Video Editing Proposal Template

A proposal for freelance video editors, written for recurring YouTube or social work but easy to adapt for one-off projects. Below it: how to set turnaround, revisions and music licensing so a steady client stays a profitable one.

Updated September 30, 2026

The template

Video editing proposal template

VIDEO EDITING PROPOSAL: [Project or channel name]
Prepared for: [Client name]
Prepared by: [Your name]
Date: [Date]   Valid until: [Date + 30 days]

1. THE GOAL
[E.g. "Turn your weekly 60-90 minutes of raw footage into a tight 12-15 minute YouTube video that keeps viewers watching through the slower build steps, plus a vertical cut for Shorts."]

2. DELIVERABLES (PER VIDEO)
- Main edit: [length] minutes, [resolution and frame rate, e.g. 4K 25fps]
- Colour correction and basic grading
- Audio clean-up, levels and music from [licensed library / your supplied tracks]
- Captions: [burned-in / separate SRT file]
- Titles and lower thirds using [your brand template / a template I'll create]
- [Number] short-form cuts, [aspect ratio], up to [length] seconds each
- [Optional: thumbnail design]

3. WHAT I NEED FROM YOU
- Raw footage uploaded to [shared drive] with a short note on the story and any must-keep moments
- Brand assets: logo, fonts, colours, intro/outro if you have them
- One round of consolidated feedback per video

4. TURNAROUND
First cut within [3] business days of receiving all footage. Revisions within [2] business days of feedback.

5. REVISIONS
[2] rounds per video are included. A round is one consolidated list of notes. Re-edits caused by new footage or a change in the video's structure are quoted separately.

6. INVESTMENT
[Per video / monthly package for N videos]: [price]
[Monthly package: invoiced at the start of each month; unused videos don't roll over.]
Rush turnaround (under [48] hours): +[percentage or amount]

7. NOT INCLUDED
- Filming, scripting or on-location work
- Paid music, stock footage or plugins beyond my standard library (quoted before use)
- Uploading, scheduling or channel management (can be added)

8. RIGHTS AND FILES
You own the final exported videos on payment. Project files are archived for [90] days; delivery of project files is available for [price].

9. NEXT STEPS
Accept this proposal and send the footage for your first video. I'll invoice the first month and start the edit.

Define the deliverable per video

"Edit my videos" can mean a quick trim or a fully graded piece with motion graphics. Listing what every video includes (length, resolution, colour, audio, captions, titles, short cuts) is what lets you price a package and say no to extras without an argument.

Turnaround starts when footage is complete

Tie your turnaround to receiving all the footage and notes, not to the day the client sends the first file. Otherwise a missing clip on day three still counts against your deadline.

Music and stock licensing

Say whose licence covers the music. If you use your own library subscription, check that its licence covers the client's use (a client's channel may need its own licence), and say what happens if they stop working with you. When in doubt, have the client hold the licence.

Pricing recurring work

A monthly package (for example four videos a month) is easier for both sides to plan than per-video invoices.
Say whether unused videos roll over. If they do, cap it.
Price rush work separately so it stays the exception.
Review the package after the first month, once you know how long their footage really takes.

Example numbers only: 4 long-form videos plus 8 short cuts for $1,600 a month. Work out your own from the hours a typical video takes you.

Offer a paid trial

For a new ongoing client, editing one video at your normal rate before committing to a monthly package lets both of you check the fit. Keep it paid: a free trial sets the value of your work at zero.