I have been using YouCut Video Editor on my Android smartphone since late 2020. I hadn't thought about how much I enjoy YouCut until I had received a few comments lately about how much time I must spend editing. I really don't spend any time editing. Living in a remote area it make take hours for a brief video to upload but it often takes less than 5 minutes to create that video because YouCut is so easy to use. And best of all, YouCut is FREE.
About YouCut
YouCut is a video editing program for Android phones. It can be found in your Play Store app. Once you've download it, the icon can be found on your phone screen. I do not believe that there is a version available for laptop operating systems. The last time I checked in a web search, you can pull up sites with titles such as "YouCut for your PC" but they are offering "alternative" video editing programs - not YouCut.
Why YouCut Has Been an Excellent Option for Me
There are many reasons YouCut has been a fantastic tool for me. I learned about YouCut from Ann's Tiny Life and Homestead youtube channel when she shared this tutorial. I didn't give it any more thought until I wanted to post photos in a slide show on YouTube. But Youtube had eliminated that option at that time. So I went back to Ann's tutorial, learned about YouCut, and successfully posted my first video; which included photos in a slide show.
These are a few of the many reasons I enjoy using YouCut:
Price - It's FREE!
Accessible via my Phone - which means the app, my photos, and my raw video clips are all in the same place. Which also means all of that is portable and with me at all times (except the days I forget my phone and head to work!). Prior to 2020, I took all my blogging photos with my beloved Sony camera. But using a camera meant moving the memory card from the camera to the laptop in order to edit and use those photos. With YouCut and my phone, I eliminate that step when sharing editing and sharing videos. (Unfortunately, my Sony currently needs repaired, so I don't have that option even if I wanted it.)
No Laptop or Desktop required - Taking the photos and videos, editing them, saving them, and uploading them is all done via my phone. I do manage my Youtube channel from my laptop because it is easier to view than on my phone screen. But I don't have to have anything other than my phone for the videos.
Flexibility - I can use photos or videos in order to make a video. I upload to YouTube but after you save your video, you are given options to upload to a variety of platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, e-mail, WhatsApp, Signal, Twitter, and "other" (which takes me to the options and apps in my phone).
Easy to Use - I am not going to make a tutorial to show how the program works. I'm not the best person for that job. However, I recommend that you watch Ann's tutorial or one of the many others that can be found. All of the editing tools that I use already seemed familiar.
Free Effects - YouCut offers many effects and editing tools; many that I don't even use. But I do use adding text, adding transitions between photos or clips, and I have added their free music on occasion. All of those things have been extremely easy to figure out and to use. And the best part is that the "undo" button is available. If I make a mistake, I can immediately put things back the way they were.
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| the app is very easy to navigate - beginning with the start screen |
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| adding, moving, and editing text is easy |
Why Take Time to Create Videos?
There are many, many reasons to create videos. I began making videos in order to share my personal journey (preparing to move from an urban apartment to my land, documenting my house build progress, and to keep my friends and family up-to-date on the progress). I have continued making videos for those reasons (now that I've moved) but also to encourage others to chase their dreams. One woman saw me on social media and said that I motivated her to make the leap. She now is living her dream in a beautiful house, on a gorgeous chunk of rural land. I have made a choice to try to share more about what I'm doing because it might encourage others to act on their dreams and plans. I am a firm believer of "if I can, you can."
Some reasons others may make videos are:
- Keep in touch with family and friends
- A way to journal or document your life
- Teach others what you know - share your skills
- Show your handmade or store items - things you are offering for sale
- Make money - many people are monetized and make money with videos
- Review items - if a photo is worth 1,000 words imagine what videos are worth
- Inspire others
- Share experiences
- People love to watch videos
Related Link:
My YouTube channel is about my puttering around my land (now that I've moved from the apartment to my home). My dream was to get moved to my land, prepare for retirement, and putter around learning how to raise my own food. Do not feel obliged to look - my goal is not to be a "YouTuber". But if you are interested in an older lady who is figuring out how to raise things, build things, and who is looking forward to retirement someday... feel free to visit me at Dawn Rae B. If I am making progress toward my dreams, you can too.
