Outsourcing YouTube video editing will help you scale up your channel, elevate your content quality, and reclaim your time.
But how do you get started?
Should you hit up Upwork and Fiverr to hire a freelance editor? If so, how do you know which one to pick?
Or should you opt for a video editing service? If so, which pricing model should you go for?
Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you hit the ground running.
Key Takeaways
- Start by defining your current and future video editing needs - content volume, complexity of edits, turnaround times, production rhythm
- Working with a freelance editor can be more budget-friendly, but they are less reliable and turnaround times are longer. Many creators end up getting ghosted.
- Outsourcing YouTube video editing to dedicated services gives you access to pre-vetted editors, quality control, and turnaround times.
- Video editing subscriptions give you more budget visibility, but restrict your content output. Project-based pricing gives you maximum flexibility.
Keep reading for the full scoop!
Before you outsource YouTube video editing, define your priorities
Before you even start looking for video editors, you need to get your own priorities straight.
In particular, it’s critical to pinpoint your video editing needs. Ask yourself:
- Content volume: How many videos are you aiming to produce on a monthly basis?
- Editing complexity: How complex are the edits you need? Are you thinking straightforward cuts and transitions? Or advanced VFX?
- Footage quality: How much enhancement does your raw footage need? Do you usually film studio-grade footage with professional equipment? Or do you shoot videos on the go with your phone, with considerable cooler grading and audio clean-up challenges?
- Turnaround times: What types of turnaround times do you need? Are you scheduling your videos weeks in advance? Or do you need results two days after you hand over your raw footage?
- Production pace: Is your content production rhythm regular? Do you produce a steady four videos per month? Or do you have months in which you’re hyper productive, batch-producing content? And others in which you take a breaK?
All these factors are essential to keep in mind when yo aim to outsource YouTube video editing. They determine what kind of editor and pricing model is right for you.
That said, there are two basic choices: outsourcing your YouTube video edits to freelancers, or going through a YouTube video editing company. Let’s take a closer look.
Option 1: Outsourcing YouTube video editing to freelancers
When you’re looking to hire a video editor for YouTube, hitting up freelancing platforms like Upwork is probably the first thing you think of.
Thousands of talented editors. Available immediately. For a wide range of starting prices.
That’s the theory at least.
In practice, things are often more complicated.
While there are many talented freelance editors out there, their availability is often limited. The best freelance YouTube editors are usually held on retainer by long-term clients. To find one who is taking on new work, you have to be lucky.
Then, there’s the pricing issue. Many YouTube editors offering their services on Upwork or Fiverr live in places like India or Indonesia, with lower costs of living. As a result, their pricing is competitive.
However, there are two major downsides to working with low-priced editors in these locations.
First: quality. Many do put genuine effort into their work. But many others just hand their edits off to AI and deliver mediocre outputs.
Second: cultural distance. The best video edits rely on perfect timing, hitting a tone that will resonate with your target audience. Working with an editor from a different culture, whose English may not be great, and who doesn’t get references you use makes this harder to achieve.
But even if you find a great freelance editor with reasonable pricing, there’s one major limitation to working with them: they’re only a single person.
They can get sick. Overwhelmed with work. Hit with a family emergency.
Or they may simply need a break.
Whatever the reason they’re suddenly unavailable, the result stays the same. Your video edits will have to wait.
Add to that the generally longer turnaround times (think 5-7 business days) that many freelance YouTube editors have, and you won’t be seeing results in a hurry.
In fact, many clients end up getting ghosted by their editors. (For an example, check out our Upwork case study.)
Option 2: YouTube video editing companies
The second option is to outsource YouTube video editing to a dedicated agency.
While this is often more expensive than working with a low-priced freelancer, it gives you several key advantages.
First: quality control. Video editing companies pre-vet the editors they hire. At Tasty Edits, for example, only 0.5% of applicants get accepted. And those undergo a rigorous internal training regime before they get to work on client projects. Plus, each client gets a video manager, who quality-checks every deliverable.
Second: guaranteed turnaround times. Most video editing agencies guarantee turnaround times – much faster than those that freelance editors offer. Think 2-3 business days for first drafts and 24 hours for revisions.
Third: redundancies. Video editing services have entire teams of professional editors on staff. If the editor working on your project gets sick or has an emergency to deal with, one of their colleagues can step in and make sure your project gets finished on time. No more unforeseen delays to your content schedule.
How much does it cost to outsource YouTube video editing?
When you’re looking for ways to outsource YouTube video edits, your budget is a critical consideration.
It’s also one of the most headache-inducing ones since it’s hard to compare between different options and pricing models.
For freelancers, we’ve already looked at low-priced options that it’s generally best to avoid. When you’re looking at freelance editors worth their salt, you can calculate $50-$120 per hour or $300-$500 per project, depending on the length and quality of your raw footage and the complexity of edits required.
The longer your footage and final product, and the more difficult the edits you want, the more you can expect to pay. Especially if you opt for a freelancer with hourly pricing, this can add up quickly as soon as your raw footage needs significant enhancements, for example.
For video editing services, pricing is either project- or subscription-based.
Video editing subscriptions are also often advertised as unlimited video editing services. This is misleading. For a fixed monthly fee, you can submit as many video editing orders as you like, but they’ll still only get edited one after the other.
When you factor in turnaround times and revisions, this usually limits you to about 4 projects per month.
If you produce more, you have to wait for editors to work through your queue. If you produce less, you still end up paying your full subscription regardless.
The bottom line? While video editing subscriptions are easier to manage in terms of monthly budgets, they restrict your video production. Many creators find themselves adjusting their content production to their subscription, rather than the other way round.
In contrast, project-based pricing gives you maximum flexibility.
No matter if you produce two videos one month and six the next, you only end up paying for the edits you actually need. Plus, several video editing services, such as Tasty Edits, will edit multiple videos in parallel at no extra charge. This is a major upside if you’re planning a video series, or if you want to batch-produce content in the run-up to a vacation.
Plus, many video editing services with project-based pricing also offer bulk discounts if you purchase the credits for multiple edits at once.
The bottom line: How to outsource YouTube video editing, the right way.
The best way to outsource YouTube video editing depends on your specific needs – the length and quality of your footage, your content volume and production rhythm, and the complexity of the edits you need.
With enough time and a hefty dose of luck, you can find a reliable freelance YouTube editor with a lower price point to handle your edits.
The more efficient option is to opt for a video editing company, with guaranteed turnaround times and internal quality control. Especially if you opt for project-based pricing, you get top-tier service and maximum flexibility.
Ready to get started? Tasty Edits offers all-round video editing services and YouTube channel management for professional creators. Check out our portfolio or start your first edit today!
FAQs
How to outsource YouTube video editing?
The best way to outsource YouTube video editing is through a video editing company. Unlike freelancers, whose capacity and availability is limited, video editing agencies offer guaranteed turnaround times, redundancies, and internal quality control. Opt for project-based pricing for maximum flexibility.
How to find a YouTube video editor?
The most efficient way of fining a professional YouTube video editor is through a video editing company. Unlike freelance editors, the editors working at video editing agencies have been pre-vetted. Video editing services also offer guaranteed turnaround times and internal quality control. Plus, if your personal editor should ever be out of office, one of their colleagues can step in and make sure your project gets finished on time.
How to hire a YouTube video editor?
Most YouTubers hire their editors through a video editing company. The editors these agencies have on staff are already pre-vetted. Plus, most video editing services have guaranteed turnaround times, internal quality control, and a team of editors to step in if one of them is ever out sick or on vacation.
