Free Video Editing for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started

Top 15 Free Video Editing Software for Beginners [Very Easy to Use]

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are not a video-making expert, own a video studio, or have a video specialist to trim and shoot video features, then don’t worry!

We are here to take you on the tour of the easiest video editing software that would promise a professional-looking end-product despite being absolutely inexperienced!

In my opinion, an ideal video editing software should be easy for everyone to get started. It could be simple video editing software, but it at least contains all the basic features you want. My recommendation is Wondershare Filmora, which compromises usability and capability to the best. It not only comes with all common video editing tools at your fingertips but also features you may need to bring your videos to the next level.

• 15 Best Easy Video Editing Software
• Basic Features You Need in an Easy Video Editing Software
• Why Video Editing Matters Nowadays?
• Basic Video Editing Terms You Should Know

Watch Video to Take a Quick View of the 18 Best Video Editors

Filmora Video Editor is an expert in creating and editing videos with outstanding functions and features. The easy-to-use interface will help you much! It offers versions for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS! Worth to have a try!

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15 Best Easy Video Editing Software

Below are the brief detail of easy video editors for PC, giving you more editing scalability than mobile-based editing apps. So if you are seeking easy video editing software for YouTube or website then look no further!

1 - Wondershare Filmora	2 - Blender	3 - Lightworks
4 - Shotcut	5 - VSDC	6 - Machete Lite
7 - Avidemux	8 - Hitfilm Express	9 - iMovie
10 - Openshot	11 - Movie Maker	12 - Lumen5
13 - Adobe Spark	14 - Videopad	15 - Freemake

1. Wondershare Filmora - Easy Video Editing Software, Unlimited Video Sharing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad.

Wondershare Filmora paves the way to share videos instantly with family and friends, whatever it’s on YouTube, computer, mobile devices, or TV, you’ll choose your way.

Edit Video for Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Edit Video for Free

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

You can directly upload the video to YouTube, as well as an optional message sending to Facebook and Twitter.

Preset profiles are included in output videos for playing on mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod, PSP, etc. No further conversion required. A build-in DVD tool allows you to burn video to a high-quality DVD for watching on TV with your home DVD player.

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Download the free trial version of Wondershare Filmora for your Mac/Windows version below, start to make your stunning home movies today!

2. Blender

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

This is free and open-source software, originally designed as a 3D animation suite but also has a use video editor. This editor lets you carry out basic actions like video cutting and video splicing. Hence, it is an easy video cutter and easy video joiner. It can also perform more advanced tasks such as video masking.

3. Lightworks

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Lightworks is a free easy to use video editing software that comes with High precision video trimming, 720p video export for YouTube, Multicam support, and support of a large range of video formats. Its free version has ample features enough for most of the users. Although the paid pro version costs $25 a month.

4. Shotcut

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is a free, open-source video editing software, packed with ample features with wide range video formats support, timeline editing, 4K HD resolution support, and have several tutorials video.

Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Filmora - No Watermark Video Editing Software

• Easily edit and export video files without watermark

• offers popular effects and filters for making your video professional

• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)

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5. VSDC

Compatibility: Windows

VSDC, an easy video editing software for windows, is a free video editing software, having an easy-to-learn powerful suite of features including audio editing and color correction. Although a paid version, pro, costs $19.99, having visual waveform, image stabilization and voice over support.

6. Machete Lite

Compatibility: Windows

Machete Lite is a free yet the simplest video editing software perfect for simple editing tasks. Only AVI and WMV files are supported in its free version. Its full version costs $19.95 having audio editing and more file type support, unlike the free version.

7. Avidemux

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Avoided is the simplest video editing software, perfect for beginners. It allows performing simple editing features like Encoding, simple cutting, and filtering with an easy-to-use interface.

8. Hitfilm Express

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

HitFilm Express is a free video editing software with features ranging from basic editing features like trimming, audio editing, and slicing to advance tools and features. Its free version supports over 180 special effects. There’s a built-in YouTube uploading.

Finding a Way to Edit Video for Free? Try This Out!

Filmora Video Editor brings you all the convenience of editing videos with handy functions. You can make your creative ideas into realize! More importantly, your edited video can export without a watermark!

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9. iMovie

Compatibility: Mac

If you are a beginner and searching for a good video editing software to get your hands clean on editing then iMovie editor is perfect for you. It is an easy video editing software for mac having an easy drag and drop interface. Features like Video trimming, split-screen, audio editing, pre-made transitions library, and 4K resolution support.

10. Openshot

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux

It is a free open source video editing software with an easy-to-use interface. Features like unlimited layers and tracks, time-mapping, real-time previews, trimming, snapping, clip resizing, curve-based keyframe animations etc. It offers more than enough features for free software.

11. Movie Maker

Compatibility: Windows

It is an easy video maker and editing software for beginners which can be downloaded from any third-party and use it to make and share high-quality movies.

12. Lumen5

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

It’s a perfect web-based video editing tool, best for Social Media promotion Campaigns with an easy drag-and-drop interface.

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

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13. Adobe Spark

Compatibility: Windows and Mac

Adobe Sparks is also a web-based easy video editor, similar to Lumen5. It offers an easy user interface but is a little restricted when it comes to offering a bank of images and footage to use.

14. Videopad

Compatibility: Windows

VideoPad is a simple video editing software for beginners, maybe not suitable for professional use. It has features like 3D Video Editing, Sound Effects and pre-made transitions Library, Reduce Camera Shakes and Multiple Resolutions export support.

15. Freemake

Compatibility: Windows

Freemake is a free video converter that is used to convert and alter videos that can modify and convert videos, embed videos to websites, and extract audio from video clips simply and fast. It supports above 500 video file formats and is compatible with multiple audio and image file formats for slideshows and video clip creation.

Basic Features You Need in an Easy Video Editing Software

A software having:

• Easy montage maker
• Easy video cutter
• Easy video joiner
• Compositing multiple elements together
• Color grading
• Motion tracking
• Stabilization
• Titles
• Background replacement
• Basic color correction
• Cross dissolves and fade-to-black transitions
• Audio crossfades
• Audio level adjustment using keyframes
• Auto synchronization of additional audio tracks
• Image position adjustment using keyframes
• Footage speed adjustments
• Basic color correction
• Footage bins for roughly organizing imported footage

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Why Video Editing Matters Nowadays?

If videos aren’t a primary focus of your content marketing plan, the probability is it’s soon going to be certain! Every next production is turning into video-based content, be it content marketers or SEOs.

Around 50% of the content marketers are using Facebook and YouTube channels for the sake of video distribution since online activity spent on watching videos is 50%.

Moreover, by 2021, video is going to be projected to account for more than 80% out of all internet traffic.

Therefore, it has become a need to focus on video content if you are looking to grow the organic traffic of your publications.

Filmora Free Video Editor

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Filmora Free video editor offers a ChatGPT plug-in and AI tools to enhance your creative vision. Make your idea into reality.

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Basic Video Editing Terms You Should Know

Below are some of the important yet basic terms that you should know related to videography in general and video editing in specific as well, whether you are a beginner or professional.

Aspect ratio:

The aspect ratio is the ratio of width and height of a video. Examples of the most used aspect ratios are: 4:3, 16:9, 1.85:1.

Refer to the image given below for a better understanding.

B-roll:

B-roll facilities one with the flexibility, when editing, to the video editing rules as it is an add-on picture that makes a previously incoherent scene seamless.

As shown in the image below, B-roll is used to insert which can make the transition easy to look on the eyes.

Bit rate:

Bit rate, also known as data rate, refers to the amount of data used for every second within the video. It is most commonly expressed in kilobits per second (kbps).

Close up:

Close-up refers to the shots that frame to subject tightly.

For instance, if it is a person, then the close-up covers solely his face.

Color temperature:

Color temperature refers to the light visibility in a shot. Color temperature is expressed in Kelvin. The scale of color temperature ranges from cool to warm.

Composition:

Composition entails the process of combining multiple footages using video editing software.

Compression:

Compression is the process of minimizing the quantity of data utilized in a video file. It helps make in the process of uploading and downloading quite faster. This also leaves you with ample space for more of your publications.

Crop factor:

Crop factor refers to a number that expresses the ratio of the imaging area of a sensor to a full-frame sensor. It typically ranges from 1.3 to 2.0.

Cut-in

Cut-in refers to showing a specific part of a subject in order to emphasize a certain aspect or emotion. For instance, hand gestures may show nervousness, enthusiasm, agitation, etc.

Foley:

Often times the original sound of the scene captured in the video is not captured as naturally as they were supposed to sound like in reality. Hence, Foley is when you reproduce those sounds for that video.

Frame rate:

Frame rate refers to the video capturing by a shutter in a second or shutter cycling rate through opening and closing. Some of the common frame rates are 24, 25, 29.97, 30, etc. The frame rate is expressed in frames per second (fps).

High definition media interface:

HDMI is the connectors that digitally transfer audio and HD video to a television. This is helpful if you intend to work on a bigger screen or wish to share some of your productions.

Resolution:

Resolution refers to the horizontal and vertical pixels of your video. For instance 640×480 for SD and 1280×720 for HD. Sometimes resolution refers only to the number of pixels that paper vertically. For example 480p, 720p, and 1080p respectively.

J-Cut:

J-cut refers to the editing technique in which the audio from a next scene is overlapped with the image from the previous scene, such that the audio segment of the next scene begins playing prior to its picture.

Jumpcut:

Jumpcut editing techniques refer to an abrupt transition between the two consecutive frames. The entity in the video containing jump cuts appears to jump along with the scene from one place to another. This looks disruptive to the audience.

L-Cut:

L-cut is exactly opposite to J-cut where the audio from the next scene overlays the image from the next scene to play the audio after an image has been displayed in the video.

Lower third:

As the name suggests, the lower third is derived from the rule of third which refers to the type of title, mostly used by vloggers, broadcasters, interviewers, and you tubers.

Memory bank:

You can understand the term by thinking of a memory box where we keep certain things as a memory of the events in someone’s life. Memory bank serves the same purpose through the use of video. It often uses natural sounds, document travel or merely store moments in routine life.

Press kit:

Press kit is used to provide information regarding your productions to the press for promotional purposes. Such information is often background including synopsis, crew, cast’s bios Q&A with the director, production stills and its reviews.

Shot list:

The shot list refers to the checklist related to the shots that a videographer plans to include in his/her content. This may help you save time and gear with efficient planning and handling. This gives a sense of direction to your production.

Storyboard:

A storyboard is a drawing to illustrate the scenes in the video. This gives a direct and organized way to visualize the needs for the shots or animation.

Sync:

Synchronization, aka sync, refers to the alignment of audio with video imaging.

Rule of thirds:

The rule of third is a grid that helps you to compose interesting and balanced shots to make your productions aesthetically pleasing. The grid is similar to a tic-tac-toe board since it segregates the picture into 9 segments. It helps bring points of interest to be aligned with the lines or intersection given in the grid.

Three-point lighting:

This helps one to diminish the shadows for image balancing and provides an appealing contrast. These three lights are commonly known as fill, key, and backlight.

Tilts:

Tilts refer to the vertical transitions that your camera. This is the opposite of pans.

Pans:

Pans refer to the horizontal movements of your camera. This is exactly contrary to tilts.

White balance:

White balance refers to the process where the unrealistic color casts are removed in order to render a white object to be actually white in your photo, and not have other tints.

Wide-angle:

A wide-angel lens refers to a short focal length of a lens. This brings more of a subject rather than a subject being captured by a normal lens at equal distances.

Non-linear editing:

NLEs is a non-destructive editing technique that allows one to access any frame in a video clip regardless of the sequence in the clip. It gives you the freedom to easily include effects, transitions, fades, etc. which cannot be achieved with linear editing

Pixel aspect ratio:

Pixels are several tiny squares that build up an image in a video. Whereas, aspect ratio refers to the ratio of width to height of a video. Hence, the pixel aspect ratio (PAR) is the ratio of width to height of the pixels.

Conclusion

Be it Instagram stories, YouTube product testimonials, or Facebook ads, using these easy-to-use video editing software will elevate your content into a professional and slick look.

So, I hope you are now ready to get started.

Lights, camera, action!

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
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Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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