Often, the first question people ask is where can I find a good video editor? However, the more useful question is what kind of video editing do I actually need? The answer to the second question will determine everything else.
This guide will walk you through the process of finding the right editor for your needs.
What are you using video editing for?
Before we consider the options or the costs involved in the process, it’s worth considering the nature of your needs. There are three different scenarios calling for three different approaches.
- One-off or occasional projects: A product launch video, an event highlight reel, a brand film produced once. These are one-off projects with no further expectations.
- Regular content: Weekly social media posts, a YouTube channel, monthly product videos, regular internal communications. This is a rhythm, not a project. The editing never really stops.
- A specific campaign or production: Time-bounded but complex; a series, a launch with multiple assets, something that requires more creative involvement than execution alone.
Once decided, you can move on to the next step.
What type of editing do you need?
This is something that is often overlooked, and it matters more than it seems. Video editing covers a wide range of specialisms and not every editor does all of them well.
Basic social media editing skills such as cuts, captions, music, and format are within most editors’ capabilities. Colour grading to a cinematic look is another skill set. Motion graphics and animation are another skill set again. Long-form documentary editing, where narrative and pacing decisions are complex, requires a different set of instincts to short-form social content.
Your options
If you are working within an organisation, the first question is whether someone on the team can take on the work. However, the true cost of doing it in-house is not just the time spent editing. If a marketing coordinator spends ten to fifteen hours a month on video editing, that is time taken away from their core responsibilities. Skill is the other key factor. Being able to cut footage and add titles is not the same as producing consistent, high-quality work month after month.
Let’s dive into the options you have to access professional editing.
Freelance editors
Freelance editors are hired on a per-project or per-hour rate.
Where to find them: Upwork, Malt, People Per Hour, LinkedIn, referral. For social media content, creator communities on Instagram and TikTok can also be good avenues to find editors who specialise in these types of content.
What it costs: Freelance video editing rates vary widely: €30–€50/hour for entry-level, €50–€90/hour for mid-level, and €100+/hour for senior or specialist editors. Cheaper international options exist, but quality can be hit-or-miss, and editors unfamiliar with your local audience may struggle to hit the right tone.
What works well: Flexibility, no long-term commitment, the ability to find someone with expertise in exactly the area you need for a particular project.
What to watch for: Quality will vary enormously and isn’t always obvious. Availability isn’t guaranteed, and the best editors will be in demand. Style and consistency over time can vary if you work with different editors across projects. Relationship management and chasing up the work and the edits will be your responsibility.
Video Production Agencies
A video or marketing agency will offer a more comprehensive service, often covering scripting, filming, editing, and delivery. They are typically better suited for entire marketing or advertising campaigns, or a video project that involves more than just editing.
What it costs: They tend to be the most expensive option. Agency day rates can range from €600 to €900, increasing for larger and/or specialist agency types. For retainer-based contracts costs will typically fall in the range of €1,500 to €5,000 per month, depending on the amount of content creation needed.
What works well: Account management, consistent quality, and the ability to deal with complex multi-asset productions. A good agency relationship can greatly help reduce your workload.
What to watch for: Agencies are set up for handling large-scale and complex productions. For regular or simple video editing requirements, the overhead of an agency can be disproportionate to what is actually needed. Many agencies also include filming, so if you are producing your own footage, you may be paying for a structure you are not fully using.
Hiring in-house
An in-house editor makes sense at a certain volume of work, but that threshold is higher than most people assume.
What it costs: The salary for a junior to mid-level video editor in Europe will be between €25,000 and €40,000 per year. Employer contributions, equipment, software licenses, and management time are additional costs to be accounted for.
What works well: Deep knowledge of the brand over time, immediate availability, integration into the rest of the team, and no briefing required once you have a good relationship in place.
What to watch for: The hiring process takes time and can be risky. At lower volume, in-house is rarely the most cost-effective way to go. The business also becomes dependent on one person’s availability, skills, and continued employment.
Subscription editing services
A fixed monthly subscription provides access to professional video editing on an ongoing basis. You send the footage in, they edit it for you, you review and approve the work. The same team works on your projects every month. This is the structure we use at Kapibara Social.
What it costs: The cost of video editing services from a subscription model can vary from €250 to €2,000+ per month. The cost depends on the volume of work, the turnaround times required, and the number of projects being worked on simultaneously. Plans at Kapibara Social cost between 299€ and 1299€ per month.
What works well: Predictable cost, no hiring or management overhead, a team that learns your brand over time, consistent output without starting from zero each month. Covers a broad range of standard editing formats: social clips, interviews, product videos, training content, etc. It usually offers unlimited revisions without additional cost.
What to watch for: Subscription services are built for regular output. If your video needs are infrequent or unpredictable, a subscription may not make financial sense. High-end cinematic production (colour grading of professional RAW files, complex visual effects, multi-camera shoots) tend to sit outside the scope of most standard plans.
Compare options
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| Freelance editor | Video production agency | In-house editor | Subscription service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| best for | One-off or occasional projects | Campaigns needing more than editing | High-volume organisations with regular editing needs | All organisations or creators with regular editing needs |
| typical cost | €30–€100+ /hour | €1,500–€5,000+ /month | €35,000–€55,000 /year | €250–€1,500 /month |
| contract | Project agreement | Formal service contract | Employment contract | Service agreement |
| consistency | Varies by editor | High | High | High |
| ongoing use | Possible, needs active management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| notes | Flexible, specialised skills — quality can vary, briefing required each time | Handles multi-asset projects, consistent quality, account management reduces coordination burden | Deep brand familiarity, immediate availability — high fixed costs, risk if employee leaves | Predictable cost, consistent output, covers a broad range of formats — great for regular ongoing editing |
Questions worth asking before deciding
A few practical questions that point clearly toward the best option for your case:
How often do you need video editing?
Weekly or more — subscription or in-house.
Monthly — subscription or freelance.
Occasionally — freelance.
What is your monthly budget?
Under €300 — freelance per project.
€300 to €2,000 — subscription service.
€1,500 and above — subscription, agency retainer or in-house hire.
Do you need editing or more?
Editing only — freelance, subscription, or in-house.
Scripting, filming, strategic direction — agency.
How important is consistency of style over time?
Very important — subscription, in-house, or agency.
Less critical — any.
Can you manage an ongoing external relationship?
Yes — any
No — subscription, agency or in-house removes that overhead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a freelance editor is good before hiring them?
Ask for examples of work that are similar to what you need: same format, same platform, similar content type. A strong portfolio for Instagram Reels does not automatically translate to strong corporate interview editing. Also ask about their revision process and how they handle feedback. An editor who asks good questions upfront is a better sign than one who asks none.
What is the difference between a video editor and a videographer?
A videographer makes videos. A video editor works with videos they are given. Some people are both, but they are different skills. If you are filming your own content on a phone or camera, you need an editor, not a videographer.
How long should a video edit take?
A simple sixty-second social clip should take no more than a couple of days. A five-minute interview with multiple rounds of revision might take a week. Longer or more complex pieces take longer. Make sure that your editor or service provides clear turnaround estimates upfront. At Kapibara Social we offer competitive turnaround times starting from 48h.
What will I need to give the video editor?
The raw footage, a brief explaining what you want the finished video to achieve and where it will be used, any brand guidelines, and references for style or tone if you have them. The more specific the brief, the closer the first draft will be to what you want.
Can I give my video editing job to the same editor for different types of video?
Possibly. An editor with broad experience across formats can handle variety. One who specialises in a particular style may not be the right fit for everything. Worth asking before committing or hiring a service that provides a range of specialisms.
Kapibara Social offers subscription video editing for businesses and content creators who produce video on an ongoing basis.
