Free editing and thumbnail tools for beginners

Free tools for editing, thumbnails, music and captions, grouped by what you need them for.

You don't need expensive software to start. Free tools are enough to make good videos.

Editing

• CapCut: works on phone and PC, especially handy for Shorts.
• DaVinci Resolve: a PC editor whose free version has professional features.
• YouTube Studio editor: trim and blur uploaded videos right in YouTube.

Thumbnails

• Canva: lots of templates, easy even without design experience.

Music and sound effects

• YouTube Audio Library: free music and effects inside YouTube Studio, safe to use on YouTube.

Captions

• Turn on automatic captions in YouTube Studio and fix only the mistakes.

Links to these tools are collected under "Useful sites" at the bottom of RisingTube's Starter guide. Free plans and terms can change, so check before you rely on them.

Decide before collecting tools

Mastering one tool beats switching between many. Pick CapCut on a phone or DaVinci Resolve on a PC and learn three things first: cutting, captions and adding music.

Watch out with free tools

• Free versions may add a watermark or lock some features
• Built-in music, fonts and templates can have their own commercial-use terms
• Realistic AI-generated scenes may need YouTube's "altered or synthetic content" label

Next guide: What YouTube recommendations look at