Music Video Editors
Overview
Introduction
Music video editors perform an essential role in the music industry. They take an unedited draft of film or digital video and use specialized equipment to improve the draft until it is ready for viewing. It is the responsibility of the video editor to create the most effective product possible that reflects the intentions of the featured music artist—or more precisely, the artists record label. There are approximately 39,800 film and video editors employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Music video editors are not as highly paid as others working in their industry. They have less clout than directors or producers, but they have more authority in the production of a project than camera operators and technicians working on the set. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual wage for film and video editors was $62,650 in May 2018. The lowest paid 10 percent made...
Work Environment
Most of the work done by video editors is performed in studios or at production companies. The working environment is often a small, cramped studio office full of editing equipment. Work hours vary widely depending on the scope of the video. Music videos are often filmed to be aired in conjunction with single and record release dates, so editors may be required to work overtime to meet deadline...
Outlook
Employment for editors in the motion picture and video industries will grow by about 14 percent through 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The growth in popularity of cable music channels and online streaming videos will translate into greater demand for video editors. This will also force the largest production companies ...