AI guide · Jun 2026

Edit a video

Best for:Content CreatorMarketerStudent

Use AI for the rough cut, captions, and stock footage. Keep the final pass for pacing, story, and anything the tool guessed badly.

Direct answer

What Dera recommends first

Start with Synthesia for edit a video. It best matches your best output priority and flexible budget.

  • Use AI for the rough edit, captions, and stock footage, then spend your manual time on story and pacing.
  • Start with Synthesia. Good for training and explainer videos when filming a presenter is impractical. Skip it when a real person or distinctive performance is central to the message.
  • Typical setup: 15-45 minutes.

Trust signals

  • Reviewed by Dera Editorial Team.
  • Last verified June 30, 2026.
  • Primary recommendation is editorial, not paid placement.
  • See the methodology for how Dera chooses tools.

Adjust this recommendation

Change your role, budget, or priority

For a founder with a flexible budget and a focus on best output, start with:

Synthesia · 96%
S

Synthesia

—
Start here
96% fitFrom video → Video
EnterpriseContent Creators

Why start here

Good for training and explainer videos when filming a presenter is impractical. Skip it when a real person or distinctive performance is central to the message.

Starting price

$29/mo

Pricing model

paid

AI model

Proprietary

Best for

Enterprise, Content Creators

Open SynthesiaRead the Synthesia review
AI Guide & Workflow
Beginner15-45 minutes

Steps to follow

Use AI for the rough edit, captions, and stock footage, then spend your manual time on story and pacing.

Step by step
  1. 1Choose the target channel
  2. 2Upload or paste the script
  3. 3Generate captions and rough scenes
  4. 4Replace weak clips
  5. 5Export in the right aspect ratio
Prompt to copyCopy it, add your details, and try it in the tool.
You are a professional assistant specialized in outcome-first content creation. Context: I am working on the task: "Edit a video". Task: Turn the source material below into a clear, high-quality, and structured a video. Inputs: Use the raw bullet points, notes, or source material provided below. Output format: Generate a draft in a structured layout suitable for a video. Keep the language direct and practical. Quality requirements: Avoid generic fillers. Ensure the tone fits a professional audience. Do not overclaim or invent details. [Insert your raw source material here] Replace the bracketed parts before using.
What to prepare first
  • Polished script or storyboard
  • Vocal accent or template style
  • Brand logo or assets to overlay
How to know it is good
  • The draft directly answers the objective.
  • The structure is clear, logical, and easy to read.
  • All names, numbers, and dates are checked for accuracy.
  • Generic AI filler has been edited out.
  • The output is in a format ready for final delivery.
Mistakes to avoid
  • Trusting the first draft without proofreading or fact-checking.
  • Providing vague, single-sentence inputs without context.
  • Publishing raw AI text with generic boilerplate phrases.
  • Ignoring formatting limits or design consistency.
When not to use AI for this
  • Do not use AI to make final strategic, business, or operational decisions.
  • Do not paste highly sensitive, proprietary, or private customer data into public models.
  • Do not use AI to produce high-value creative assets where brand originality and distinct human touch are crucial.

Other tools you can try

If the first tool is not right for you

Iv

InVideo AI

—
Niche or advanced94% fit

Use AI for the rough edit, captions, and stock footage, then spend your manual time on story and pacing.

Open InVideo AI

More help

Useful notes before you start

When to use it

  • • Use this when you need a clear, structured starting draft of your a video quickly.
  • • Use this to save repetitive formatting or coding time before applying your final human polish.

When not to use it

  • • Do not use AI to make final strategic, business, or operational decisions.
  • • Do not paste highly sensitive, proprietary, or private customer data into public models.
  • • Do not use AI to produce high-value creative assets where brand originality and distinct human touch are crucial.

Common mistakes

  • • Trusting the first draft without proofreading or fact-checking.
  • • Providing vague, single-sentence inputs without context.
  • • Publishing raw AI text with generic boilerplate phrases.
  • • Ignoring formatting limits or design consistency.

Task FAQ

Before you start

No for basic social edits. Use an AI video editor for captions and rough cuts, then manually review pacing before publishing.

For faceless or stock-footage videos, InVideo AI is usually faster than a timeline editor.

Related tasks

Try these next

Create a short explainer video from a script

video-generation · 2 tools

Create Captioned Clip From Blog Post

video-generation · 3 tools

Create Captioned Clip From Product Page

video-generation · 3 tools

Create Captioned Clip From Script

video-generation · 3 tools

Know a better way to do this?