Once video becomes part of how a business sells, someone has to edit it every week. There are three ways to cover that: hire an editor on staff, work with a freelancer, or use an agency. Each one fits a different stage.
In-house editor
Good for: companies producing video every day, with enough work to fill a full-time role and someone on the team who can manage creative work.
Watch out for: salary and benefits, the software and hardware, and the time it takes to recruit. One person also means one skill set. A great long-form editor may not be a great motion designer, and when they take a holiday, publishing stops.
Freelancer
Good for: occasional projects, a clear brief and a budget for one or two videos at a time.
Watch out for: availability. Good freelancers are busy, and your project competes with their other clients. You also manage the strategy yourself: what to post, which hook, which clip. If they disappear mid-project, you start over.
Agency
Good for: businesses that want a steady flow of long videos, shorts and ads without managing the editing themselves.
Watch out for: agencies that hand your work to whoever is free. Ask who will edit your videos and whether it is the same team every month.
How the three compare
- Cost: a freelancer costs least per video, an agency costs a predictable monthly fee, and an in-house editor costs the most once salary and tools are counted.
- Speed: an agency with a team can turn shorts around in 48 hours. A freelancer depends on their schedule. An in-house editor is fast until they are overloaded.
- Range: an agency covers long-form, shorts, ads and graphics. A single editor covers what they know.
- Strategy: an agency that tracks results will suggest what to make next. With a freelancer or employee, that usually falls to you.
A simple way to decide
Count how many finished videos you need each month. Under five, a freelancer is often enough. Between five and forty, an agency plan is usually the best value, because you get a team and a calendar for less than one salary. Above that, and with a manager to run it, an in-house team starts to make sense, often with an agency covering overflow.
How we work
Loften Media is a small team of editors. We plan a monthly calendar with you, edit long videos, shorts and ads, and track what performs. Shorts arrive in 48 hours and long videos in 5 business days, with 4 revision rounds per video. Everything is made by humans. See our plans or case studies.