How to Become a Freelance Video Editor and Make Money

The ability to edit videos is one of the most lucrative digital skills. In today’s article, we will be diving into the freelance career – how you can become a video editor, the necessary steps to follow, and how to make money from it. Contrary to many beliefs you can become a freelance video editor and work from anywhere you are in the world.

You can also work on freelance platforms or websites like Fiverr and Upwork as long as you properly pass through the training which means learning from a professional video editor or learning from online video platforms like YouTube. With a free platform like YouTube, you can learn video editing and become a self-thought video editor.

Do you need a certificate or attend a formal school to become a professional video editor? I will say no because most clients do not ask for certificates to prove how good you are rather they ask for a portfolio instead. All you need to do is exhibit professionalism and experience and you will be on your way to making millions no matter your age.

How Long it Takes to Become a Freelance Video Editor

Averagely it takes 1 – 3 months to become a freelance video editor. This is because you might need to take an online course on video editing or learn from a professional video editor. Depending on the kind of education you receive on video editing you might be issued a certificate upon the completion.

What is the Salary of a Freelance Video Editor?

The salary of a freelance video editor varies and this is due to the clients or platforms they work. Some video editors work on freelancing platforms while some work with individuals or companies. However, in the United States of America for example freelance video editors earn averagely $30 per hour and $49,500 per year.

How to Become a Freelance Video Editor

Below are the steps to becoming a successful freelance video editor today.

1. Pick a Profitable Niche

The first step to becoming a freelance video editor is to pick a lucrative niche. There are different niches when it comes to editing videos. We have YouTube video editing, TikTok video editing, Instagram video editing, movie editing, and commercial video editing. To become a professional you cannot be a master in editing all videos.

Depending on the customers you have and your passion you should choose at least two niches. However, if you are looking at working online full-time as a freelancer editing social media videos this type of video comes often to video editors. Also on freelancing platforms, most clients are looking for editors that can edit YouTube videos and TikTok videos.

Picking a niche as a video editor gives you authority in your field and it makes you stand out and visible among others.

2. Get a Formal or Informal Training

If you are really serious about building a career in video editing you need to get a formal training or at least an informal training. Formal education is when you learn video editing from a computer training institute or an institution. It could also be taking a course on video editing while informal training is when you learn from a professional video editor.

How long it takes to learn video editing depends on who you are learning from. However, as I explained earlier it takes averagely 1 – 3 months to learn video editing professionally. During your training, you will be taught the basics of video editing and how to use different video editing apps but as time goes by you will pick the app that is most suitable for you.

3. Get all the Necessary Equipment

Video editing can be done with any gadget whether it be a phone, tablet, or laptop you can also use a desktop computer. In fact, if you want to go pro there are computers that are best suitable for video editing. You need to get all the equipment needed to edit comfortably.

Asides from a computer preferably a laptop you will need other gadgets like;

1. Laptop bag
2. Hard disk
3. Power bank
4. USB or USB-C cords
5. Laptop holder and more

It is not a must to buy all these equipment at once. You can get them one after the other as time goes by but you need to place emphasis on your laptop as this is the most important video editing equipment of all.

4. Build a Portfolio Website

A portfolio website is very important especially if you are serious about your freelance journey. You need a landing page online that will introduce you to your clients whether they know you or not. This page will introduce your skills and experience, especially the clients you have worked it.

If you are new to this profession and you are yet to build a portfolio you can simply get a list of your trusted friends that will stand as your first set of clients. Depending on your tech skills you can build your portfolio website yourself or simply employ a web developer to do it for you. Make sure the website is colorful with a lot of pics and short videos.

This will go a long way in making you irresistible and will make clients want to do business with you.

5. Connect with other Freelancers

It is commonly said that no island can survive on its own. Anywhere you see an island there are certainly other islands around. This should be applied to business. As a video editor, you need to connect with other video editors online. You can also connect with those in your area. Having a clique gives you exposure and helps you get recommendations from your fellow freelance video editors.

As regards branding and how much to charge clients connecting with other freelance video editors will help you stay on track.

6. Learn the Business of Video Editing

There is the art of video editing and there is the business of video editing. You need to learn both sides. You cannot survive knowing how to edit videos only alone. As a newbie, it will take time to understand the business of video editing but it does not mean you should wait to acquire all the knowledge needed to succeed.

You can start as soon as you have acquired your skills and learn whilst you are running the business. To be honest you will make a lot of mistakes at the beginning especially when it comes to how much you charge per job taken or per hour. However, these mistakes will make you a pro as long as you are willing to learn from them.

Never despise the days of your humble beginnings. You will surely start making profits from your skills as long as you are consistent and persistent enough.

7. Build Unique Social Media Profiles

Social media is one of the easiest ways you can get clients easily as a video editor. To achieve this, the first step is to create an account on at least 3 social media sites. For a profession like this Instagram, Threads, and YouTube are the best social media sites for you. After creating your accounts you should take a step further by making your profiles unique – adding a few edited videos for your followers to see.

Do not forget to use hashtags as they also go a long way in creating visibility to your content. As a video editor one of the easiest ways to promote your job is to spot out mistakes made by other video editors and correct them by uploading yours.

How to Make Money as a Freelance Video Editor

There are numerous ways you can make money as a freelance video editor.

1. By editing videos for clients.
2. Start a youtube channel where you can monetize your videos.
3. Sell a video editing course to those who want to learn video editing.
4. Make money on freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
5. You can make money by counseling clients.

Conclusion

Becoming a freelance video editor is profitable, especially with the fact that you can work from anywhere you are in the world and meet different clients from different countries. However, you need to go through the extra mile in other to stand out and establish authority.

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