10 Best Video Editing Apps for Social Media

In today's social media world, videos are the key to success.. Marketers are adopting this new wave of content creation to get more exposure and drive higher engagement. Gen Z is leading the pack with this movement, and business owners have quickly adapted to this form of marketing over the past few years.

A global study from the Social Shepherd reports that, on average, consumers watch 84 minutes of video daily. If you want to capture your audience during their daily scroll, you need to use the best video editing apps to create innovative and memorable video content.

Why Are Video Editing Apps Important?

Knowing how to make your own video content is a practical skill for any marketer to have. While static imagery has its place in a content strategy, 66% of users aged 18-24 watch video on Instagram, while 63% watch video on TikTok — video content helps grow your audience, increase engagement and ultimately, capture users seeking social entertainment.  

While many teams might have designers, apps can streamline lo-fi content production and help your team produce outstanding video content. Users want easy-to-consume content, and video is the number one way to reach new audiences across social channels. 

Video editing apps are great for brands who want to make videos on social media but don’t have the bandwidth to spend countless hours teaching themselves all the tricky functions — even for marketers with video-editing experience, being able to edit short-form videos from your mobile device saves valuable time. There are plenty of editing apps made to be easy enough for everyone to use, regardless of their level of expertise. 

How To Choose a Video Editing App That’s Right For You

There are many editing apps for videos — knowing which one to use depends on your device and your platform. If you want to create a video, breaking down lo-fi vs. hi-fi video performance is best. Factors you should consider are sharing capabilities, features (i.e., cuts, transitions) and interface capabilities. 

If you want to make a TikTok or Instagram Reel, is the most effective way to edit. Mobile apps are designed for users to post promptly, are extremely easy to work from and help increase the virality of your videos. 

However, if you’re more of an intermediate-advanced editor looking to do something more complicated than your average edits, consider using your iPad or tablet for a more extensive interface. Many mobile video editing apps for Instagram and TikTok can be used for higher-grade features. 

If you edit content for YouTube, choose an app you can work from off your laptop or desktop. This way, your team can create stunning and engaging long-form content and have the capability to polish your video in a way that a mobile app would not support. 

What Is the Best Video Editing App? 

What is the best video editing app for you? As mentioned, the right app for your team depends on the devices you use and the channels you plan to share video content. 

To help you choose which app to use, we went into a deep dive into each social media platform and its top-line features.

Best Video Editing App for iOS

Splice has been rated one of the top video editing apps for iOS. 

• PRO: Splice is simple and powerful, combining multiple clips and is easy for novices to use. Top-line features include trimming, cutting, cropping, special effects (animation, transitions, fun filters) and music synchronization. It also has a built-in music library, which users love to use for trending audio.

• CON: A downside to this app is that it is a tiered subscription, which means not all the features are accessible for free — users who subscribe to the unpaid version report frequent crashes. 

Best Video Editing App for Android 

The best free video editing app for Android is Adobe Premiere Rush. 

• PRO: It’s great because users can choose between a fully automated or custom mode. The choice allows users to decide if they want to spend time editing something creative or just get a post out right away. Editing features include: drag and drop clips, adjusting sound, exposure, lighting, music library, creative cloud support and syncing with other Adobe products. 

• CON: The only downside to Adobe Premiere Rush is that the automated editing feature is slightly poorer quality than the manual features. 

Best Video Editing App for iPad

Chances are, if you’re using an iPad instead of a mobile device to edit, you’re looking for something less amateur. The iPad is great for more in-depth editing, like transitions and color correction. 

LumaFusion is known as one of the most intuitive video editing apps with fully functional features. Some features include multi-tracks for video and audio, special effects, slow and fast motion and up to 4K resolutions.

It's a fully paid app because it is more difficult for novice users. However, marketers often see a return on their investment from the high performance of videos from the app. 

Best Video Editing App for Instagram

The best video editing app for Instagram is Inshot. It’s rated 4.8 stars on Apple with 1M ratings. Inshot creates the perfect template for a Reel and gives you all the proportions needed to create the ideal Reel. Inshot is also perfect if you don’t have much editing experience. 

Features include: trim, cut, split, features to combine videos, add voice overs and a music library (music is an excellent touch to any video). Inshot starts at no cost, which is great for those who want to edit with a few quick fixes to a trending sound. Users' primary issue is watermarks and a lack of filters if you aren’t paying for the full version. 

Best App to Edit TikTok Videos

CapCut is seen as the best app to edit TikTok videos because it’s created by ByteDance (the owners of TikTok). It is also the best free video editing app for iPhone because it includes multiple features (cut, reverse, speed, crop), advanced filters, special effects, custom stickers, fonts and special effects. Users also love it because it displays many templates to create trending videos and can be exported directly to TikTok. 

Best YouTube Video Editing App

YouTube is the original video-making platform. If you grew up watching YouTube, you’ve probably attempted to make your own videos at some point. 

Final Cut Pro has been a tried and tested app for creators, influencers and business owners who use YouTube as a revenue generator. It’s the ultimate storytelling tool for long-form video content. This app is great because there are both paid and free versions that each include several features. 

All-around features include the highest-grade editing, audio, motion graphics, automatic HDR workflows and duplicate detection. These are made to be exported seamlessly to YouTube. Apple users swear by its functionality. 

If you’re new to YouTube, it’s important to explore and learn how to make a video on YouTube. Once you’ve created a video, you’ll want to learn how to streamline it to the right audience. Ensure you consider YouTube SEO to increase your chances of cutting through the noise and driving traffic to your videos. 

Best Twitter Video Editing App

Including videos on your Twitter profile is a great way to grow your platform. The leading app for editing videos on Twitter is Animoto. Animoto has helped brands drive higher traffic, sales and increased awareness for brands. It is straightforward to use, which makes it all the more desirable. The app features storyboard templates, sizing and ratios, and HD resolution for higher-quality content. Animoto also has personalization features that allow you to include music and text and add your logo watermark.

If you’re looking to save content that has already been posted from other uses on Twitter, there are a few third-party websites you can use to download Twitter videos. 

Best Facebook Editing App

Wondershare Filmora is the best app for video editing on Facebook, and can be used on desktop and mobile devices. It is excellent for novices who want to break into the space and take their time learning all the functions. This app allows you to use effects, filters, stickers and layer music to create exciting visuals. 

This app has a downside: it watermarks videos unless you subscribe to a plan. However, despite the paid subscription, it is more affordable than other apps on the market.

5 Video Editing Tips for Brands 

Having the right video editing software is only half the battle — when it comes to editing engaging, crisp and compelling video content, there are some key tips to keep in mind that will take your video over the edge and encourage your audience to keep watching. Here are five editing tips to use when creating and editing video content: 

Trim Your Video Content 

The best content is easily digestible. Trim your videos to include relevant ideas and inspiration. Less is more when it comes to video editing. As short-form video dominates the internet, make sure you’re filming is to the point. 

Keep Filters to a Minimum 

It can be overwhelming to scroll to a video that you can immediately tell has been highly edited. Social media has moved away from highly concentrated filters into a relatable and lo-fi aesthetic. Adding extraneous filters can be distracting and clunky. 

If you want to add fun lifestyle filters to your videos, check out the Tezza app, created by photographer and influencer Tezza Barton. 

Cut on Action

Most content on video editing stresses the importance of cutting the video immediately when it begins and ends, especially when connecting more than one video into one fluid edit. Make sure that your transitions are smooth between clips. Apps like Splice should be helpful when combining multiple video clips into a sequential one. Create a seamless transition that is captivating to watch. 

Edit Your Audio

Whether using a trending sound on TikTok or a trending Instagram Reels song, you must remove background noise in the editing process and make the audio clear and crisp. You want your viewers focused on your video rather than random sounds that distract from your message. 

In terms of what you want your audience to hear — pay attention to the trends across social media. Consider using trending Reels songs to edit your videos. Trending audios are essential because they help streamline a video to a broader range of users. 

The Dash Hudson platform has included a library of TikTok Trending Sounds to save social media managers hours scrolling TikTok looking for the right trends to use for their brand. The platform also gives examples of each sound for inspiration to make videos. 

Use the Right Equipment 

Quality is everything. Using the right tools to create meaningful content is essential for a successful video. Luckily, modern mobile cameras have become more innovative and intuitive, so you can often film with your phone! Check your video settings to make sure your device is set to the right quality (4K) for the type of content you want to take. 

Depending on what you film and the angles you want to capture, you may need to invest in a stabilizer or a tripod. Investing in a higher-grade camera is the way to go if you want to film a YouTube video. One of the most-recommended cameras by creators is the Canon G7X, known for its professional, crisp quality and compactness.

Use Dash Hudson To Enhance Your Video Strategy

Dash Hudson has created multiple tools to help enhance brands' video strategies. 

Dash Hudson's Predictive Vision AI is perfect for A/B testing your content. It leverages AI technology to see trends within your content and monitor your competitor's performance. You’ll be able to quickly point out what's working and what’s not, so you can adjust your content to maximize your ROI.

Campaigns allow you to understand which creators, media types and content drives the most ROI for your brand from a holistic perspective. This insight can help you create the perfect content for a winning video strategy.

Content Segmentation is also crucial to divide and evaluate which content will stand out. The Boards feature lets brands understand what content resonates most with their unique audience based on our fine-tuned data. 

FAQs

What are the best video editing apps? 

Some of the best video editing apps include — but aren’t limited to — CapCut, InShot, Lumafusion, Animoto and Splice. 

What is the best free video editing app? 

CapCut is one of the best free video editing apps created by ByteDance to promote TikTok users to create videos. 

What apps do YouTubers use to edit their videos? 

YouTubers often edit their videos with editing apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere.