If you’re wondering whether taking up video editing app development is worth it, the answer is a definitive yes.

The number of monthly active Instagram users. Source: statista.com

The first reason video editing app development is worthwhile is the immense following that social media services like Instagram and Youtube have. Their user base is growing by the hour – in 2018 Instagram reached 1 billion users worldwide. Both platforms include video sharing as one of their main functions. And in order for content creators to build their content the way they want to and for the process to be as quick and painless as possible, there has to be a way to edit videos on a smartphone.

The second reason is that there are not yet many good examples of video editing apps out there. So if you make a functioning alternative application to a couple of video editing tools available on the market, you would earn a huge audience of curious users.

Now that you know why you could profit from working in this field, you need to learn how to make a video editing app. To begin learning about this process, take a look at some pitfalls you have to avoid and some tips you need to follow.

Differences In Development for Different Platforms

If you want to create a successful application, you might immediately decide to go cross-platform. And it’s no wonder: this would help you attract the biggest audience. However, with video editing app development, it’s not that simple. Here are some of the specific features each platform has when it comes to this type of apps:

1. iOS

Developing an editing app on iOS might not be an easy task, but there are some helpful tools you can use to simplify it. The most important and popular one you should definitely use is the native AVFoundation framework. It allows you to easily add all the most fundamental editing features so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Another notable advantage of Apple devices for a video app developer is its definitively known and universal hardware. You don’t have to guess the specs of the device your app is going to be running on. Which means that you can effortlessly test which features will work smoothly and which are best left out.

Popular iOS video editing applications:

iMovie

Splice

Magisto

2. Android

The development process for a similar app for Android is much harder. Firstly, there is no native framework. There are a couple of third-party APIs you could use to make your task easier, but you would need to be much more careful with them.

Secondly, you would have to remember that the hardware Android devices are equipped with could differ drastically. For example, there are Samsung Galaxy phones that can shoot videos with a high enough framerate to support slow motion capture. On the other hand, there are Android phones that cannot shoot video in HD quality.

However, these difficulties have led to a lack of video editing apps for this platform. Which means that you won’t have as many competitors if you try to develop your startup in this sector.

Popular Android video editing apps:

PowerDirector

Adobe Premier Clip

Features to Include In a Video Editing App

Video editing is a complex process, which is why a video editing app can actually include a number of combinations of different features. If you want your business to be successful, you should create an app that has the basic video editing functionality, while also providing something unique and different from all the other apps on the market. To help you choose, here are just a few of the features a video editing app could have in addition to the basics.

1. Video recording

There are two major types of video editing apps you can design – either an app that works with premade videos, or an app that allows you to record clips and then edit them. Obviously, the second option is a lot harder to develop, because you’d need to know how to make a video recording app.

However, there are a lot of perks to this type of app. Firstly, it will save your users some time and effort. Secondly, video recording app development can pave the way to implementing the next feature on our list.

2. Real-time editing

Let’s assume that you’ve found a way to add lots of cool special effects and filters to your video editing app. How should your user know which of them is best for the situation they’re in right now? Well, if your app has a recording feature, you can actually apply the filter or effect directly in the camera mode. You can then add a feature to allow users to edit the clip as it is being recorded!

No matter how cool it sounds, this feature requires quite a lot of resources to work smoothly. So it may not be suitable for all of the devices out there. However, it is definitely fun and helpful enough to at least consider including.

3. Social media integration

As we discussed earlier, the main reason video editing solutions for mobile devices are in such demand is the possibility to quickly process videos before posting them to social media. So why not add the option to post the clips directly through the video editing app? Although the amount of time users will save with the help of this feature is miniscule, it is definitely a quality-of-life change most will appreciate.

You can also use this as a way to further promote your app. For example, you can suggest adding a hashtag with the name of your app to the post in exchange for some kind of benefit.

4. Access to royalty-free music and videos

Adding third-party music, images and video clips is a part of editing process for most content creators. These additions help make videos more lively, interesting and memorable.

One of the most important considerations is making sure that content with these additions abide by all copyright laws. Most social media platforms will strike any video with copyrighted materials. The result of such a strike can be disastrous, from making the video no longer monetizable to completely removing it from the platform.

One of the possible solutions to this problem is using royalty-free materials. There are a number of huge repositories of such content. To make life easier for your users, you can cooperate with one of them to provide access to free and safe content through your video editing app. This will help your customers make the best custom videos possible.

How Much Does It Cost To Make A Video Editing App?

As you might’ve guessed, the pricing of app development in this market depends on a lot of factors. The platform you’re developing for, the number of features you wish to include, and how complex these features are make up some of the most important considerations. So it is quite difficult to generalize the cost of this type of app.

An app with only key main functions would take around 1,500 hours to make. With an average cost of development of around $50 per hour, you’re looking at a $75,000 cost of development. And with an increase in complexity, there will come an increase in price.

Read also: How to Reduce App Development Cost

Conclusion

Overall, the market of video editing apps is not yet saturated. With a combination of creativity, skill and luck you can definitely beat any competition. So if you want to create a video editing app like some of the apps you see on top of the charts in the app stores, come up with an original idea, find a team of professionals and start working hard right now! Contact us with your idea and we'll help turn it into reality.