How to Edit VR360 Videos: Workflow, Software, and Export Tips

1. Finish stitching before you edit

Most modern 360 cameras stitch footage automatically in-camera or via their companion app, but it's worth reviewing the stitch line carefully before moving into your main editor. Fixing a bad seam is far easier in the manufacturer's dedicated stitching tool than after the footage has already been cut into a timeline.

2. Import as equirectangular footage

Your editing software needs to know the footage is 360/equirectangular so it can render the spherical preview correctly and apply the right metadata on export. Most major NLEs (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut) support native 360 workflows, including an interactive spherical preview window you can drag around while editing.

3. Color correct in the spherical view, not just the flat frame

It's tempting to grade what you see in the flat editing preview, but that's only ever a fraction of the sphere. Periodically check your grade from multiple angles inside the spherical preview to make sure exposure and color stay consistent all the way around — a common beginner mistake is grading beautifully for the "front" of the sphere while leaving the rest looking flat or blown out.

4. Add spatial audio if you shot it

If you captured ambisonic (spatial) audio, make sure your export pipeline preserves it rather than flattening to stereo. Spatial audio that shifts as the viewer turns their head is one of the biggest immersion boosters in 360 content, and it's easy to lose accidentally during export if the wrong audio format is selected.

5. Stabilize selectively

Full-sphere stabilization can look unnatural if overapplied, since it may fight against intentional camera movement. Most editors let you stabilize just the horizon line (keeping it level) without flattening natural translation, which tends to look far more comfortable in a headset.

6. Export with the correct 360 metadata

Before exporting, inject spherical video metadata (this tells platforms like YouTube to treat the file as navigable 360 content rather than a flat, distorted rectangle). Most NLEs and free tools like the Spatial Media Metadata Injector can add this automatically — double-check it before uploading, since a missing metadata flag is the most common reason a finished 360 video plays back "flat" and distorted.