Earn Money Through Video Editing: Video editing is one of today’s most essential skills that, if not entirely, can significantly change your life. Today’s topic of discussion is how much money can be earned from home by learning video editing. In my opinion, video editing is a skill that is both difficult to learn and challenging to execute, but it is a profession with no risks, ample earnings, and vast future potential. If you follow me on YouTube, you may already know that I am doing this myself.
No one would deny that nowadays, we all watch different kinds of videos on social media and YouTube every day. Most of us aspire to become content creators ourselves. However, unfortunately, not everyone can achieve this for various reasons. For instance, many of us hesitate due to shyness, fear, lack of good gadgets, or overthinking about what people will say.
We all know that earning from home is possible, and many around us are already doing it. But the real question is how you can utilize your free time for work or even leave your job to earn from home. Not only video editing, but skills like graphic design, blogging, content writing, and web design are also highly popular and can help you earn money from home using just the internet and a device (mobile or laptop). Since today’s discussion is specifically about video editing and how to earn from it, let’s dive deeper into the topic.
Who Should Learn Video Editing?
This is the era of content creators. In fact, for the past 6-7 years, since Jio was introduced in our country, the number of people watching content has been increasing day by day. However, along with that, the number of content creators has also surged. In such a scenario, every creator wants to make high-quality content to gain audience appreciation and stay relevant to trends. A well-made content piece should have a good story, high-quality camera recording, excellent audio, and, most importantly, top-notch video editing.
Although many of us dream of becoming content creators, not everyone can make it. There are various reasons for this. However, even if you are not creating content yourself, you can assist others in creating their content while making money from it. So, wouldn’t that be great? This is why everyone should learn video editing or graphic design. These are soft skills that allow you to earn money from anywhere in the world, entirely on your own terms.
A quick note: If you like video editing but struggle with it despite trying, don’t be discouraged. There are many other ways to earn money. And if you specifically want video editing for your own social media or YouTube channel, you can always hire someone else to do it for you.
Can You Learn Professional Video Editing for Free?
Yes, you absolutely can! You might be surprised to hear this, but most of the creators you follow have learned video editing from YouTube itself. Today, they may be selling their own courses and encouraging you to buy them, which is fine. However, I firmly believe that you cannot learn video editing, blogging, or similar skills completely from an institution. Even if you do, you won’t reach a level where you can work fearlessly.
For example, many people start client work right after learning how to use Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Whenever they face a problem, they search for solutions on YouTube and continue working. This is how everyone learns, and this is how you should learn, too.
If you have the money, you can enroll in a creator’s course or join an institution, where you will be taught systematically according to a syllabus. But after that, you still have to do the work yourself. Video editing is not like memorizing Bengali poetry or history and geography from high school—it’s more like math. There is no alternative to daily practice.
And practicing doesn’t cost money. It only requires time and dedication. So, in short, you don’t need money to learn video editing. You can learn everything for free from YouTube. Yes, learning from an institute or a course might save you some time, but the difference isn’t huge. In fact, in terms of creative thinking and skills, self-taught learners often surpass those who learn from institutes. This is my personal experience.
Best Video Editing Software
Nowadays, everything has advanced significantly. So, it would be wrong to say that professional-quality video editing is impossible on mobile. However, I personally find mobile editing frustrating because it takes a lot of time, and the small screen makes everything complicated.
Many people, including myself, started video editing on mobile and later switched to computers or laptops for better results. You can start with mobile editing and invest in a laptop or computer once you start earning.
If you want to edit videos on mobile, you can use VN, InShot, or Kinemaster. CapCut is banned in India, so I won’t mention it. Additionally, if you want to create advanced or 3D edits, you can use Alight Motion.
For professional video editing on a computer, you should use Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro. For additional motion design or 3D editing, software like Adobe After Effects and Blender can be used.
All of these are industry-level software. I use Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro for my YouTube videos.
How Much Money Can You Earn from Video Editing?
The answer depends on several factors. However, to simplify things:
- If you edit videos for your own YouTube channel or social media without earning from them yet, then your income from video editing is zero. However, if your channel grows in the future, these videos will generate revenue.
- If your YouTube or social media already generates income, then the quality of your editing plays a crucial role in making your videos go viral.
Video editing is not for everyone. But those who master this skill will always be in demand. A person skilled in video editing can edit videos for their own channel, work a job, or do freelance work. The choice is entirely theirs.
If you get a job at a good company, you can easily earn ₹40,000-₹50,000 per month. However, the company will make much more money from your edits, and the creator for whom you are editing will gain even more recognition.
Now, let’s talk about freelancing. Instead of working for a company, you can start freelancing from day one. However, this requires more effort in terms of cold emailing, outreach, and promoting your work on social media. In the beginning, you might have to work for very little money, but once clients start appreciating your work, you can gradually increase your rates.
Freelance video editors who use only Premiere Pro usually charge around ₹100 per minute for long videos. For short, high-engagement videos (typically under 1.5 minutes), the rate is around ₹500 per video. However, this can vary based on skill level, client, and other factors.
Best YouTube Channels to Learn Video Editing for Free
There are countless YouTube channels that teach video editing, and it’s impossible to list them all. Even I watch whatever comes up and, if I like a creator’s teaching style, I watch their older videos too. You can do the same. Some of my favorite YouTube channels for learning video editing include:
- Tharun Speaks
- Dope Motions
- Akash Majumder
Additionally, you can check out these channels:
- Bart_VFX
- Tausif Khalid
- Premium Hustlers
- NSB Pictures
- Jobayer Hossen
- James Prince
Remember, tutorials are most effective when you apply what you learn immediately. The best way to learn video editing is to watch videos from great content creators, analyze their editing style, and try to replicate it yourself.
How to Get Clients for Video Editing
For video editing clients, you can adopt various methods. For example, you can personally approach clients, or clients may contact you after seeing your work, or you can email clients by showcasing your portfolio and skills. These methods are called lead generation. One is called inbound lead, another is outbound lead, and there are various other names like cold email, warm email, etc.
Remember, the era of freelancing where you could create an account on Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr and immediately start getting clients is gone. Now, the competition is intense everywhere. So, for beginners, getting work there is almost impossible. But how can you get video editing clients?
First, try to learn video editing as well as possible. The tool does not matter; your work does. So forget about software, good computers, etc. Just focus on learning the craft. Then, write some scripts or even copy others’ scripts—there’s no harm. After that, record videos yourself or with a friend or family member and start editing. In the beginning, you can copy editing styles. Even clients will ask you to edit like someone else, but keep trying to bring your own style or something new. If your unique editing style goes viral, you might also go viral overnight.
Then, upload your work on a free website or, if possible, create your own website. After that, publish posts about how you edit, your stories, discussions about videos, teaching others editing, and before-and-after editing comparisons on your social media, especially Instagram and LinkedIn. Within a few days, clients will see your work, and if they like it, they will message you.
Additionally, if you wish to work with a particular client, you can also message them first to express your interest. Everything is possible, and everything depends on your skills, editing ability, etc.
Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve – Which is Better?
Those who keep up with video editing trends know that the internet is currently buzzing with one debate—which software is better, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve? Different people have different answers. Some favor their preferred software, while others justify which one is better and why. However, my opinion is different.
I mostly edit my videos using Final Cut Pro. But later, I realized that if I wanted to start my own video editing agency, I needed to learn the software that most people use. So I started using Premiere Pro and After Effects. Even though some people love DaVinci, I don’t find it as comfortable.
Based on my experience, I will only say that Adobe is still ahead of everyone today. So if you have to start learning, begin with Adobe. As for the other software, I will say that anyone who can learn one software can easily learn the rest.
How to Start Your Own Startup with Video Editing
I started my career with blogging. I was earning well, bought a house, land, a car, an expensive phone—everything through blogging. But a few months ago, blogging made it clear that it would no longer be as easy as before. I needed to think about another profession before it was too late. So I started thinking—what should I do next?
After much thought, I realized that I should do something that requires hard work but has no risk. The answer was video editing. Because if someone says a few wrong lines in a YouTube video, their career might be over. But the person who edited the video won’t be blamed, yet they will still get paid for the editing. That’s why, even though video editing involves hard work, there is no risk. That’s how I see it.
Now, how do you start your own startup with video editing? Well, you need to get foreign clients or well-known clients. Then, by adding good animations, motion graphics, etc., to their videos, you will need some time to edit.
If it takes you four days to edit a single video, you might be able to edit seven videos in a month. But a client or content creator uploads more than seven videos a month. So, if you get more clients, you will need to hire more editors, get more laptops or computers, and start a small startup. By paying your employees monthly, you can smoothly run your company. Isn’t that right?
How Long Does It Take to Earn One Crore from Video Editing?
Nowadays, new editors charge up to ₹500 for editing a short video. If the short video includes motion graphics or animation, the editor can charge ₹2,000, ₹3,000, or even ₹5,000. However, unless the client is foreign, very few content creators in our country pay such high rates for short videos.
Moreover, for a long video (10-12 minutes), new editors charge ₹100-₹200 per minute. If the video includes motion graphics, animation, 3D effects, etc., the rate can go up to ₹500-₹1,000 per minute.
I recently spoke with a video editor who mainly edits short videos using motion graphics and animation in After Effects. I asked him how much he would charge to edit a 10-minute long video. He directly answered, “$600,” meaning $60 per minute, which is ₹5,200 in Indian currency. Can you imagine?
Considering all these factors, it will take about a year to earn one crore from video editing. Not less than that. Because, in the beginning, you won’t get good clients, but you must continue editing to improve your skills, build a portfolio, and keep practicing. However, once you gain recognition, you will easily earn lakhs of rupees every month. Keep editing and posting on LinkedIn and Instagram.
FAQs: Video Editing in Bengali
If you want to edit using a mobile phone, the best software is CapCut and VN. Additionally, InShot and Kinemaster are also good. On the other hand, if you want to edit using a computer or laptop, there are Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. For more advanced animation, you can use Apple Motion or After Effects.
For video editing, you need a good gaming laptop with powerful SSD, RAM, and GPU. I personally edit using a MacBook laptop and a computer.
Most movie editing is done using software called AVID. However, DaVinci, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro are also used for film editing.
If you compare within the same price range, you can build a much better desktop. However, since video editing allows you to start your own startup today, a laptop gives you the flexibility to edit from anywhere. If you plan to edit in a single-room setup, a desktop is better as it can be upgraded later as needed.
Conclusion (If You Like Video Editing, Definitely Learn It)
This article has become quite long today. I don’t know who will read such a long article. But my YouTube viewers will surely read it.
Video editing is a skill that does not get as much respect as it deserves, not even video editors themselves. When we watch a movie, we cry during sad moments, feel happy in joyful scenes, and laugh in funny moments. Then we say, “Amazing acting, great direction,” but we never ask, “Who edited this film?” Editors always remain behind the scenes, and they fade away unnoticed.
However, in today’s era, video editors have one advantage—huge earnings and earning potential. Along with that, if you showcase your editing work, your life, and yourself to people, you will gain popularity as well as editing opportunities.
Learn, keep learning. Whether it’s video editing or graphic design, learning doesn’t cost anything. Learn, and if you enjoy it, make it your future career. If you face any problems, I am here. If you want to talk, reach out on my social media and keep watching my YouTube videos. Thank you.
