We all know that the content of our training sessions is what matters the most to our students, but we can't deny that everybody judges a book by its cover. Therefore we must take good care in presenting our videos.

Nowadays, good cinematographic cameras are not necessary to produce a good result from your videos, there are mobile cameras with very good resolution, even in 4K. But in this post, we are going to talk about the next step of creating an e-learning video: the editing.

Video editing is perhaps one of the most undervalued steps when creating an e-learning course, but it is, without a doubt, one of the most important. Not everything ends up in the final cut in a movie. The same goes with our online courses.

One of the reasons why people turn to online courses is because they are really accessible, and the content is presented in a well-structured manner. You rarely see an online course where the teacher makes mistakes and rectifies, something more normal and acceptable in a face-to-face class. It is a fact: a good online course has good video editing.

To do this, you can hire an external studio or, if you don't want to invest resources, edit them yourself.

We share with you a list of free and paid video editing software, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Shotcut

Shotcut is a free, open source, cross-platform video editor that is very easy to use and has great editing potential. It is compatible with almost any video format and allows you to capture videos from webcams, microphones, and even from the network.

It has a drag & drop working mode that allows you to easily add transitions and video filters from its large library. In addition, it allows you to edit the audio (volume, filters, and effects) directly from the timeline.

Davinci Resolve

Davinci Resolve is a very complete video editing tool and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You will be able to edit video, add visual effects, motion graphics, and use their star tools: color correction and audio post-production.

Being such a complete editing program and with so many options, its interface can be complex and not very intuitive.

It has a paid version and a free version, and although the free version has some limitations, it includes a wide range and variety of options that you won't realize that there is a paid version. The paid version allows working in teams of multiple users and includes more exclusive filters, among other functions.

iMovie

iMovie is an official free video editor from Apple. It can only be used with Mac computers, but it is compatible with iPhone. It is a quite simple tool to edit your videos, with a simple and intuitive interface. Among its various functions, in the last update they added the edition with chromas and the possibility to storyboard your productions.

Its Windows computer counterpart, Windows Movie Maker, is no longer available for download and is also not included in newer operating systems. It is for this reason that we have not added it to this list.

Lightworks

Lightworks is a professional video editor that is being used more and more. It mixes simple editing tools with more complex and advanced ones, but it has a somewhat strange and difficult-to-learn workflow, so it has a steep learning curve.

It has a paid version and a free version that greatly limits the resolution and export options, among other things.

Openshot

Openshot is another free and open source video editing software. It has many features expected of a good video editor and with a very intuitive interface. It also has a good online guide and a community that supports it.

Despite all this, it is prone to bugs and tends to slow down and shut down unexpectedly. Luckily, it has a security autosave feature.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere is perhaps the most widely used editing program in the world. It is a very advanced tool with a very wide range of options, with a very fluid workflow, and it produces high quality videos. In addition, it allows you to customize the work area according to the format of your project or your own preferences.

Combining it with Adobe After Effects, you can add animations and effects in your videos. The latest version of Premiere has added the option to creating infographics. Despite everything, it is a paid software from the Adobe pack and is a great investment.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is an editing program similar to Adobe Premiere, but exclusively for Mac users. We could say that it is an advanced version of iMovie, full of possibilities. It has a very intuitive interface for those who have never used a video editor software, it has a short learning curve, and it has a wide variety of functions for the most expert.

Vegas Pro

Vegas Pro was born as a Sony audio editor, but has grown to become a popular video editing tool. Its interface is advanced and one of its functions includes its own bank of royalty free soundtracks and audios. Although very complete, Vegas Pro can be a slow program, though it depends on the computer with which it is used, of course.

AVS Video Editor

Of all the paid video editors, AVS Video Editor is one of the cheapest and has a wider range of options available. It has a free version that has almost all the options, although it exports the videos with a watermark.

Its basic functions are simple and accessible.

Filmora

Filmora is a super intuitive video editor. It has an easy mode that allows the user to make minimal adjustments to their videos: the program is in charge of offering different editing options and you just have to choose the one you like the most.

In addition, among its functions, Filmora integrates a royalty-free song gallery and motion graphics and video effects templates, so it will not be necessary to use After Effects or another animation program to add them to your e-learning video.

It has a free version and a paid version, quite affordable.

With this list of tools, you will be able to choose the most convenient video editing software to create your online courses professionally, ready to upload to your LMS platform.