YouTube has become a go-to video streaming platform for many. That’s why a ton of creators have joined this platform. Now, to get the most out of your YouTube videos, you have to edit them properly.
However, for beginners and even some experienced YouTubers, editing videos can sometimes become a hectic task. Therefore, most of them want to know, “how long does it take to edit a YouTube video?”
“There is no standard time duration defined for editing a YouTube video. On average, editing a video may take twice the time it takes to record it. For example, experienced video editors take roughly 1 hour to edit a 1-minute-long YouTube video.”
How Long Does It Take to Edit a Movie or Video? Factors That Matter
There is no hard and fast rule to determine the time it takes to edit a 1-minute YouTube video. In reality, the actual editing time depends on various aspects. For example, the length of the video, color grading, audio effect, etc.- All require time.
It’s not just the length of the video that matters in this regard. The experience level of a video editor also matters here. For instance, an experienced editor would take 30-45 minutes to edit a 1-minute video clip.
On the other hand, a beginner or amateur-level video editor can take as long as 1 hour or even more. That’s one primary reason why there isn’t any defined time period for editing a YouTube video.
1: Video Type (Vlog, Promo Video, etc.)
First, the type of video will determine the time duration for editing a YouTube video. For example, a daily vlog or a cooking recipe video won’t take much time to edit and upload. This is because it mainly contains the video file and some additional audio effects. No any additional transitions and video effects are required for editing such videos.
Whereas a short film or a documentary would require a lot of time to edit. That’s because it takes time to give a cinematic feel to the movie footage. Also, it requires some additional video transitions, style elements, and music overlays. So, if you are a vlogger, it won’t be a hectic task to edit and upload them daily. However, if you create video content with a storyline, you may hire a YouTube video editor or spend hours editing them.
2: Footage Quality
You might be surprised, but you don’t necessarily need hours to edit high-quality footage. It doesn’t require much color grading and other fancy video elements. On the other hand, poor-quality videos need a lot to fix in the post-production process.
You have to do your best to get the most out of every footage. These days, advanced PCs and laptops have made it easier to edit high-quality videos. They have fast processors and advanced GPUs (Graphic Processing Units) to render huge video files.
3: Type of Editing Required
Are you okay with the traditional jump-cut-style edited videos? Or do you want to give that cinematic feel to your YouTube videos? Well, that’s what you have to decide early on. There are various editing styles video editors follow. One of them is Jump-cut. This style is relatively easy to implement and doesn’t take much time.
In case you want an enhanced video that looks like a shot from a movie, you will have to spend more time editing it. That’s because it would require some advanced color enhancements, animations, video, and audio effects. All this can increase the video editing time duration. So, the type of editing style also matters here.
4: Video Editing Software
You definitely need the best video editing software for YouTube to give a new life to your video content. However, not all video editing software’s the same. Some of them may not support faster rendering or a ton of add-ons. Also, many video editing tools are specifically optimized for advanced GPUs. This really helps in rendering YouTube videos fast.
Therefore, we recommend using AI-powered video editing solutions. For Example, Rav.ai is an excellent Ai-Powered video app. It automatically selects the best possible tracks and sound effects for your YouTube videos.
Check out: How to Automate Video Editing
How Long Does It Take to Edit A 5-Minute YouTube Video?
Well, it’s a very common question, and almost every YouTuber is searching for it. Again, the actual time duration would matter on several factors (some of them are mentioned above). However, expect a time duration between 1 hour to 4 hours. 5 minutes video clips are quite common on YouTube. But they can take as long as 3-4 hours to edit.
The quality of your footage, audio-video effects, voiceovers (if any), and additional transitions take time here. So, depending on the type of your video and editing style, a 5-minute video should take around 1-4 hours (on average) to edit.
Some Tips to Edit YouTube Videos in A Short Time
Though editing videos for YouTube takes time, you can shorten this time span. Here is how:
1: Organize the Media Files Properly
Instead of uploading all the media files in one go, try to organize them first. It is better to save them in different folders. For example, save video files in one folder and audio files in one. This will help you speed up the editing process.
Usually, you have to deal with hundreds of media files while editing any video. So, once you organize the media files properly, it becomes easier to edit the whole video.
2: Use an All-In-One Video Editing Software
You need a fast, reliable, and advanced video editing solution these days. Now, there are so many video-editing software’s available. These editing tools also require high-tech gaming Pcs and laptops for faster rendering. However, we recommend using an Ai-Powered editing platform.
For example, an Ai-powered video editing platform can really help here. Such Ai-based video editing solutions don’t require too much CPU or GPU power. So, even a mediocre content creator can edit professional-looking YouTube videos easily.
3: Custom Presets can Help
Create Custom presets and try to use them in your videos. This significantly reduces the editing time duration. However, in case you don’t have some custom presets, you will have to apply various color effects and video transitions manually. So, to save some time, try to use different Custom presets. You can even use pre-built presets.
4: Know the Shortcut Keys
Professional video editors know the shortcuts to various commands and controls to edit any video. No matter which editing platform they use, these shortcuts really help them. You can do the same to minimize the time it takes to edit a 1-minute or 5-minute video.
Note that you don’t necessarily have to be a professional editor to know some common shortcuts used for editing YouTube videos.
Is It Hard to Edit YouTube Videos?
Well, it can be hard for some. However, it shouldn’t be a hectic task if you know the basics of video editing. But still, many creators think, “is it that tough to edit YouTube videos?”
These days, an easy-to-use, intuitive, and beginner-friendly video editor can solve this problem. Most advanced video editors are also relatively easy to use. Furthermore, the wide availability of Ai-Powered video editing solutions has made things even easier.
Despite all this, practicing, practicing, and practicing is the key to being good at editing videos. Yes, only practice will make you a pro-level video editor.
Why Editing Videos Take Time?
That’s another question that pops into the head of many content creators. You create video content to inspire, teach, motivate, and inspire (or for whatever purpose). Now, if the video you record isn’t presented with the same energy, vision, and ideology, you cannot communicate the message properly to your targeted audience.
That’s where a professionally edited video comes into action. It conveys your message and tells your audience how much value your content has in for them. Some simple raw footage (no matter their quality) can’t do the same job.
Therefore, even if you have a 30-second YouTube short to share, edit it properly, and ensure that it has the right audio, video elements, and smooth transitions to enhance the viewers’ viewing experience.
Wrap-Up!
So, now you know, “how long does it take to edit a YouTube video?”. As we highlighted, there isn’t any specified time duration here. However, factors like the type of video, its quality, editing style, and editing experience determine the actual time frame. Moreover, your video editing software also matters here.
We recommend using an Ai-powered video editing solution. It saves a lot of time and edits videos that best match your chosen preferences. Last but not the least, your skill set matters too. So, try to organize media files and use custom presets to save some time.
