VN Video Editor – COMPLETE Tutorial for Beginners! (iPhone, Android & Mac)

VN Video Editor was recently awarded ‘best all rounder’ in our guides on Best Video Editing Apps For Android AND Best Video Editing Apps For iPhone. It even got a solid mention in our Mac roundup as well!

Given that it’s such a great video editing software, we thought it deserved a full step-by-step tutorial to show you exactly how to use VN Video Editor.

Important: When available, we use affiliate links and may earn a commission!

We’ll teach you everything you need to know – all the key features and a ton of video editing tips to get you cutting videos like a pro.

Also known as Vlog Now, this video editor app is available on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. We’ll be running through this tutorial using the VN Video Editing app on iPad.

But because the app is cross-platform and cross-device compatible, the process will be exactly the same for iPhone, Android and even on desktop. So feel free to follow along on your device of choice.

Here’s exactly what we’ll cover in this VN Video Editor tutorial: 

Let’s get started. 

How To Import Footage On VN Video Editor

Open the VN Video Editor app and press the + button at the bottom of the page. Then select New Project.

Once inside the VN Video Editor app you can create a new project

Once inside the VN Video Editor app you can create a new project

The next step is to import footage. You can import all of the clips you want in your edit at this point. But we recommend just selecting your primary footage now and adding in the B-roll clips later.

VN Video Editor will default to the Recents folder for importing files. You can find files in a different location by tapping Recents and selecting another folder. 

Import your footage before diving into VN video editing 

Import your footage before diving into VN video editing – tap Import from File App if the files are on your device 

If the files are saved onto your device, you can tap the More icon in the top right corner and select Import from File App

Tap your primary footage file and then press the Next arrow. Your footage will now be imported to your project. 

VN Video Editor App Interface

Now let’s run through the VN Video Editor app interface so you can get familiar with the tools and where they’re located.

The Original button in the top menu bar is where you can change the format of your video. If you leave it on Original, the frame ratio will default to the format of your footage. 

You can change the frame ratio to suit YouTube videos, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or other custom sizes.

You can easily change the frame ratio to suit the platform you’ll be uploading to 

You can easily change the frame ratio to suit the platform you’ll be uploading to 

The preview window is where you can playback your video project. 

The editing timeline is where the editing happens. There are different tracks for music, titles, graphics, gootage, primary audio – all of the elements of your video. 

The icons indicate what element goes on each of the layers (primary footage, B-roll, titles, etc.)

The icons indicate what element goes on each of the layers (primary footage, B-roll, titles, etc.)

The media controls allow you to Play your video, Skip to the end of your project or Skip to the beginning of your project. 

You can scroll through the timeline by swiping on your device. If you’re using a computer, you can click and drag or use the keyboard. 

Features like volume, crop, filters and split can be found in the bottom menu bar 

Features like volume, crop, filters and split can be found in the bottom menu bar 

The bottom menu bar is where you can access all of the tools, filters and effects. 

Now that your primary footage is uploaded and you’re familiar with the interface, it’s time to trim down your footage. 

How To Edit In VN Video Editor

Just like in all video editing apps, there are a few different ways you can trim or edit footage.

Sometimes it might make more sense to use one over the other, or you might just find that one tool suits your editing style better. So we’ll run you through all of the options.  

The playback indicator is the white line that goes from top to bottom on the editing timeline

The playback indicator is the white line that goes from top to bottom on the editing timeline

If you go to the start of your video, you’ll see a white line going from top to bottom. This is the playback indicator. 

Align the playback indicator where you want the video to start – after any preparations or mistakes you made before the good footage begins. 

Once the playback indicator is aligned, tap the Split button 

Once the playback indicator is aligned, tap the Split button 

Then press the Split button in the bottom menu bar. You’ll now have two clips, one on the left with bad footage and one on the right with your remaining footage. 

Select the first clip and press the Delete button to remove it. Now the video will start at the point you made that split. 

Press the Skip button to jump to the end of your footage. Now you can remove any unnecessary footage at the end of your clip. 

You can skip to the end of your footage by tapping the Back button 

You can skip to the end of your footage by tapping the Skip button 

Let’s try using the Drag method this time. Tap on the clip and yellow handles will appear on either side of the clip. 

Click and drag the handle to where you want the video to end. Now the video will finish at that point. Then simply tap off the clip to deselect it. 

Trim the footage by dragging the yellow handle to where you want the clip to end 

Trim the footage by dragging the yellow handle to where you want the clip to end 

You can use these tools to remove unnecessary footage throughout the entire project. Simply make a Split where the bad footage begins. Then either make a second Split where the bad footage ends and delete the middle clip. Or you can drag the handles to remove the footage you don’t want. 

PRO TIP: Check the audio bar to see where there are any long pauses in your footage. This usually indicates footage you’ll want to remove – where you had a break or made a mistake and started again. This is a quick way to find footage that needs to be removed. 

You can Split the footage at any point and then drag the handle to remove footage throughout the clip 

You can Split the footage at any point and then drag the handle to remove footage throughout the clip 

Now go through and remove all of the bad takes, mistakes and any footage you don’t want in your finished video project. 

Make sure you’re hitting Play and watching the footage as you go through this process. This will allow you to really tighten up the clips and leave you with a high quality edit. 

VN Video Editor inserts a promotional clip at the end of every project 

VN Video Editor inserts a promotional clip at the end of every project 

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to delete the VN Video Editor clip at the end of your video. Simply select the clip and press Delete

How To Add B-Roll In VN Video Editor

Next up, we’re going to bring in the B-roll footage. To do this, press the B-roll footage icon above the primary footage track. Then select Stocks.

Tap the B-roll icon to import your B-roll footage 

Tap the B-roll icon to import your B-roll footage 

The clips that have already been added to the project are marked as Imported. So tap the B-roll clips that you want to add in. 

When you import B-roll footage this way rather than with the primary footage, it will be on a different layer. This makes it super easy to edit. The B-roll clip will appear on top of the primary footage in the preview window. You can move this clip around, make it smaller or larger, and even rotate it. 

The B-roll footage will appear in the playback window as a clip on top of the primary footage 

The B-roll footage will appear in the preview window as a clip on top of the primary footage 

Usually we will simply enlarge the clip so that it’s full screen. Then go to the editing timeline and trim the B-roll clip to just the footage you want to use. 

You can Split this clip or drag the handles to edit it down. To change the placement of the clip, simply click and drag it across the timeline. 

The magnetic timeline feature means B-roll clips are linked to the primary footage beneath them

The magnetic timeline feature means B-roll clips are linked to the primary footage beneath them

A really cool feature inside VN Video Editor is the magnetic timeline. This means once you’ve placed a B-roll clip on the timeline, it will be linked to the primary footage clip beneath it. Then if you click and move the primary footage clip, that B-roll clip will come with it. 

This is useful if you decide to change the order of your clips later but the B-roll footage is relevant to that clip.

So, add in all of your B-roll footage at this point. 

Then it’s time to add titles and text to your video. 

How To Add Text In VN Video Editor

Go to the start of the editing timeline and tap the Text icon above the B-roll footage track. 

To insert text and titles, tap the Text icon 

To insert text and titles, tap the Text icon 

There are some great presets in here such as Name & Description, Frame and Video Title. 

Tap the preset you want to include and it will be added as a clip on the timeline. 

The title will appear as a clip in the timeline - you can adjust it just like any other clip 

The title will appear as a clip on the timeline – you can adjust it just like any other clip 

An editable text box will also appear in the preview window. To insert your text, simply tap the text box and type. You can also change the text box position and size by dragging it or tapping the Resize icon in the bottom right corner. 

Simply tap the text box in the playback window to change the text

Simply tap the text box in the preview window to change the text

The bottom menu bar is where you can make further text customizations: 

  • The T icon: Change the preset of your text 
  • The Aa icon: Adjust font and font size 
  • Color icon: Choose text color, background color, letter spacing and insert things like drop shadow 
There are heaps of text customization options such as border, shadow and background color

There are heaps of text customization options such as border, shadow and background color

Once you’re happy with the title, tap the Tick icon in the bottom right corner. 

Just like with every clip on the timeline, you can drag the handles to adjust the length. To move the text clip, tap and drag it to where you’d like it to play. 

To view the text editing options again, select the text clip and press Edit

To view the text editing options again, select the text clip and press Edit

If at any time you want to go back and make changes to the text, select the text clip and press Edit

Adding Text Animations

You can also add animations to the title. Tap the text clip and select Motion

You can choose from heaps of animation options by selecting the text clip and going to Motion

You can choose from heaps of animation options by selecting the text clip and going to Motion

Here you can add effects for: 

  • In Animation: How the text will appear on screen
  • Out Animation: How the text will appear off screen 
  • Loop Animation: Repeating animation

You can choose from effects like fade, scale, slide, gradient, etc. 

If you want your title to have a repeating animation, select Loop Animation

If you want your title to have a repeating animation, select Loop Animation

The slider bar at the bottom will allow you to determine the duration of the effect. 

When you’re done, tap the Tick icon to apply those changes. 

Now let’s add in transitions between clips. 

How To Add Effects In VN Video Editor

On the editing timeline, select one clip and you’ll notice a + button between the selected clip and the one next to it. 

To insert a transition between two clips, tap the + button

To insert a transition between two clips, tap the + button

This will bring up the transitions panel. Under Base transitions, there are general transitions like Dip to Black, Dissolve and Zoom. Under Matte transitions, there are some more obscure options like Zebra, Swirl and Memory. 

There are some weird and wondering transitions under the Matte category

There are some weird and wondering transitions under the Matte category

However, we normally don’t add transitions like this between clips that look the same.

Instead, we recommend zooming in slightly on either the first or second clip. This will almost make it look like you’ve used a second camera angle. It’s a great way to break up your content rather than having a hard cut. 

We strongly recommend using a zoom transition - to do this select a clip and go to Crop

We recommend using a zoom transition – to do this select a clip and go to Crop

To do this, select the second clip and press Crop in the bottom menu bar. Then either pinch and zoom or drag the corners to zoom in. You don’t need to zoom in too much – this is a subtle effect. 

Pinch to zoom in on the shot to create a zoom effect 

Pinch to zoom in on the shot to create a zoom effect 

Make sure you align the person’s eyes in both clips so that the transition isn’t jarring or confusing for the viewer. 

If you want to add transitions to your B-roll footage, select the clip and press Motion. These are the same as the text animations we used before. Simply choose an effect and tap the Tick icon. 

You can add transitions to the B-roll clips by selecting the clip and going to Motion 

You can add transitions to the B-roll clips by selecting the clip and going to Motion 

Now add in any transitions or zoom effects to your entire project. 

Then let’s add music. 

How To Add Music In VN Video Editor

Tap the Music icon above the Text track. Here you can select Music, Sound FX or Record. 

To insert background music to your project, tap the Music icon 

To insert background music to your project, tap the Music icon 

While a lot of apps have music and sound effects included, we strongly recommend using a platform with royalty free music that you know covers all of your licensing. 

That’s why all of the music we use in our videos comes from Artlist or Epidemic Sound. 

To upload your own music that’s been downloaded from a trusted site, go to My Music. Press More and select Import from File App. Tap your track and then press Use

Once you’ve located the music track you want to use, tap the Use button 

Once you’ve located the music track you want to use, tap the Use button 

Before the music clip is added to your timeline, an Options panel will appear. Here you can adjust the length, volume, fade in time and fade out time of your music clip. 

As a general rule, we set all background music to 30% as a starting point. You can then adjust the volume to the perfect setting later. 

You can adjust the length of the music track by dragging the side handles 

You can adjust the length of the music track by dragging the side handles 

Another really cool feature in here is Beats. This is awesome if you’re creating videos where you want to cut your clips to the beat. The Beats feature allows you to mark the beat throughout the track.

The Beats feature is awesome if you want to cut your video to the beat of the music 

The Beats feature is awesome if you want to cut your video to the beat of the music 

To do this, press Beats and then press Play. As the music plays, tap the Flag icon to add a marker. Then when you’re editing, you can use these markers to make sure you’re cutting on the beat. 

Hit the Tick icon and your music track will be imported as a clip on the timeline. Then you can line up the footage clips with the markers. 

Tap the Flag icon to add a marker on the beat 

Tap the Flag icon to add a marker on the beat 

You can adjust the length of the clip by dragging the handles. To make any changes simply tap the clip. To add more markers go to Beats, to adjust volume levels go to Volume and to change the original settings go to Options

The markers will appear as lines on the music clip - you can align these with your footage

The markers will appear as lines on the music clip – you can align these with your footage

Now that your music track has been added, it’s time to adjust all the audio levels in your project. 

How To Adjust Audio Levels In VN Video Editor

Usually when it comes to adjusting audio levels throughout an entire video project, you would need to mute the music audio separately and set the primary audio levels first. 

Usually you would have to select the music clip and mute it this way but VN Video Editor makes this process easier 

Usually you would have to select the music clip and mute it this way

But VN Video Editor has a really cool feature that allows you to do both in the one window. 

In the bottom menu bar press Volume to access the project volume. There are two sections here: Video Volume and BGM Volume (background music volume). Go to BGM Volume first and set this to zero. 

You can access primary AND background audio at the Volume section in the bottom menu bar

You can access primary AND background audio at the Volume section in the bottom menu bar

Then go back to Video Volume and set this to the correct level. We’ve found that 100% is usually perfect but you might need to make it louder or quieter depending on how your audio was recorded. 

Start by going to BGM Volume and putting the volume on zero so you can set the primary audio

Start by going to BGM Volume and putting the volume on zero so you can set the primary audio

Once your Video Volume is set correctly, go to BGM Volume and adjust this until it sounds right with the Video Volume. 

As we mentioned earlier, around 30% is a good starting point but this will be different for different tracks. 

You can usually set the primary audio volume to around 100%

You can usually set the primary audio volume to around 100%

When your audio levels are perfectly set, you can tap the Tick icon to apply this to just the one clip. Or you can tap Apply to all so that it is applied to all the clips on your timeline. 

Next, if your B-roll or overlay footage has audio, you’ll most likely want to mute this. To do this, tap the clip and press Volume

You need to set the B-roll clip volume individually - don’t select Apply to all 

You need to set the B-roll clip volume individually – don’t select Apply to all 

Drag the slider bar to zero and then press the Tick icon. Make sure you don’t tap Apply to all or you’ll mute your entire project! So you’ll need to adjust all the B-roll clips individually. 

Now let’s take a look at the color effects and fix any colors in your video. 

How To Color Grade In VN Video Editor

To color grad your project, select the first clip on your timeline and press Filter in the bottom menu. There’s a ton of filters and presets in here that you can apply to your video. Think of these like Instagram filters. 

To color grade your video project, select a clip and press the Filter button 

To color grade your video project, select a clip and press the Filter button 

If you find one you like – feel free to run with that one. But you can also select a filter and customize it or you can start from scratch. 

To start from scratch, make sure Original is selected under Filter. Then go to Adjust. There are heaps of options in here that you can play with to dial in the perfect look for your video. 

You can choose a preset filter or go to Adjust to manually change the color settings 

You can choose a preset filter or go to Adjust to manually change the color settings 

The main ones we adjust (in this order) are: 

  • Exposure
  • Color temperature
  • Vibrance
  • Contrast 
There are lots of elements you can adjustment here such as contrast, temperature and hue

There are lots of elements you can change here such as contrast, temperature and hue

If at any point you want to see the original version (before any changes were made) simply tap and hold on the screen. 

Once you’re finished customizing, tap Apply to all. This color effect will now be applied to all of your primary footage clips. 

Once you’re happy with the color settings, press Apply to all to apply this throughout the project

Once you’re happy with the color settings, press Apply to all

You can follow the same process to adjust the colors of your B-roll clips. Simply select the clip, go to Filters in the bottom menu bar and make any changes in there. 

The color grade process is the same for B-roll footage as well 

The color grade process is the same for B-roll footage as well 

That’s the editing process done! But before we run through the exporting process, there are some other really cool features we want to share with you. 

How To Adjust Speed In VN Video Editor

If you want to make any changes to speed, select a clip and then go to Speed in the bottom menu. 

You can adjust the speed of a clip by selecting it and pressing Speed

You can adjust the speed of a clip by selecting it and pressing Speed

Under Regular you have a slider bar that you can adjust to make the clip faster or slower. This is just your standard speed control setting.

But there’s a whole additional element of speed control in here!

There are the standard speed settings under Regular 

There are the standard speed settings under Regular 

If you go to Curve, you can really dial in your speed control. You’ve got the ability to change between â…› x speed and 8x speed. 

By adjusting the curve, you could have the beginning of the clip playing at 8x speed, the middle playing at 36% speed and the end playing at 450% speed. 

You have a crazy amount of control with speed customizations under the Curve section 

You have a crazy amount of control with speed customizations under the Curve section 

So this gives you a massive amount of control and you can really customize the speed pattern. 

There are even presets in here. Tap the Preset button and you can choose between options like Jump Cut, Montage and Hero Time. 

There are even a number of speed presets you can apply to the clip 

There are even a number of speed presets you can apply to the clip 

So you can use these adjustment abilities to really match your edit. 

How To Change The Video Format In VN Video Editor

Another feature we love in VN Video Editor is how easy it is to change the format of your video. 

To change the video format, tap Original in the top menu bar 

To change the video format, tap Original in the top menu bar 

Say you want to repurpose your YouTube video for use on another platform like TikTok. Tap Original in the top menu bar and then change the Frame Ratio to the TikTok preset. 

You can choose between formats for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and others 

You can choose between formats for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and others 

Then your entire video will be scaled to suit that format. 

So if you went from a widescreen video to a TikTok format, you’ll see the widescreen will be scaled to fit in the portrait view and the rest of the screen will be blurred. 

You have even more control over how this looks. Select a clip and press BG (background) in the bottom menu bar. 

To adjust the background, select a clip and go to BG

To adjust the background, select a clip and go to BG

Here you can adjust the amount of blur in the background, make the background a solid color or a gradient color.

You can even adjust the size of the clip. So if you pinch to zoom in, it can be scaled up to become a full screen video with no background. 

Then tap Apply to all and your entire video will be ready for use on TikTok (or whichever platform ratio you selected). 

It’s a good idea to leave space above & below the video, then when you upload it buttons, comments and other features don’t block out anything important

Leave space at the top & bottom of your video for buttons, comments & features

PRO TIP: It’s a good idea to leave space above & below the video, then when you upload it buttons, comments and other features don’t block out anything important.

To get your video back to the original version, simply tap the Frame Ratio button in the top menu and select Original

Now let’s export your video. 

How To Export In VN Video Editor

Tap the Export button in the top right corner. 

The default setting here is Auto. VN Video Editor has based those Auto settings to match the primary footage that you uploaded. 

You can go with Auto or if you want to adjust the settings go to Manual 

You can go with Auto or if you want to adjust the settings go to Manual 

So the Auto setting is probably going to be perfect for most people. 

If you want some specific settings, you can adjust these in Manual. You can adjust Resolution, FPS and Average Bitrate. 

Adjustments can be made to the resolution, FPS and average bitrate 

Adjustments can be made to the resolution, FPS and average bitrate 

When you’re ready to save out your video, press Export. Make sure you don’t lock the screen or leave the app while the project is exporting. 

Once your video has been saved, make sure you playback the entire video so that you can see how everything looks and sounds together. 

Once it’s saved - playback through your video to really make sure you’re happy with it 

Once it’s saved – playback through your video to really make sure you’re happy with it 

PRO TIP: It’s a great idea to go through this playback process using headphones for a more accurate idea of how the volume sounds. 

Now You Know How To Use VN Video Editor

That’s our complete walk-through VlogNow tutorial. We covered everything you need to know to create quality videos and speed up your video editing process using VN Editor. 

VN Video Editor is one of our favorite video editing apps. It has an incredible amount of features and allows you to easily edit using pretty much any device! 

If you found this complete guide on how to use VN Video Editor helpful, please share it on social media or with others who might like to learn more about this awesome video editing app.

FAQ

Is VN Video Editor free?

Yes, VN Video Editor is a completely free (& awesome!) video editing app.

Is VN Video Editor available on PC?

VN Video Editor is available on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows PC.

Is VN Video Editor good?

VN Video Editor is a great video editing app for beginners or anyone wanting to do a quick & basic edit. It’s easy to use with an intuitive interface while still having some great intermediate editing tools.


Links

When available, we use affiliate links and may earn a commission!

Resources to Level Up your Videos:

Best Video Editing Software 2021:


Recommended Gear & Resources

Check out an up-to-date list of all the gear, software & tools we use and recommend right now at Primal Video on our resources page here!

Related Content

Share this...

Save this post for later?

Hit the button below and we'll send you this post for later, plus subscribe you to our awesome (free!) Primal Video Insider updates!

Table of Contents
Save this post for later?

Hit the button and we'll send you this post for later, plus subscribe you to our awesome (free!) Primal Video Insider updates!

Hit the button below and we’ll send you this post for later, plus subscribe you to our awesome (free!) Primal Video Insider updates!

More from Primal Video...

Ecamm Live REVIEW (Best Live Streaming Software for Mac?)

Ecamm Live is one of our top live streaming apps for Mac, but is it the BEST live streaming software …

View →
Editing Video on Android: Editing with Cyberlink PowerDirector on Android - Public Relations

Editing Video on Android: Editing with Cyberlink PowerDirector on Android

Cyberlink PowerDirector on Android is a great app for creating videos on-the-go. With the right process it’s easy to get …

View →
How to Make a Video Intro for YouTube on SMARTPHONE (iPhone & Android!)

How to Make a Video Intro for YouTube on SMARTPHONE (iPhone & Android!)

While it might look hard to create an awesome YouTube video intro, with the right know-how it can actually be …

View →

Facebook Live With Multiple Presenters (UPDATED!)

UPDATED: Learn how to add guests into your Facebook Live stream and use Facebook Live with MULTIPLE Presenters!

View →
Best Live Streaming Software for WINDOWS PC - 2022 Review!

Best Live Streaming Software for WINDOWS PC – 2022 Review!

This is our review of the best live streaming software for Windows right now.  The PC live streaming software landscape …

View →
ProShot App Tutorial – Filming with iPhone Camera Apps! - iPhone 4

ProShot App Tutorial – Filming with iPhone Camera Apps!

This ProShot app tutorial will get you great results filming with iPhone camera apps, FAST!

View →
Live stream to multiple platforms

Live Stream to Multiple Platforms at the same time (How to Simulcast!)

How to live stream to multiple platforms at the same time. Step-by-step, how to simulcast to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, …

View →
How to Upload Photos and Videos to Instagram from Computer (PC or Mac) - Upload

How to Upload Photos and Videos to Instagram from Computer (PC or Mac)

Here’s the best way to upload photos and videos to Instagram from computer, so you can easily repurpose YouTube videos …

View →
Don't miss a thing!

Become a Primal Video Insider to stay in the loop.

If you get my best Blue Steel impression now, just imagine what's waiting for you on the inside...

Become a Primal Video Insider and unlock:
We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe.
Check out our Privacy Policy for more info!

If you get my best Blue Steel impression now, just imagine what's waiting for you on the inside...

Become a Primal Video Insider and unlock:
We hate spam and promise to keep your email address safe. Check out our Privacy Policy for more info!