You probably already figured out that if you want to be a YouTube Gamer you’ll need to invest in a few things first. Capture cards and desktop microphones are a given, but you might not have realized that you’re going to need some bad-ass editing software as well. With so many options, picking the best editing software for Let’s Plays can be a little overwhelming.

We at FilmToolKit think that the best video editing software for Let’s Plays is Adobe Premiere Pro. This article will briefly explain why, and also discuss the merits of the other great editing programs available out there. It’s not the only option. There are many great alternatives that will suit you just fine. We’ll be discussing the pros and cons of them briefly in a little bit.

Note: This is not a paid advertisement, but we are affiliated with Adobe. However, we have only chosen to be affiliates with them because we think that the Adobe Creative Suite is the best set of content creation tools available for YouTubers and small filmmakers.

Why Adobe Premiere Is The Best Video Editing Software For Lets Plays

There are many reasons why we chose Premiere as the best video editing software for gaming and lets plays.

It’s Ubiquitous

YouTube channels, production studios and indie filmmakers everywhere use Adobe Premiere. This fact has many advantageous implications.

• Tutorials for everything are abundant – If you can describe it, there’s a tutorial for it. YouTube has a bottomless cup of Adobe Premiere tutorial videos which will allow you to learn anything you need quickly and easily.
• Collaborations are easier – One of the best ways to increase traffic to your YouTube channel is collaboration with others. By using the same software, you’re ensuring that the workflow between you and your collaborator will be very smooth.
• It’s a good skill to have – Like how being adept in Microsoft Word or Excel is a great addition to your resume, production and editing studios will definitely hold you in higher regard if you have Premiere skills.
• It’s not going anywhere anytime soon – Because Adobe Premiere has become the name for professional and consumer editing, it’s going to be around for a very long time, and your knowledge will be put to good use.

Easy To Learn, With Lots Of Depth..

When I was getting started making videos, I did all my editing in either Final Cut or Vegas. One day I got a job at a small production company editing videos, and I was told I would need to learn to use Adobe Premiere. I was apprehensive at first, but after a 5 minute rundown with my supervisor, I was finding that I was able to edit even faster than I was in the editing software I thought I was comfortable with!

As mentioned before, tutorials for Premiere are everywhere, and have reached a point where the top ones are very well defined. You can simply open premiere, work with it’s intuitive layout, and search tutorials on YouTube whenever you need to know how to do something.

The default shortcuts are very intuitive, and what’s best about Premiere is that every single action you could possibly think of can be bound to a shortcut and customized. Your entire keyboard can be remapped, and some of the best professional editors will cut together entire films without their fingers ever leaving the keyboard.

Here’s a quick 2 minute video showcasing 5 really popular shortcuts that editors use in Premiere to save lots of time.

You can even take actions that would typically take 3-4 clicks and bind them into macros, allowing you to drastically cut down your editing time.

Adobe Premiere is used by huge YouTubers like h3h3Productions and VideoGameDunkey, and was even used to edit massive feature films like Deadpool. It’s easy enough for anyone to pick up, but also has the complexity to be used by industry professionals.

Astounding Compatibility With The Rest Of The Creative Suite

YouTube’s top content creators use many products from the entire creative suite. Running a YouTube channel involves heavy usage of Photoshop, Illustrator, and, in many cases, After Effects. You can get these to work with any editing software, but no program will make the process as easy as Adobe Premiere.

Here’s a short segment of one of the videos I made using a combination of After Effects, Photoshop, and Premiere.

The tracking of heads onto characters from popular culture is a trope that has been very well received in recent years, and is only made possible with Adobe After Effects. Adobe’s incredible compatibility features allow you to simply drag and drop elements from one program into another.

Also popular with modern let’s plays are fancy engaging text and other motion graphics. These all require Adobe After Effects as well. Photoshop is very important for putting together your eye-catching thumbnails, and Illustrator is an excellent tool for designing your own graphics. The Creative Suite is packed with best-in-its-class software, and they’re all designed with each other in mind.

Constantly Updated

Adobe is constantly rolling out updates fixing bugs and adding features to all parts of the Adobe Creative Suite. Premiere already has pretty much everything you would ever want out of an editing software, but each month there are still regular patches to fix issues that arise and make the software even easier to use.

How Can I Get Adobe Premiere And How Much Will It Cost?

Adobe products have a reputation for being very expensive. However, in recent years Adobe has taken steps to make parts of their creative suite much more affordable, especially if you’re a student!

Here are the options you have.

Student Plans

If you are a student or have access to an .EDU email, you’re eligible to subscribe to the entire creative suite for only $19.99 a month.

This is a huge discount, as normal people will have to pay $19.99 for only Premiere. This means a lot because you will have access to Illustrator and After Effects, allowing you to easily put together incredible motion graphics like the one below.

Although you may be strapped for cash as a student, this is really a worthwhile investment. The other programs in the creative suite are also very commonly used throughout universities, especially in art-based degrees.

If anything, ask your parents to buy it for you! (We’re kidding.)

Full Creative Suite Access

Of course, if you’re not a student (or a friend of one), you can still purchase a monthly license for the full creative suite for the not-so-low price of $49.99 a month. Although the price tag may seem a bit hefty, it will definitely pay for itself in the long run. Honestly though, as a YouTuber you can probably get by without touching most of the creative suite. That’s why we recommend going with the next option.

Just Premiere

And finally, even without the student discount, $19.99 will net you a subscription to any single Adobe Creative Suite product of your choosing, including Adobe Premiere. Most of what is achievable in After Effects is doable in standalone Premiere with a bit more work, and there are many software alternatives you can use to craft your thumbnails.

Honestly, if your budget for your channel is small, just get Premiere by itself. Your money will have a greater return on investment if you purchase better YouTube gaming channel gear instead of the creative suite. 

The Other Best Video Editing Software For Lets Plays

Final Cut Pro X

If you’re editing on a Mac, Final Cut is every bit as good as Adobe Premiere. If you’re already accustomed to Final Cut or already have it, it’s not completely necessary that you make the switch over to Premiere.

If you’re going to be collaborating with other YouTubers that happen to use Adobe Premiere Pro, both programs also have features that allow you to export XML files of your edits. This will allow you to move your project between the two programs with little hassle.

Even better, Final Cut Pro X is available for a one time $300 fee, which in the long run could save you money, as Adobe products can end up being quite pricey.

If you yourself are editing across both operating systems, we recommend sticking with Premiere, as you can open the project files across multiple machines in seconds.

Sony Vegas

Sony Vegas was once the holy grail of YouTube video editing programs. Personally I’m not the biggest fan – I tried it out back in the day and it just didn’t seem very intuitive to me.

That being said, aside from the creative suite compatibility, Sony Vegas is a professional grade editing software capable of doing everything Final Cut and Adobe Premiere can do.

Windows Movie Maker and iMovie

Let’s not forget that Apple and Microsoft both have free editing software that comes with all of their computers. I got

If you want to just test the waters as a YouTuber and put out a few videos to gauge interest, Windows Movie Maker and iMovie have all the basics you need to cut and render your videos.

However, if you are looking to make a career out of your YouTube Lets Plays, we insist that you invest in a professional-grade editing software like Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut Pro X.