Invoice template for video editors
Editing work is easy to underbill because the client only measures the output. A three-minute video looks like three minutes of work, while the actual job started with eight hours of footage from three cameras, half of it without timecode. Ingest, syncing and logging are real hours and belong on the invoice.
The other common gap is the finishing work. Colour grading, the sound mix, captions and the music licence are separate skills and often separate costs. If they are rolled into one "edit" line, the client will expect them on every future job at the same price.
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The example lines and prices are illustrations. Replace them with your own.
What video editors forget to bill
- Ingest, syncing and logging, especially with multicam or hours of raw footage.
- Revision rounds past the number in the quote, each listed and dated.
- Colour grading and the sound mix, if you did them.
- Music licences bought for the edit, with the licence type named.
- Captions and subtitle files, and extra versions for social formats.
- Project file and media handover, if the client asked for it.
Questions video editors ask
Should video editors charge by the hour or by the finished minute?
By the hour or day is safer when the footage is unknown. Per finished minute only works for repeat formats you know well, like a weekly podcast cut. Many editors quote a day count and bill overruns at the day rate.
Do video editors charge for watching footage?
Yes, it is part of the job. Logging and selecting from hours of rushes is where the edit starts. Put it on the invoice as ingest and logging so the client sees why a short video took days.
How do I bill a client for music in an edit?
As a separate line at cost, with the track and licence type named. Make sure the licence covers where the video will run: a web licence may not cover paid ads or broadcast.
Keep the next one in OIO
Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.
Start freeAlso for video editors: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: videographers, motion designers, animators, social media managers. Or browse all invoice templates.