Want to make more as a video editor? Here are 5 smart ways to increase your income and build multiple revenue streams.

1. Upsell Services Instead of Just Editing

Many video editors think their job is just to cut and stitch videos together.

But clients today don’t just want an editor. They’re looking for someone who can also handle other parts of content creation, like making thumbnails or repurposing long-form videos into Shorts and Reels.

Let’s say a YouTuber hires you to edit a 10-minute video. You could charge $100 just for the edit and call it a day.

Or, you could upsell extra services and double your income.

Instead of stopping at $100, you offer to create a thumbnail for $25, add captions for another 25, and cut two Shorts or Reels from the main video for $50. Now, instead of walking away with just $100, you’ve made 200.

Now, not every client will say yes, but most of them will, because you’re solving multiple problems at once.

And remember, upselling isn’t about being pushy. It’s about packaging your skills in a way that makes your client’s life easier.

The more problems you solve for them, the more money you make.

2. Productize Your Editing Skills

You only get a limited number of hours in a day, which means you can only edit a limited number of videos and make a limited amount of money. But the moment you productize your editing skills, you start creating assets that can make you money even while you’re asleep.

What I mean to say is, don’t just edit videos for clients. Use those same editing skills to build products you can sell online.

You could create bundles of color-grading LUTs, design transition or preset templates, or even put together a basic video editing course.

And you don’t even need a huge investment to get started. You can sell your products on Gumroad for free.

Let’s say you create a LUT pack and list it on Gumroad for $10. Even if you only sell 10 packs a week, that’s $100 a week, or 5,200 a year, for work you did just once.

This is exactly how a lot of editors are building side incomes that eventually become bigger than their editing work. Because once your products start selling consistently, you’re no longer limited by the hours in your day.

So think beyond services. Start thinking about building your own product library, because every product you put on sale is a little money-making machine that works for you 24/7.

3. Use AI Tools To Work Faster

Many editors feel AI is stealing their jobs, that it’s going to replace them. But the truth is that editors who use AI will replace the ones who don’t.

Let me explain with a simple example.

Imagine two editors, A and B. Both of them are editing a 10-minute talking-head video. Editor A edits everything manually, and it takes them 5 hours. On the other hand, Editor B uses an AI plugin, say FireCut, which automatically cuts out silences, filler words, and repeated takes. With that, Editor B finishes the same project in just 2 hours.

Now, who’s going to earn more money in the long run?

Obviously, Editor B, because they can take on and finish far more projects in the same amount of time.

And it’s not like the quality drops just because it took less time. AI plugins only automate the most boring and time-consuming parts of editing, but the creative vision of the video still comes from you.

Plus, since most clients are happy to pay extra for faster delivery, you not only finish more projects, but you can also charge more for them.

Think about it: if you’re editing 5 videos a month at $200 each, that’s $1000. But with AI, instead of 5, you could finish 10 videos in the same time. That’s $2000. That’s literally doubling your income.

4. Tap Into Recurring Revenue Clients

There’s something called the “FEAST or FAMINE Cycle”. It means sometimes you get way too much of something, and other times, almost nothing at all.

In the world of video editors, this cycle fits perfectly. One month, you might suddenly get a ton of projects, and the very next month, nothing shows up.

This FEAST or FAMINE cycle is stressful, unpredictable, and makes income growth really hard.

So, instead of editing just one or two videos for a client and calling it done, you should focus on building long-term relationships.

Let’s say a client pays you $200 for editing one video. That’s good money, but it’s a one-time deal. You have no idea if they’ll come back again or when your next client will show up.

Here’s what you can do: make them an offer. Tell them, “Instead of $200 for just one video, I can edit 4 videos every month at $500.”

That’s called a retainer.

You get a predictable income. The client gets consistency and priority access to your time. Everyone wins.

And here’s why this doubles your income: with one-off edits, you’re constantly chasing new clients, negotiating prices, and sending pitches. With retainers, you spend zero time chasing and all your time earning.

That means less stress, more stability, and complete focus on the actual work. 

Clients love retainers. They want reliable editors they can count on. And if you can prove that you deliver consistent quality, most of them will happily hire you for a long time.

5. Monetize Through Content Creation

Right now, you’re spending all your time, energy, and resources editing videos for other people. But you can use those same skills to grow your own audience.

And once you build a decent-sized audience, that’s when the magic happens.

You can earn money through YouTube AdSense, brands will reach out with sponsorships, you can promote affiliate products in your videos, and even sell your own products directly to your audience.

This is how editors transition from being service providers to becoming creators with multiple streams of income. And once you have an audience, it becomes an asset, a money-making machine that compounds over time.

An editing tutorial video you upload today can keep getting views for years, bringing in ad revenue and affiliate sales long after you’ve even forgotten about it.

You don’t need millions of followers. Even a small but loyal audience can generate serious income if you know how to leverage it.

At the end of the day, editors who build long-term careers aren’t always the most talented; they are the ones who figured out these 5 things that YouTube creators and clients value above everything else.