The ultimate guide to vlog editing for beginners

Want to express your authenticity and create a better connection with your viewers? Share your daily life, travel diaries, unique experiences, and behind-the-scenes footage through entertaining vlogs. From vertical vlogs on TikTok and Instagram to the original widescreen videos on YouTube, vlogs are one of the most popular styles of videos to create and watch.

With the right recording and video editing techniques, like voiceovers, background music, sticker overlays, and transitions, you can create the perfect vlog in no time. 

Explore how to create and edit your vlogs like a pro and learn how to stand out from your competitors online through the best vlogging tips with Clipchamp. 

What is a vlog?

A vlog is short for a video blog, or a video log that is a style of video content where creators record their daily life, thoughts, activities, and experiences. With increasing numbers of people consuming traditional vlogs on YouTube, micro vlogging is also highly popular on TikTok and Instagram.

From trending content creators like Alix Earle sharing ‘get ready with me vlogs’ on TikTok and Emma Chamberlain sharing travel vlogs on YouTube, the options are limitless when it comes to vlogging. Just be sure to keep within platform guidelines and respectful while vlogging around others in public spaces. 

How to plan and create a vlog that get views

Choose your vlogging niche

Before starting your vlog, establish who you would like to create videos for, your niche, the specific topic, industry, and what interests you and your viewers. Creators can record and create vlogs about absolutely anything, but that doesn’t guarantee views. Make sure you’re passionate about the topics you choose to record, and that they match your channel’s niche. If your vlog content relates to your existing viewers, they’re more likely to engage with your videos.  

Brainstorm your vlog production

Before you start filming, create a plan or storyboard of what you would like to vlog with a beginning, middle, and end. Days can become quite busy, so planning what you would like to film will remind you to record. If there’s no clear plan or structure to your video, vlogs can be hard to follow as there’s limited footage available to piece together. Remember, if you forget your vlogging camera, just use your smartphone to record.  

Plan your video recording and editing

Once you know what you would like to record in your vlog, plan what style of camera angles and editing techniques. Create a rough outline of the point and visuals you might like to add to your vlog to take it to the next level. These can include time-lapse clips, B-roll clips, point-of-view videos, green screen footage, and even drone shots. Try to record your video clips in chronological order so video editing is a little easier too. 

Essential vlogging tools

No matter your budget, create professional vlogs that are ready for social media in no time. Follow our essential vlogging camera and equipment tips below. 

1. Versatile vlogging camera

Don’t have a professional camera? Don’t worry. Vloggers, especially TikTok vloggers, are using smartphones to record high-quality vlogs. Especially if your smartphone is paired with a gimbal that counteracts unwanted movement and vibrations, you can create the same quality video as those using a DSLR camera. If you have access to a DSLR or professional camera, add a stabilizer to your camera set up to record vlogs on the go without having shaky footage.  

2. High quality vlogging microphone

Great microphones mean even better sound quality with minimal background noise. If you’re vlogging in public, consider investing in an external microphone that can attach to your smartphone or camera. This will minimize background noise like traffic, wind, and talking, so viewers can easily focus on your narration and not be distracted. With a good microphone, you can record your voice for your videos easily.

3. Ring lighting or natural lighting

Whether you’re recording outside or indoors, using the right lighting equipment can take your vlog quality to the next level. Poorly lit environments never look good on camera, so adding a small external ring light that attaches to your smartphone or camera is the perfect solution. This reduces the color correction you need to do in post-production.

4. Easy video editor

Whether you're a beginner or pro, simplify your video editing workflow with a free online video editor packed with professional features. Turn your daily life content into engaging videos in seconds with Clipchamp. Drag and drop multiple video clips onto the timeline, trim, crop, and resize video footage if it’s recorded in the wrong aspect ratio. You can add stock music and B-roll with free stock videos, add on-theme subscribe stickers, and even use intro and outro video templates to make your vlog YouTube ready.  

5. Subtitle generator

Subtitles and captions have become an essential element to all good videos as they make content more accessible, inclusive, and easier to follow on mute. Add value to your vlogs and stay ahead of your competitors with the accurate subtitle generator in Clipchamp. You can even download your YouTube transcript in SRT file format. 

How to edit a vlog with Clipchamp

Step 1. Upload your video clips 

To import your vlog media files, click on the import media button inside the your media tab on the toolbar. Browse your media files and click on the open button to import.  

Drag and drop your video clips onto the timeline to get started. 

Step 2. Trim and enhance your video clips

If your footage is too long, simply trim your videos to suit the timeframe you’re looking for. Click on the video on the timeline, then drag the green sidebars to the left of the timeline. This will reduce the length of the video. If you make your video too short, drag the sidebar to the right of the timeline to make it longer.

Next, adjust the colors of your video by applying a video filter, effect or manually adjusting correcting your video colors from the property panel.

Step 3. Edit the audio of your videos

If your vlog has audio, click on the audio tab on the property panel. Here, you can adjust the volume of your audio using the slider. Drag the slider to the right to make your video’s audio louder or drag to the left to make the audio softer. You can also remove any unwanted background noise by toggling on noise suppression. 

If your audio and video are in separate tracks, split your audio where you would like to mute using the split tool, then click mute the snipped of audio using the audio tab on the property panel. This feature is perfect for removing mistakes and removing profanities.

Step 4. Add vlog music, stickers, and text

To add background music onto your vlog, select the content library tab on the toolbar, and select music from the audio drop down arrow, to browse the stock audio library.

You can type in keywords in the search bar to look for specific genres, themes, or moods, or click on the see more button within a music category. Don’t forget to turn down the volume of your background music so viewers can still hear your vlog audio. 

Next, add sticker overlays. To add overlays like subscribe buttons, emojis, and even ASL sign language stickers, click on the content library tab on the toolbar and click on the visuals drop down arrow, then choose stickers. You can also browse frames, overlays, shapes, backgrounds, annotations and GIFs.

Drag and drop your sticker onto the timeline above your video. Edit your stickers size using the floating toolbar on the video preview.

You can also add motion titles and text to your vlog using the text tab on the toolbar. Click on the text tab then select a title. Drag and drop the title onto the timeline above your video. Edit your text, font, size, alignment, color, and placement in the property panel.  

Step 5. Add subtitles to your vlog  

To make your vlog more accessible to all viewers, add subtitles using the auto captions feature. Click on the captions tab on the property panel, then click turn on auto captions. Follow the on-screen prompts to transcribe your video with AI. Customize the size, colors and placement of your captions easily.

When you create captions, you can also enjoy our intelligent silence removal feature. This feature will find any pause or silence that’s longer than 3 seconds in your video and highlight it in purple so you can trim or delete them with ease.

Step 6. Save your vlog and share to YouTube

To save your vlog, click on the export button then select a video resolution. We recommend selecting 1080p video resolution for the best quality vlog. If your vlog has 4K video footage, save your vlog in 4K video resolution.

On the exporting page, upload your vlog to YouTube using the YouTube sharing integration.

Check out our guide on how to write video scripts for ideas on how to structure your vlog's content. Start creating vlogs with Clipchamp or download the Clipchamp Windows app. 

For more video editing tips, check out audio editing hacks.