One of the essential aspects of creating videos or other forms of visual media is editing. If you run a business or YouTube channel, there may be times where you’ll need assistance when creating and publishing online content.

There are several places available for people to turn to when finding freelance video editing services. However, some people may have trouble searching for an editor with the right experience or availability. 

Ideally, a video editor should understand the intentions of your video’s concept and make every edit or piece of footage count, leaving out bad takes and filler to make the final product flow.

If you want to know how to hire a video editor, we’ve compiled a few essential factors to consider before you narrow down your choices. By knowing these differences, you’re more likely to find editors who can produce quality work for you.

How Much a Video Editor Costs

There are several variables to consider when finding a video editor, including how much their services may cost. These costs differ from editor to editor based on their expertise, the type of rates they charge, and what types of videos they edit. The average minimum most editors charge ranges between $25 to $75 an hour. 

If you’re trying to balance your funds for your project, it would be wise to communicate with your potential editors to negotiate or compromise a finalized cost for their services based on what you need. 

Editor’s Experience

One aspect that affects the overall cost of a video editor’s services is their experience level. Novice editors may charge less than most professional editors, but they may raise them as their experience grows and proves their clients’ capabilities.

An editor’s experience may also stem from the technical aspects of editing. Every editor may use a different editing software than other editors and might be more comfortable working with one than another. For example, an editor working with Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro may find it more complicated to use Filmora for their projects.

Some companies may prefer candidates who specialize in specific editing software for their advertised positions. If you need a good impression of your potential editor’s skills, it would be wise to request or browse their portfolio. This strategy may be ideal if your content requires top-rate sound mixing, color correction, or other technical aspects that define an editor’s style.

Hourly Rate vs. Flat Rate

Another factor that you should consider is how the editor charges their services. Depending on their work or the project you have, it would be wise to discuss these options before deciding to use their services.

Most freelance video editors set hourly rates for their services. An hourly rate may differ depending on the editor’s market of work. A video editor’s location may also be a factor for these rates since some states may have different regulations than others. 

Some editors may convert their hourly rates into daily rates to make it simpler for their clients to narrow down their options to pick the most beneficial services. Professionals working between eight and ten hours may make at least $600 if they chart their hourly $75 rate.

Flat rates are typically predetermined before a project starts. Some clients may prefer this payment rate because it gives them a measurable budget to handle as they find their ideal services.

Type of Video

Depending on what services you need for making your videos, it would be best to find a video editor who has a portfolio containing samples of a niche similar to your needs. For example, editing a wedding video costing over $200 an hour may need to meet different needs than a weekly vlog for $100.

Some examples of videos clients may need video editors for include:

• Reviews

• Vlogs

• Vacation videos

• Product marketing

• Wedding videos

• Talking heads

• Video essays

• Advertisements

Typically, if you need concise editing for shorter videos, such as commercials, it would be wise to inform an editor which footage matters most in your marketing content. Depending on your project’s complexity and production values, its cost may vary from others’ projects.

Other factors in your video that can affect an editor’s cost include:

• Video length

• Graphics and text animation

• Scripts and voiceover recording

• Timing with transitions and cuts

• Incorporating music and sound with your video’s visuals

• Live-action videography

Where to Hire a Video Editor

If you’re interested in how to hire a video editor, there are several outlets you can peruse to find the right video editors for you. Depending on the urgency for these services or your company’s size, some may suit your needs better than others. 

Freelance Marketplaces

There are several websites available that encourage and showcase freelance video editors on the market. Whether you’re a client who’s looking for an experienced video editor or a freelancer applying for a new gig, these outlets have several options for contract work.

Among the many freelance marketplaces available online, one of the most potent platforms is Upwork. With several jobs to choose from, members can provide clients the work skills they need for any industries or work fields. Several job postings rank from beginner to advance and offer several one-time gigs for novice editors to build their experience.

If you own a business or need someone to edit a video for you, you can post a project or job listing and wait for potential remote workers to reply with their proposals. After receiving your applicants’ proposals, you can review each of them, compare their bids, look over their prior clients’ testimonials, and browse their portfolios if available. 

After interviewing and hiring your candidates, you can collaborate, communicate, and track a project’s progress with them to ensure the delivery of quality content. After your video editor delivers your desired content, you can then pay them via hourly or fixed rates.

Other alternative freelance marketplace platforms you can seek video editors from include:

• Fiverr

• PeoplePerHour

• Viedit

• Freelancer

Industry-Specific Marketplace

Suppose you’re a business owner looking for the top videographers or video editors on the job market. In that case, you may want to find websites that prioritizes finding video editors for an industry-specific marketplace. You can find people in your industry through extensive research without wasting hours browsing for editors who don’t have what you need.

StoryCrews is a directory focusing on helping clients find video editors based on location and specialty. You can narrow down your choices during your search by specifying if you need a videographer, video editor, or marketing strategist to contact and request their services.

You can also receive instant access to individuals and companies working under the site’s directory to contact them to provide services for your business. 

After deciding what you need, you can choose the specific market or category the editors specialize in to see if they’re an ideal match. Some of their services include:

• Creating a video marketing strategy

• Storyboarding 

• Video editing

The industries supported through this online outlet include:

• Dental

• Education

• Finance

• Healthcare

• Legal

• Finance

Other industry-specific sites may focus on other niches, such as film, theater, television, or wedding videography. Once you narrow down your preferences, you can find the nearest agencies or freelancers for you to consider.

Agencies

If you find it time-consuming to search countless hours for the right video editor for your project, there are several agencies available that provide video editing services for you. Typically, most people turn to agencies for ongoing work.

One agency that prioritizes quality video editing by the deadlines you provide is Vidpros.

When you subscribe to Vidpros for their services, you can select a monthly subscription plan that suits your needs best. While each plan has similar features, the key differences between them involve how many hours per day the editors work on the project you propose, the turnaround completion time, and storage space for your video’s raw files.

This agency’s team of fractional video editors typically receives four assigned clients’ projects to edit throughout their day, dedicating at least two hours to each. You can also communicate and submit your projects through the agency’s customer portal. 

When they finish an order, they let clients review the content and inform them if they need revisions or finalize it before moving on with the following projects.

The types of edits they can make in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects for your videos include:

• Color grading

• Transitions

• Chroma key and greenscreen

• Video thumbnails

• Audio syncing, mixing, and tweaking

• Lower thirds graphics

DIY Hire vs. Agency 

Some people may be more comfortable advertising and hiring editors by themselves, while others may find it more convenient to get editors through an agency. While these hired editors have similar responsibilities, there are several differences for finding and selecting the best video editors that suit your needs. 

Filtering Bad Editors

People partaking in DIY hiring procedures for video editors may need to meticulously decide which editors are fit for their projects and which ones aren’t. Their goal is to deliver quality videos matching their clients’ needs and expectations.

If you’re searching through a freelance marketplace, you may want to consider looking at applicants’ reviews from prior clients. If some reviews seem less favorable for some editors than others, refrain from picking the highly critiqued ones. 

A video editor agency typically has hundreds of editors on their team, giving them more freedom in choosing the best editors for the job. If a client leaves several revision requests and critiques on an editor’s work, the team’s supervisor might need to reassign the project to someone more qualified.

If an agency advertises open positions for their team, they’ll typically ask applicants for a demo reel of their work. If they find one that doesn’t meet their standards, they can move to those that do.

Providing Vacation or Sick Day Backup Editors

When building a team of video editors, one of the factors you may need to consider is balancing their workload and conflicts that may interfere with their schedules. It would be wise to select a handful of editors to reach out to if another requests a vacation or sick day during your hiring process. 

By having a dedicated team, you’re more likely to get your video content out by the deadlines you want to meet. If you don’t have a sizable team to act as backup editors, advertising the position via a job post or social media post would be an ideal alternative to save time. 

Although most people might prefer communicating in advance before using their vacation or sick days, it would also be a wise decision to expect the unexpected, as workflow interruptions can happen at any time. 

Agencies typically have several people working on multiple projects, especially when they dedicate a specific number of hours to each client’s projects. They may also provide them with a copy of the sequence to edit to let the client compare which one’s better when the original editor has time to work. In turn, you build a relationship with them, unlike one-off freelance gigs.

Conclusion

There are many ways you can reach out to video editors and advertise projects for their services. Some of the critical elements of picking the right video editor for you include the candidate’s quality in past work, what others say about them, and their services match your budget. It would also be wise to pick one that matches your niche or topic.

Depending on your urgency, you can find qualified video editors through freelance marketplaces, marketplaces for a specific industry or niche, and video editing agencies. Although each option has its differences, they might be suitable for businesses or individuals that need the fullest extent of their services.

When hiring a video editor, it would be best to give them access to assets your video needs, from footage and music to graphics and an outline to follow to keep the video’s flow continuous. By giving them the tools they need, video editors can listen to your feedback to mix your video efficiently and enhance its professional quality.

By selecting a video editing agency, clients are more likely to get their work completed due to the editing team’s size if their assigned ones need to use vacation or sick days. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, you can move onto creating an application form, interviewing any potential applicants, and then make a test project to judge their skills.