How do Beginners Learn Premiere Pro?

If you’re a beginner, learning Premiere Pro might seem intimidating. The interface is likely to be unfamiliar, and you’ll find dozens of different tools that you’ll need to master. However, while there might be some challenges along the way, almost anyone can master Premiere Pro. Free resources can be helpful. Ultimately though, most people find that the most effective way to learn is to enroll in a paid, live class where they can follow a structured program and get expert guidance and feedback throughout the learning process.

Getting Started with Premiere Pro

If you want to learn to use Premiere Pro, you’ll need the application software and a computer that is capable of running it. According to Adobe, Premiere Pro runs equally well on Windows and Apple computers. The Adobe website states that you can run this application on either a laptop or a desktop, however, under “Hardware Recommendations for Premiere Pro and After Effects,” Adobe cautions, “Video editing is demanding and requires powerful processing and fast storage.” For this reason, it says, “Desktops usually offer more ‘bang for the buck,’ include more configuration options, and are often easier to upgrade.” Adobe details the minimum system requirements for both Windows and macOS on its website. For accessing the application, Adobe offers a free seven-day trial of Premiere Pro. After that, you’ll need a subscription. There are both monthly and yearly subscription options.

After you have your equipment and software, you can set yourself up to start using the program. A good place to begin is by familiarizing yourself with the interface. Some people also refer to this as the workspace, and it consists of various panels that each serve a specific purpose in the editing process. The Adobe website even has a free tutorial that can help you get familiar with the interface for this program. You’ll also need to import assets so that you have material to work with.

The First Steps When Learning Premiere Pro

After you have Premiere Pro set up and have familiarized yourself with the interface, you can start learning some skills. First, you’ll need to learn how to create a new project. Then you can learn some basic editing techniques and practice them on that project. Some of the techniques you can practice are: assembling a video, making cuts, and deleting, adding, and rearranging scenes. You can also learn to correct colors, add special effects, add music and sound effects, and add text.

The next step is to go beyond basic editing techniques and try to tell a story with your footage. You’ll need to come up with a storyline, create or find video clips, and then put your clips together in the appropriate order. You can also add effects and audio. Even a short video can take a long time to edit, so if you’re a beginner, it's generally a good idea to keep your first projects short. 

In an article titled, “Introduction to Video Editing,” Adobe stresses that when you’re editing with Premiere Pro or any other video editing application, it’s important to stay organized. It explains, “Organization is the key to success.” It quotes feature film editor Maurissa Horwitz, who maintains, “If you don't set up your project and your media in an organized way, it will kill you in the long run.” Adobe offers a number of tips for organization. It says, “Be sure to label video files, audio files, and even still images clearly and keep them on the same drive for easy access. Also make note of the video file formats of the footage you’re using, and record any issues that might come up when converting from one format to another.”

Free Premiere Pro Tools for Beginners

There are many different free online Premiere Pro resources that can be useful, depending on what you’re trying to learn. The Adobe website has a number of free tools. For instance, there is a Premiere Pro User Guide, which provides information about many different features of the program including color correction, compositing, titles, and effects. The User Guide also contains suggestions for some simple beginning projects that you can work on in order to improve your Premiere Pro skills. On its website, Adobe also offers many free tutorials for this application. These are short videos that are focused on helping you learn a specific skill like adjusting contrasting, using blend modes, or sweetening your vocals.

Schools like Noble Desktop are another place to find free resources. Many schools provide basic free resources so that students can get an idea of a topic before committing to a formal class. For instance, Noble Desktop offers a number of free seminars that cover introductory information. Intro to Premiere Pro is one. This seminar provides an overview of some basic Premiere Pro skills like importing and organizing footage, creating sequences, and adding transitions and effects. Get Started in Video Editing is another free Noble Desktop seminar, and it discusses what video editors do, the tools used in the industry, and the current state of the profession. Noble Desktop also has a Premiere Pro blog where you can find more information about this application.

Some on-demand schools offer certain classes for free. These are generally not as comprehensive as paid classes, but they can be a good way to learn some basic skills. For instance, Udemy offers a free version of some of its courses. With the free option, you won’t get a certificate of completion and you won’t be able to ask questions, but you will be able to learn some fundamental skills for free. There are many other schools that offer limited free access to certain courses including Skillshare and Alison.

Other websites also contain free Premiere Pro information that can be helpful if you’re trying to learn this application. For instance, there are many short instructional Premiere Pro videos on YouTube. Some content creators--like Film Riot--post videos on their websites or on YouTube that teach introductory editing skills. You’ll also find that there are many experts willing to share their expertise online through various chat forums. You can visit these forums and look for relevant information, or you can even post a specific question. 

Live Premiere Pro Training for Beginners

If you plan to use Premiere Pro professionally, you’re likely to end up deciding to invest in a paid live class where you can follow a comprehensive educational program under the guidance of an expert. When you take a live Premiere Pro class, you’ll learn from an experienced instructor, who will guide you through a structured and clearly defined course that will cover all the skills you’ll need to master in order to use Premiere Pro, starting with the basics so that you have a strong foundation, and moving on to more advanced skills after that. The instructor can personalize instruction to help meet your needs, and can answer your questions throughout the learning process. They can also give you feedback on your progress. Feedback allows you to learn from both your mistakes and successes, and continue to improve on your editing techniques.

Most Premiere Pro instructors are experts who have already spent hours using this program and have a lot of industry experience, so by learning from them, you can take advantage of all that valuable expertise. Their knowledge is likely to include tips and tricks, and common mistakes to avoid, all of which could take you years to figure out by yourself. There are also other benefits to learning from someone who has already mastered this application. An experienced Premiere Pro user may also be able to help you connect with other professionals in the field, which can be useful in the future.

When you take a Premiere Pro class, you’ll be learning with a group of peers and this peer group can also be beneficial both now and in the future. Video editing is often a collaborative process, so by taking a class, you can start learning how to work with a group of people. You’ll also be able to see how other people are using this application and you can learn by observing the challenges that they face and how they meet those challenges. In addition, a peer group can lead to valuable networking opportunities, both now and in the future.

Another benefit of taking a class is that you’ll have access to all of the resources that you’ll need in order to learn to use this application. This includes the latest software and computer technology, and it also includes video footage that you can use to practice your editing skills. Not only is this financially beneficial because you won’t have to pay for everything yourself, but it’s also a great way to be sure that what you are working with is up to date. Video editing technology evolves quickly, with techniques and tools changing often. By taking a class that’s taught by an industry professional, you can be confident that you are learning the latest tools and techniques.

The Next Step

If you’ve already taken a Premiere Pro class but want to add to your skills, one option is to learn more about motion graphics and visual effects. In recent years, more and more video content has been incorporating these elements, so if you plan to work with Premiere Pro, there’s a good chance you’ll need to know how to create and manipulate motion graphics and visual effects. You can work with these media directly in Premiere Pro, but you can also create them in After Effects–an application designed specifically for this purpose–and then import them into Premiere Pro. Another thing that can be beneficial is some knowledge of the principles of design. When you edit a video, you will constantly need to make design choices, and these choices will impact your audience in a certain way. For example, you’ll need to decide things like what clips to include, how to incorporate transitions, and how to edit your audio. By learning more about how design works, you’ll be able to take better control of your design choices and use them to achieve specific effects.

You could also consider earning a Premiere Pro certification. To become an Adobe Certified Professional for Premiere Pro, you need to pass a 50-minute exam. Many people pursue certifications as a way to advance within an already-established career. There is evidence that certification can help you get a promotion and it may also help you earn a higher salary. According to a 2023 report by Pearson VUE, 37 percent of candidates say that they have received salary increases as a result of certification, and 92 percent said they felt more confident in their abilities. In an article titled “The Value of Certification,” certification exam provider Certiport reports, “In the U.S. and Canada, professionals with certifications have an average salary of $111,334, which is 7% more than non-certified professionals.”

Learn Premiere Pro Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a variety of Premiere Pro classes, with both short classes that can help you quickly master the basics, and longer, more comprehensive courses that can help you develop the skills you’ll need to use Premiere Pro in a professional setting. This school even offers a Premiere Pro certification program, where you can become an Adobe Premiere Pro Certified Professional. If you want to quickly learn the basics of Premiere Pro, you might be interested in Premiere Pro in a Day, which is a short, accelerated class. In this class, you’ll learn to organize projects, create sequences, fix audio and color, add B-roll, animating images, edit clips, and add lower third titles. At the end of the class, you’ll export a video that you can send to a client or upload to a social media platform.

The Premiere Pro Bootcamp is a longer class that covers everything you need to know to start making your own videos. You’ll learn how to use Premiere Pro to add cuts and transitions between shots, correct color in the footage, sync up and correct audio, and incorporate After Effects assets in Premiere Pro. This course serves as an ideal introduction to Premiere Pro, and by the end of it, you should be prepared to start editing your own video content. 

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive program, Noble Desktop offers a number of certificate programs that include working with Premiere Pro. Both the Motion Graphics Certificate and Video Editing Certificate cover Premiere Pro skills. In the Motion Graphic Certificate, you’ll learn to use Adobe After Effects to create motion graphics and visual effects, and Cinema 4D Lite for 3D animations. You’ll also learn to edit video, and add music and voiceover with Premiere Pro. In addition, you’ll work on a demo reel that showcases your skills. The course includes five one-on-one mentoring sessions. The Video Editing Certificate covers video editing, motion graphics, and audio editing. You’ll learn to work with After Effects and Premiere Pro. In addition, you’ll learn to edit sound effects with Audition. This class also includes working on a demo reel, and five one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Finally, Noble offers a Premiere Pro Certification Program, where you can become an Adobe Premiere Pro certified professional. This course includes two class sessions, which will take you from a beginner to an advanced level of mastery. You’ll also get six hours of private tutoring to address skills that you need more help with. After that, you’ll take the Adobe Premiere Pro Certification exam. Your course fee covers exam proctoring, plus a free retake. If you don’t want to take the exam, you can receive an extra hour of private tutoring instead.