YouTube now allows basic video editing

YouTube has rolled-out basic video editing features globally, allowing users to make small edits to their videos after uploading while maintaining the same video IDs.

For content owners a new ‘Edit video’ now appears on the video’s page. Here, users can tweak the technical aspects of the video under the ‘Quick Fixes’ tab, apply video effects under the ‘Effects’ tab or lay down a new audio track using the ‘Audio’ tab.

YouTube adds the most common video editing features like trimming, rotation, and video stabilisation, as well as brightness, contrast, saturation and colour temperature control. There’s even a Google-like ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button as an auto-colour correction tool.

YouTube has partnered with Picnik and added 14 dramatic video effects, including Black and White, Sepia, Cross Process, Lomo-ish, Old-Fashioned, Cartoon, Autotrophic, Thermal, Combustion, Satellite, Heat Mao, Pixelate, Neon Green and Neon Pink.

While YouTube’s editing tools are as powerful as most desktop video software programs like Final Cut Pro or even Windows Movie Maker, they’re certainly sufficient for a lot of YouTube users.

If you’re not happy with any edits you may have made, there’s always the handy ‘Revert to Original’ button. It’s also worth noting that videos with over 1,000 views and those with third-party content are saved as new videos after edits are made.