How to use the YouTube Editor

What’s the YouTube Editor about? Inside YouTube is a special editor that’s got a few more bells and whistles than the Video Manager. It offers free features like the ability to add text overlays, cut videos, add music and harvest creative commons material. In this video I show you how to harvest other people’s videos to take as your own.

Below the video we talk about why you would use this tool.


So when it is appropriate to use a tool like this? And how can you become the “expert” if your videos are of other people? Well the short list is. . . some of you will have no need for it whatsoever. Let’s talk those who might:

1. If you have absolutely no way to edit a video, you could use the YouTube Editor to make some edits. Not the best plan, but hey I wouldn’t put it past anyone to make a fantastic video using the YouTube Editor tools.

2. If you need color commentary. For instance if you’re in the agriculture business and need something great stuff for your newsletter, why not search Creative Commons first? Suppose you’d like to send parents a video on “how to milk a cow” for their kids. Why send someone else’s when you can brand someone else’s first AND include annotations to get them to your other videos.

3. Compilations. Tons of videos of “Fail compilations” have gone viral. Find a bunch of images of the same topic and string them together. Why not?

Your turn. For what purpose do you use the Editor? Oh and what I didn’t mention is that you can use the annotations feature once the video is live. I’ll teach you that in a follow-up.