This wikiHow teaches you how to edit standard videos to conform to common YouTube editing practices. You can download and use the Windows Movie Maker program to edit videos on Windows computers, while Mac users can edit videos using iMovie.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Using Windows Movie Maker
Step 1. Download Windows Movie Maker
Although Windows Movie Maker is no longer supported by Microsoft, you can download it for free from third-party sites.
Windows Movie Maker is similar to the old YouTube editor features
Step 2. Open the video in Movie Maker
Find the video you want to edit on your computer, then follow these steps:
- Right-click the video.
- Choose " Open with ”.
- Click " Movie Maker ”.
Step 3. Add other content to Movie Maker
If you want to combine several video clips or insert photos into your final project, you can add the required files to Windows Movie Maker:
- Click the tab " Home ”.
- Click " Add videos and photos ”.
- Select a video or photo (or hold down the Ctrl key while clicking separate files to select multiple files at once).
- Click " Open ”.
Step 4. Manage videos and photos
You can arrange the order of video clips by clicking and dragging them to the left or right side of the timeline.
Drag a video clip or photo to the far left of the timeline to place it at the beginning of the video, and drag content to the far right to place it at the end of the video
Step 5. Add a title
While not all videos require a title or introduction page, placing them at the beginning of the video allows you to display information about the video in question or its content. To add a title page:
- Click the option " Title "toolbar in tabs" Home ”.
- Mark the text " My Movie " in the preview segment on the left side of the window.
- Type in the desired title.
Step 6. Select the title transition
You can select it by clicking an option in the " Effects " section of the toolbar at the top of the window when the title page is selected.
- Hover over the " Effects " option to preview the transition on the left side of the window.
- You can also adjust the duration of the title page/slide by clicking the title icon on the timeline and changing the number in the "Text duration" text field.
Step 7. Insert a transition between the two contents
Switching from one video to the next (or from one video to a photo) may seem “rough”, but Windows Movie Maker offers several options for inserting a “smooth” transition:
- Click the video clip or photo before the desired transition point.
- Click the tab " Animations ”.
- Select a transition or preview a transition by hovering over an option.
- If you want to place a transition in the middle of a video, click and drag the black vertical bar on the segment you want to add a transition to, right-click the bar, select " Split, and insert a transition.
Step 8. Cut a specific part of the video
Many YouTube video creators cut off unflattering or too long sections of videos to make their content look cleaner and neater. This kind of editing process is called "jump cut", and you can try it through Windows Movie Maker:
- Move the blade to the beginning of the segment you want to cut.
- Right-click the bar, then click " Split ”.
- Move the blade to the end of the segment you want to cut.
- Right click the bar and click back” Split ”.
- Click the segment you want to cut, then press the Delete key.
Step 9. Export videos
When you're done editing your video, you can save it as a complete video file by following these steps:
- Click the tab " Home " if not.
- Click " Save movie ”.
- Choose " Recommended for this project ” from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the video file name.
- Click the desired file storage folder (eg. Desktop ”) on the left side of the window.
- Click " Save ”.
Step 10. Uploading_Video_to_YouTube_Through_Computer_Desktop_sub Upload videos to YouTube
Once the video is finished exporting to a file, all you need to do is upload it to YouTube and publish it.
If you haven't verified your YouTube account, you can't upload videos longer than 15 minutes
Method 2 of 2: Using iMovie
Step 1. Open the video in iMovie
Find the video you want to upload to YouTube on your computer, then follow these steps:
- Click the video file once to select it.
- Click " File ”.
- Choose " Open With ”.
- Click " iMovie ”.
Step 2. Add other files to the iMovie presentation
If you have additional video clips or photos that you want to place in iMovie, you can add them with these steps:
- Click the tab " Media ” at the top of the iMovie window.
- Click the " Import " button which looks like an arrow pointing downwards.
- Select the location of the content (eg Mac computer).
- Select a video or photo (or hold down Command while clicking each file to select it at once).
- Click " Import Selected ”.
Step 3. Reorganize the content
In the content timeline at the bottom of the iMovie window, click and drag a video clip or photo left or right to move it closer to or further from the beginning of the video.
Step 4. Add a title
While not required, adding a title helps manage your video and provides space to describe the video's content:
- Click the tab " Titles ” above the iMovie file browsing section.
- Select a title template to review the animation.
- Click and drag the title template onto the timeline above the video you want to add a title to.
- Double-click the title text in the preview window, then replace it with the desired text.
Step 5. Insert transitions between each content
If you're working with more than one video clip, you may need to add a transition animation between each clip to smooth the transitions:
- Click the tab " Transitions ” above the file browsing segment.
- Select a transition to review it.
- Click and drag the transition between the two video clips, then drop it.
Step 6. Cut a specific part of the video
Many YouTube video creators cut off unflattering or too long sections of videos to make their content look cleaner and neater. This kind of editing process is called "jump cut". You can use this editing style in iMovie by following these steps:
- Select the clip with the content you want to cut.
- Move the vertical bar (known as the " Playhead ") to the beginning of the segment you want to cut.
- Click " Modify, then select " Split Clip ” (or press the keyboard shortcut Command+B).
- Move the vertical bar to the end of the segment you want to cut, then split the clip.
- Select the segment you want to cut, then hold down the Control key while clicking on it to display a drop-down menu.
- Click " Trim Selection ” from the drop-down menu.
Step 7. Export videos
After you've added and edited your video content as you wish, you can save the entire video project as a file by following these steps:
-
Click Share ”
Iphoneshare - Click " File ”.
- Click " Next ”.
- Select a folder on the Mac computer (eg " Desktop ”).
- Click " Save ”.
Step 8. Uploading_Video_to_YouTube_Via_Komputer_Desktop_sub Upload videos to YouTube
Once the video is finished exporting to a file, all you need to do is upload it to YouTube and publish it.
If you haven't verified your YouTube account, you can't upload videos longer than 15 minutes
Tips
- iMovie comes pre-installed on all modern iPhones and iPads. However, the menu options may differ slightly from the Mac version of iMovie.
- YouTube accepts most common video formats (MP4, WAV, etc.) and almost all video resolutions.
- The instructions described in this article refer to basic video editing, but you can easily increase production value using scripts, professional lighting, and specialized video and audio equipment.
