“How long does it take you to edit a video?” As professional video editors, we get asked this question many times. It’s an understandable question for clients to ask because longer editing hours mean the video editing cost will also be higher. Typically, a minute-long video takes about 45 to 60 minutes to finish editing. However, you can’t use this measure for all types of videos. The editing time depends on a lot of different factors, like the type of video, amount of raw footage, and others, which we will soon cover.
Firstly, there are two terms we should discuss when you outsource video editing work: editing time and turnaround time (TAT).
Difference between editing time and turnaround time
Editing time is all the man hours a video editor spends on the editing job. It includes going through the raw files, editing the clips, color grading, and so on.
Turnaround time, on the other hand, refers to the amount of time it takes for you to get the final video back. It includes discussions, availability, time taken to transfer files, etc. TAT starts when you fill out the order form and submit the raw video files and ends when you receive the first draft of the video for approval. If you want to make changes to the draft, the revised versions don’t take long to complete, and the final version is usually ready within a few hours.
Work done by a professional video editor
Before we get into specifics of how long it takes to edit videos, you’ll have to understand what kind of work goes into a video editing project.
Generally speaking, a video editor has to do the following:
- They have to download the files sent by the client.
- Read the script to plan the work and what needs to be done.
- Arrange the raw clips according to the script and collect other necessary elements like graphics and sound effects.
- Trim and cut video clips to keep the necessary bits.
- Color correction and color grading.
- Add text, motion graphics, and lower thirds.
- Edit the audio and sync it accurately with the video.
- Add the background score and sound effects.
- Export the final cut and submit for client approval.
Factors affect video editing time
The time taken for editing videos relies on a number of different factors.
Length of the raw footage
Raw footage is all the content you have filmed for the video, including mistakes, reshoots, etc. When you hire a video editor, they have to go through all the raw footage and see what they can use for the final video, based on the script. Sometimes, they have to go through over five hours of footage just to make a 5-minute long highlight video.
So, if you have a lot of raw footage, you can expect that the video editor will need more time to finish the project. However, the time can be significantly reduced if you outsource the work to a video editing company where there are teams to split the project for a faster turnaround.
Duration of the final video
If the final video is supposed to be longer, it will take longer to edit the video. However, this is not the rule. Sometimes, a 3-minute video can take longer to edit than a 30-minute video, especially if there’s three hours of raw footage to go through. When there is too much raw footage, the video editor has too many choices in front of them. Also, weddings and other events have footage from multiple different cameras, as putting them together can be a Herculean task. That’s why it can take longer to edit a wedding highlight video than a podcast, interview, or video essay.
Type of video
Again, the type of video you want can also affect the editing time. Video editing companies often get requests to edit YouTube videos, trailers, music videos, real-estate videos, wedding videos, and social media videos (reels, shorts, etc.). YouTube videos and some social media videos can range from short to long videos, but reels, shorts, and other similar formats have to be short. As we’ve already discussed, shorter videos can take a longer time to edit, especially if you’ve got a lot of raw footage. Short video editors also know that the content needs to be exciting and packed with energy and
Podcasts, vlogs, and interviews, on the other hand, are longer and don’t take as long. That’s because we usually have to keep in most of the content that’s filmed. For example, long video editors will be given four hours’ worth of raw footage to condense into a two- or three-hour-long podcast.
Availability of a clear script
Every video needs to have a script so everyone is on the same page about what the final product is supposed to look like. Your script needs to be clear so that the video editor knows exactly what clip needs to go where, what parts of the footage to omit, what graphics to add where, and so on. If you hire a video editor and expect them to complete the project without a script, the turnaround time is going to be really long because they need to understand the concept of the video. It’s helpful to have discussions with the editor to explain the flow of the content, but it’s always better for them to have a script in hand for reference.
Production value
High production value videos need longer editing times, as they need to be good-looking and polished, with seamless transitions, quality graphics, sound effects, audio mixing, and color grading. Video editing costs for such videos are also higher compared to editing work that isn’t as polished for the same reason.
Quality of the raw footage
If you submit poor quality raw files, it’s going to make the editing work much more challenging for the professional. Ideally, you need to film your content according to how you are going to distribute it. Each platform has a minimum requirement when it comes to resolution and aspect ratio. You also need to ensure that the audio is clearly audible. If your footage and audio does not meet the standards, you can’t expect the hired video editor to magically bring the quality up. They can spend a lot of time doing their best to make the video look and sound as good as possible, but it will take too long, and the result won’t be as good.
An important point to note is that higher quality videos mean the file sizes will be large. As a result, the files will take longer to transfer, process, and render. Good file transfer services might make it easier to transfer the raw files to the video editor, but everything else will get slowed down.
Skill and experience of the video editor
The level of the video editor’s skill and experience also determines the editing time. So, if you need the work done quickly and you feel like your in-house editor is up to the task, you should probably consider outsourcing to a video editing company.
Video editing software
Lastly, the video software used also determines how long it takes to edit a video. Good software can make editing easy and the rendering smooth. Simple software that doesn’t have all the tools and processing power can make the whole project needlessly long and complicated. Thankfully, video editing companies use the latest software and powerful hardware, so the process doesn’t take too long.
So finally, how long does it take to edit a video?
The general rule of thumb is that it takes about 30 minutes to an hour of editing time per minute of a finished video. However, video editing companies usually have a standard turnaround time, which is usually two to seven working days for short videos. Larger videos, like a documentary or a movie, would require a custom time. For a higher fee, some companies even offer express services, where you can get the finished product within a day or two.