I used to spend hours overediting every talking head video. Now I don’t. Here’s why less editing actually works better, and faster.

There was a time when I believed that editing was everything. That the more effects I added, the more professional my videos would look. That the more motion graphics I threw in, the more engaging my content would be. Or that a high-energy animated intro would hook people instantly.

But over time, I learned that MORE EDITING DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN BETTER VIDEOS. In fact, in most cases, it just made things worse. It made my workflow slower, and my videos harder to watch.

So in this blog post, I want to share why I completely changed how I edit my talking head videos.

I’ve stripped things down, simplified, and removed everything that doesn’t serve the core idea. And I’ve never felt peace while editing. 

Flashy Logo Reveal Intro

When I started my YouTube channel, every single video began with a flashy logo reveal intro. I thought doing this would make my videos look professional and give my channel a solid brand identity.

But the truth is that nobody cares about your logo intro. Viewers are not here to watch you flex your logo animation skills. They are here to get information and value, and if you make them wait for even 10 seconds, chances are they’ll click away. 

When I looked at my YouTube analytics, I realized that more than half of my viewers were dropping off before the intro even ended. So without thinking twice, I completely stopped using that intro.

Now, I jump straight to the topic. I don’t greet the viewers, I don’t tell them who I am or what I do, and I don’t even ask them to like or subscribe before I’ve given them any value.

And soon enough, my retention rate went up. People stayed longer because I respected their time, and this idea of respecting the viewers’ time became the core philosophy behind everything I changed.

Fancy Text Animations

In my videos, whenever I said something important, I would display that keyword on screen with a super fancy text animation.

At first, I thought it looked really impressive, but I quickly realized that constantly showing text like that was a bit distracting for the viewers.

Now, I keep text animations super simple. I only use them when it feels necessary. Just a clean, professional-looking text that appears on screen, sits for a moment, and then fades out.

I started using this approach because if you need editing tricks to hold your audience’s attention, it probably means you’ve already lost their focus.

Overusing B-Rolls

Look, I have nothing against B-Rolls; in fact, they add variety to your videos. But the problem was that I used to add a B-roll for every little thing, literally one every few seconds.

Over time, I realized that the purpose of a B-Roll is to support your message or information, not to constantly cover your face just because you don’t like how you look or sound while talking.

These days, I only use B-rolls when it genuinely adds clarity or impact.

If I’m explaining an editing technique, I’ll show a screen recording. And if I need to explain a concept, I try to illustrate it using simple animations made in After Effects.

But no more throwing in random stock footage just for the sake of holding retention.

Background Music

Now this one might be a bit controversial, but I’ve stopped using background music in most of my talking head videos.

But it wasn’t always like this. I used to think that every video needed a lo-fi beat playing under my voice. I believed that without music, viewers would get bored.

But the mistake I was making was trying to apply the logic of a story-driven video or a movie to a talking head video. 

Just think about it. You’re sitting in front of a friend, having a conversation, and every time you speak, there’s background music playing. Feels kind of weird, right?

When I looked at some of my previous videos with background music, I realized that the music didn’t add anything. If anything, it made it harder to focus on the words. 

There’s a psychological thing that happens when music and speech fight for attention. Even if the music track’s volume is low, your brain is subconsciously processing both streams of audio, and that creates a cognitive load.

Also see: How To Perfectly Balance Voice And Music In Premiere Pro

Now, imagine your viewer is already trying to understand your point, maybe they’re multitasking, or maybe English isn’t their first language, and now you’ve added music on top.

You’re just making it harder for them.

Ever since I stopped using music, I genuinely feel like my videos have started to feel more intimate. Without background music, I can control my pacing however I want. I can pause whenever I need to, and the best part is, I no longer have to spend hours searching for the perfect soundtrack.

To be honest, most viewers don’t even notice the absence of music, because what they truly care about is your ability to deliver your ideas clearly and confidently.

Retention Editing

A while ago, the concept of ‘retention editing’ was trending on YouTube. Editors were using all kinds of effects, transitions, and motion graphics to try and keep viewers engaged. 

And I tried that in my videos too. But in my case, I realized that it didn’t make much of a difference in retention or engagement.

So I shifted my focus to simpler editing. I started paying more attention to scripting, delivering naturally, making clean cuts, using minimal graphics, and ensuring crystal clear audio.

Doing this has improved my retention rate, but more importantly, my videos now truly feel like real talking head videos. It’s just me, my thoughts, my ideas, and you, the viewer, watching and listening.

And honestly, that’s exactly how a talking head video should be.

And the biggest benefit I’ve got from this is that my entire video creation workflow has become at least 10 times faster. Now I can write, shoot, edit, and publish a video in just 2 to 3 days.

And let’s be honest, speed and consistency are super important if you want to grow on YouTube.

Now, I’m not saying everyone should follow my minimal editing approach. But when it comes to talking head videos, where the main focus is your voice, your face, and your ideas, overediting can do more harm than good.

So if you are someone who spends too much time making your videos look “PERFECT”, this is what I want you to do.

Try making your next video with no background music and very minimal editing. Just you, your voice, and your message. Focus on your delivery.

Write a solid script, speak with clarity, and edit cleanly.

You will be surprised by how much better your video feels, because in the end, simplicity isn’t laziness, it’s confidence. Confidence in your ideas, confidence in your ability to communicate without gimmicks, confidence that what you’re saying matters.