So, little Suzie had her big recital, and you brought the new camcorder and tripod, enduring “Who does this guy think he is, Spielberg?” stares from other parents (and likely your spouse). Now it’s time for your big reward: You get to show the world the gorgeous new video of your future American Idol winner. You finish up the basic video editing, adjusting color, cutting dead air, making transitions if you’re into that sort of thing. But the world isn’t waiting for you to send it DVD copies, leaving you to wonder, “How the heck do I get this to all her adoring fans?”
To get your video into shape for iPod and YouTube distribution, start in your video-editing program. I used Adobe Premiere Elements in the directions below; it’s our reigning Editors’ Choice among consumer video-editing apps. — next: Prepping For Portable Players