The price that you are willing to pay for that video editing software will play a vital part in your choice. If, however, money is no object then whatever… just purchase everything available and go with the one you like!

Working out an acceptable price point, for the rest of us, is a smart way to narrow the field and makes things more simple. One thing to also keep uppermost in your mind is a realistic evaluation of your level of skill now and how greatly you want to widen those skills.

Beginning Video Editing Software

If you are only just beginning now and don’t really see a need to progress beyond the simple basics then you may have no need to purchase specific video editing software.

You have access to Windows Movie Maker as part of the Windows operating system. It can handle only a limited range of video file formats and comes with a similarly limited range of features. With that said, it must be noted that it can do quite a good job on simple editing tasks at an ideal price! Mac users have an even better free alternative in iMovie.

Another type of program suitable for those just starting out are multimedia programs like Nero 9 or Roxio creator. Programs like this offer a range of features including video editors. Roxio is particularly suited because it contains a lot of wizard driven automatic functions to assist in the editing process.

Because they are software suites instead of specialized products you get all sorts of other features like DVD authoring, image editing, and audio editors as well.

The negative aspect of this that you need to be aware of is that they do not have any upgrade path to a more advanced product should you later decide you want that. They are priced in the area or so.

A notable addition to this category is Muvee Reveal for HD video or Muvee AutoProducer for standard definition. It is a simple but surprisingly effective video editing software that can automatically achieve very good results.

Home Movie Editing Software

If your level of interest regarding video editing is already high then the field of choices opens up considerably. The majority of what we would describe as consumer video editing software costs from about to roughly 0.

There is a wide range of available products in this area and to be honest there is very little that separates them. A few of the more prominent ones are Pinnacle Studio, Corel VideoStudio, Sony Vegas, Premier Elements and the Magix range of video editing software… and on and on!

One of the key points to keep in mind if you are choosing from this group is where you want to end up as a video editor. Sony, Magix and Adobe having high end products in their catalogue, all offer upgrade paths from the consumer products.

Prosumer Video Editing Software

As we move up the video editing food chain here we are entering the “prosumer” level. It all gets a bit blurred at this point between what we can call a prosumer video editing software and what we could describe as professional video editing software.

Full versions of Sony Vegas, Adobe Premier Pro, Final Cut Pro etc. The prices will go anywhere from 0 to 00 and up from there. The problem with this software is you are paying for features that you may never use even in a semi-pro situation. They are all quite complicated and you will need to face a steep learning curve so beware.

An interesting exception within this price range is Magix Video Pro X which for around 0 makes a compelling choice for a prosumer video editor.

Which Video Editing Program?

Take your time and have a good look at what is available today. Mark off the features of the program that you know you will need and also the ones you feel you may need in the future. Reduce the number of programs you have to evaluate by price point then if it is relevant take a look at the upgrade options.

No matter what you decide… be sure to use the free trials.