Tips for Rendering Videos Faster - A Guide for Editors
Video editing often entails handling numerous things at the same time. You need to ingest the video files, choose the right animations, ensure the transitions work, ensure cohesive video flow, and handle post production. The final stage is rendering, which has been a source of frustration for many video editors in the past.
The main reason for this frustration is that the computer might not be fast enough or optimized to render videos quickly, so an editor might see the allotted remaining time creeping up instead of going down when they need to complete a project quickly. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to speed up this process.
Consider Offloading the Workload
If you typically work on one or two videos at a time, consider optimizing or upgrading your computer to get better video rendering performance. However, this is not always a viable solution for those working on multiple projects or who render larger projects. In these situations, it would be a good idea to consider offloading your workload to a dedicated rendering server.
In the modern age, numerous businesses provide GPU cloud solutions that help render videos faster than you would be able to on a typical computer. These use the latest high-end GPUs to ensure faster rendering and can save you hours of work.
The savings per video might only be a few minutes, typically less than an hour, but this adds up over time if your whole workflow entails rendering multiple, heavy videos regularly. The good news is that these service providers give you access to several GPU cloud solution tiers so you can pick the most compatible with your workflow and budget.
If this is not your workflow or you work with one or two videos at a time, what can you do locally to speed up your video rendering processes?
Pick the Right Rendering Platform
Many video editors believe their videos will render faster if they export them to Adobe Media Encoder. However, this is not always the case. Some editors have reported that Adobe Media Encoder glitches out regularly and leads to failed exports more frequently than After Effects.
Adobe seems to have realized this and provided an After Effects update that improves the software's rendering speeds. The company says this update makes the software five times faster at rendering videos.
It is important to realize that Media Encoder is still a viable tool for video rendering workflows. A specific use case is where you need to export obscure codecs. Media Encoder exports in more codecs than After Effects, which can be incredibly beneficial if you are looking for a different one.
Another solution is exporting your files in After Effects and then using Media Encoder to transcode the finished files into another codec later if you need to do that.
Upgrade Your Computer
If you optimize your software and operating system and still need better performance, you might have to upgrade your computer. This is not always a viable solution for those on a smaller budget, so it is something that you have to consider carefully before doing it.
The three main areas to consider for upgrades are the RAM, CPU, and GPU.
You can render videos using a computer with 8Gnb of RAM, but that process will be slow because of how much volatile and working data the computer can hold at a time. In the modern age, you should consider upgrading to at least 16GB of RAM. If you do other things on your computer as your video renders, it is a good idea to consider going up to 32GB of RAM.
This is where you start seeing diminishing returns because going over 32GB doesn't typically lead to improved render performance. However, it can be beneficial if you do other things like gaming on your computer while you render videos.
Many video editing and rendering tools now support GPU rendering. GPUs are much better and faster at rendering than CPUs, which is why they are often the first or second thing many people update in their rendering rigs.
Note that you do not have to go with the latest GPUs to see a performance benefit. Many last-gen NVidia and AMD GPUs provide excellent rendering performance and choosing them saves you some money compared to buying the latest-generation GPUs.
Also, consider a CPU with more threads and higher clocks. A higher number of threads means running multiple tasks simultaneously, which can improve the processing capabilities of tools like DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro.
Like the GPU, you do not have to get the latest CPU. However, try to get one not more than two generations old for the best performance boost.
Close Your Background Tasks
Every process that runs on your computer consumes precious systems resources, whether that is RAM or CPU power. This is performance that is not available to your video rendering software. Closing background processes can free up precious resources your rendering software can leverage.
You can use your task manager to see which processes are running and decide if you should close them for faster rendering times. Note that you might not see a high performance boost if your computer has high-end components and specs, but you will see an improvement if you are using an older computer.
Cache Frames When Idle
Did you know that After Effects lets you render multiple frames when your computer is idle? Many people do not know about this setting, but it is an excellent option for reducing the final rendering times. Choosing it allows your computer to render a part of your composition when you leave your desk, such as when you go to grab a cup of coffee. You can turn it on by going to Composition, then Preview and picking "Cache Frames When Idle".
Rendering a video can take a lot of time"”time you might not have so spare if you have many projects to work on. The good news is that there are several ways to reduce render times. If you work on larger projects, you can offload the workload to a dedicated server. If not, you can upgrade your computer and ensure you are using the best settings on your video rendering software for the best rendering times.