"How much does video editing cost?" has no single answer, because "a video" can mean a 20-second social clip or a 10-minute interview with graphics and music. This guide explains how video editing is priced, what pushes the cost up, and how to get a fair quote without overpaying.
Prices below come from published rate guides and vary by editor, region, and project. They are typical ranges, not quotes, and they are not our prices.
Typical price ranges
- Hourly rates: published guides put freelance editors at roughly $25 to $150 or more per hour, with entry-level editors at the low end and specialists at the high end
- Per project: many guides cite about $300 to $1,500 or more for a typical small business video, depending on length and complexity
- Short social edits: a 60 to 90 second edit is often quoted somewhere in the low hundreds
- Per finished minute: quoted prices vary enormously, from modest rates for simple cuts to several hundred dollars for heavily produced pieces with motion graphics and color work
For examples, see rate guides from Vidico and Moon B. Their numbers differ from each other, which tells you something: the range is wide because the work is.
What drives the price
- Amount of raw footage. Ten minutes of footage and ten hours are very different jobs
- Finished length. Longer videos take more time to pace and polish
- Number of versions. A horizontal version, a vertical version, and three short clips from the same footage add up
- Captions. Useful and often expected, and they take time to do carefully
- Motion graphics and titles. Custom animation costs more than simple text
- Color and audio repair. Fixing poor sound or mismatched cameras takes work
- Music licensing. Licensed music costs money, and using music you do not have rights to can get a video removed
- Revisions. Unlimited changes are rarely free. Agree on a number up front
- Turnaround. Rush jobs usually cost extra
How to get a fair quote
- Describe the goal, the audience, the length, and where the video will be shown
- Say how much footage you have and how it will be shared
- Ask for a fixed price in writing, and ask what is included, including revisions and captions
- Ask to see examples of similar videos they have edited
- Ask who owns the final files and whether you get the project files or only the finished video
- Be careful with a price far below everyone else's, and with quotes that ignore how much footage you have
Things that save money
- Shoot with clear sound. Good audio is hard to fix and easy to capture
- Hold shots steady and record a little extra at the start and end of each shot
- Decide the goal before you hand over footage, so nobody edits in the wrong direction
- Batch several videos together if you need more than one
What we do
We edit footage you send into polished videos for small businesses, organizations, and creators, including promos, testimonials, social clips, and events. Because we are a web studio, we can also place the finished video on your website properly. See our Video Editing service, or read our guide to website costs if you are planning a site as well.
Have footage that needs editing?
Send it over. We will tell you what we would do with it and what it will cost, before you commit to anything.
Common questions
Q: How much does video editing cost?
Published rate guides vary widely. Freelance editors commonly charge anywhere from about $25 to $150 or more per hour, and many small business projects land between a few hundred and a couple of thousand dollars. Length, footage volume, and the amount of polish drive the price more than anything else.
Q: How much does video editing cost per minute?
It depends on the style. Simple cuts of straightforward footage cost far less per finished minute than a heavily produced piece with motion graphics, color work, and sound design. Be wary of any per-minute number that ignores how much raw footage there is.
Q: Is hourly or per-project pricing better?
Per-project pricing is usually better for a small business, because you know the total up front. Hourly makes sense when the scope is unclear, but ask for an estimate and a cap.
Q: What makes video editing more expensive?
More raw footage, longer finished length, multiple versions (such as vertical and horizontal), captions, motion graphics, color correction, audio repair, music licensing, and extra rounds of revisions.
Q: What should I send an editor?
Your raw footage, a short description of the goal and audience, any logos or photos to include, music you have a license to use, and examples of videos you like. Clear direction saves more money than anything else.
Q: Should I hire a video editor or edit it myself?
For a quick clip, doing it yourself in a phone app can be fine. For anything that represents your business, a professional edit usually pays off in clearer sound, better pacing, and a more trustworthy result.