtitles and chapters.

Double click a clip or an overlay element to open the designer window. Here you can customize the clips and overlays to enhance your project.

Export: Click the blue “Produce” button on top of the screen to export your edited file. Select the desired mode and file format and add an export destination, then click “Start” to start exporting.

Which One Should I Choose Free or Paid GoPro Video Editor?

You can choose free or paid softwares depending on your requirements and budget. If a free software meets your requirements then stay on it otherwise move towards a paid alternative. If you have a GoPro and you make videos just for fun then use a free and simple video editor. Even if you are an experienced video editor, I would recommend you to go for free video editors which I have mentioned above as they are quite powerful and professional software but if you are harvesting a good amount of money from this field then you can upgrade to pro versions of these free softwares or get a paid software from start. As almost all of these softwares are professional and can get your job done, so it’s better to choose one, which is comfortable for you to work on.

FAQs about GoPro Video Editing:

  1. Q) Does GoPro has its own video editor?

Yes, GoPro has its own video editor “Quik”. It is available on mobile phones and desktops both. It is simple and easy to use. It provides basic features to edit your video. But the main disadvantage of this desktop software is that it supports only GoPro videos, you can’t import files from other devices. Although this isn’t the issue with Quik mobile app, here you can import videos from other devices also.

  1. Q) Can I make videos for social media with a GoPro?

It was basically made for recording sports and action videos. But as the market is revolutionized and new models are released it has covered a wide range of the video industry like vlogging, travel and cooking videos e.t.c. As new models of GoPros are waterproof, you can get some amazing underwater shots for your Instagram.

  1. Q) What is GoPro media format?

GoPro export files in popular file format MP4. MP4 is the most common file format and is supported by almost all the video editors. While it is efficient and takes less storage but isn’t supported in many devices.

  1. Q) How do I transfer files from my GoPro to Mac?

You can transfer your GoPro files through 3 methods:

  • Eject the SD card from your GoPro and connect it to your Mac using a SD card adapter to transfer files.
  • Connect your GoPro to Mac through USB connector and use “iphoto” or any other photo importer to import files.

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K files and a wide range of file formats.
  • It has a simple UI that is suitable for beginners.
  • It Supports 360 video files (in equirectangular format).
  • Supports industry-standard plugins like Boris fx.
  • Have features like standard motion tracking, masking, chroma key, e.t.c.
  • The paid version has more features like Speed ramping, Auto-sync, keyframing, and animation.
  • Have vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • The free version leaves a watermark on export.
  • Have playback issues with 4k videos.
  • Lacks some standard editing features.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Filmora” then select the desired aspect ratio and click “New Project’ to start editing. Click on the “Import panel” to import media files.

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Edit: Drag and drop the clips to add them to the timeline. Drop the clips above or below to add them in layers. Click the top-left icon of the timeline to add layers. Select a clip and you will see a bunch of tools appear on the top bar of the timeline, use them to perform basic editing tasks like split, crop, speed ramping, keyframing, e.t.c.

Double-click on a clip to open its properties. . Click the blue “Ok” button to move back to the previous window.

Select the “Video” icon to transform the clip or to do motion tracking, stabilization, chroma-key, Masking, e.t.c.

Select the “Audio” icon to apply effects and enhance your audio.

Select the “Color” icon to do color correction and grading.

Select the “3D LUT” option to import a new customized lut.

Select the “Animation” icon to add preset animations or make custom animations by using keyframes.

Select the “Speed” icon to adjust the speed of the clip or to do speed ramping.

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Click the blue “OK” button below to go back to the previous window.

Effects: On the horizontal bar at the top-left corner of the screen, all the effects, transitions, title present, and stock library are located. Drag and drop to apply them.

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Export: Click the blue “Export” button to open export window, choose the desired settings than click “Export”. and don’t forget to save the project if you want to edit it again.

Free GoPro Video Editors for Mac:

If you are tight on budget but still want a professional video editor to edit your GoPro videos then here I have mentioned some free but powerful video editors. Whether you are a beginner or a professional content creator, these free softwares can get your job done.

Blackmagic - Davinchi Resolve:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a freelance video editor or an industry-level filmmaker, if you want to step up your game and stand out from your competition then you need a powerful video editor to help you out and Davinchi Resolve can be the right choice for you. From sports vlogging using action cams to Hollywood filmmaking using Red cinema cameras, Davinchi Resolve can handle and edit all this footage easily and smoothly. It is even used in the making of several Hollywood projects including Marvels’s feature films.

It is one of the best color grading software available in the market. It has advanced color grading tools that can help color grade your GoPro raw videos easily as raw videos look dull but provide greater flexibility. It is a timeline-based editor but its Fusion and Color grading panel provides a Node-based editing system which is hard to use but provides great flexibility once mastered.

Resolve has 6 different pages to deal with different editing parts:

“Edit” and “Cut” pages to deal with simple editing tasks. Its “Fusion” page allows users to do VFX and 3D compositing. The “Color Grading” page has all the professional grading tools. While the “Fairlight” page is designed to edit and enhance audio. And the “Deliver” page to export your files.

All these features are available for free without even giving a watermark. Although it has a studio version that provides some additional features to get more out of this amazing software.

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  • Davinchi Resolve Studio:

The free version has almost everything a professional video editor needs. but you can purchase the Studio version to get some really juicy features to enhance your video editing experience. It includes the Davinci neural engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, Dolby atmos audio mastering,e.t.c.

Pricing: Studio version is available at $ 295 for a lifetime license and with free updates.

~ Features:

  • It supports a 4K resolution at 60fps. (while the Studio version supports up to 32K resolution at 120 fps.)
  • It is a multi-feature software that provides editing, color grading, VFX, 3D compositing, and audio editing all in one place.
  • It has the most advanced and powerful Node-based color grading system, which is also used by Hollywood film studios.
  • Supports Raw and 360 videos from GoPro or other action cameras.
  • Supports multi-cam editing up to 16 camera angles.
  • Can make Compound clips and add adjustment layers.
  • Fairlight panel has professional audio production tools like waveform editing, audio ducking, and Channel mapping. (Dolby Vision mastering and 3D spatial Panning [audio editing in 3D space] are available in the Studio version.)
  • Supports third-party plugins.
  • Has a 3D workspace and provides a virtual set extension for 3D modeling and compositing.

~ Cons:

  • Its node-based editing style is quite difficult for beginners.
  • Requires a high-end workstation to run smoothly otherwise will often crash during editing.
  • Its node-based editing system is hard to learn.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Davinci Resolve’. Select a previously saved project or press “New project” to start a new one. Click “File” >> “Import” >> “Media” to import files or press “CTRL + I”.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to the timeline Use the tools present above the timeline to trim, cut or move your clips. Click the “Inspector” icon on the top-right corner of the window to open the Inspector tab. Here you will find the properties of all the clips, audio, transitions, effects, e.t.c. There are different editing tabs at the bottom of the window.

In the “Fusion” window, click “Nodes” to open the Node screen. Import a clip or use it from the editor timeline. Usually, a clip will have two nodes connected through a line. Above the nodes panel, different types of nodes are available. Drag any node in the panel and connect it through lines. or add a “merge” node to connect nodes.

Its color grading panel also has Node based editing system.

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Effects: Click “Effects Library” then select any effect and drop it in the timeline to apply it. You can change its properties in the “Inspector” panel.

Click the diamond icon on the right side of the property to start keyframing then change the value of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

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Export: Open the “Deliver” window, choose the desired settings then click “Add to Render Queue” to start exporting.

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FXhome - Hitfilm Express:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux also.

If you are looking for a free but powerful video editor to edit your GoPro clips then Hitfilm Express can be the right choice for you. It is a free timeline-based editing software with professional-grade VFX tools. It is a timeline-based editor where you can add dozens of audio, videos, and text layers.

It has a composite shot sequence where you can do complex editing like editing 3D videos and elements, lights e.t.c. It has physic-base behaviors and effects also to enhance 3D compositing. For professional-level editing almost most of the effects and properties have keyframing options. It has different workspace modes to suit your editing needs.

It can also edit 360 videos recorded from your GoPro max. It has a “GoPro Lens Reframe” effect to adjust your 360 clips, but some 360 toolkits can only be available when you purchase Hitfilm pro or buy a 360 toolkit add-on. Similarly, you can purchase more add-ons according to your editing needs or you can purchase Hitfilm Pro to gain access to all add-ons and features. But can use these pro features for free but without exporting as exporting with a paid effect can give a watermark.

Hitfilm Pro:

Although Hitfilm express doesn’t give a watermark on export, but to use more features like 3D composition, LUTs, e.t.c you need to purchase add-ons, there are over 30+ add-ons available to purchase which you can purchase depending on your needs, but if you want to get all the features than its better to get your hands on Hitfilm Pro.

Pricing: Available for purchase at £ 309 or $ 388 for a lifetime license. With 12 months of free updates. It has 3 seat license which means It can run on 3 PCs simultaneously.

~ Features:

  • It is a free editing software with no watermark.
  • It can edit 3D videos and it can also import and edit 3D models and tracking data.
  • It can edit 360 videos also.
  • You can add effects and color grades as layers in the timeline also.
  • Can add adjustment layers and create nested clips within nested clips to make complex editing easier.
  • It has a motion track and locked-on stabilization features.
  • Can do smooth keyframing and animation with the help of value graphs.
  • It supports multi-cam editing also.
  • Keyboard shortcuts make workflow quite easy and quick.

~ Cons:

  • It has some playback issues while using 4K videos.
  • It crashes sometimes, so it’s better to save the project frequently during editing.
  • Hitfilm express doesn’t have a dark mode.
  • Some common features are only available on the Pro version or add-ons.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Hitfilm”, Select “New Project” to open a blank project then click “open” to open an existing file or click “new” to create a new project. Then set project settings on pop-up then and click “ok”.

Then click the “Media” tab on the top-left corner of the screen. Then select the “Import” button to import videos, images, audio, or 3d models. You can also import previously made composite shots.

Edit: Drag and drop media files from the media tab to the timeline. or click the “New” tab to create a “Composite shot” or a solid plane layer. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to insert or delete layers. On the left side of the timeline, you will find some basic tools located on the vertical bar to do simple tasks.

In the “Viewer” tab, on the left side of the playback screen, you can find tools for masking and adding text.

In the “Controls” tab, you can adjust the properties of clips and other features related to the clip like masking, track, blend, transform, e.t.c.

Create a “Composite shot” to do complex editing like 3D compositing. Or select multiple layers then right-click and select “make Composite shot” to combine them for easy editing. Double-click the composite shot to open its contents.

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Effects: From the “Effects” tab drag and drop effects on the clip to add them. Some effects can be added as layers which can affect all the layers beneath it. Properties of these effects can be adjusted in the “Control” tab.

To do keyframing, Click the circle icon on the left side of the property to start keyframing then change the values of that property to add keyframes at desired time period.

Export: Click the “Export” icon then “Export now” located at the top right side of the timeline to open the export window. The export will start automatically.

Shotcut:

It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

If you are making videos from your GoPro or mobile phone just for fun that doesn’t require much editing then you can look for a free and simple video editor and “Shotcut” can be the right choice for this purpose.

It is a free and open-source video editor with many cool features to get your hands on. It doesn’t have any pro version. It is simple and easy to use but takes some time to understand. It supports multi-track timeline editing. It has a basic timeline design but you can customize your timeline to meet your editing needs. It has some good color grading options, you can also import your color luts. It has many cool features and effects. It supports 360 video editing and also has a few 360 video filters. It has audio effects also.

~ Features:

  • All its features are for free and it doesn’t leave any watermark.
  • It supports 4K resolution and a wide range of file formats.
  • It also supports 360 video files.
  • Has keyframing and chroma kry features.
  • It has advanced color grading features.
  • It provides standard animation and keyframing features.

~ Cons:

  • It is a basic video editor and lacks some professional editing features.
  • Have playback issues with 4K videos.
  • It does have proper text editing tools.
  • It is difficult to understand as its UI is different from other familiar video editors.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Shot Cut” then click the “Open Files” button on the top-left corner of the window to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop clips on an empty timeline panel to add tracks and drag the clip from corners to trim them. Right-click on the left side of the timeline to add a video or an audio track. You will find a bunch of tools above the timeline to do some basic tasks.

You can choose from 6 different workspace designs (available in the top-right corner of the window) to suit your editing styles.

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On top of the window, you will see a bunch of icons like Timeline, filter, project, and properties. e.t.c. In the properties tab, you can change the aspect ratio and speed of the clip.

Effects: Click the “Filters” icon on top of the window to open the filters menu, Click “+” above it to add filters. Double click a filter to add it to the selected clip, then click the filter to open its properties menu. You can also add text from here.

Click the “Keyframes” icon on top of the window to open the Keyframes window. Select the “clock” icon on the filters to start keyframing then change the values at a specific time to add keyframes. Click the “Timeline” icon to go back to the previous window.

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Export: Click the “Export” button on the top of the screen. Select a preset or click the “Advanced” button to change export settings then click “Export File”.

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Paid GoPro Video Editor for Mac:

If you are a professional athlete or a vlogger using GoPro for all of your contents and want to invest some money on paid video editors to improve your content. Then here we have mentioned some paid video editors worthy of your investment.

Apple - Final Cut Pro:

It is available for Mac only.

If you are an Apple enthusiastic person and want everything Apple, then why look for any other video editor when you can have a powerful video editor “Final cut pro” made by Apple. It is a paid but professional software that can raise your GoPro videos to the next level. Whether it’s a 360 video or a RAW file recorded from your GoPro or from the RED cinema camera, all can be edited smoothly inside Final Cut Pro. It has dozens of useful features that a professional video editor looks for like 3D tracking, Motion Graphics, Color Grading, Audio Mixing, Multi-cam editing e.t.c.

Pricing: It is a one-time purchase software available at $ 299.9 for a lifetime license and all its future updates can be downloaded free of cost.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Support 360 and RAW video files.
  • Edit videos in complete 360 and 3D spaces.
  • Supports third-party video and audio plugins.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have professional color grading tools with HDR support.
  • Its UI is easy to use.

~ Cons:

  • It is designed for Apple devices only.
  • Requires a powerful PC.
  • Its UI is a bit different from other common video editors in the market.
  • ~ Steps:

Import: Open “Final Cut Pro” then click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the screen, then select “Project” to create a new project. In the “Files” menu, click “import” then “media” to import your media files. Here most of the work is done with Keyboard commands.

Edit: Drag and Drop clips on the timeline. In the viewer panel, press “I” and “O” to add input and output points then drag the clip to add only a specific part of the clip. Press “Cmd + B” to split the clip at the desired location. Or add the clips above to add the layer.

Click the “Text” icon on the top-left corner of the screen to open the text page. Choose from presets or import your own Text presets and drag them to the timeline. Click the text to open “Text Editor” on the left side of the screen.

Select multiple clips then Right-click and select “New Compound Clip” to combine them. Double-click the compound clip to edit its components.

Effects: Click 2 icons on the top-right side of the timeline to open the effects and transition panel. Drag and drop on the clip to use them. You can change their properties in the “Effects editor” tab located in the same place as “Text Editor”.

In the editor tab, click the diamond icon beside any property to start keyframing, then change its property to add keyframes at the desired time.

Press “Cmd + 6” to open the Color Grading tab, here you can color grade your clips.

Export: To export the edited video. Click “File” >> “Share” >> “Master file” to open export window. Choose the desired settings then click “Next” then “Save” to export the video.

Adobe - Premiere Pro:

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

Whether you are a content creator or not, if you use a DSLR or an action camera for the first time, then maybe the output wouldn’t meet your expectations. In order to make it good, you need a video editor. And if you will ask your gathering about a good video editor, most of them will recommend you Adobe Premiere Pro, because it is such a versatile and well-known software available in the market. It is a subscription-based video editor.

It is an industry-level software with many professional and advanced features. From beginner video editing to film compositing, all can be done in this software. Whether you have a 360 video or a 4K video in Raw format recorded from your GoPro, just import it into premiere pro and start editing. It has a downloadable “GoPro FX Reframe” plugin to edit your 360 videos. It has different panels designed to deal with specific parts of post-production such as the Effects panel, Graphics panel, Sound panel, Colour Grading panel, e.t.c.

~ Features:

  • It supports up to 8K resolution.
  • Have different panels to enhance different segments of post-production.
  • Have an essential Effects panel to create motion effects and animations using keyframes.
  • Supports hundreds of third-party extensions.
  • Have useful features like warp stabilizer and denoiser.
  • You can import or create your color LUTs.
  • Have a creative cloud with 100 Gb of storage.
  • The bundle also includes a mobile video editor and a stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Real-time rendering. It will take some time to render before exporting if you work on a mid-range PC.
  • Freezes or crashes sometimes.
  • Cache data fill-up quickly and eats a lot of storage. (It’s better to clear it after every project)

Pricing: It is cloud-based software, therefore it can’t be purchased one time. It has a monthly subscription starting at $ 20.99/month. It includes “premiere rush” mobile video editor and 100 GB of cloud storage within the plan. It also has a “Creative cloud All apps” plan that includes all 30+ Softwares + 100Gb cloud storage along with premiere pro for $ 54.99 only. All plans also include Behance (adobe creative community), Adobe Fonts, and Adobe stock assets for free. Adobe also provides educational access at a much discounted price.

~ Steps:

Import: Open “Premiere Pro”. Click “New Project” to start with then Click the “Files” button on the top-left corner of the window then select the “Import files” button to import files. Or press “CTRL + I” to import files or drag your files from their location to premiere pro.

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Edit: Drag and Drop the files to add them to the timeline. Drop a file above a clip to add as a layer. or drop over a clip to overwrite it. On the right side of the timeline, you can find a bunch of tools to do basic edits like trimming, splitting, speed ramping, masking, or adding text.

In the “Effects Control” tab you can transform the selected clip or change its properties.

Select multiple clips then right-click and select “make Nested clip” to combine them into a single clip for easy editing.

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Slide between 8 different workspace styles designed for specific post-production tasks by clicking the buttons available on the top of the window.

Effects: Go to the “Effects” panel on the bottom-left window to apply an effect or transitions. Here you can find all audio, video, 2D, and 3D effects. Drag and Drop on a clip to apply it. Change the properties of these effects in the “Effects Control” panel.

To color grade, your clips move to the “Color” workspace. Here you will find all the color grading features: correction, curves, color wheels, creative tab, e.t.c. To import a LUT click the “creative tab” then click “Browse” to import a LUT.

Export: To Export go to the “Files” tab on top of the screen then select the “Export” button to open the export tab. Select the desired settings then click “Export”.

Power Director 365 :

It is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly video editor that is powerful enough to edit your GoPro videos like a content creator then Power director can be the right choice for you. It has many unique and useful features. It has different plugins and design centers to do specific post-production tasks like Ad designer, Multicam editor, AI style plugins, e.t.c.

It also has a separate action cam center to fix or enhance action cam videos. IT also has chapter and subtitle rooms to add subtitles and chapters for your Youtube videos or films. It also has a vast stock and preset library to speed up your project.

Pricing: It has a subscription plan which is available at $69/year. It is now available at 30% off till 22nd May,2022.

~ Features:

  • It supports 4K videos and a wide range of import formats.
  • Have many built-in plugins and design centers.
  • Supports Multi-cam editing.
  • Have an action cam center to deal with action cam footage.
  • Have separate aspect ratio mode for 360 videos.
  • Also, have a chapter and subtitle room. many recording aspects of the video.
  • Have a content-aware editing feature that detects the recording aspects.
  • Can import presets and color LUTs.
  • Have a vast stock library.

~ Cons:

  • Have some playback issues with 4K videos. (create shadow files to overcome this issue to an extent).
  • Its UI is a little bit complicated for beginners.
  • Not ideal for fast pace editing.

~ Steps:

Import: Open Power director and a pop-up will appear, select desired aspect ratio then click “Full mode” to open the software. Or select 360 aspect ratio if you want to edit 360 videos.

gopro-editors

Click the “Import Media” icon below the Files tab in the top-left corner of the window to import files or press “CTRL + Q” to import files.

Edit: Drag and drop files to add them to any desired layer in the timeline. Click the icon on the top left corner of the timeline to add layers. When you select a clip in the timeline, some tools appear on the top timeline. Select any specific tool to edit your selected clip. Or click the “Plugins” button on the top-left of the window to open a specific designer tab.

Double-click on the clip to open ‘PIP designer”. Here you will find all the editing tools to edit or animate your clip.

gopro-editors

After selecting a clip, in the “Plugins” menu click the “Action Camera Center” button to open an edit tab, Here you can fix your GoPro videos.

gopro-editors

Effects: On the top-left corner of the window in a vertical bar you will find all the effects material lile Project library, titles, effects, transitions, overlays, e.t.c. Simply just drag and drop them on the timeline to use them. Here you can also do audio mixing and add subtitles and chapters.

Double click a clip or an overlay element to open the designer window. Here you can customize the clips and overlays to enhance your project.

Export: Click the blue “Produce” button on top of the screen to export your edited file. Select the desired mode and file format and add an export destination, then click “Start” to start exporting.

Which One Should I Choose Free or Paid GoPro Video Editor?

You can choose free or paid softwares depending on your requirements and budget. If a free software meets your requirements then stay on it otherwise move towards a paid alternative. If you have a GoPro and you make videos just for fun then use a free and simple video editor. Even if you are an experienced video editor, I would recommend you to go for free video editors which I have mentioned above as they are quite powerful and professional software but if you are harvesting a good amount of money from this field then you can upgrade to pro versions of these free softwares or get a paid software from start. As almost all of these softwares are professional and can get your job done, so it’s better to choose one, which is comfortable for you to work on.

FAQs about GoPro Video Editing:

  1. Q) Does GoPro has its own video editor?

Yes, GoPro has its own video editor “Quik”. It is available on mobile phones and desktops both. It is simple and easy to use. It provides basic features to edit your video. But the main disadvantage of this desktop software is that it supports only GoPro videos, you can’t import files from other devices. Although this isn’t the issue with Quik mobile app, here you can import videos from other devices also.

  1. Q) Can I make videos for social media with a GoPro?

It was basically made for recording sports and action videos. But as the market is revolutionized and new models are released it has covered a wide range of the video industry like vlogging, travel and cooking videos e.t.c. As new models of GoPros are waterproof, you can get some amazing underwater shots for your Instagram.

  1. Q) What is GoPro media format?

GoPro export files in popular file format MP4. MP4 is the most common file format and is supported by almost all the video editors. While it is efficient and takes less storage but isn’t supported in many devices.

  1. Q) How do I transfer files from my GoPro to Mac?

You can transfer your GoPro files through 3 methods:

  • Eject the SD card from your GoPro and connect it to your Mac using a SD card adapter to transfer files.
  • Connect your GoPro to Mac through USB connector and use “iphoto” or any other photo importer to import files.

A Guide to Adding Audio in Wondershare Filmora

Audios are the most important part of videos in today’s world. Even if your video quality is not cinematic, audio lets you engage multiple users, even on low-quality video. To ensure the maximum number of customers on your videos, you need to add optimized quality audio to them. And it’s okay if you don’t know how to add audio to videos because you are about to.

Wondershare Filmora will let you accomplish your task in a matter of seconds. Along with providing details on adding and adjusting audio, we will also introduce the premium quality features of Filmora to present it as a powerful tool. By the end of this discussion, you will get familiar with the procedure of how to adjust TikTok audio through this video editing tool.

Part 1: Discussing The Audio Features of Wondershare Filmora in Detail

The key features of Wondershare Filmora are itself a full fledge example of innovation and modernization. You can maximize the productivity of your videos by adding soothing and studio-quality audio. Not only does it serve as a good audio adjustor, but it also makes processing easier.

Filmora is not only used for adding audio to videos, but also for modifications of audio. The AI audio-related key features of Wondershare Filmora through which you can boost your audio quality and overall video quality are presented here:

1. Audio Ducking

Integrating two soundtracks into the videos means you have to dominate one of them. With the Audio Ducking feature of Filmora, you can lower the sound of one of the two tracks presented in the videos. This is very helpful when working on YouTube videos, podcasts, and Vlogs. This tool also automatically detects soundtracks, so you don’t have to face hassles.

2. Text-to-Speech (TTS)

In this busy world, everyone looks for reliable shortcuts and ways to accomplish their task in a limited time. Filmora offers you the ability to convert text files into realistic and outclass voiceovers. You can also write lengthy blogs, share them with the site and make voiceover videos with state of art accuracy

3. Silence Detection

Do you wish to detect the silent moments in the videos and remove them without impacting the video quality? No need to worry because the Silence Detection feature of Filmora will assist you with this problem. You can also customize the Volume Threshold, Minimum Duration, and Softening Butter. Moreover, you can remove the silenced parts with a few taps.

4. Audio Visualizer

The Audio Visualizer of Filmora can add new life to your lifeless videos and match them with your videos. In addition to this, it can also add dynamic effects to videos. Not only simple, but you also have the option to add podcasts and cinematic music videos. Filmora comprises more than 25 visualizer effects for the ease of the users.

5. Audio Synchronization

Matching audio with the length of the videos without any complication is like a dream to some users. However, it can be true if you are utilizing assistive tools such as Filmora. It supports the feature of Auto Sync, through which you can synchronize the audio with video irrespective of length and format. You can also select royalty-free music from Filmora, add it to the video and sync it automatically .

6. AI Audio Stretch

To fit the duration of your audio with audio, you can retime the audio in real-time with Filmora. This feature encompasses AI powers, so you don’t have to adjust everything manually. There is no need to add fading effects or cut unnecessary parts. Along with this, you can also preview the music track to match it with the length of the videos.

7. AI Audio Denoise

Background noises in videos cause a distraction for the users and impact the engagement of users in a bad way. From removing electrical noises to the removal of pet noises, this tool can help you with everything. As it supports a wide array of audio file formats, you will not face restrictions in this part.

8. Speech-to-Text (STT)

Transcribing long videos without errors and mistakes is one of the specialties in Filmora. It also integrates several plug-ins through which you can optimize the speech-to-text in a limited time. One of the best things is it can also work on SRT files.

Part 2: How to Add and Detach Audio in Wondershare Filmora?

Integrating audio in the video somehow depends upon the user’s preferences. Yet, a reliable video editor will let you add or detach the audio from videos without any issue. The best tool through which you can accomplish this task is Wondershare Filmora. You can also discover the procedure of addition and detaching videos in the below-given information:

How to Add Audio to Video with Wondershare Filmora?

As stated above, Filmora is an industry-standard tool that offers a straightforward procedure for modifying multimedia content. The procedure for adding audio in videos with Wondershare Filmora free audio editor is listed here:

Add Audio to Video For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Add Audio to Video For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Step 1Import Video and Select Audio

Initially, import the video in Filmora and drag it to “Timeline.” Next, go to the “Audio” section and select the audio of your choice. You can also click the “Learn More” icon to get more information about the audio. You can also import the customized audio from your device.

select audio to add

Step 2Add Audio to Video

Following this, drag your selected audio in the video in “Timeline” and “Double Click” on the audio. Next, manage the “Volume,” “Sound Balance,” “Pitch,” “Audio Ducking,” and other parameters of audio from the right panel. After this, click the “Export” button, change settings, and again hit the “Export” button to save the video on the device.

Add Audio to Video

How to Detach Audio From Video with Wondershare Filmora

The procedure of audio detaching is also very smooth. Feel free to follow the steps instructed here to accomplish this task:

Detach Audio From Video For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Detach Audio From Video For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Step 1Drag Video to Timeline

To get started, launch Filmora and import the video by clicking on the “Click here to import media” button. To continue, drag the imported video to the “Timeline.”

add video to timeline

Step 2Detach Audio from Video

Once done, right-click on the video in the timeline and locate the “Detach Audio” button. Following this, hit “Detach Audio” to separate the audio from the video and continue to save it on the device.

detach audio in filmora

Part 3: How to Adjust the Parameters of Audios in Filmora?

Every person wishes to customize the audio in the video so they can share their creativity with the world without any complications. To adjust the audio parameters, you need to use a reliable tool that offers versatile audio editing features.

Adjust Audio Now For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Adjust Audio Now For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Luckily, Wondershare Filmora can help you a lot in modifying and customizing the audio parameters. To change the audio parameters in this audio adjuster, follow the instructions listed here:

Step 1Access Filmora and Import Video

To change the audio parameters, access Wondershare Filmora on your device and click “New Project.” Following this, hit the “Click here to import media” button to import a video and drag it to the “Timeline.”

add video to timeline

Step 2 Change Audio Parameters in the Video

Once the video is in the timeline, double-click on the audio in the timeline. After this, the audio parameter window will be opened in the right section. From here, you can change “Sound Balance,” “Fade In,” and “Fade Out” in a customized way. Moreover, you can also toggle the “Auto-Normalization” option and optimize “Volume.”

change audio parameters

Step 3Saving the Adjusted Video to the Device

Saving the Adjusted Video to the Device

export final edited video

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this discussion has guided you about the addition and adjustment of Wondershare Filmora. With Filmora, you can optimize the quality of audio in videos in no time. Moreover, it also integrates several useful features such as Audio Ducking, AI Audio Denoise, Audio Visualizer, and more.

You can discover more information about its features from the above-given discussion. This article also discusses the steps to add and detach audio from video. In addition to this, you can also adjust multiple audio parameters with Filmora’s explicit toolkit.

How to Add Audio to Video with Wondershare Filmora?

As stated above, Filmora is an industry-standard tool that offers a straightforward procedure for modifying multimedia content. The procedure for adding audio in videos with Wondershare Filmora free audio editor is listed here:

Add Audio to Video For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Add Audio to Video For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Step 1Import Video and Select Audio

Initially, import the video in Filmora and drag it to “Timeline.” Next, go to the “Audio” section and select the audio of your choice. You can also click the “Learn More” icon to get more information about the audio. You can also import the customized audio from your device.

select audio to add

Step 2Add Audio to Video

Following this, drag your selected audio in the video in “Timeline” and “Double Click” on the audio. Next, manage the “Volume,” “Sound Balance,” “Pitch,” “Audio Ducking,” and other parameters of audio from the right panel. After this, click the “Export” button, change settings, and again hit the “Export” button to save the video on the device.

Add Audio to Video

How to Detach Audio From Video with Wondershare Filmora

The procedure of audio detaching is also very smooth. Feel free to follow the steps instructed here to accomplish this task:

Detach Audio From Video For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Detach Audio From Video For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Step 1Drag Video to Timeline

To get started, launch Filmora and import the video by clicking on the “Click here to import media” button. To continue, drag the imported video to the “Timeline.”

add video to timeline

Step 2Detach Audio from Video

Once done, right-click on the video in the timeline and locate the “Detach Audio” button. Following this, hit “Detach Audio” to separate the audio from the video and continue to save it on the device.

detach audio in filmora

Part 3: How to Adjust the Parameters of Audios in Filmora?

Every person wishes to customize the audio in the video so they can share their creativity with the world without any complications. To adjust the audio parameters, you need to use a reliable tool that offers versatile audio editing features.

Adjust Audio Now For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Adjust Audio Now For macOS 10.14 or later

iOS Android

Try It Free >>

Luckily, Wondershare Filmora can help you a lot in modifying and customizing the audio parameters. To change the audio parameters in this audio adjuster, follow the instructions listed here:

Step 1Access Filmora and Import Video

To change the audio parameters, access Wondershare Filmora on your device and click “New Project.” Following this, hit the “Click here to import media” button to import a video and drag it to the “Timeline.”

add video to timeline

Step 2 Change Audio Parameters in the Video

Once the video is in the timeline, double-click on the audio in the timeline. After this, the audio parameter window will be opened in the right section. From here, you can change “Sound Balance,” “Fade In,” and “Fade Out” in a customized way. Moreover, you can also toggle the “Auto-Normalization” option and optimize “Volume.”

change audio parameters

Step 3Saving the Adjusted Video to the Device

Saving the Adjusted Video to the Device

export final edited video

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this discussion has guided you about the addition and adjustment of Wondershare Filmora. With Filmora, you can optimize the quality of audio in videos in no time. Moreover, it also integrates several useful features such as Audio Ducking, AI Audio Denoise, Audio Visualizer, and more.

You can discover more information about its features from the above-given discussion. This article also discusses the steps to add and detach audio from video. In addition to this, you can also adjust multiple audio parameters with Filmora’s explicit toolkit.

Text Animation Intro Tutorial in Filmora

Preparation

What you need to prepare:

  • A computer (Windows or macOS)
  • Your video materials.
  • Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

Step 1

Download and Install the Filmora video editor . Then, click on New Project once the program starts.

Step 2

Go to Titles and drag the Default Title to the Timeline. Then, double-click on the Default Title clip to open its settings. Here, type in your text → change the text color to Black → click OK → take a snapshot.

edit title filmora

Step 3

Double-click on the Default Title once more and simply change the text color to anything other than black this time. Then, click OK and take another snapshot. After this, delete the Default Title from the Timeline.

Step 4

Next, go to Sample Color and drag the White color to the Timeline. Increase the White Color clip’s duration to 10 seconds by dragging the tail of the clip to the right.

sample color filmora

Step 5

For the next step, you need to download a simple Vignette png image . Then, import the Vignette image into Filmora. Go to My Media and click on Import Media. Import it and drag the image to the Timeline. Then, move that clip to Track 3.

vignette png

Step 6

Drop the Black snapshot you took earlier to Track 2. Double-click on it, go to Animation, and apply these settings. After this, move the Playhead to the end of the clip and change the X-axis value to “-800”.

snapshot settings

Step 7

Go to Effects and drag the Square Blur effect to Track 4 on the Timeline. Increase its duration to match the other clips. Then, click on the effect and change its Size bar value to 4. Click OK.

add effect filmora

Step 8

Place the Playhead at the beginning of the clip. Go to My Media and drag the Black snapshot to Track 5. Double-click on it → go to Animation and change the settings to look like this. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds. Here, change the X-axis to “150” and the Scale to 75%.

edit snapshot in filmora

Step 9

Now, place the Playhead at the starting point and drag the colored snapshot in Track 6. Double-click on it and change the Scale to 50%. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds again and change the Scale to 75%. Click OK.

Step 10

Go to Sample Color and drag “Gradient 4” to Track 7 on the Timeline. Double-click on it → go to the Video tab → change the Blending Mode to Overlay → decrease the Opacity to 25%. Click OK.

gradient sample color

Step 11

Drag a Default Title to Track 8 and double-click on it to open its Advanced settings. From here, delete the yellow text clip located under the video. Then, insert a Line shape.

insert line shape

Step 12

Increase the Line’s length to be almost as long as the screen. Then adjust its position until half of the Line is visible on the screen. Like this.

edit shape in filmora

Step 13

Copy this Default Title and paste it into Track 9. Open its Advanced settings and change the Line color to something different than the previous one. Then, move it to the other side of the screen, slightly above the previous line. Click OK.

add line shapes

Step 14

Now, select the Default Title on Track 9, double-click it, and go to the Animation tab. Move the Playhead at the starting point of the Timeline and add a keyframe. Then, move the Playhead to the end of the clip. Drag the X-axis position to the right until the Line shape moves all the way to the right side of the screen.

Do the same for the Default Title on Track 8. But this time, drag the X-axis position toward the other side. When you’re done, press OK.

animate shapes filmora

Step 15

Go to the Effects tab → drag the Luma Sharp effect to Track 10. Click it and change its Intensity to 10.

add luma sharp effect

Step 16

You’re all done. Click on the Render button to render all the clips and finally preview your creation. Congratulations on creating a text animation intro in Filmora.

render video filmora

Summary

What you’ve learned:

  • Create a unique text animation intro in Filmora
  • Animate text and titles
  • How to add and animate different shapes in Filmora
  • Edit the advanced settings of elements in the Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

What you need to prepare:

  • A computer (Windows or macOS)
  • Your video materials.
  • Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

Step 1

Download and Install the Filmora video editor . Then, click on New Project once the program starts.

Step 2

Go to Titles and drag the Default Title to the Timeline. Then, double-click on the Default Title clip to open its settings. Here, type in your text → change the text color to Black → click OK → take a snapshot.

edit title filmora

Step 3

Double-click on the Default Title once more and simply change the text color to anything other than black this time. Then, click OK and take another snapshot. After this, delete the Default Title from the Timeline.

Step 4

Next, go to Sample Color and drag the White color to the Timeline. Increase the White Color clip’s duration to 10 seconds by dragging the tail of the clip to the right.

sample color filmora

Step 5

For the next step, you need to download a simple Vignette png image . Then, import the Vignette image into Filmora. Go to My Media and click on Import Media. Import it and drag the image to the Timeline. Then, move that clip to Track 3.

vignette png

Step 6

Drop the Black snapshot you took earlier to Track 2. Double-click on it, go to Animation, and apply these settings. After this, move the Playhead to the end of the clip and change the X-axis value to “-800”.

snapshot settings

Step 7

Go to Effects and drag the Square Blur effect to Track 4 on the Timeline. Increase its duration to match the other clips. Then, click on the effect and change its Size bar value to 4. Click OK.

add effect filmora

Step 8

Place the Playhead at the beginning of the clip. Go to My Media and drag the Black snapshot to Track 5. Double-click on it → go to Animation and change the settings to look like this. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds. Here, change the X-axis to “150” and the Scale to 75%.

edit snapshot in filmora

Step 9

Now, place the Playhead at the starting point and drag the colored snapshot in Track 6. Double-click on it and change the Scale to 50%. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds again and change the Scale to 75%. Click OK.

Step 10

Go to Sample Color and drag “Gradient 4” to Track 7 on the Timeline. Double-click on it → go to the Video tab → change the Blending Mode to Overlay → decrease the Opacity to 25%. Click OK.

gradient sample color

Step 11

Drag a Default Title to Track 8 and double-click on it to open its Advanced settings. From here, delete the yellow text clip located under the video. Then, insert a Line shape.

insert line shape

Step 12

Increase the Line’s length to be almost as long as the screen. Then adjust its position until half of the Line is visible on the screen. Like this.

edit shape in filmora

Step 13

Copy this Default Title and paste it into Track 9. Open its Advanced settings and change the Line color to something different than the previous one. Then, move it to the other side of the screen, slightly above the previous line. Click OK.

add line shapes

Step 14

Now, select the Default Title on Track 9, double-click it, and go to the Animation tab. Move the Playhead at the starting point of the Timeline and add a keyframe. Then, move the Playhead to the end of the clip. Drag the X-axis position to the right until the Line shape moves all the way to the right side of the screen.

Do the same for the Default Title on Track 8. But this time, drag the X-axis position toward the other side. When you’re done, press OK.

animate shapes filmora

Step 15

Go to the Effects tab → drag the Luma Sharp effect to Track 10. Click it and change its Intensity to 10.

add luma sharp effect

Step 16

You’re all done. Click on the Render button to render all the clips and finally preview your creation. Congratulations on creating a text animation intro in Filmora.

render video filmora

Summary

What you’ve learned:

  • Create a unique text animation intro in Filmora
  • Animate text and titles
  • How to add and animate different shapes in Filmora
  • Edit the advanced settings of elements in the Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

What you need to prepare:

  • A computer (Windows or macOS)
  • Your video materials.
  • Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

Step 1

Download and Install the Filmora video editor . Then, click on New Project once the program starts.

Step 2

Go to Titles and drag the Default Title to the Timeline. Then, double-click on the Default Title clip to open its settings. Here, type in your text → change the text color to Black → click OK → take a snapshot.

edit title filmora

Step 3

Double-click on the Default Title once more and simply change the text color to anything other than black this time. Then, click OK and take another snapshot. After this, delete the Default Title from the Timeline.

Step 4

Next, go to Sample Color and drag the White color to the Timeline. Increase the White Color clip’s duration to 10 seconds by dragging the tail of the clip to the right.

sample color filmora

Step 5

For the next step, you need to download a simple Vignette png image . Then, import the Vignette image into Filmora. Go to My Media and click on Import Media. Import it and drag the image to the Timeline. Then, move that clip to Track 3.

vignette png

Step 6

Drop the Black snapshot you took earlier to Track 2. Double-click on it, go to Animation, and apply these settings. After this, move the Playhead to the end of the clip and change the X-axis value to “-800”.

snapshot settings

Step 7

Go to Effects and drag the Square Blur effect to Track 4 on the Timeline. Increase its duration to match the other clips. Then, click on the effect and change its Size bar value to 4. Click OK.

add effect filmora

Step 8

Place the Playhead at the beginning of the clip. Go to My Media and drag the Black snapshot to Track 5. Double-click on it → go to Animation and change the settings to look like this. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds. Here, change the X-axis to “150” and the Scale to 75%.

edit snapshot in filmora

Step 9

Now, place the Playhead at the starting point and drag the colored snapshot in Track 6. Double-click on it and change the Scale to 50%. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds again and change the Scale to 75%. Click OK.

Step 10

Go to Sample Color and drag “Gradient 4” to Track 7 on the Timeline. Double-click on it → go to the Video tab → change the Blending Mode to Overlay → decrease the Opacity to 25%. Click OK.

gradient sample color

Step 11

Drag a Default Title to Track 8 and double-click on it to open its Advanced settings. From here, delete the yellow text clip located under the video. Then, insert a Line shape.

insert line shape

Step 12

Increase the Line’s length to be almost as long as the screen. Then adjust its position until half of the Line is visible on the screen. Like this.

edit shape in filmora

Step 13

Copy this Default Title and paste it into Track 9. Open its Advanced settings and change the Line color to something different than the previous one. Then, move it to the other side of the screen, slightly above the previous line. Click OK.

add line shapes

Step 14

Now, select the Default Title on Track 9, double-click it, and go to the Animation tab. Move the Playhead at the starting point of the Timeline and add a keyframe. Then, move the Playhead to the end of the clip. Drag the X-axis position to the right until the Line shape moves all the way to the right side of the screen.

Do the same for the Default Title on Track 8. But this time, drag the X-axis position toward the other side. When you’re done, press OK.

animate shapes filmora

Step 15

Go to the Effects tab → drag the Luma Sharp effect to Track 10. Click it and change its Intensity to 10.

add luma sharp effect

Step 16

You’re all done. Click on the Render button to render all the clips and finally preview your creation. Congratulations on creating a text animation intro in Filmora.

render video filmora

Summary

What you’ve learned:

  • Create a unique text animation intro in Filmora
  • Animate text and titles
  • How to add and animate different shapes in Filmora
  • Edit the advanced settings of elements in the Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

What you need to prepare:

  • A computer (Windows or macOS)
  • Your video materials.
  • Filmora video editor

Free Download Free Download

Step 1

Download and Install the Filmora video editor . Then, click on New Project once the program starts.

Step 2

Go to Titles and drag the Default Title to the Timeline. Then, double-click on the Default Title clip to open its settings. Here, type in your text → change the text color to Black → click OK → take a snapshot.

edit title filmora

Step 3

Double-click on the Default Title once more and simply change the text color to anything other than black this time. Then, click OK and take another snapshot. After this, delete the Default Title from the Timeline.

Step 4

Next, go to Sample Color and drag the White color to the Timeline. Increase the White Color clip’s duration to 10 seconds by dragging the tail of the clip to the right.

sample color filmora

Step 5

For the next step, you need to download a simple Vignette png image . Then, import the Vignette image into Filmora. Go to My Media and click on Import Media. Import it and drag the image to the Timeline. Then, move that clip to Track 3.

vignette png

Step 6

Drop the Black snapshot you took earlier to Track 2. Double-click on it, go to Animation, and apply these settings. After this, move the Playhead to the end of the clip and change the X-axis value to “-800”.

snapshot settings

Step 7

Go to Effects and drag the Square Blur effect to Track 4 on the Timeline. Increase its duration to match the other clips. Then, click on the effect and change its Size bar value to 4. Click OK.

add effect filmora

Step 8

Place the Playhead at the beginning of the clip. Go to My Media and drag the Black snapshot to Track 5. Double-click on it → go to Animation and change the settings to look like this. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds. Here, change the X-axis to “150” and the Scale to 75%.

edit snapshot in filmora

Step 9

Now, place the Playhead at the starting point and drag the colored snapshot in Track 6. Double-click on it and change the Scale to 50%. Then, move the Playhead to 9 seconds again and change the Scale to 75%. Click OK.

Step 10

Go to Sample Color and drag “Gradient 4” to Track 7 on the Timeline. Double-click on it → go to the Video tab → change the Blending Mode to Overlay → decrease the Opacity to 25%. Click OK.

gradient sample color

Step 11

Drag a Default Title to Track 8 and double-click on it to open its Advanced settings. From here, delete the yellow text clip located under the video. Then, insert a Line shape.

insert line shape

Step 12

Increase the Line’s length to be almost as long as the screen. Then adjust its position until half of the Line is visible on the screen. Like this.

edit shape in filmora

Step 13

Copy this Default Title and paste it into Track 9. Open its Advanced settings and change the Line color to something different than the previous one. Then, move it to the other side of the screen, slightly above the previous line. Click OK.

add line shapes

Step 14

Now, select the Default Title on Track 9, double-click it, and go to the Animation tab. Move the Playhead at the starting point of the Timeline and add a keyframe. Then, move the Playhead to the end of the clip. Drag the X-axis position to the right until the Line shape moves all the way to the right side of the screen.

Do the same for the Default Title on Track 8. But this time, drag the X-axis position toward the other side. When you’re done, press OK.

animate shapes filmora

Step 15

Go to the Effects tab → drag the Luma Sharp effect to Track 10. Click it and change its Intensity to 10.

add luma sharp effect

Step 16

You’re all done. Click on the Render button to render all the clips and finally preview your creation. Congratulations on creating a text animation intro in Filmora.

render video filmora

Summary

What you’ve learned:

  • Create a unique text animation intro in Filmora
  • Animate text and titles
  • How to add and animate different shapes in Filmora
  • Edit the advanced settings of elements in the Filmora video editor

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Also read:

  • Title: In 2024, Video Editing Tips to Know Before Editing First Draft
  • Author: Morgan
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 05:12:09
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 05:12:09
  • Link: https://ai-video-editing.techidaily.com/in-2024-video-editing-tips-to-know-before-editing-first-draft/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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In 2024, Video Editing Tips to Know Before Editing First Draft