What should you charge per video?
A rate calculator for freelance video editors and thumbnail designers. Start from the income you want, your costs and real billable hours; get an hourly rate, a per-video price and a per-minute price, with the maths shown.
Where the hours go
- Reviewing raw footage0.4 h
- Editing6.0 h
- Revision rounds1.8 h
- Export, upload, messages0.5 h
Hourly = (₹40,000 + ₹2,500) ÷ 100 h. Per job = hours × hourly.
Assumptions (estimates, not market data)
- Editing hours per finished minute: Talking head 0.6, Vlog 1, Gaming 0.8, Shorts 2.5, Tutorial 0.5, Documentary 2, Full podcast episode (multicam) 0.25.
- Experience multiplies that time: Beginner ×1.4, Intermediate ×1, Pro ×0.8, Expert ×0.7.
- Raw footage is reviewed at about 1.5× speed; each revision round takes 15% of the editing time; 0.5 h per video for export and handover.
- Turnaround: 48 hours +25%, 24 hours +50%.
- The range is the editing time at −15% / +20%, because editing time is the hardest input to predict.
- Taxes are not included: set your take-home goal after the tax you expect to pay.
What Shinel Studios charges for this job
From our published price list. Closest match: long video, basic edit, 10 finished minutes.
Agency prices include a team, QA and project management, so they are not a direct benchmark for a solo freelancer. Full price list.
Compare with public rate sources
Good editor looking for steady work? Shinel Studios hires freelance and salaried video editors and thumbnail designers.
How to use the rate calculator
- Set your income goal. Enter the take-home amount you want each month, your monthly software and business costs, and how many hours a month you can actually bill.
- Describe a typical job. Pick editing or thumbnails, your experience, the video type, raw footage length, finished length, revision rounds and turnaround.
- Read the three rates. The calculator shows an hourly rate, a per-video price and a per-finished-minute price, each with a low to high range.
- Check the assumptions. Open the assumptions panel. If a job takes you longer or shorter than the ratios used, adjust the inputs until the hours match your real experience.
- Compare and quote. Compare with public rate sources and Shinel Studios' published prices, then quote a per-video price with the revisions and turnaround written down.
Why start from income, not from other editors' prices?
Rates you see online mix countries, skill levels and job sizes, so they tell you little about what you need. A rate that does not cover your costs and a living wage at the hours you can actually bill is a hobby, however busy it keeps you. Work out that floor first, then check it against what clients in your niche pay. If the floor is above what they pay, the fix is usually speed (templates, presets, a tighter review process), a niche that pays more, or retainer clients who send steady work.
Put it in writing
A price only holds if the scope is clear. Use the free video editing contract generator to fix deliverables, revision rounds and payment terms, and the freelance invoice generator to bill with GST or VAT.
Editors: see open roles on the Shinel Studios careers page.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge as a freelance video editor?
Start from what you need to earn. Add your monthly software and business costs to your target take-home income, divide by the hours you can really bill (usually 60 to 70 percent of the hours you work, because messages, invoicing and finding clients are unpaid), and that is your minimum hourly rate. Then multiply by how long a typical video takes you. This calculator does exactly that and shows the working.
Should I charge per hour, per video or per minute?
Most YouTube clients prefer a fixed price per video, because they budget per upload. Use the hourly rate to work out that price, not to bill it. Per finished minute suits long-form work where length varies. Whatever you choose, write down how many revision rounds and what turnaround the price includes.
Are these market rates?
No. The calculator does not use market data. It turns your own income goal, costs and hours into a rate, using the editing-time ratios listed in the assumptions panel. To see what others charge, compare with public sources such as Upwork's published hiring-cost guide for video editors or the US Bureau of Labor Statistics page for film and video editors, both linked on this page.
How long does it take to edit a 10 minute YouTube video?
It depends heavily on the style. A clean talking-head edit might take 4 to 8 hours including reviewing the footage; a story-driven vlog or documentary with motion graphics can take 15 to 30. The calculator uses a stated ratio per finished minute for each video type, adjusted for experience, plus time to review the raw footage and handle revisions.
How much should I charge for a YouTube thumbnail?
Work it out the same way: your hourly rate times the hours a thumbnail takes you, including concepts and revision rounds. Pick Thumbnail designer in the calculator. A simple text-and-cut-out thumbnail is set at about 1 hour and a complex composite at 4, before the experience adjustment.
Should I charge more for rush delivery?
Yes. Rush work pushes other clients back or costs you evenings. The calculator adds 25 percent for 48-hour delivery and 50 percent for 24-hour delivery. Shinel Studios' own rush add-on is shown on its pricing page.
What does Shinel Studios charge for the same job?
The comparison box shows Shinel Studios' published one-off price for the closest matching job, read straight from the live price list in rupees or US dollars. Two columns apply: a lower New Creator price for channels that are not yet monetized and a standard price.
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