Unless you are a professional video editor, video editing always makes you ask..."What do I want from video editing software?" Realistically, the number of tasks that can be done when editing video is quite extensive. If you are a beginner, learning a new video editing program can seem like a daunting task. This is why choosing the best video editing software to meet your goals without going overboard is as important as choosing a video recorder.

In deed learning everything about video editing is a difficult task. There are multiple audio and video tracks, transitions, splitting, extending, animation, capturing, importing, producing and a whole host of other advanced features that can drive you nuts. But do you really need all these features? Some people do, if you want to make professional grade, made for TV videos then of course you need high dollar, big feature software. But what if you’re only interested in making short videos for YouTube or enhancing home movies for family and friends? If that’s the case, a lower cost, lower feature video editor will work great.

Video editing is primarily a technical task that requires you to learn how to use the features of the video editing software; it is not a difficult thing to do. What prevents most people from advancing very far is the time it takes to learn. There are many features and functions and most features come with additional variations on how to use them. The more advanced the software, the more time it will take to learn and the longer it will take for you to produce videos.

Choosing software based on what you need without going overboard is the key to being able to produce great videos in the shortest amount of time. If you buy an editor that overwhelms you with features you’ll have a difficult time and probably be dissatisfied with the outcome. But how do you know what features you’ll need you ask. Research my friends’ research.

Fortunately learning about the capabilities of the many editing video software applications out on the market is quite easy these days. By searching for and going to video editing software review websites you can quickly discover everything you need to know to make the right choice. Review sites will describe all the features available in the most popular video editors and provide a rating for different categories of use. By reading the reviewers summary or conclusion of each editing program you can easily determine which video editor is right for you.