Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve been involved in recording & editing 1000s of videos.

I’ve spent the last 17 years playing around with every editing software imaginable, racking up over 10,000 hours of footage, and recently becoming the manager of a team of 20+ YouTube editors.

And over the past 12 weeks, I have worked on 50+ YouTube videos for some of the world's top entrepreneurs.

So today, I’m gonna show you 10 of the BEST game-changing editing tips that will help you edit 10× faster on YouTube.

1. Don't Over-Edit

Do you ever feel like you need to pack every frame with flashy edits?

That was me.

I was caught in the “more-is-more” trap.

I tried copying big YouTubers with motion graphics every 2-3 seconds.

But here’s the thing...

If your idea & packaging aren’t strong enough to make people click in the first place, all that extra time spent editing those awesome motion graphics is wasted.

So I changed up my game plan.

I quit over-editing in August 2024 with a video titled “YouTube is now in ‘easy mode’ (anyone can BLOW UP)”.

No fancy motion graphics.

I just talked to the camera in different locations, with a couple of props.

The edit was simple, but the payoff was huge.

Now I use a mixture of authentic & nice motion graphics every so often (to keep my creative side happy!).

So lesson #1 is to keep it simple.

2. Cut the Fluff

Think of editing your YouTube videos like a two-sided coin.

On one side, you have total creative freedom – no one to boss you around.

On the other side…

You get attached to everything you said & waste hours editing things nobody cares about.

So here’s my quick trick:

1. When you’re cutting A-Roll, look for sections that might be fluff/filler
2. If the video still makes sense & flows without it, remove it

But don’t cut out personal stories or anecdotes that build real connection.

Those bits are gold for building a loyal community!

Learn to be ruthless with your edit.

3. Outsource Your Storage

The first computer I edited on was a shared family laptop.

Since then, my equipment has improved, & I’m now editing on a lovely MacBook Pro.

But there’s been one issue that’s never seemed to go away.

Storage.

Storage can be a pain, 'cause once it starts to get full, it messes up your entire laptop.

Everything slows down.

Now, video files are massive; we can't escape that.

But if you're still storing video files on your computer, you'll get to a point where you have to either:

• Move

OR

• Delete

The video files...

But there’s one issue with this.

Moving files means remapping clips in existing projects (not fun).

Deleting files means you won’t have access to them in the future.

Which means you can't use them in future projects...

So what should you do?

I recommend getting a 1-2TB hard drive to store all your files.

I’ve only had to buy two hard drives in my two years of making YouTube videos (3TB total).

3TB goes a long way!

So, grab a reliable hard drive with plenty of space & it'll speed up your workflow massively.

4. Keyboard Shortcuts – Your Editing Cheat Codes

Every extra click in your timeline can add up to hours of wasted time - and honestly, who has patience for that?

Not me!

So, learn common keyboard shortcuts so you can zap through edits in just two taps.

Some of my favourite shortcuts:

• Copy/Paste: Cmd + C / Cmd + V
• Cut: Cmd + B
• Frame-by-Frame Nudge: ← / →
• Select All After Playhead: Opt + Y
• Undo/Redo: Cmd + Z / Cmd + Shift + Z
• Trim Tool: T
• Paste Attributes: Opt + V
• Duplicate Clip: Opt + Drag

So, once you memorise these cheat codes, your edits fly by & you finish way faster.

5. Break Tradition

Scrubbing through hours of A-Roll looking for your best take is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Then you've gotta find & cut out filler words.

But what if you could turn your video into something like a Google Doc?

That’s what CapCut’s text editor does.

It finds all your filler words and awkward silences, so you don’t have to.

1. Select the bad bits
2. Hit delete

And cuts are created in seconds.

But, just a heads-up – sometimes CapCut leaves a tiny bit of audio under the next clip.

So you might need to tidy those up manually.

But still, text-based editing unlocks a new level of editing & can seriously speed up your future edits.

6. What Font?

Scrolling through an endless list of fonts just to see what 'looks good' can be super frustrating.

You’ll spend ages staring & second-guessing, and your video can end up looking mismatched.

So here’s the cheat code:

1. Go to a YouTube channel you love - one that nails its branding
2. Screenshot the two main fonts they use on screen
3. Head to WhatFontIs, upload each screenshot, and let it ID the font (or a similar free version)
4. Download those two fonts and use them for ALL your titles, thumbnails, and graphics

Instead of continuous frustration with font overwhelm, you’ll have a signature duo for all your work.

This keeps your videos looking clean & consistent.

7. Care Less

Stop treating your videos like a newborn kitten (even if they are cute).

Most creators obsess over the tiniest things & want to make sure everything is perfect.

The thing is, perfectionism sucks up hours of your edit time and leaves you feeling super stressed.

That drop shadow you’re worrying about looking like it’s at 47.8° instead of 45°?

It does NOT matter.

Sure, you could tweak every shadow angle, but honestly, your viewers don't care.

Here's what matters:

• Story
• Value
• Pacing
• Emotion
• Key visuals

Learn to deliberately care less about tiny details that most viewers won’t notice - so you can finish faster, focus on what matters, and actually enjoy creating.

8. Have a Consistent Workflow

I've made enough pancakes (American pancakes all the way!!) to understand how to make them without a recipe.

The same goes for editing.

When you have a solid step-by-step system, your brain almost goes into autopilot.

Here's my simple editing workflow:

• Sync A-Roll & Audio
  • Tip: Clap when recording. Then just match up the spikes in the waveforms.
• Cut A-Roll
  • Cut out the fluff & keep the value
• Add Visuals
  • Titles, B-Roll, Motion Graphics
• Add Audio
  • Add music & sound effects
• Export
• Upload to YouTube

Memorise these six steps, you’ll crank out videos faster than ever.

9. Organise, Organise, Organise

My nephew loves Lego.

But whenever he wants to build something, he'll bring out this huge tub of Lego pieces.

So, when he says "Nat, you can build a big red wall"

I have to go searching through all the different coloured bricks to find the right pieces.

It can be a nightmare & takes forever to build.

If you're not careful, you'll have the same issue when editing.

Disorganised project folders & bins can take you ages to find the right assets.

Here are the folders I use to keep my editing organised:

• Adjustment Layers (for crops & zooms)
• Motion Graphics Templates
• B-Roll (organised by topic)
• Music (sorted by vibe/genre)
• Shapes, Effects & Backgrounds (in their own folders)
• SFX (neatly named - whoosh, click, tap etc.)

Once you do this, you'll spend less time digging for assets & create a more efficient creative flow.

10. Get to the Good Stuff Quicker

One of the simplest but most effective editing techniques I’ve ever learnt goes completely against what they teach in editing class.

Editing a talking head video the traditional way means going from start to finish, cutting out all the fluff as you go along.

But you’ve most likely done this...

1. Began cutting a section together
2. You get towards the end of that section
3. You realise it’s a bad take

You’ve just wasted a good chunk of time on a take you’re not going to use.

But there’s something I’ve been doing in my videos that's helped speed up my editing workflow.

Instead of editing my A-Roll start to finish, I now edit all my videos from the end to the beginning.

So I basically edit in reverse.

This means I get to the best takes first & can skip past all the bad takes fast.

It’s a simple but super effective technique.

Keep Creating,

Nat

P.S.

I’m launching one of my biggest projects yet - a private Discord just for Educational YouTubers juggling a 9–5. It'll include live channel audits, real-time feedback, and nonstop support from creators who have the same mission as you. Early members get in at $29/mo before prices rise (to keep the community top-quality), plus you'll get some other benefits too. So, if you're serious about quitting your 9-5 & levelling up on YouTube... Join the waitlist now and claim your spot!