How to Edit YouTube Videos

This article explains how to edit YouTube videos on the YouTube desktop website. Editing used to be doable on the YouTube app, but YouTube has since moved the editing functionality exclusively into the YouTube Studio on desktop.

How to Edit a Video on the YouTube Website

Here's how to edit a YouTube video from a web browser. Video editing benefits from more screen real estate, so if possible, editing on a computer should be your preferred way to edit.

1. Log in to your YouTube account, and select Your Videos in the left-vertical pane.

2. Hover over the video you want to edit, and select the pencil when it appears.

3. Edit the following video Details:

   • Title: Type the title of the video.
   • Description: Type a description of the video.
   • Thumbnail: Choose a pre-selected thumbnail from the video, or select Upload thumbnail to select a different image.

4. In the left vertical pane, select Editor to open the video's timeline. Use the timeline to trim the video, blur the video, and add audio tracks to the video.

5. To trim a video, select Trim, then drag the sides of the blue box that appears to cover the section of the video you want to keep. Check your edits by selecting Preview. Save your work by selecting Save.

   To trim or split the video at a specific moment, enter the time in the box next to Trim. Select Clear all to cancel changes at any time, and select the X above a section to undo a split for that specific section.

6. To blur a video, select Blur Parts of Your Video, then choose between face blur and custom blur. With face blur, you are prompted to select the faces to blur. With a custom blur, place a blue box on the section of the video to blur. After making your selections, select Save.

   When blurring videos on YouTube, the blur tool has several contextual actions you can use to further adjust the blur. Check out the YouTube support page on the blurring function for more info.

7. To add an audio track to the video, select the plus (+) next to the musical note below the video timeline. From here, use search filters to find an audio track. Select Play to preview tracks. Select Add when you find a track you like.

   Note

   After you add track, it appears in the Editor. Adjust the track's blue box by selecting and dragging to change when the track starts. Select and drag the edges of the box to change the amount of the track that plays.

8. In the upper-right corner of the screen, select Save when you finish making edits.

   While YouTube's built-in editor might be good for quick edits on simple videos, these tools are not robust. For serious video editing, consider using other dedicated software. There are many free options.