How Much To Charge For Freelance Video Editing? (Read This)

Video editing is certainly one of today’s most in-demand professions. The explanation for this is obvious.

This is because videos have become a very efficient and popular marketing strategy in recent years. Marketers are increasingly investing in it. 

As a result, video marketing has become the most effective marketing approach for firms all over the world.

Video Editing is among the most definitive freelancing jobs to enter. If you have advanced instruction, you already can assist others in editing and improving their written work. And video editors will forever be in demand as long as people continue to write.

One of the most significant aspects of success is determining your freelance editing prices. And the amount you should charge is entirely dependent on the type of editing you do. Here’s what you should know:

To give you a rough idea, a beginner freelance video editor could charge anywhere from $20 to $50 per video or more. Beyond fundamentals videography, for an intermediate and advanced freelancer, your service charges can go up to $100-$300 and $500-$1000+ respectively. 

How Much to Charge for Freelance Video Editing?

Video editing is a type of post-production work that involves the altering and rearranging of video footage to create motion work that includes sound and visual segments.

A video editor’s work expertise is decided by his video editing talents, tools, and comprehension of the video plot to produce a properly acceptable result.

A professional video editor may work as a freelancer for a variety of customers. He is a specialist in his own right, but he opted to work with several local customers in the visual digital sphere.

He works on a variety of video editing projects, including advertisement, filmmaking, musical, commercial, events programs, documentary editing, and entertainment, to name a few. So, how much should he charge as a freelance video editor?

Factors That influence Freelance Video Editing Pricing

A professional video editor must decide how much to charge for his services. Hourly, project-based, and fixed amount are the most common pricing methods. 

Furthermore, variables such as skills and qualifications, proficiency levels, and region determine freelance video editing rates.

It includes factors like tax, task difficulty, the need for special tools, features such as voicing, and the resources required to complete each video editing project. Other than these, some factors are:

1. Cinematography or Videography

You should budget for a video editing service if you need it for videography or cinematography. Because individuals would be required to play parts, this might be a costly video service.

This form of video will necessitate the use of specialized techniques that combine video content with text. The project may be more difficult than others. As a result, a premium price can be justified.

2. Editing for Documentaries

Documentation is an important information source on a certain topic or issue. It contains a lot of information and data. When documentation is provided in the form of a video, it becomes much more effective.

It will be visual, which will make it more credible and appealing to those viewing it. This sort of service may have an average video editing pace.

Although some firms charge exorbitant fees based on their reputation.

3. Commercial Videos & Promotional Videos for Businesses

Making a commercial or a company marketing video is not difficult. It is most likely the simplest video service that a user may obtain. Simply make an explanation film, such as a PowerPoint explainer video or a short-animated video, in this case. 

The cost may be rather modest. Just make sure you’re still receiving a branded video for the services you’re providing. It is one effective approach to persuade consumers to pick your brand.

The credentials of the video editor are one of the aspects that will influence the cost of a video editing service. Experience and skill are important factors in determining one’s service rate. 

Beginners generally begin at low rates. However, once they have demonstrated their abilities, they may rapidly boost their charges.

Advanced video editors who are experts in their profession are typically compensated at a premium and costly video editing rates.

As a beginner, it is recommended to examine the going prices in your nearby market when determining your video editing charges. With time, you will be capable of charging more if you outperform the competitors and establish a dependable service.

For example, if you provide video editing skills on a particular social media platform, you must stick to the regular service pricing until you become a pro or create service excellence in order to boost your fee without being rejected by your clients.

How Much Should You Charge for Video Editing as a Freelancer?

Well, let’s see how much you should be charging for your freelance video editing services from clients/companies:

Video Editing Rates Per Hour

Most freelancers charge hourly prices for their services. With such timely service, they may break down the work into hourly compensation to determine their daily income. 

Editing 8 hours a day at $20 per hour will get you around $160. Can you easily raise this fee with your current skillset without losing business? Your honest response should influence what to charge in conjunction with the other variables outlined before.

The daily Fee

This is a difficult costing choice, especially when faced with a complex project that may take many days to complete. Your fee is constant regardless of how many hours you spend every day, therefore you must exercise caution if you choose this costing option. 

This pricing should be set according to the work required. Generally, somewhere in the range of a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.

The fixed Cost

This pricing approach charges a flat fee for the duration of the project. It makes no difference how many days or hours it takes; your income will not alter. 

Here as well, the differentiator is the type and difficulty of work. This goes from tens of dollars to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. But whatever project you are working on, you shouldn’t charge anything less than a hundred dollars. Sure, it can go upwards according to the requirements and work.

Pricing Table for Video Editing Services According to Experience

Freelancer ExperienceCharges
Beginner20-50+ USD per video
Intermediate100-300+ USD per video
Expert500-1000+ USD per video

Freelance Video Editing Charges According To Length

It’s obvious that different video lengths are going to have different charges asked by a video editor/freelancer. Let’s have a look at them.

How Much Should I Charge to Edit a 1 Minute Video?

You must charge what the industry will bear, according to the principles of a free market. That being said, understanding how valuable your time is and how much other individuals performing comparable jobs with similar skill sets charge is really beneficial.

It truly relies on your expertise and how much time you have to invest into a clip; for easy videos that don’t take a lot of work, you could charge anywhere from $35hr to $50hr. 

That also changes depending on your expertise and competence; alternatively, you may just charge a blocking or fixed rate of $100 to $200 for every clip.

How Much Should I Charge to Edit a 10 Minute Video? 

If the video is 10–15 minutes long, the price would rise significantly since there is more time and effort needed, which is more than simply editing; you will have to go through all unedited footage and select the finest shots and performances; assembling together a short film is more complex.

All of your footage will very certainly require color grading and lighting improvements.

The standard price for a beginner freelance video editor to charge for his services can go from $300-$500. If you’re confident in your video editing expertise, you can easily charge up to $800 for a 10-minute video. 

How Much Should I Charge to Edit a 30 Minute Video? 

The average cost of editing a 30-minute pre-shot video can be $1,000 including the basic 2-D graphics, picture, and audio upgrades. 

In this area, you must work with a screenplay, precise instructions, and a design guideline. Perhaps match a specific appearance and feel.

These are, in my opinion, the most difficult kind of videos. And, in general, the costliest. Costs for longer videos differ so much that we can’t really offer you a number that is both true and appropriate for your scenario. 

Selecting the appropriate video editor should not be rushed. Do your research, decide what kind of work will be required, and take decisions based on that. 

How Much to Charge for Freelance Video Editing Per Hour?

The cost will be determined mostly by the volume of source material the customer provides and the length of the final film. So, for extremely short personal videos, it can just be about $100 USD. 

On the other hand, for exceptionally long films, you may charge $1,000 USD. And, of course, anything else in the middle of the said bracket

Video editing is a crucial skill that may either take your video to another level or leave you with a substandard result.

Tips to Charge Reasonable Rates as a Video Editor

Before we get into how much a video editor may anticipate making, let’s talk about one of the most crucial factors. How can you make the most money for your job as a video editor? 

It makes no difference if you’re a freelancer, a firm founder, or a staff member. You’ll have to negotiate your pricing at some time. Here are a few pointers to help you become a more effective communicator.

Video Editing Rates in Your Location

Just an example – Florida’s rates are likely to be significantly different from those in Southern California. The more information you can get on what is “fair and usual” in your marketplace, the better.

You can discover some information about certain places on the web (and in this blog), but it’s always a good idea to ask around.

Understand What You Need to Learn

Consider running expenditures including equipment, software licensing, professional dues, advertising charges, health insurance, and so on. When you’re freelancing, you will be shocked at how many more tools you’ll require. And you’ll have to buy them. 

Make Sure you Fully Comprehend The Terms

Check to see if you’re going to get paid by the hour/day/week/month or if the job is a flat bid “all in.” To begin, while delivering an estimate to your customer, you must know how long the job will take. 

If you’re new to this, you could feel like you’re shooting arrows in the dark at first. However, estimating a project’s edit time should soon become second nature—certainly from your perspective. 

In Conclusion 

Based on the information above, the hourly fee of a freelance video editor can be between 25 USD and 45 USD for a beginning video editor, between 45 USD and 60 USD for an intermediate video editor, and between 60 USD and 100 USD for an expert video editor. It is true that professional post

With that, I hope you found this post helpful. In case you’ve got questions to ask or suggestions to offer, please use the comments section down below.

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