Before you edit your next video
A simple way to get better AI edits from content you already have.
Eric Siu
November 07, 2026
AI CONTENT · YOUTUBE
Before you edit
your next video.
Hey,
Have a webinar or interview sitting in your recordings folder that you know has good material in it?
Before you hand it to an AI editor, you need to decide what someone should get out of watching it.
That decision affects the title, the thumbnail, and which part of the recording belongs at the beginning. If you leave it vague, you can spend a lot of time polishing an edit that never gets to the point.
I walked through this recently with my YouTube workflow. I worked on the titles and thumbnails first, gave specific feedback, and then moved on to the full edit.
To show the editing side of the workflow, I pulled up a finished edit of my webinar with Cody Schneider. The original was roughly 60–70 minutes. We tightened it to about 35.
The first edit was pretty good. I gave it a 7.5 out of 10. There was still work to do, and the review tool let me leave comments at the exact point in the video where I wanted something changed.
My take
The cool part of this workflow is how specific you can get.
You can decide what the viewer came for, then review whether the edit delivers it. Sure, the AI does a lot of the production work. But, you still need to watch the result and make the calls.
Here’s how I’d try it on a recording you already have.
1. Choose the promise before the full edit.
Write down WHO the video is for and WHAT they’ll learn.
Then ask for a title and thumbnail concept that make that payoff clear. Check both against the recording. If the video doesn’t deliver the promise, change the packaging.
2. Review the opening with timestamps.
Watch the first 30 seconds carefully. How long does it take to reach something useful?
Give the AI editor a specific change at a specific moment. “Cut the repeated setup and open with the demonstration” gives it something concrete to work with.
An editorial illustration of the workflow, not a product screenshot or measured result.
A prompt you can adapt
“Review this recording for [audience]. Identify the most useful takeaway and the timestamps that support it. Suggest two title and thumbnail concepts, each with a clear reason to click. Keep the claims within what the recording actually demonstrates.
Wait for me to choose a direction before planning the full edit. Then propose the opening 30 seconds and the sections to keep or cut, with timestamps and reasons. Flag anything that needs my judgment.”
A suggested exercise based on the workflow, rather than the original prompt from the episode.
Try it on one recording this weekend. You’ll have a clear direction to review before committing to the full edit.
Opens the episode in Apple Podcasts.
See you next time,
Eric Siu
 | Eric Siu |
WORK WITH US
Single Brain
Put AI agents to work across sales and marketing, with setup, integrations and ongoing management handled for you.
Single Grain
Grow revenue with an AI-native team across paid media, SEO/AEO, creative, content and conversion optimization.
OUR TOOLS
ClickFlow
Plan, create, optimize and measure your SEO and AI-search content in one platform.