Hiring editors, with a twist.
See your next editor's work on your own footage before you pay for the hire.
Three senior YouTube editors in 10 business days, each with verified credits, two references and a paid trial edit of your raw footage.
October: 3 of 3 searches open
No call needed. Send a two-minute brief and we take it from there.
A reel shows an editor's best work. It doesn't show how they'll cut yours.
Most editor hires rest on a highlight reel and an interview, and you find out whether it worked three uploads in. We show you first: each finalist edits your own footage before you hire.
WHAT EVERY FINALIST BRINGS
Verified credits
Every channel they list, confirmed with the channel or a past client. Reels can be borrowed; checked credits can't.
Retention on past work
YouTube Studio retention from videos they actually cut, where they can share it.
Two references
Past clients we speak to before you do, about deadlines, feedback and fit.
A paid trial on your footage
You judge their work on your channel, not their highlight reel.
HOW IT WORKS
You do the first step and the last. We do the middle.
- 1
Today
Send a two-minute brief. No call needed. We value your time, and ours.
- 2
Within 10 business days
Three finalists, each with verified credits, two references and a paid trial edit of your raw footage.
- 3
Start date
Hire the one whose work fits. The balance is due when they start.
HOW WE VET
A reel is never enough.
Every editor goes through the same five checks before they reach you.
- 1
Credits, verified.
Every editor lists the channels they've cut for. We confirm each one with the channel or a past client, so the credits you read are real. A borrowed reel doesn't get through.
- 2
Retention, not reach.
Views tell you how big a channel is. Retention tells you how good the edit was. Editors share YouTube Studio retention from videos they cut, where they can share it, so you can see whether viewers stayed.
- 3
Work review.
We review their published edits against a written rubric: the hook, pacing, dead air, audio. Editors who miss the bar stop here.
- 4
Two references.
We speak to two past clients about what working together was really like: deadlines, how they take notes, how they communicate. You hear what we heard before you meet anyone.
- 5
Your footage, your call.
Three finalists each cut a trial edit of your own raw footage, paid by us, within 10 business days. You compare them side by side and hire the one whose work fits your channel.
WHO WE PLACE
Senior editors for channels that run YouTube as a business.
Long-form YouTube editor
Story, pacing and retention for 10 to 40 minute videos.
Video podcast editor
Multi-camera episodes cut clean, plus the clips that come out of them.
Lead editor
Owns post-production for a channel and sets the standard for other editors.
WHY CONTENT MACHINE
You judge the work, not the résumé.
| Comparison | Post a job | Generalist recruiter | Editing subscription | Content Machine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you judge | Reels and cover letters | Résumés | Whoever is assigned | Three trial edits of your footage |
| Your time | Sorting hundreds of applicants | Several interviews | Managing the queue | One short brief, then three finalists |
| Cost | Your hours | About 2–3 months of pay | Monthly, ongoing | One month of pay, once |
| If it doesn't work out | Start over | Varies | Ask for a different editor | Free replacement within 90 days |
PRICING
One fee. The balance is due when they start.
One month of your editor's pay. $5,000 minimum.
- Example: hiring at $84,000 a year? The fee is $7,000.
- $1,500 deposit to start the search, credited to your fee. The balance is due on your editor's start date.
- We run three searches a month, the most we can do carefully.
October: 3 of 3 searches open
What your deposit buys
$1,500 starts your search and is credited to your fee. For it, you get three vetted finalists, each with checked credits and two references, and three paid trial cuts of your own footage. The trial cuts are yours to keep, whoever you hire.
Our guarantees
- Finalists in 10 business days.We confirm three vetted finalists by day 5 and deliver their trial cuts by day 10, counted from when we have your brief and footage. If we can't confirm three finalists by day 5, you choose: your deposit back in full, or more time.
- A second search if none fits.Rank the three trials within 3 business days and tell us why none fits. We use your notes to tighten the brief and run one more search with two trial cuts, free, as long as the role and pay stay the same.
- A replacement within 90 days.If your editor leaves or is let go for performance in the first 90 days, we find a replacement free. Tell us within 7 days of their last day.
If you hire no one
You keep the trial cuts and the finalist profiles, and you owe nothing beyond the deposit. If you hire one of our finalists within 12 months, the fee applies.
START A SEARCH
Two minutes. No call needed.
Two short steps. We reply within one business day.
October: 3 of 3 searches open
Your footage goes only to three finalists under NDA and is deleted 30 days after the search closes. The $1,500 deposit is due only when you choose to start the search.
Why I built Content Machine
I started as an editor, cutting videos for clients while I travelled, and grew that into a content business on monthly subscriptions. We had the clients. What we couldn't find were enough editors who could edit at the level they needed, so we closed the doors. Content Machine picks up where I got stuck.
Alexander, founder
FAQ
Questions
What does it cost?
One month of your editor's pay, $5,000 minimum. A $1,500 deposit, credited to the fee, starts the search. The balance is due on your editor's start date.
How fast can I hire?
Three finalists within 10 business days of your brief and footage. Most of that time goes to the trial edits.
Why not just post on a job board?
You can, and you'll get hundreds of reels. We do the sorting, checking and references, and you judge three paid trial edits of your own footage instead of highlight reels.
Where do your editors come from?
Senior editors who apply and pass our five checks, plus referrals from editors already on our bench. We never approach editors employed by creator businesses.
What do I see about each finalist?
Each finalist is shown as Editor A, B or C: their verified credits, one long-form video they cut, a summary of what their references told us, their time zone and availability, and their trial edit of your footage. Names and contact details are shared when you choose who to meet or hire.
Do I have to get on a call?
No. Send a two-minute brief and we take it from there.
What do you look at in a trial edit?
The opening seconds, pacing, cuts, audio, graphics, and whether the brief was followed.
Are the trial edits paid?
Yes. We pay every finalist for their trial, so you see real work, not spec work.
What if none of the finalists fit?
Rank the three trials within 3 business days and tell us why none fits. We use your notes to tighten the brief and run one more search with two trial cuts, free, as long as the role and pay stay the same. You keep the trial cuts either way.
What does the 90-day replacement cover?
A resignation, or letting them go for performance, in the first 90 days. Tell us within 7 days of their last day, with the fee paid and the role and pay unchanged. Layoffs and restructuring aren't covered. One replacement per placement.
Who sees my footage?
Only the three finalists, under an NDA. It's deleted 30 days after the search closes.
Full-time or contract?
Both. The fee is one month of whatever the role pays.