Interested in learning how to edit TikTok videos? Powder helps you make the most of your content so you can put your best foot forward every time.

There’s nothing quite like the ability of a great TikTok video to gain traction and insert itself into popular culture. Think about most of the gifs, memes, and sayings we use to express ourselves online or in our private conversations — most of them came directly from some form of shareable social media.

The gift of being able to catch a viewer’s attention in the span of mere seconds doesn’t come naturally, though, not even to the most seasoned TikTok creator. Creating an entertaining, bite-sized piece of media that can stand out amongst hundreds of thousands of other TikToks takes work — so learning the basics, like how to edit TikTok videos, is crucial.

Although it may seem overwhelming to beginners, we’ve got your back. Here’s a list of our favorite basic (read: doable for beginners) tips to help you create the next best TikTok video.

1. Pare Down Your Material

Whether you’re using iOS or Android, one of the big choices you have to make when creating TikTok content is choosing just how long to make your video. The content creation part of the app allows for multiple pre-set time options you can choose from when shooting your content — and it seems like the platform keeps adding more and more (although, thankfully, they removed the 10-minute option).

You can choose from 15-second, 60-second, and three-minute videos —  but don’t bite off more than you can chew. You don’t want to give yourself more than you actually need to create quality content.

Recording and posting content that is too lengthy (especially if you like to post frequently) can work against you and make people uninterested in watching your videos. Let’s be real — most TikTok viewers aren’t willing to sit through even the most exciting three-minute video. Keep things short, sweet, and exciting.

2. Choose Music Carefully

TikTok has a way of making songs go viral, but don’t let even the hottest trends take priority over showcasing your content. While including one of the more popular songs from TikTok’s music library is a great way to pull viewers in and hack the algorithm, you don’t want that music to overpower the rest of what you’re trying to show off.

Listen to your completed video a few times before posting — you might find that the song you chose is way louder than you thought and distracts from the rest of the exciting content you made. This is especially important when you’re using a voiceover for a tutorial or commentary video.

When uploading music into your video, there is a sliding bar at the bottom (if you choose to edit your videos in the app, that is) that allows you to adjust the volume. Unless you’re not speaking or don’t have any sound involved, keep music as exciting background noise and not the main event.

3. Use Voice Effects

Music is great, but using TikTok’s voice effects can add even more excitement and personalization to your content. For example, do you love playing Overwatch and want to share your tips and tricks with your followers? Show off your skills while you use a voiceover to explain what’s going on and how they can do that when they play the game for themselves.

Ultimately, the people who will find and enjoy your online videos are there for more than just some flashy transitions or trendy filter effects. Who you are has a significant impact on how much engagement your videos can have. You wouldn’t want to spend your precious free time watching videos if you didn’t think the creator was worth it.

Don’t like the sound of your voice? No problem! Use one of the many voice and sound effects to change it up. You’ll be able to share what you have to give with the world without having to be as self-conscious about what you sound like.

4. Know Your Visual Effects

There are so many filters and visual effects to choose from for your TikTok videos that it may feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to use all of them (or even any of them at all if that’s not your vibe). Unless you have a specific filter in mind — and there’s nothing wrong with using a trendy filter to get your content more views — take a few minutes to look through your options before you decide.

You can look through your video effect options by going into the video creation screen and pressing the effects icon (located on the left). The effects are divided into multiple categories, including trending, community favs, interactive, atmosphere, and funny.

You can also pick favorites that you can bookmark so that you can find them in the future. Each of these effects gives you the ability to add a little something extra to your already amazing content.

But don’t stop there! Add stickers, animations, emojis, watermarks, and other visual effects right on the screen to add spice to your content and keep people interested. Transitions are another way you can creatively cut between different parts of your video. Again, TikTok offers numerous options that have something for every vibe.

And don’t forget to update your app regularly — TikTok frequently adds new ways to edit and customize your content, and you don’t want to miss out by using outdated visual effects.

5. Use Text Wisely

One of the many editing features on your TikTok account is the ability to superimpose text over your content. There are a few ways to do this, either by choosing your own words or by letting the app create auto captions like subtitles (which is an excellent idea to make sure those who have hearing issues can also enjoy your content).

You can use text to create “intro cards” that clue your viewers into what they’re about to see. This is especially important if you have content that may be triggering to some viewers. You can also use the TikTok video editor’s text-to-speech feature to create easily readable captions and subtitles.

Regardless of how you choose to use text in your videos, make sure that you don’t add too much of a good thing. Too much text can clutter up your video and make it hard for people to see and focus on the actual content you’re trying to get out into the world.

The text in your videos is more than just the overlays you use to customize it. Adding the right hashtags on the bottom of the screen is one more way to get your content to the people who want to see it and will appreciate it the most.

You can also transition your TikTok video content onto other platforms, like Instagram reels, to get even more views. That’s one of the most exciting parts of social media — the ability to create something on one platform that can be easily shared to others.

Each platform works together and offers you a unique way to showcase your passions, joys, and hobbies with the world.

6. Take Your Editing Outside of TikTok

Although TikTok has a wealth of ways to edit content, you don’t have to do all of your video editing in the app. There are plenty of other software options that will let you create exactly the piece of media you want to create — video editing apps are a popular way for you to customize your content using easy, high-quality, step-by-step video editors.

Once you’re done making your masterpiece, you can simply upload your new video into the app, post it, and watch the views start to roll in. Don’t forget to take the time to engage with your viewers — especially those who comment! Interacting with the people who watch your videos is the best way to get repeat viewers and drive up your engagement rate.

7. Try a Clipping App

If you game and want a way to make learning how to edit your TikTok videos easier, try investing in a high-quality clipping software like Powder PC. Powder can help capture all of your greatest hits from your stream session — taking the work out of clipping your gaming stream content and allowing you to enjoy yourself. After all, the best content comes from showcasing you doing something you absolutely love.

Simply download the app, and drag and drop your VOD (or copy and paste the stream link from Twitch or Kick) into Powder. Our AI will automatically clip highlights from your streams, help you stitch them together with our one-click montage feature, and resize them to fit different aspect ratios. Sharing your skills just got a whole lot easier!

TikTok’s video templates allow you to upload those video clips right into the TikTok video editing platform and edit them like you would any other video. What you do after that is up to you!

The Bottom Line

There’s a reason that TikTok was named one of the most popular social media platforms — it really does have something for everyone. The TikTok app features an incredibly easy and intuitive set of video editing tools that lets you create exactly the content you want from the second you hit that record button.

When you combine TikTok’s built-in video editing software with your own inherent perspective, your short-form videos (whether they focus on gaming, makeup, funny stories from your childhood, or your self-care tips) can have a much greater impact on the world.

If you’re already a streamer, you can also use Powder to quickly and easily turn your hours-long streaming sessions into TikTok-worthy montages of all your hypest moments. With so many customization options, you’ll be making stellar content in no time!

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