Video editing

Video editing is a critical piece of your TEDx event. The videos of your speakers’ TEDx Talks will be your event’s major takeaway to share with the rest of the world. Needless to say, you’ll want a good final product.

Your video editor will find the majority of the information that they need about editing in our Production Guide. However, here are some essentials for you to know:

Find an editor early

Make sure you bring an editor on early in the process who will be available to edit your videos shortly after your event. Aim to upload your videos within one month of your TEDx event. If you run into any significant delays, let us know by email at tedxpostevent@ted.com. Remember: you are responsible for communicating with your speakers - also let them know of any significant delays. Videos must be uploaded before your license can be renewed. A few tips on finding video editors:

  • Ask your video and production team. Chances are, they may know someone (or may be someone!) who is good at video editing.
  • You may want to consider hiring your video editor, if it’s in your budget. People who are paid for their work are often more likely to do an exceptional job than volunteers. In that case, simply search for well-reviewed businesses that provide video editing.

Video introductions and logos

Editing your introduction well, and featuring your TEDx logo, are two important steps in the editing process. Here’s what to make sure of in the beginning of the edited cut:

  • Start strong. Remove opening salutations and start with the most engaging opening line possible.
  • Create unique opening and closing title reels. We encourage editors to create introductory and closing reels that are unique to your event, providing that they follow all of our branding guidelines.
  • Your opening reel should not exceed 10 seconds.

Other need-to-knows

Here are a few important notes for editors to remember:

  • Make sure your editors know that they are not editing an entire event. They should turn each talk into a dynamic, individual article.
  • With internet video, you’re dealing with a very small screen. It’s critical that you primarily utilize the most engaging shot you have (usually a medium-close-up that follows the speakers eye-line).
  • TED is committed to making talks accessible to more audiences. If you choose to integrate a sign language interpreter into your videos, we ask that you upload two assets to the TED Media Uploader: one video without the interpreter (required) and one video that includes sign language interpretation (optional). Tip: Increase discoverability by indicating the language in the title, eg. "Talk title (with ASL)" and remember to credit the sign language professional in the description.

Make sure to read our Production Guide for all video editing guidelines.

Next: Upload your videos
Rules to remember
  • Opening and closing graphics: You may never use the TED logo, TED Music (any iteration), or the TEDx logo without your unique event name. Your logo must be clearly separated from any other text or graphics.
  • Sponsor logos on your videos: Sponsor logos may only be shown at the beginning and end of each video. You can feature multiple logos at once on the same slide. Sponsor logos may not appear anywhere else in the video, and should never be larger than your official TEDx logo. This sponsor slide must adhere to our official sponsorship slide template.
  • Copyrighted content: Before you upload any video, you must confirm that all the images, music and video clips used in your speakers' presentations are cleared for re-distribution on YouTube. Securing rights to any copyrighted materials is entirely the responsibility of the TEDx organizer. Read more about how copyright claims may affect your videos