A practical PixelJobs guide
Video editor rates: build a budget around your brief
Two quotes are comparable only when they cover the same work. Define deliverables, review rounds and handover first, then compare the total cost in the same currency and pay unit.
Choose a quote structure that fits the work
A finished runtime alone does not define an editing assignment. Ten minutes of carefully logged footage and ten hours of unsorted interviews create different workloads. Research, graphics, sound, captions and multiple output formats also change the scope.
| Quote basis | Useful when | Clarify before accepting |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Scope is exploratory or changes frequently. | Estimate, spending cap, time tracking and approval for overruns. |
| Per video | A recurring format has a stable brief. | Included complexity, revisions, asset costs and extra versions. |
| Fixed project | Deliverables and milestones are defined. | Acceptance criteria, deposit, change requests and handover. |
| Ongoing package | You need a predictable production cadence. | Monthly volume, capacity, unused allocation and cancellation notice. |
What changes the workload?
- Watch a complete video, including a quiet middle section. Look for clear scene changes and edits that preserve the meaning of an interview.
- Listen for balanced dialogue, intentional music and clean transitions. Ask which parts of the edit the person handled.
- Discuss a small paid trial with a defined scope, feedback round and handover. A video’s public views do not measure an editor’s individual contribution.
Ask who selects footage, shapes the story, creates graphics and finishes audio or colour. If you need a writer, producer or designer too, make those responsibilities explicit rather than assuming the editor supplies them.
A quote-ready brief
- Share footage length, expected final runtime and two reference videos with notes about what you like.
- Specify aspect ratios, captions, audio, graphics, turnaround and the number of revision rounds.
- Agree who supplies licensed assets, how project files are handed over, and the currency and unit for the quote.
Add your budget ceiling if you have one, desired start date, approval owner and how quickly you can provide consolidated feedback. State whether the assignment is a one-off or a recurring commitment. Agree access to footage and confidential material without sharing account passwords.
Create a draft with this roleCompare the total, including changes
Request an itemized quote for the same brief from each person. Compare the base fee plus agreed extras, asset licences, additional versions, rush work and handover. An hourly quote needs an estimated number of hours and an approval cap before it can be compared with a project fee.
For a recurring relationship, review communication and file organisation as carefully as the final image or edit. Give one consolidated round of specific feedback. Agree how changes outside the original brief will be estimated and approved.
Write down the agreement
- Deliverables: final files, aspect ratios, captions, editable project files and any source dependencies.
- Commercial terms: currency, quote unit, payment milestones, invoicing and cancellation.
- Rights: who supplies licensed assets, permitted usage and any portfolio or credit permission.
- Process: deadlines, revision rounds, feedback window, approval owner and change-request fees.
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