How to Edit Video on YouTube

Video editing usually requires a fair amount of technical knowledge and professional software. But YouTube has introduced its new YouTube Video Editor. It’s deceptively simple compared to the traditional desktop editing programs. If you haven’t tried the YouTube editor, it’s time to get started. It's easy to learn and the guide below will give you an introduction for editing videos on YouTube.

1 Get access to YouTube Video Editor

Sign in to your YouTube (or Google) account. To get access to YouTube Video Editor, you can go directly to the URL, which is https://www.youtube.com/editor. Or click “Upload”>”Edit” to the Video Editor tab.

2 Add your videos to the timeline

After getting to the editor, all your YouTube videos will appear. If you want to add a clip from the pool of videos into the project, simply drag it onto the timeline or hit the plus icon in the top right hand corner of each clip. You can also add any YouTube videos that were uploaded with a "Creative Commons" license. To do this, go to the CC tab, find a video and drag it to the timeline.

3 Edit the videos as you like

Then you can edit the videos the way you like. 

Cut/Split videos

To cut or split your video, hover over the target clip and hit the scissor icon to cut the clip into pieces. You can also cursor over the edge of your video in the timeline and drag the handle to shorten or trim your video.

Rotate videos/ Add video effects

YouTube Video Editor also enables you to rotate or add video effects. Just hit the Rotate or Effect icon to do the editing.

Add music to videos

Next, add a music soundtrack to your video. To do this, just click the Audio tab, select a song from the library and either drag it to the soundtrack timeline or press the plus sign to the right of each title.

Note: You should note that some are songs are subject to licensing agreements, which means YouTube will automatically add advertisements to the video clip. Another short coming is that you can't edit the audio track at all. If a song is longer than your video, you can do nothing but let it play from the beginning until your video stops.

Add transitions to videos

If several video clips have been added to the timeline, you need transition to make the whole project smoother. To add transition, go to the Transition tab and choose from 16 transition effects.

YouTube Video Editor is really easy to use, but it only provides some basic video editing functions and is really easy to crash when dealing with large file. If you want to make your video more professional, try Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). This desktop video editing tool can help you easily complete video editing tasks. Check more features of it here.