Boost your YouTube workflow: top AI tools for video creators

Creating engaging and professional videos for YouTube requires time, effort, and a ton of creativity. This can be tough for many aspiring creators, especially those with limited resources and tight schedules.

Like in many other areas, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now making it easier for creatives to work more efficiently while spending less. In fact, data shows that using AI tools can cut the time and cost needed to make videos by up to 80%. 

This major reduction makes video production more accessible to creators of all skill levels and allows for quick scaling of content without sacrificing quality.

But you need to have the right AI tools for this to happen. After extensive testing of 50+ AI tools for video, here are our top picks, at least until Sora hits the ground.

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What is a YouTube workflow, and how can AI tools help?

A YouTube workflow is a structured sequence of steps tailored to streamline the entire process of creating and publishing videos on YouTube. This workflow typically includes stages like:

• Content ideation, 
• Scripting
• Filming
• Editing
• Distribution 

Each stage involves specific tasks and decisions that contribute to the efficient and effective production of high-quality video content.

AI tools can significantly enhance a YouTube workflow by automating and optimizing several of these steps. For example, AI-driven software can assist you in generating video ideas and creating detailed scripts based on trending topics and SEO best practices. This can significantly speed up your pre-production phase​. 

Likewise, during the editing process itself, AI can offer advanced features like auto-editing clips, enhancing sound and video quality, and generating suitable captions and tags, which not only saves time but also improves the overall production quality.

Additionally, AI tools can help in batch processing videos, where multiple videos are edited at once, maintaining consistency across videos while significantly reducing the manual effort involved​. They can also analyze the performance of videos, providing insights that can inform future content creation, thereby making the workflow not just faster but also more aligned with audience preferences.

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AI-assisted brainstorming & scripting

When it comes to brainstorming video ideas and scripting content, AI can be a huge timesaver. Instead of staring at a blank page, these tools use machine learning to generate fresh concepts and flesh out scripts based on your inputs. Here are some top AI options to try:

Pictory

Pictory is an AI-powered video creation platform designed to transform text-based content into engaging videos. It is particularly valuable for content creators, marketers, and educators who wish to convert articles, blogs, and scripts into dynamic video content quickly and effortlessly.

It’s praised for its user-friendly interface that requires no prior video editing experience. It includes various AI-powered tools that facilitate the creation of professional-looking videos by automatically adding subtitles, trimming content, and adjusting visual aspects based on the content's context​.

Key features

1. Script-to-video. Converts written scripts into fully formed videos with visuals and audio.
2. Article to video. Transforms text articles into summarized videos by extracting and visualizing key points.
3. Edit video using text. Allows editing of videos by cutting or adjusting sections based on a text transcript.
4. Auto highlights. Automatically creates highlight reels from longer videos, focusing on the most engaging parts.
5. Voice-over integration. Adds AI-generated voice narrations to videos in multiple languages.

Pricing: Pictory offers three pricing plans: Standard, Premium, and Teams. The Standard plan is $19 per month annually and suits new creators. It also has a free trial that allows you to create three video projects, each up to five minutes long.

Rephrase.ai

Rephrase.ai (recently acquired by Adobe) allows users to generate professional-quality videos using a digital avatar from just text input. This tool is especially valuable for marketers, educators, and content creators who need to produce high-quality videos quickly and efficiently.

I like that the platform is designed to be user-friendly, allowing even those without prior video editing experience to create videos easily.

Key Features

1. Digital avatar video creation. Rephrase.ai allows you to create professional-quality videos using digital avatars from text input, simplifying the video production process​.
2. Custom media upload. You can enhance videos by uploading your own images or animations.
3. Accurate lip sync. Ensures that the avatar’s lip movements are synchronized with the audio, adding realism to the videos.
4. PowerPoint conversion. Converts PowerPoint presentations into dynamic video presentations instantly, adding a visual and engaging element to presentations​.

Pricing: Rephrase.ai pricing starts at $25 per month. Plus, it offers a free trial to test its capabilities before committing to a paid plan

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AI Video Editing Made Easy 

Editing videos can be a massive time drain. However, AI tools are making the process faster and easier than ever. Here are some top options for AI-assisted video editing:

Descript

Descript is a versatile AI-powered tool that simplifies video and audio editing. It's particularly celebrated for its intuitive design, which allows users to edit media files as easily as a text document, a significant time-saver for content creators.

Descript's integration capabilities with other tools like Slack and Final Cut Pro also make it a flexible option within various workflows, particularly for team collaborations that benefit from its real-time editing features​.

Key features

1. Transcription. Automatically converts speech into text with high accuracy.
2. Overdub. Allows text edits to be converted back into audio, mimicking the original speaker’s voice​​.
3. Filler word removal. Automatically identifies and removes filler words like "uh" and "um" from audio​.
4. Green screen effect. Enables background replacement in videos without needing a physical green screen​.

Pricing: Descript offers a free plan but with limited features. If you want more features, there are three premium plans: Creator, Pro, and Entreprise. The Creator Pro plan costs $12 per month and is good enough for someone starting out. 

VEED.io

VEED.io is an online video editing platform designed to simplify video creation and editing for users of all skill levels. It offers a range of features that cater to both beginner and professional needs.

I like that it also includes AI-powered tools like object detection and tracking, and a unique feature that uses AI to generate video content from text prompts. It essentially serves as a "video chatbot."

Key features

1. Automatic subtitles. Automatically transcribes audio to text for subtitles​​.
2. Screen recording. Captures screen and webcam footage, ideal for tutorials and demos​.
3. Filters and effects. Enhances videos with visual filters, brightness, and contrast adjustments​.
4. Music and sound effects. Allows the addition of music tracks and sound effects to videos​​.
5. Object detection and tracking. Uses AI to detect and track objects within videos​.
6. Customizable text and captions. Offers various fonts, colors, and styles for text overlays​.

The platform is particularly valued for its cloud-based accessibility, ensuring that users can work on their projects from any location. It also supports a variety of video formats, enhancing its versatility for different project needs.

Pricing: VEED.io pricing varies depending on the plan, starting with a free tier suitable for basic projects. However, you can only access its comprehensive features through paid plans from as low as $12 for the basic plan. 

Runway

Runway is a versatile AI-powered video editing tool that caters to a variety of creative needs, from professional filmmakers to content creators on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. It offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance the video creation process through advanced AI technologies.

It's designed to be user-friendly, supporting creators with various tools that simplify complex video editing tasks such as object removal, style application, and scene detection.

Key Features

1. Text-to-video generation. Runway can create videos from text descriptions, which is ideal for producing animated explainers, product demos, or even music videos​.
2. Background manipulation tools. The platform includes tools for blurring, removing, or replacing video backgrounds, which helps you focus on the main subjects or customize the videos to your specific needs​.
3. Custom AI model training. Users can train custom AI models to generate unique content that aligns with their specific style and requirements​.
4. High-fidelity video output. The latest updates have significantly enhanced the video quality, bringing it to near photorealistic levels​.

Pricing: Runway offers a range of plans from a basic free tier to more advanced subscriptions, catering to different user needs and budget constraints. The paid plans provide more features and higher video generation capabilities​.

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AI-Generated YouTube thumbnails

Creating click-worthy thumbnails is crucial for driving YouTube views, and AI can definitely lend a hand. While you'll still want to inject your own creative flair, these AI thumbnail tools take the busy work out of design. Here are some of the tools we found useful:

Canva

Canva is a widely used online graphic design tool that simplifies the creation of visual content through an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface. 

Thankfully, Canva is still not a victim of app modernization, as their focus is still on user-friendliness, which is apparent, especially if you start off by doing the simplest graphics using templates.

Key Features

1. Extensive template library. Canva provides thousands of templates for various design needs, making it easy to start projects quickly.
2. Drag-and-drop interface. This feature simplifies the design process, allowing you to create designs efficiently without needing advanced technical skills.
3. Real-time collaboration. Canva allows multiple users to collaborate on designs in real time, which is especially beneficial for remote teams​.
4. Mobile app availability. Canva offers a mobile app that enhances flexibility by allowing users to design on the go.
5. Brand Kit. This feature supports consistent branding by allowing businesses to store and apply their logos, color schemes, and fonts easily across various designs.
6. Social media integration. Direct integration with social media platforms simplifies the posting process, making it easier to share designs directly​.

Pricing: Canva operates on a freemium model, offering a basic free version that is quite functional. For more advanced features, Canva Pro is available starting at $12.99 per month for the first user, with discounts for additional users. There is also an enterprise version tailored for larger teams, which includes enhanced collaboration tools and support

Thumbly.ai

Thumbly.ai is a sophisticated AI-powered tool designed specifically for creating standout YouTube thumbnails. It leverages advanced AI algorithms to analyze YouTube data, ensuring that the thumbnails generated are optimized to capture attention and increase click-through rates. 

Thumbly.ai is celebrated for its effectiveness in boosting YouTube channels' performance metrics, such as viewer engagement and click-through rates. It supports creators from various niches, whether novices or seasoned YouTubers, by offering a tool that combines efficiency with creativity.

Key Features

1. AI-powered thumbnail generation. Utilizes machine learning to produce eye-catching thumbnails that are tailored to the video's content.
2. Quick thumbnail creation. Allows for the efficient creation of thumbnails, significantly reducing the time spent compared to manual designing.

3. Customization options. Offers extensive customization features, allowing users to align thumbnails with their brand's identity.

Pricing: Thumbly.ai was initially free with a waitlist, suggesting there might be different tiers or features available upon official launch or subscription.

Thumbnail AI

Thumbnail AI is a specialized tool designed to simplify the process of creating YouTube thumbnails. It's particularly user-friendly, making it accessible even to those without any graphic design skills. 

The tool offers a variety of templates and customization options, allowing you to tailor each thumbnail to fit your content style and preferences efficiently. You can even “upgrade” your thumbnails by adding things like QR codes for registration, brand colors, and even experiment with new styles. 

Key Features

1. Ease of use. The interface is straightforward, allowing quick thumbnail creation without requiring complex design skills.
2. Customization. Users have access to a variety of templates and design elements, which you can customize to ensure that each thumbnail reflects the specific style and essence of the content.
3. Efficiency. The tool is designed to boost click-through rates and viewer engagement by producing eye-catching, professional-quality thumbnails quickly.

Pricing: Thumbnail AI uses a free model that caters well to beginners.

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AI for YouTube SEO & keyword research

Optimizing your YouTube videos for search is crucial for getting discovered, and AI can give you a serious edge on keyword research. Here are some top tools:

TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is a versatile YouTube channel management tool that offers a wide range of features aimed at optimizing video performance and simplifying channel management. It integrates directly into your YouTube dashboard and enhances functionalities with its browser extension.

The tool is praised for its ease of use and comprehensive set of features. It’s highly regarded as an essential tool for serious YouTube creators looking to grow their channels efficiently.

Key Features

1. SEO tools. TubeBuddy provides robust SEO tools, including keyword research and optimization, tag management, and SEO Studio for crafting effective titles, descriptions, and tags.
2. A/B testing. This feature allows you to test different titles, descriptions, and thumbnails to see which combinations perform best, helping you refine your content strategy.
3. Bulk processing. Save time with bulk editing tools that allow you to update video metadata, such as tags and descriptions, across multiple videos at once.
4. Video analytics. TubeBuddy offers detailed analytics that helps you understand the performance of your videos and overall channel health.

Pricing: TubeBuddy offers several pricing tiers, starting with a Free plan that includes basic tools. Paid plans: Pro, Star, and Legend, provide more advanced features, such as full access to keyword research tools, A/B testing, and advanced analytics.

VidIQ

VidIQ is a comprehensive tool designed to enhance YouTube channel growth through a suite of features focused on analytics, keyword research, competitor analysis, and video optimization.

It’s ideal for YouTube creators aiming to grow their audience, enhance video quality, and gain strategic insights from analytics. 

Key Features

1. Keyword tools. VidIQ provides extensive keyword research tools, helping you discover effective keywords to optimize your videos for better visibility and ranking.
2. Competitors tool. This feature allows you to monitor competitors' strategies, providing insights that can help you adjust your own tactics to stay competitive.
3. Channel audit tool. Offers an in-depth analysis of your channel's performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
4. Trend alerts and most viewed. These tools help you stay on top of what's trending on YouTube and identify high-performing content in your niche or globally.

Pricing: VidIQ offers a basic free plan with essential tools and offers advanced features like content and script generators. 

Keyword Chef

Keyword Chef is a specialized SEO tool designed to simplify the process of finding low-competition, high-potential keywords, particularly for bloggers and content creators. It's praised for its ability to uncover keywords with real search intent and eliminate irrelevant data, making it highly effective for optimizing video content with targeted keywords that are easier to rank for on search engines.

Keyword Chef is particularly suited for users who need a straightforward tool to find niche keywords without the complexities and higher costs associated with more advanced SEO tools. Its focus on long-tail keywords and user-friendly approach makes it a valuable addition for content creators looking to enhance their SEO strategy efficiently.

Key Features

1. Google autocomplete scraping. Automates the extraction of long-tail keywords from Google's autocomplete suggestions to save time and effort​.
2. SERP checker. Analyzes the search engine results page to identify easy ranking opportunities by spotting low-authority sites.
3. Keyword filters. Allows users to refine their keyword search based on specific criteria such as search volume and presence of YouTube videos​.

Pricing: Unlike many SEO tools that require monthly subscriptions, Keyword Chef operates on a pay-as-you-go model. This makes it more accessible for individuals or small businesses who do not want to commit to a recurring fee.

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AI-Powered transcription & subtitles

Creating accurate transcripts and subtitles for your YouTube videos can be a massive time drain. Luckily, AI-powered transcription tools have your back. Here are some top options:

Otter.ai

Otter.ai is an elaborate AI-powered tool designed to enhance productivity in meetings through its robust transcription and collaboration features. It offers a range of functionalities suited for different organizational needs, from individual professionals to large enterprises.

Otter.ai integrates well with commonly used platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, allowing it to automatically join meetings and provide transcriptions. You can even interact with the transcription by highlighting text, adding notes, and creating actionable items directly from the interface​

Key Features

1. Real-time transcription. Transcribes speech to text during meetings automatically.
2. Speaker identification. Recognizes and labels who is speaking in the conversation.
3. Searchable transcripts. Allows you to search through the text for specific words or phrases.
4. Integration with Platforms. Works seamlessly with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.
5. Collaborative tools. Enables users to highlight, add notes, and share actionable items within the transcript.

Pricing: Otter.ai offers a Basic (Free) plan with 300 transcription minutes per month. It also offers paid plans starting at $10 per month. There is also an Enterprise plan with custom pricing for larger organizations needing advanced security and compliance features.

Zubtitle

Zubtitle is an online video editing tool designed to help content creators enhance their videos for social media platforms by adding subtitles, resizing, and incorporating various elements such as logos and progress bars.

Key Features

1. Automatic subtitles. Generates subtitles automatically using AI, supporting over 60 languages​​.
2. Customization options. Customize subtitle fonts, colors, and positions to match your brand​.
3. Video resizing. Resize videos to fit various social media platforms, including square, vertical, and widescreen formats.
4. Headline and branding. Add headlines and logos to your videos for better branding and engagement​​.
5. Progress bars. Add progress bars to videos to keep viewers engaged​.
6. AI content repurposing. Use AI tools to create text for descriptions and social media posts from your video content​.

Pricing: Zubtitle offers three main pricing plans to cater to different user needs. The Free Trial allows users to process 2 videos per month with basic features like automatic captions and video resizing. The Standard Plan, priced at $19 per month, includes 10 videos per month with added features like premium support and custom headlines. The Elite Plan costs $49 per month and includes 30 videos per month, offering advanced customization options and priority support​.

Scribie

Scribie is a transcription service known for its high accuracy and affordability. It offers both automated and manual transcription options, with a focus on delivering over 99% accuracy through a four-step process involving transcription, review, proofreading, and quality checks. 

This meticulous approach ensures consistent and reliable results for various professional needs, including legal, medical, academic, and business transcription.

Key Features

1. Accuracy. Scribie guarantees over 99% accuracy for its transcriptions thanks to its rigorous four-step process.
2. Quick turnaround. The standard turnaround time for transcriptions is 24 hours, with options for expedited service if needed.
3. Human verification. All transcriptions are manually verified by human transcribers to ensure the highest quality.
4. Multiple formats. Scribie supports various audio and video file formats and offers additional services like SRT/VTT subtitle files, strict verbatim transcripts, and time coding.
5. Confidentiality. The service emphasizes strict confidentiality, with all transcribers bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Pricing: Scribie’s pricing is competitive, starting at $0.80 per minute for standard transcription. Additional services, such as strict verbatim transcription or rush orders, incur extra costs. This pricing structure makes Scribie an affordable option for high-quality transcription needs.

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FAQ

What's the best AI YouTube thumbnail maker?

One of the best AI YouTube thumbnail makers is Thumbnails.ai. It stands out as the top AI thumbnail generator specifically designed for YouTube creators. It automatically produces on-brand, clickable thumbnail options tailored to your video content and niche - complete with graphics, text overlays, and images. While some human customization is still ideal, Thumbnails.ai streamlines thumbnail creation immensely.

Is there a free AI tool for YouTube video editing?

Yes, Studica is one of the best free AI video editors for YouTubers. This web app uses machine learning to transcribe audio and generate subtitles, allowing you to edit videos just by editing text. It offers basic trimming, noise reduction, and even AI voiceover regeneration - great for vlogs.

Can AI write YouTube video descriptions?

AI writing tools can generate decent draft video descriptions, but human oversight is still required. Feed your video topic and keywords into AI assistants like Jasper or Copy.ai, then refine the AI-generated text for quality and accuracy. This AI-plus-human approach produces compelling, on-brand video descriptions efficiently.