What's included in each editing tier?

Basic: cuts, color, sound, exports. Standard: pacing refinement, simple effects, basic A/B optimization. Retention-led: hook engineering, retention graph analysis, audience psychology applied to edits. Full management: monthly strategy, analytics review, continuous optimization, priority support.

When should I move to a higher tier?

Move to Standard when you hit 3+ videos/month consistently. Move to Retention-led when retention at 30 seconds is below 40% or you want to compete in competitive niches. Move to Full management when you're scaling beyond 10 videos/month or need strategic direction.

Is per-video or monthly retainer better?

Per-video works for 1-4 videos/month. Retainers save 15-25% if you're at 5+ videos/month. Full management retainers lock in consistency and let editors optimize across your whole channel, not just individual videos.

How did you calculate these costs?

Based on 1000+ videos edited for channels from 9K to 12.4M subscribers, generating 400M+ views. Pricing reflects market rates for quality editors plus complexity multipliers for larger channels and higher editing tiers.

YouTube Editor Cost Calculator

Find your editing budget and the tier that fits your channel. Answer 4 questions and get a specific cost range plus recommendations.

Videos per month

4 videos

Average video length (minutes)

15 min

Channel size

Under 10K subscribers 10K - 100K subscribers 100K - 1M subscribers 1M+ subscribers

Editing tier you need

Basic: cuts, color, sound Standard: pacing, effects, optimization Retention-led: hooks, retention graphs, psychology Full management: strategy, monthly optimization

What this tool calculates

This calculator translates your channel metrics into real editing costs. We factor in upload frequency (more uploads = bulk discount), video length (longer videos take more editing time), channel size (larger audiences require higher editing standards), and editing tier (what type of editing work you actually need).

The result is a monthly budget range and a per-video rate. Use this to decide: should you hire someone, and at what level?

Editing tiers explained

Basic

$40–120/video

Cuts, color grading, sound mixing, royalty-free music. No effects or creative optimization. Good for channels with solid content that just need technical cleanup.

Standard

$150–400/video

Everything in Basic plus pacing refinement, simple effects, graphics, and A/B optimization for hooks. Good for most growing channels.

Retention-led

$300–500/video

Everything in Standard plus hook engineering, retention graph analysis, and audience psychology. Best if your 30-second retention is your bottleneck.

Full Management

$3K–6K/month

5+ videos/month with monthly strategy, analytics deep-dives, competitive analysis, and continuous optimization. No per-video surprises.

How the math works

The cost of editing scales with three factors: volume (editing 5 videos/month is cheaper per video than 1), length (15-minute videos take 40% longer to edit than 10-minute videos), and complexity (retention-led editing requires analysis and iteration, not just technical work).

Here's the formula we use:

cost_per_video = base_rate(tier) × length_multiplier × channel_size_multiplier × (1 - bulk_discount)

Base rates: Basic $60, Standard $225, Retention-led $400, Full management $600–1,200/month
Length multiplier: 1.0 at 10 min, up to 1.5 at 30 min (longer videos take more editing time)
Channel size multiplier: 1.0 for under 100K, 1.2 for 100K–1M, 1.4 for 1M+ (larger channels expect higher quality)
Bulk discount: 1-2 videos: 0%, 3-5: 10%, 6+: 20% (more videos = economies of scale)

What to do with this result

Compare to your time cost. If you're spending 5+ hours editing per video, hiring at the calculated rate will save you time or money (or both).
Decide between per-video and retainer. If your rate falls between $150–300/video at Standard tier, a retainer of $800–1,200/month usually makes sense if you hit 5+ videos/month.
Find editors in your budget. Use this range to filter freelance platforms or agencies. Don't settle for much lower — cheap editing usually shows.
Test with one video. Hire someone for 1–2 videos at your target tier. If retention improves, scale up. If not, the edit was the issue, not the channel.
Measure the ROI. Track retention and views before and after hiring. If retention improves 15%+ at 30 seconds, the editor has paid for themselves.

FAQ

Should I hire an editor or learn to edit myself?

Hire if you're uploading 3+ videos/month and retention is your bottleneck. Learn editing yourself if you have time and enjoy it. Most creators do both: they handle basic cuts and uploads, an editor handles retention-focused optimization.

What if I can't afford the recommended tier?

Start with Basic editing to free up your time, then upsell to Standard or Retention-led once your channel grows and justifies the investment. Or hire for 2–3 videos/month and handle the rest yourself.

How do I know if an editor is any good?

Ask to see their portfolio, especially retention graphs from channels they've edited. A good editor should be able to articulate why they made specific choices and show measurable improvements in retention or views.

Can I negotiate the price down?

Sure, but be realistic. The cheapest editor isn't always the best value. What matters is ROI — if a $300/video editor improves your retention by 20%, they've earned their keep. A $50/video editor who doesn't move the needle has cost you more.

Ready to work together?

We edit 1000+ videos for channels from 9K to 12.4M subscribers. We'll review your last 3 uploads, identify your retention bottlenecks, and send a personalized pricing proposal within 24 hours.

Start a project →