HOW TO HIRE · PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

How to hire a video editor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Video editors need no licence in the UK. Here is who owns the edit, the music question, and what to agree before the hours start.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a video editor in five steps

  1. Send a clear briefPurpose, length, platform, style references and the deadline.
  2. Agree hours and roundsAn hours estimate and how many rounds of changes are included.
  3. Settle who owns the editAsk the video editor to assign any copyright in the finished edit to you, in writing.
  4. Clear the music and stockAnything the editor adds must be licensed for your use.
  5. Agree file handoverFinal files, formats, and whether you get the project files.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Editing video for clients needs no licence in any UK nation, and there is no register of editors. A sample edit in your style, references and a written agreement are the checks.

Ask for two finished edits like yours and a client to ring.

Ownership of the edit (copyright)

Section 9 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 makes a film's producer and principal director its authors, and an editor's contribution can be hard to separate. Copyright only moves by a written, signed assignment (section 90), so put ownership of the finished edit in writing.

Ask the video editor to sign a short assignment of any copyright in the edit to you. legislation.gov.uk →

Music and stock (copyright)

Putting your film online is a communication to the public restricted by section 20 of the 1988 Act. Music, stock clips and fonts the editor adds each need a licence that covers your use.

Ask for a list of every licensed element and its terms. legislation.gov.uk →

ICO data protection fee

Holding your footage, which can show identifiable people makes a video editor a processor of personal data. The ICO data protection fee — £52 or £78 a year for most small businesses — is payable unless an exemption applies, and payers are named on the ICO's public register.

Check the ICO public register for the trading name, and agree a deletion date for your files. gov.uk →

VAT

Video editing is standard-rated, so 20% VAT applies to every hour in the timeline, the rounds of changes and the exports. A business whose taxable turnover passes the £90,000 registration threshold must charge it and show it as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask for the VAT number, and whether the hourly editing rate on the estimate is before or after the 20%. gov.uk →

“How many hours do you estimate for this video edit?”

A good answer: An estimate with a ceiling, and a promise to tell you before going over.

“How many rounds of changes are included?”

A good answer: A number, and the hourly rate for more.

“Will you assign the copyright in the finished video to me?”

A good answer: Yes, in a short signed document — copyright only moves in writing.

“Where does the music in the video come from, and is it licensed for my use?”

A good answer: A named library and licence terms that cover your platforms.

“Will I get the project files as well as the final video?”

A good answer: Yes or no, and the software they are in.

“How do you store and delete my footage?”

A good answer: Secure storage during the job and deletion by an agreed date.

“Are you on the ICO register as a video editor working with clients' footage?”

A good answer: Yes, with a searchable name, or an explanation of why they are exempt.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends to the edit — the editor you briefed, or a colourist or assistant editor, employed or subcontracted
  • The hourly rate and an estimated number of hours
  • Rounds of changes included
  • Deliverables: lengths, formats, captions, platform versions
  • Music, stock and font licences, and who pays
  • Copyright assignment and project-file handover
  • The VAT number, and VAT on the editing hours shown as a line of its own

Walk away if

  • No hours estimate or ceiling
  • Unlicensed music for a film you will publish
  • Refusal to put ownership of the edit in writing
  • No plan for storing or deleting your footage
  • Unlimited changes promised at a fixed price, nothing written
  • No deadline
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£50
HIGH
£100

What a video editor costs: £20–£100 per hour

Video editors usually work by the hour against an estimate, with rounds of changes, music licensing and extra versions priced on top. Video Editor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Video editors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. Brief and footagePurpose, length and style agreed; footage transferred securely.
  2. AssemblyA rough cut putting the story in order.
  3. First cutA complete edit with music for your comments.
  4. ChangesYour amends within the rounds agreed.
  5. Final deliveryExports in each format, with the assignment and licences.

Rough cut
The first assembly of the footage in order.
Final cut
The approved, finished edit.
Project files
The editing software's working files.
Colour grade
Adjusting colour and tone across the film.
Licensed music
Tracks you may use in a published film.
Assignment
A signed written transfer of copyright to you.

AFTER

When the job is done

Collect every fileFinal exports, captions and project files if agreed.
Keep the assignment and licencesWith the files, for future use.
Confirm deletion of your footageIn writing, by the date agreed.
Leave feedbackWrite about the edit honestly — punctuality, care, the result. If it was under four stars, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1First, a written noteGive the video editor the details of the edit and a reasonable date to respond. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 implies reasonable care and skill into the contract, and sections 55 and 56 give you a repeat or a reduction.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for a video editor starts with a choice: send it to them first to fix, with us following it through, then publish the review.
STEP 3Advice and Trading StandardsIf the video editor ignores you about the edit, call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland — no regulator covers this work, but they can involve Trading Standards.
STEP 4If money is still owedYou can take the video editor to the small claims route — the county court small claims track up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure in the sheriff court up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a video editor: questions people ask

Editing video needs no licence in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

It can be unclear: section 9 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 names a film's producer and principal director as its authors. Get a written assignment from the editor.

Yes, if the video will be published: online publication is restricted by copyright, so ask the editor for licensed tracks and the terms.

£20 to £100 an hour, typically around £50. The length, complexity and rounds of changes move the total. Hourly rates by complexity are in the video editor price guide; your town above shows editors near you.

Only if agreed; put it in the quote.

Raise it in writing. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you require the work to be redone or a price reduction.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in photography & video

How to hire: VideographerHow to hire: Event VideographerHow to hire: Wedding VideographerHow to hire: Live Streaming ServiceHow to hire: Drone VideographyHow to hire: Product PhotographerHow to hire: Event PhotographerHow to hire: Headshot PhotographerAll 701 hiring guides →

Video editors near you

Video editors in LondonVideo editors in ManchesterVideo editors in BirminghamVideo editors in GlasgowVideo editors in BelfastAll video editors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 9 — authorship (films: producer and principal director)
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment
  3. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 20 — communication to the public
  4. gov.uk — pay the data protection fee
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register