5 Things to Put in Your Fiverr Video Editing Brief (Free Template)

The fastest way to get a great edit from Fiverr is writing a Fiverr video editing brief that leaves nothing to guesswork. Most disappointing edits come from vague instructions like “make it engaging,” not from bad editors. This guide gives you the five things every brief needs, plus a template you can copy. It’s part of our guide on how to hire a YouTube video editor on Fiverr.

A brief does two jobs. Before you order, it helps the editor quote accurately and tell you honestly whether they’re a fit. After you order, it’s the reference point for every decision they make and every revision you request.

1. The video’s goal and audience

Start with what the video is for and who’s watching. An editor makes hundreds of small decisions per video, from how fast to cut to which moments to emphasize, and knowing the goal helps them make the right ones. “Explain our service to homeowners and get them to book a call” leads to very different choices than “entertain gamers and grow subscribers.”

Include:

• Title or working title of the video.
• Who it’s for, in one sentence.
• What you want viewers to do after watching: subscribe, click a link, book a call, watch the next video.

2. Footage details

Tell the editor exactly what they’re getting: how many files, how much raw footage, which audio track to use, and how long the finished video should be. This prevents the most common surprise on Fiverr, which is finding out your footage is longer than the package covers.

Include:

• Link to a shared folder, with files named in recording order.
• Raw footage length and number of clips.
• Audio notes: “use the separate mic track, not the camera audio.”
• Target finished length and a maximum.
• What to cut: mistakes, retakes, long pauses, specific tangents.

If you’re still estimating cost, our breakdown of how much a YouTube video editor costs on Fiverr explains why footage length matters so much.

3. Example videos with timestamps

Examples are the most useful part of any brief, because they replace vague words with something the editor can actually see. Pick two or three videos, from your own channel or others, and point to the specific moments you like: the zoom style at 1:12, the caption look at 0:45, how the music drops at 3:30.

Include:

• Two or three links, each with timestamps and one line on what you like.
• One example of what you don’t want, if you have a strong dislike.

4. Your branding

Branding keeps every video looking like your channel. Without it, each editor (and sometimes each video) will look slightly different, and viewers lose that “oh, it’s them” recognition in their feed.

Include:

• Logo files in high resolution.
• Brand colors as hex codes.
• Fonts for captions and on-screen text.
• Caption style: size, color, placement, word-by-word or full sentences.
• Intro and outro clips, if you use them.
• Music mood, and whether the editor should source licensed tracks.

If you don’t have a style yet, ask the editor to propose one on the first video, then save it for every video after.

5. Deliverables and deadline

Finish with exactly what you expect back and when. This is where misunderstandings about extras and timing usually hide.

Include:

• Export settings: resolution and format, for example 4K or 1080p MP4.
• Extras: Shorts, thumbnail, captions file, project file.
• Deadline: a date, not “ASAP.”
• Revision expectations: that you’ll send one bundled, timestamped feedback message.

Free Fiverr video editing brief template

Copy this into a document and fill it in for each video:

• Video title:
• Goal (what viewers should do after):
• Audience (one sentence):
• Footage folder link:
• Raw footage length / number of clips:
• Main audio track:
• Target finished length / maximum:
• Always cut:
• Example videos with timestamps:
• Logo, colors (hex), fonts:
• Caption style:
• Music mood / licensed music needed?:
• Deliverables (export, Shorts, thumbnail, project file):
• Deadline:

What makes a brief fail?

A brief fails when it describes feelings instead of instructions, changes after the first cut, or leaves out practical details like footage length and deadline. “Make it pop” and “more energy” can’t be acted on. “Add a zoom on every key point like the example at 1:12” can.

The other common failure is a brief that’s too long. Ten pages of background buries the instructions the editor actually needs. Keep the standing style rules in one short document and add only what’s new for each video.

What comes after the brief?

After the brief, the next step is picking the right editor and checking them carefully. Before you order, scan our list of 5 red flags when hiring a video editor on Fiverr, then follow the full process in our guide on how to hire a YouTube video editor on Fiverr.