As you might have seen in my blog last week (How to Start a Vlog for Your Business the Right Way), I’m learning about vlogging. For my blog Meemoeder.com, a Dutch blog focused on lesbian parenting, I have several LGBT events coming up, and I want to vlog about them for various reasons. I filmed some clips at my first event, and now I’m ready to edit the footage. What tools or programs are best for a beginner to edit a vlog?
I have found many suggestions and I have filtered them down to 5 easy programs/tools for beginners that are either free or inexpensive. I mean, you can always upgrade when things get serious!
Edit a vlog with these 5 tools
One program is already installed on your computer if you have a Windows computer, so that is very handy. I will start with that one.
1. Windows Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker is included in Windows Essentials. It only provides basic editing features, such as trimming video from the start point to the endpoint.
However, according to iSkysoft, speed changing is almost smooth; you can select the speed from slowest motion (0.125x) to the fastest motion (64X). You can also choose from different visual effects already present in the video, choose a proper animation for the change if you are joining different pictures or videos, and quickly record a video right from the web cam or a voice using the narration feature. Finally, it will let you save and directly upload videos to Facebook, Flicker, One Drive, and Vimeo.
However, there are only a few animations and no preset text styles, and you cannot clip into different portions to set the speed of a particular part.
Price: Free
2. iMovie
iMovie is a video editing tool by Apple, so you will need the MAC OS X. According to iSkysoft, it has everything already set and the overlay is fairly simple.
You can add text to a video or a voice over, animations and picture in picture. You can change the speed of a particular portion of the video and there are many preset animations for your video. For this, you do not have to go through lengthy procedures. As with Windows Movie Maker, you can easily share your video on Facebook, YouTube or Vimeo after editing.
However, you cannot move or resize the text in the video; you will have to select the preset text animations. Also, you need the Mac OS X, but then you can also use it on your iPhone. (For Android users, see number 5)
Price: $14.99
3. Filmora Video Editor
iSkysoft calls Filmora Video Editor one of the best vlog editing software for vlog beginners as it is pretty simple to use. All the tools and effect templates are displayed in the main window and it offers basic editing features, such as trimming, cropping, cutting, splitting, and merging. It also offers multiple songs, filters, overlays, motion effects, animated text, titles, and effects. In addition, it is able to stabilize video and play video in reverse.
Price: $59.99/lifetime
4. Corel Video Studio
If you want to take video editing to the next level without being completely overwhelmed, Corel Video Studio apparently deserves a try. This editing software has just enough capability to make you feel like a pro, without making you pull your hair out trying to navigate, according to Lifehack. It comes with an abundance of royalty-free music and sounds, and you can upload straight to Facebook and YouTube.
Price: $79.95 for the software download
5. Adobe Premiere Clips
VloggingPro recommends Adobe Premiere Clips for Android users that want to edit a vlog on their phones. This video editor brings all the basic editing functionalities to your phone: you can trim clips, add music, add title slides, apply filters or make video adjustments.
Price: free
What is the verdict?
I think I am ready to start trying out some programs and edit a vlog. I have Windows, so Windows Movie Maker seems like an easy first step. As a Samsung user, the Adobe Premiere Clips app seems a good idea to download, just to do some initial editing on the go. A trial of Filmora seems nice, but Corel might be one step too far at this moment. Who knows, maybe later!
Ideas for vlogs
Are you looking for ideas for your first vlog? It may be my newbie status, but I think it is not that much different from blogs. So, if you are looking for inspiration, my blog The Ultimate Guide to Evergreen Marketing for Entrepreneurs has 49 blogging ideas for evergreen content. You could turn them into vlogs. In addition, my blog 62 Easy, Valuable Tips to Rock Your Video Content includes 40 video content ideas. Hope that helps!