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The Secret to Finding Good Video Editors for Your Channel

0h 06m video Published Apr 2, 2024 Transcribed Jul 28, 2026 Nate Curtiss Nate Curtiss
Intermediate 3 min read For: YouTube creators and content managers looking to build a video editing team.
AI Trust Score 75/100
⚠️ Average / Some Fluff

"Delivers actionable methods beyond generic advice, truthful to the title with solid content density."

AI Summary

The video explains why third-party platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are suboptimal for hiring long-term video editors due to quality, fees, and communication barriers, and then presents six alternative methods for finding high-quality editors.

[00:01]
Why Third-Party Platforms Fail

The creator shares personal experience with over 72 video editors and explains why Freelancer, Fiverr, and Upwork are not ideal for long-term collaboration due to quality issues, platform fees (Fiverr takes 20% from freelancer + 5% from buyer, Upwork takes 10%+5%), and communication restrictions that penalize off-platform communication.

[02:37]
Networking Method

Reach out to other YouTubers for recommendations on editors. Use Twitter to find editors by searching for 'editor' in bios or asking who edited a specific video. This method is effective for finding editors not actively seeking work.

[03:31]
Rabbit Hole Method

Find a YouTuber, look at who they follow, specifically profiles with 'editor' in their bio. Then look at who those editors follow to discover more high-quality editors. This exploits the fact that editors follow other editors.

[04:12]
Stalker Method (YouTube Jobs)

Use YouTube Jobs (a platform that takes no commission from sellers) to browse editor profiles. Filter for 'video editor' and check verified reviews. This balances quality and price without the fees of other platforms.

[05:02]
Local Method

Find editors in your local area for in-person meetings. This offers the best communication but higher cost. In the UK, editors expect around $5000/month full-time salary.

[05:40]
Student/High School Method

Hire high school or college students looking for experience. Lower quality but cheap and trainable. Great for communication and training.

[06:05]
Set and Forget Method (Paid Listings)

Use paid listings on platforms like YouTube Jobs or Seek to attract many applicants. Costs time and money but saves effort in sourcing.

Finding a good video editor requires prioritizing quality over low cost and avoiding third-party platforms for long-term work. By using networking, rabbit holes, and local connections, you can build a reliable team that saves time and helps grow your channel.

Mentioned in this Video

Tutorial Checklist

1 00:01 Stop using Fiverr and Upwork for long-term editors due to fees and communication issues.
2 02:37 Use the networking method: ask YouTubers for recommendations or search Twitter profiles for 'editor'.
3 03:31 Apply the rabbit hole method: find a YouTuber's follows, then follow their editors' follows to discover more.
4 04:12 Use the stalker method on YouTube Jobs: filter for video editors with verified reviews without paying fees.
5 05:02 Try the local method: find editors in your area for in-person collaboration (higher cost).
6 05:40 Consider the student method: hire high school or college students for lower cost and train them.
7 06:05 Use the set-and-forget method: post paid listings on YouTube Jobs or Seek to attract many applicants.

Study Flashcards (7)

What are the three main reasons to avoid Fiverr/Upwork for long-term editors?

medium Click to reveal answer

1. Low quality due to editors juggling multiple clients. 2. High fees (Fiverr 20%+5%, Upwork 10%+5%) leading to inflated prices. 3. Poor communication tools and penalties for off-platform communication.

00:29

How does the networking method work?

easy Click to reveal answer

Reach out to YouTubers for recommendations or search Twitter profiles with 'editor' in their bio to start conversations.

02:37

What is the rabbit hole method for finding editors?

medium Click to reveal answer

Find a YouTuber, look at who they follow (especially profiles with 'editor' in bio), then look at those editors' follows to find more high-quality editors.

03:31

What is the stalker method and which platform does it use?

easy Click to reveal answer

Use YouTube Jobs to browse editor profiles with verified reviews; no commission fees.

04:12

What are the pros and cons of the local method?

medium Click to reveal answer

Pros: in-person communication (most efficient). Cons: much higher cost; in the UK, editors expect ~$5000/month full-time.

05:02

What is the student method and what is its main trade-off?

easy Click to reveal answer

Hire high school or college students for experience. Trade-off: lower quality but cheap and trainable.

05:40

How much does Fiverr charge in total for a $100 transaction?

hard Click to reveal answer

Buyer pays $105 (5% fee), seller receives $80 (20% fee), so platform takes $25 total.

01:22

💡 Key Takeaways

📊

Platform Fees and Quality Issues

Reveals the hidden costs and quality trade-offs of using mainstream freelancer platforms for video editing.

00:29
🔧

Rabbit Hole Discovery Technique

Creative method leveraging social graph to find untapped talent.

03:31
💡

YouTube Jobs as a Fee-Free Alternative

Highlights a lesser-known platform that doesn't charge commissions, offering a balance of quality and price.

04:12
⚖️

Local Editors Offer Best Communication

Emphasizes the value of in-person interaction for resolving issues quickly.

05:02

[00:01] nearly 72 YouTube video editors and I've made every mistake in the book but now finally have a great team of editors for both my agency and channel and so today experience into one simple guide so you can find the best video editors for your

[00:16] own channel But first you need to stop using third party platforms the current freelancer let alone video editors is that you should use a platform like Fiverr or upwork the reason this narrative exists is because a lot of

[00:29] people believe they can capitalize on or even exploit the currency differences developed countries and also the ease of use of these platforms now these platforms are great but when it comes to finding a highquality long-term video

[00:42] editor there are three big reasons why I wouldn't use them first I found that the quality of sellers on these platforms just isn't that great for lower budgets it's instead because they are typically working with a bunch of different

[00:54] customers meaning they aren't able to commit as much time to your project as lot of people coming to them you might expect an imong godi style documentary edit for half price by working on one of these platforms when in reality you'll

[01:07] don't get me wrong though Fiverr and upward can be really great for oneoff you're looking for long-term quality it's very hard to find it unless you logistics of how the platform works for example Fiverr takes 20% from the

[01:22] freelancer and charges the buyer in additional 5% while upwork takes 10% from the freelancer and charges the buyer an additional 5% this means means that if you agree on $100 for an edit you as the buyer will pay around $15

[01:34] while the editor will only take home $80 to $90 this system results in a lot of really good Freelancers jacking up their prices to offset the differences which for a long-term collaboration in reality

[01:46] gone up massively in the last few years so if they're decent they likely won't be charging $ 20 to $30 on a platform like Fiverr instead they're going to be doing their own thing off platform which leads me on to reason three the

[02:00] platforms are typically just very clunky when it comes to long-term communication again oneoff projects I totally recommend you use one of these platforms you're going to be doing recurringly one of the most important aspects you need

[02:12] to consider is communication and when working on a platform like Fiverr or upwork it can be really difficult for instance these platforms are very particular about keeping sellers on their platform and so they penalize most

[02:24] forms of third-party communication between buyers and sellers this results and sellers being very hesitant to go off platform and join your systems as livelihood now at this point you know why these platforms just won't work when

[02:37] video editor the good news however is that I have a bunch of tried and tested methods for finding good quality editors the first of which I call the networking method the networking method involves connecting with other people within your

[02:50] space for example you could reach out to YouTubers that you know and ask them for recommendations on who they're using or who they know of that is looking for the the one I've used the most and would say it's the most effective for finding

[03:03] when networking is to just reach out to somebody whom you don't know and ask them who edited their video the best method for this involves using Twitter with YouTubers Twitter is going to be your best friend simply because it's the

[03:17] about a person by looking at their profile and using Twitter if you find an using the search bar you can start a conversation with them and see if they're looking for new work you can also network with YouTubers or editors

[03:31] have editors reach out to you which can make things even easier but when it technique that I call the rabbit hole method to use this method you'll first want to find a YouTuber and then see who they are following then when looking at

[03:45] with the word editor video editor YouTube video editor or anything similar as their tagline after that you can reach out to them and ask if they are further into the Rabbit Hole by using the same tactic on the editor's profile

[03:59] file looking at who they follow because I found that highquality editors tend to follow other highquality editors and vice versa so by looking at who editors editors that aren't being chased by other creators remember not every

[04:12] Creator and so there are a ton of incredible editors out there without a make them harder to find but it also means they are much easier to keep on your team long term as they aren't being tempted by other creators but if Twitter

[04:26] the stalker method I call call this what you're essentially going to do is stock video editors profiles on the platform YouTube jobs now I know I said earlier you shouldn't use external

[04:38] platforms but this one is different YouTube jobs doesn't take any commission from the seller and they don't charge you at all the only time they do charge is if you want to create and advertise a listing but you don't need to do that

[04:50] instead you can just go to Talent filter for video editor and then it's going to show you editors with verified reviews and collaborations from other YouTubers using this method you're going to find a nice balance between quality and price

[05:02] price and instead just want the best quality possible you'll then need the local method the local method involves finding video editors within your local area and by local I mean so close that you can meet with them over coffee in

[05:15] somebody locally is that you'll have access to meeting them and communicating in person which is by far the most efficient and effective method for issues and to be honest I've also found that local editors are of much higher

[05:28] quality the only issue however is that local editors are going to charge you a lot more than somebody online depending on where you live for example here in than most other countries and a lot of

[05:40] editors are going to expect around a $5,000 a month or more full-time salary it involves hiring high school or college students looking for more experience now you won't get the same quality but you will get the benefits of

[05:52] great communication at a cheaper rate and if you are talented enough yourself you can always train them and finally method six is the set and forget method a platform like YouTube jobs or even something more formal like seek to

[06:05] cost you a bit of money but it will get you in touch with a lot of extremely editors depending on what you are willing to pay the other benefit of this hour or two creating a listing and then we'll have hundreds if not thousands of

[06:20] people come to you and again it'll cost you but if you're stuck for time this is in all finding a decent video editor isn't going to be easy cuz you need to prioritize high quality over low prices stop using third party platforms and do

[06:33] worth your time but once you do this you'll save a lot of time and energy growing your channel and presence as a growing your channel and presence as a Creator thanks for

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