How to Get Started with B2B Video Editing — A Practical Guide for Non-Editors

B2B Video Editing: Software, Training, and the Tools That Actually Get It Done

1. Introduction
2. Editing Software Options
3. Online Training Resources
4. Hiring Professionals
5. Stock Video and Audio Resources
6. Colour Grading with LUTs
7. FAQs
8. Key Takeaways

1. Introduction

Most B2B businesses convince themselves that video is too expensive, too complicated, or something to sort out later. That is exactly why your competitors are invisible online and why the phone stops ringing between campaigns. Video is not a luxury. It is the mechanism that keeps your business visible to the 95% of your market who are not ready to buy right now but will be in three, six, or twelve months. When they are ready, you want to be the firm they already know.

We have covered the strategy, the planning, and the filming side in detail across our Video articles. This one is about what happens after you press stop. Editing is where raw footage becomes something that actually does a job. Get it right and your videos work for you 24 hours a day. Get it wrong and you have spent time and money producing content that nobody watches to the end.

This article runs through the software options, where to learn, when to hire out, and how to make your footage look professional without spending a fortune.

2. Editing Software Options

The good news is that the tools available today are genuinely excellent, and some of them cost nothing. The barrier to producing well-edited B2B video has never been lower. Here are the main options worth knowing about, along with honest notes on what each is suited to. Before making any decisions, read our B2B Videos Planning Tips so that you know what you are editing towards before you start.

• Adobe Creative Cloud — The industry standard subscription suite. Premiere Pro handles the edit, After Effects handles motion graphics and animation, Audition handles audio. They work together natively, which removes a lot of friction from the workflow. Adobe has been adding AI tools across the suite, including AI-powered audio workflows and generative video capabilities in Premiere Pro. If your business is committed to regular video output, this is the most complete option.
• Apple Final Cut Pro — Fast, clean, and Mac-only. Professionals who live inside the Apple ecosystem tend to stick with it for good reason. The magnetic timeline takes some adjustment if you are coming from another editor, but once you are past that, the speed is hard to argue with.
• Avid Media Composer — The tool of choice for broadcast and high-end film work. Unless you are collaborating with a professional post-production house, this is unlikely to be the right starting point for a B2B marketing programme. It is built for large teams on large productions.
• Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve — Arguably the most remarkable piece of free software in existence. The free version handles editing, colour grading, audio, and visual effects all within one application. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. If budget is a constraint, start here. The paid Studio version adds AI-driven tools and higher resolution support if you need it later.

3. Online Training Resources

You do not need to send anyone on an expensive course to get competent at this. The training resources available online are thorough, and most of the best ones are low cost or free. The important thing is to pick the software first and then go deep on that one tool rather than skimming across several.

• LinkedIn Learning — Structured, professionally produced video courses across all the main editing platforms. If your business already has a LinkedIn Premium subscription, access is often included.
• Udemy — Broad library of video editing courses, regularly discounted. Good for going deep on a specific tool or technique without paying subscription fees.
• Skillshare — A subscription-based platform with a solid range of editing tutorials, particularly useful for motion graphics and visual storytelling.
• Creative Lives in Progress — Live and on-demand classes covering video editing and other creative disciplines, with a strong community element.
• YouTube — Free and enormous. Every major editing tool has thousands of hours of tutorial content on YouTube. For most people learning a specific technique or solving a specific problem, this is the fastest starting point.

4. Hiring Professionals

There is nothing wrong with outsourcing editing, particularly while your internal capability is building. A good freelance editor who understands B2B content can make a significant difference to how your footage lands. The risk with outsourcing entirely is that you lose speed and control. Every round of revisions costs time and money. The closer you can get to having editing in-house, even part-time, the better.

If you do bring in a freelancer, be specific about what you need. Brief them properly, share examples of what you are trying to achieve, and be clear about turnaround times. You will get far better results than sending over raw footage with vague instructions. The platforms worth using include:

• PeoplePerHour — A UK-founded platform that lets you post a project or browse fixed-price service packages. Particularly strong in the UK and European markets. Good for clearly scoped, shorter-term editing work.
• Fiverr — The gig-based model means you can see exactly what you are buying before you commit. Quality varies enormously, so read reviews carefully and look at their actual portfolio before hiring. Best suited to straightforward, well-defined editing tasks.
• Upwork — Better suited to longer or more complex projects where you need someone who can embed into a workflow over time rather than turn around a single clip.

5. Stock Video and Audio Resources

Not every B2B video needs to be filmed from scratch. Stock footage is genuinely useful for B-roll, establishing shots, and filling gaps in a production where you cannot practically shoot everything you need. The same applies to background music — licensing errors here can get your video pulled from platforms, so use proper licensed resources.

• Storyblocks — The platform formerly known as Videoblocks, now covering video, audio, and images under one subscription. A flat-rate model with a large library of royalty-free footage and music. Good value for businesses producing regular content.
• Shutterstock — A wide catalogue of stock footage and music tracks. Pay-per-download or subscription options available. More expensive per clip than Storyblocks, but the catalogue depth is significant.
• Artgrid — A subscription platform from the same company as Artlist, focused specifically on high-quality, cinematographer-shot stock footage. Available up to 8K and RAW formats for those who need professional-grade B-roll. Better suited to companies producing high-production-value content.
• Artlist — The sister platform to Artgrid, focused on royalty-free music and sound effects. One annual licence covers unlimited use across all platforms. Much simpler than navigating individual track licences, and the catalogue is curated rather than sprawling.

6. Colour Grading with LUTs

Raw footage from even a decent camera rarely looks the way you want it to straight out of the box. Colour grading is the process of making it look intentional — consistent exposure, matching shots from different conditions, and applying a visual treatment that feels coherent. LUTs (Look-Up Tables) are preset colour transformations that give you a starting point rather than building a grade from scratch every time. Used well, they make a measurable difference to how professional your videos look. Used badly, they make footage look over-processed and obvious. Use them as a starting point, not a finishing line.

For further guidance on the practical side of making B2B videos work, our B2B Videos Editing Tips article goes into the detail of what to do once you are inside the software.

• Cinema Grade — A point-and-click colour grading plugin that runs inside Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro. Trusted by over 50,000 filmmakers. Designed to make the grading process faster and more intuitive without requiring deep colour science knowledge. The developer has also released CineDream, a next-generation version of the same workflow.
• Ryan J Harris — A range of LUT packs for the main editing platforms. A straightforward way to add a cinematic treatment to your footage without building a grade from scratch.
• Motion Array — LUT presets, templates, and stock assets for Adobe Premiere Pro and other major editors. Also useful for motion graphics templates if you want to add title cards and lower thirds without building them yourself.

7. FAQs

1. What editing software should I start with for B2B marketing videos?

   If you are on a tight budget, start with Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve. The free version is comprehensive enough for professional B2B video production. If you need tight integration with Adobe's wider creative toolset, Premiere Pro is the industry standard. Mac users who want speed often prefer Final Cut Pro.

2. Where can I find training for video editing?

   LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Skillshare all offer structured courses on the major editing platforms. YouTube is the fastest resource for solving a specific problem or learning a technique. Pick your software first and focus your training on that one tool.

3. What are LUTs and do I actually need them?

   LUTs (Look-Up Tables) apply a colour transformation to your footage, giving it a consistent look or matching it to a reference style. They are particularly useful when you are shooting in a flat or log colour profile. You do not need them if you are shooting in a standard colour profile and grading lightly, but they speed up the process considerably when you do need to grade properly.

4. Where do I find stock footage and music that is safe to use commercially?

   Storyblocks, Artgrid, and Shutterstock for footage. Artlist for music. All of these offer clear royalty-free licences for commercial use. Do not use music from YouTube's library or unlicensed tracks for anything you publish under your brand — the risk of a takedown or claim is real.

8. Key Takeaways

• Choose the editing software that matches your actual skill level and workflow — free options like DaVinci Resolve are genuinely professional-grade.
• Use online training to build internal capability rather than outsourcing everything indefinitely.
• When you do hire a freelancer, brief them properly. Vague instructions produce expensive revisions.
• Use licensed stock footage and music. The alternative is a copyright claim that pulls your video from platforms at the worst possible moment.
• Use LUTs as a starting point for colour grading, not a shortcut that replaces thinking about how the footage looks.
• For the right person, editing is genuinely absorbing work. Finding someone who cares about it — internally or externally — makes a measurable difference to the finished result. Your videos are supposed to be working for you 24 hours a day, prospecting while you sleep. A good editor is what makes that happen.