• Microsoft Movie Maker
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe Premiere Elements
• Corel VideoStudio
• Pinnacle Studio
• Avid Studio
• Sony Vegas
• Final Cut Studio
• Cyberlink PowerDirector
• Roxio Creator

These are the best of the best, so let's look at them in turn now.

Microsoft Movie Maker is a clean, no-frills package that allows you to very quickly edit videos. This ships free with most Microsoft Windows packages. There are tons of tutorials on Microsoft Movie Maker (e.g. like this one) and you should check them out to learn how to edit.

Adobe Premiere Elements - a stripped down version of Adobe Premiere Pro, but by no means less user-friendly or feature rich. Ok, it is less feature rich than Premiere Pro, but the Elements package is certainly good enough for the beginner to intermediate level user who wishes to quickly do editing yet wants the ability to customize their video options as per the professionals.

The Adobe Premiere Elements suite

Adobe Premiere Pro - well, this is an obvious contender in my top 10 video editing software list. Premiere Pro is the gold standard in video editing software suites and is recognized as a must-have credential if you want to break into the video editing field.

Corel VideoStudio - another serious contender in my top 10 video editing software list. Corel VideoStudio is a solid package and it provides the beginner to intermediate level digital video enthusiast with a wide range of tools. You can use VideoStudio to edit videos quickly and burn them to a DVD for sharing. You can also apply advanced special effects to enhance your video. Numerous manual controls are available if you want to further customize your video production.

The Corel VideoStudio video editing package

Next on my top 10 video editing software list is the Pinnacle Studio suite. Pinnacle (now acquired by Avid) has always been a great video editing program and it remains true to today. Edit your videos with a user friendly interface - at a basic level or at an advanced level - it is up to you.
 

The Pinnacle Studio HD suite

Avid - another top 10 video editing software contender. Avid software is solid, professional level video editing software. It is often used by serious digital video movie makers and broadcasters. You do need to learn how to use it well as Avid is typically not for the beginner.

Sony Vegas is a professional video editor's dream. It makes it into my top 10 video editing software list because it has a ton of advanced features and comes from a reliable brand name manufacturer. Some people prefer the likes of Adobe to do professional work, but Sony is no pushover, in my opinion.

Final Cut Studio - a professional level favorite among Mac users, Final Cut Pro also makes it to my list of top 10 video editing software programs. You do need to invest time to learn Final Cut Pro - it is not simple to master. However, once you master it, you have at your disposal a huge variety of tools for editing video in any way you want.

Cyberlink PowerDirector also comes into my top 10 video editing software list. Cyberlink produces a range of video editing software products which help the beginner level video enthusiast make quick work of editing videos.

Next up in the top 10 video editing software list is Roxio Creator. Roxio, well known for making DVD burning programs, has also stepped into the video editing arena. It makes video editing software for beginners and sells quite well in the market.

Whew, that's a long list. Now that you know what my top 10 video editing software picks are, be sure to ascertain your level of video editing capability and need. If you're a beginner to intermediate level user, I'd highly recommend Adobe Premiere Elements or Corel VideoStudio. If you're a serious professional, I'd suggest you go for Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. Your opinions may differ, of course. Until next time, all the best for your video editing adventures!