Learning to produce and edit content is a superpower in today’s world.
Video editing is one of the most important high-value skills that you can have in your arsenal. But what’s the fastest way to learn?
If you’re serious about learning to edit videos then there are really only 3 options in terms of which software to choose:
a) Premiere Pro
b) DaVinci Resolve
c) Final Cut Pro
Each has its pros and cons. Premiere Pro is the most widely used video editing software across the board and it has the most learning material available online. DaVinci Resolve is the only advanced video editing software with similar capabilities to Premiere Pro that is free. Final Cut Pro is only available on Apple devices but it’s also used by a variety of content creators mainly because of how well it works will Apple devices and its unique “magnetic timeline” feature.
Personally, I’ve tried all three but I edit my videos with Premiere Pro.
So if you want to learn how to edit videos with either of these software I’ve compiled a list of the best online courses for each one:
Here are my top pics for the best video editing courses online:
1. Video Editing With Premiere Pro For Beginner YouTubers
Best Features:
In this course, you will learn everything you need to know about Premiere Pro to produce your first YouTube video.
If you’ve been entertaining the idea of one day learning how to make and edit videos then this course will help you go from not knowing where to start and what to make videos about to being able to transform any idea in your head into video in Premiere Pro.
This course is for you if you want to:
- Learn how to edit videos from scratch
- Start your own YouTube channel
- Learn editing as a skill for freelancing jobs
- Learn to edit videos as a hobby
- Learn Premiere Pro
You’ll learn:
- How To Create a Premiere Project
- How To Import Footage And Organize Files
- To Create A Sequence
- FPS – What Is It And How Much Should You Use?
- To Master The Timeline
- How To Duplicate Clips Fast
- Tools & Basic Keyboard Shortcuts
- To Cut Clips Fast
- How To Use The Effect Controls And Effects Panels
- Linked Selections
- How To Master Effect Controls
- How To Copy Effects Across Clips
- How To Use Keyframes
- How To Use The Program Monitor
- How To Use The Source Monitor
- What Are Nested Sequences
- How To Crop Footage
- How To Add & Customize Text
- To Master Adjustment Layers
- How To Use Color Mattes
- How To Enhance Audio Recording
- How To Banance Audio Levels
- How To Export Videos
Length:
The course is made up of 37 lessons that are 1 hour 53 minutes long.
Platform:
Skillshare.
You can read my Skillshare review here.
Price:
The course is free to take if you already have a subscription to Skillshare and there’s a free 30-day trial which lets you take any courses that you want on the platform for free for the entire month.
2. Video Editing in DaVinci Resolve - A Complete Beginner's Guide
Best Features:
This course will teach you how to put together a solid video in DaVinci Resolve.
Even though DaVinci Resolve doesn’t have as much learning material available online as Premiere Pro it’s a very attractive editing software because it has a free version. It’s also well-optimized and runs well on any mid to high-tier computers.
Length:
The course is made up of 13 lessons that are 1 hour 50 minutes long.
Platform:
Skillshare
Price:
This editing course is free with a Skillshare subscription. There’s a free 30-day trial that you can use to take any courses on the platform.
What I like/dislike about it:
This course is best for beginners in video editing and goes over the absolute basics of making a video in DaVinci Resolve.
However, it’s not the best for learning more in-depth editing strategies & techniques necessary for freelance work or creating engaging editing-heavy videos for social media.
It’s best for learning the basics such as color grading, cutting your footage to music, and exporting the video.
3. Video Editing with Final Cut Pro X - From Beginner to YouTuber
Best Features:
This course will teach you all the basics about editing videos for YouTube in Final Cut Pro. It’s made by one of the biggest productivity YouTubers Ali Abdaal and it’s perfect if you want to learn the basics of Final Cut Pro X.
In this course, Ali walks students through how he edited one of his YouTube videos which makes it super easy to follow and apply the things he showcases in the lessons.
The course is made up of 3 parts:
A-Cut Assembly – This involves creating the project, importing the footage, and laying it out on the timeline. This section goes over all the basics such as in and out points and Final Cut Pro keyboard shortcuts.
B-Roll Shenanigans – This section of the course focuses on making the edit more interesting by adding B-roll, titles, transitions, lower thirds, screen recordings, animations & more.
Coats of Polish – This section focuses on polishing the video and getting it ready to upload. It covers sound effects, adding music, color grading, and giving your video the “feel” that you want it to have.
Length:
The course is made up of 36 lessons that are 3h 16m in length.
Platform:
Skillshare
Price:
The course is free to take with a Skillshare subscription which costs $13.75/month
4. Adobe Premiere Pro Essentials
Best Features:
The best thing about this course is that it’s on YouTube and available for everyone for free.
In fact, when I first started learning how to edit videos I watched a bunch of videos from Daniel Walter Scott.
This course covers the fundamentals of Premiere Pro in order to get started with the software.
Of course, this course doesn’t cover everything, and you’ll have to hunt for more resources to cover the knowledge gaps but it’s a great place to start if you’re a complete beginner to video editing.
Daniel also has a full version of this course, which includes a lot more resources and over 15 hours of lessons on Skillshare.
Platform:
YouTube.
Price:
It’s free!
What I like/dislike about it:
The course is structured very well making it easy to find and rewatch lessons however, the pace is very slow and a lot of material in this course isn’t well suited for making “editing heavy” YouTube videos. With that said, it’s great for learning the basics of Premiere Pro, and after it, you’ll definitely be able to put together and edit a simple video.
5. YouTube Video Course
Best Features:
The YouTube Video Course will teach you about editing in Premiere Pro specifically for YouTube videos and the strategy behind growing a YouTube channel from 0, even without showing your face.
The self-paced course is split up into chapters for mastering each of the most essential steps in YouTube video production:
- Chapter 1 – Introduction
- Chapter 2 – Premiere Pro Basics
- Chapter 3 – How To Edit Fast
- Chapter 4 – Utilizing Effective Editing Techniques
- Chapter 5 – Win The YouTube Game
- Chapter 6 – Audio & Sound Design
- Chapter 7 – Conclusion
You can find out more about each of these chapters on the course page.
The YouTube Video Course is best suited for YouTube editors and creators. If you’ve been thinking of starting a YouTube channel or you want to become a video editor for a YouTuber then this course is the perfect starter pack to learn to do so. It will give you all the essentials to turn any video idea in your head into reality.
Price:
$149. The price increases as more chapters and modules are added.
There you have it.
My list of the best courses to start learning how to edit videos.
In the end, it all comes down to you.
Learning without action is just entertainment.
It doesn’t really matter which editing software you choose. What matters is your mindset toward learning and how well you apply the things you learn afterward.
So after you’ve mastered the basics of your editing software it’s time to put this new skill to use and make videos.
So I’ll leave you with a few resources to help you make killer videos:
- How To Edit Videos FAST For YouTube – The Ultimate Guide
- How To Record & Edit A Voice-Over For YouTube Videos
- Video Editing Tricks Pro YouTubers Use That You Probably Don’t
Thanks for reading 👋.