How to Edit TikTok Videos Like a Pro: 5 Actionable Tips

How to Edit Videos on TikTok Like a Pro: 5 Actionable Tips

If you’ve come here to learn how to edit TikTok videos, you are not alone!

The world has taken notice of TikTok, a social media network well-known for its brief video content. It’s no surprise that it has grown to be very popular among users of all ages given its almost endless stream of enjoyable, educational, and inventive videos. 

You’ve come to the perfect site if you want to improve your TikTok skills and discover how to edit TikTok videos like an expert. In this blog post, I’ll go over 5 practical suggestions that you can put to use to improve your editing abilities and distinguish your videos on the platform.

The Reason TikTok Is So Popular

With over a billion active users, TikTok has quickly risen to become one of the most well-known social media sites worldwide. Its unique combination of features that accommodate its users’ contemporary, fast-paced lifestyles can be credited with its appeal. 

Its byte-sized video format, typically 15 to 60 seconds, has become more attractive to the new generation of Internet users who have really short attention spans. TikTok’s algorithm has also kept learning the behaviors of users and optimizing itself to make it more addictive. Content creators are encouraged to demonstrate their genuine selves to the world through the platform. There are also many challenges and hashtags that allow users to participate and get themselves immersed into the latest trends. 

It has become a go-to app globally for many individuals looking for enjoyment and connection because of its user-friendly layout. TikTok also offers tools such as TikTok advertisements, just like other social media platforms do, to help businesses reach their sizable target audience. Both its users and businesses have created a pretty viral interaction and ecosystem over the years on the platform. The trend is just starting and below are some practical suggestions for you if you want to also create great TikTok video content. 

Further Reading: TikTok Ads Guide: 7 Steps to Get Started (and 6 Opportunities You Don’t Want to Miss Out On)

5 Practical Suggestions on How to Edit TikTok Videos Like a Pro

Let’s now delve into the following 5 suggestions for expert TikTok video editing:

  1. Use the Correct Tools
  2. Arrange your Shots Beforehand
  3. Put Lighting and Sound First
  4. Play Around with Visual Effects
  5. Platform Editing

1. Use the Proper Tools

A. TikTok’s Built-In Editing Tools Overview

TikTok in-app video editing tools
Source

TikTok has a number of built-in editing tools that can assist you in producing captivating content. Some of these tools allow you to edit and chop your video clips, add music and sound effects, add filters and visual effects, even add text and stickers, as well as add music and sound effects. 

Some users also find its green screen and AR effects very handy in creating engaging contents. This has TikTok standing out even more from other social media platforms. Another great tool is the duet and stitch capability, which enables users to collaborate remotely on the platform with someone they barely know or even imagined. 

Although these tools are a fantastic place to start, they might not offer the complete set of editing capabilities you need to produce videos of very professional quality. Thus, more sophisticated users will look for third-party editing tools that can help them to stand our from the crowd of creators. 

Further Reading: How to Use TikTok for Beginners: Get Started Today!

B. The Development of Apps for Third-Party Editing

CapCut video editing music, stickers, texts, effects, and filters

If you want to be a more professional creator on TikTok, you might want to think about adopting third-party editing tools, which provide more cutting-edge capabilities and more freedom, to boost your editing game. For TikTok videos, while not an exhaustive list, some well-liked third-party editing programs include InShot, Adobe Premiere Rush, and CapCut, to mention a few. 

InShot is a user-friendly app that provides a variety of editing features, including text overlays, video splitting, merging, and video cutting.

Adobe Premiere Rush is a more sophisticated editing program that offers effective features for color grading, audio editing, and multi-track editing. You can also quickly sync your projects between devices.

CapCut is a free editing program that provides simple tools for clip splitting, cropping, and rearranging in addition to a selection of filters, effects, and text options.

These software offer a wider range of editing features, including more sophisticated color grading, audio editing, and layering choices, which can help your videos look and sound more professional. Separately, some people might also require other tools, such as those for upscaling videos, particularly those that are derived from older ones. 

Further Reading: 15 Powerful AI TikTok Video Generators to Simplify Video Creation

C. Benefits of Using External Editing Apps

Your creative flexibility can be substantially increased and you can create content that is more polished by using third-party editing tools. They frequently include a greater selection of tools and effects, which can give your videos a polished appearance. These tools often let you to edit your TikTok videos at a better resolution and export them at a higher quality as well, which can significantly improve the outcome.

Further Reading: Which is the Best Video Editing App? Choose from These 17

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2. Arrange your shots beforehand

A. The Value of Planning

Planning your shots in advance can help the editing process run more smoothly and provide a final product that is more unified. You can make sure that you get all the essential footage and save time by not having to reshoot scenes or attempt to add missing shots later editing if you have a clear notion of what you want to accomplish with your video.

B. Suggestions for Shot Preparation

Storyboard

sample video shot list from vimeo
Source

Outline the scenes and shots you wish to include in your video in a storyboard or shot list. You can keep organized and make sure you don’t miss any significant events by doing this.

The shots you intend to use in your video are broken down in greater detail in a shot list. It frequently contains details like camera positions, types of shots, and any distinctive camera movements or actions you may wish to use. You can stay organized and make sure you get all the necessary video by using a shot list.

Practice

Practicing your shots before filming might help you find any potential problems or areas where your plan needs development. Additionally, it allows you to practi e any choreography, conversation, or camera motions, which might make the filming process run more smoothly.

Angles

To add visual appeal to your video, think about the various camera perspectives and angles you want to use.

Transitions

Plan out any transitions or visual effects you want to incorporate, keeping in mind how you want your images to flow together.

Further Reading: 17 TikTok Video Ideas That Will Skyrocket Your Engagement

3. Emphasis on Sound and Lighting

A. The Value of Good Lighting and Sound

For videos to look professional, good lighting and audio are essential. Your video may appear drab and unprofessional due to inadequate lighting, and the viewer may become distracted by poor sound quality.

B. Suggestions for Improving Sound and Lighting

Natural Lighting

Whenever possible, you should always be shooting your videos in natural lighting. In order to take advantage of the sun’s gentle, flattering light, try to place yourself next to a window or take your videos outside during the day.

Artificial Lighting

three-point lighting arrangement
Source

To provide even, diffused lighting, invest in a basic ring lamp or softbox if you must use artificial lighting. And if you must shoot indoors, try to set up a three-point lighting system.

This straightforward lighting arrangement consists of a key light, which serves as the main source of illumination, a fill light, which softens shadows, and a backlight, which separates the subject from the backdrop. By mastering this setup, you can produce videos that are more aesthetically pleasing and appear more professional when you are indoors.

External Microphone

various external microphones for smartphones for better TikTok video audio quality
Source

It’s challenging to record audio with excellent quality using the built-in microphones on most smartphones and cameras. To enhance the clarity and quality of your audio recordings, think about spending money on an external microphone such a lavalier or shotgun microphone.

Reduce background noise by filming in quiet, controlled settings wherever possible. If background noise is unavoidable, think about utilizing audio editing software or noise reduction techniques to reduce annoying sounds after the fact.

Sync sound during post-production if your TikTok videos include music or sound effects by properly syncing them throughout the editing stage. For TikTok users, this may contribute to a more immersive and interesting experience.

Further Reading: The 8 Best TikTok Photo Editing Hacks You Need to Know!

4. Play around with visual effects

A. Visual Effects Overview

Your TikTok videos can look more polished and creative by using visual effects. They can assist you in developing a distinctive visual aesthetic, conveying a narrative, or just making your content more interesting and enjoyable.

B. Suggestions for Creatively Using Visual Effects

Use transitions to logically link your pictures and establish a smooth transition between scenes.

Apply filters and color grading to your video to improve its mood and ambiance or to create a distinctive look that is consistent with your personal brand.

Include text and stickers in your video to provide context, humor, or more information. To make your message clear and easy to read, pay attention to the positioning and legibility of your text.

C. Green Screen Effects

You can use this effect to change your location, make a distinctive background, or add special effects to your TikTok videos.

Further Reading: The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Fonts: Best Generators and In-App Fonts for 2025

5. Platform Editing

A. Recognizing the TikTok Audience and Format

Understanding the structure and target audience of TikTok is essential to producing effective videos for the network. Because of the short video length and quick scrolling, users of TikTok are continuously exposed to fresh content. Your videos should be interesting, visually appealing, and simple to follow in order to draw in and hold the attention of viewers.

Here’s a simple trick: Scroll through videos on your own personal TikTok account. After looking at a few, consider your own TikTok video. Would it look natural in your own TikTok feed? If not, consume and study more TikTok videos and implement what you learn.

B. Advice on Video Editing for TikTok

Keep It Short

To maximize engagement and maintain your audience’s attention, aim for videos that are 15 to 30 seconds long.

Begin with a Strong Hook

Utilize captivating graphics, engaging narratives, or persuading hooks to capture viewers’ attention in the initial few seconds of your video. This can motivate viewers to watch your video through to the end and interact with your content without dropping off.

Optimize for Mobile

This should go without saying, but it’s critical to make sure that your videos are created for mobile viewing, as an overwhelming majority of TikTok viewers access content through their smartphones. This includes employing text that is simple to read and making sure that crucial visual elements are not covered up by the app’s UI or users’ thumbs.

Pacing

To keep the viewer interested and entertained throughout the entire video, edit your videos so that the action is at a quick pace.

Text and Captions

To swiftly convey your point or give context for your video, use text and captions. Keep in mind the platform’s time restriction and make sure your text is visible for a length of time that viewers can read.

Music and sound effects

Music and sound effects should be used to create a dynamic audio experience that compliments your video’s images and increases its overall impact. You may also use AI music generators to compose your own music if you don’t like any of the accessible random music.

Further Reading: 19 Famous TikTokers to Follow and Learn From

Wrap Up

A recap of the five practical suggestions

In this article, we’ve discussed 5 practical suggestions for expert TikTok video editing, including:

  1. Use the Right Tools: To access advanced capabilities and increase your creative flexibility, use both TikTok’s built-in editing tools and third-party editing programs.
  2. Plan Your Shots Ahead of Time: To keep organized and make sure you have all the required material, make a storyboard or shot list.
  3. Put Good Lighting and Sound Quality First: To produce videos that appear professional and are entertaining to watch, put Good Lighting and Sound Quality First.
  4. Experiment with Visual Effects: Include visual effects to give your videos an extra touch of polish and inventiveness.
  5. Edit for the Platform: To appeal to the TikTok audience, make your videos brief, exciting, and visually appealing.

Have Fun Experimenting with Your TikTok Video Editing!

With these 5 practical suggestions at your disposal, it’s time to experiment and have fun with editing your TikTok videos. Do not hesitate to experiment with new methods, devices, and effects because practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. You’ll soon be editing TikTok videos like a pro and producing content that stands out on the platform as you continue to learn and develop. Happy editing!

Author Bio

An experienced executive, Alan Lui is currently the global head of Shangri-La Circle, Asia’s top hospitality company with 12 million members. He formerly served as COO of Asia Miles, a 12-million-member airline mileage program run by Cathay Pacific, and CMO of Fusion Bank, a digital bank with headquarters in Hong Kong. On his blog, iamalanlui.com, he expresses his opinions regarding current marketing, operational, and investment trends.

Hero photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

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