Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total cost per video
$765
Cost per finished minute
$63.75
Labour cost
$585
Edit-to-finish ratio (min per finished min)
45.0
Total hours
13.0
Cost of 4 videos a month
$3,060
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter finished video length (minutes).
- 2Enter shoot hours.
- 3Enter edit hours.
- 4Enter blended hourly rate ($).
- 5Enter hard costs (props, music, travel) ($).
- 6Enter gear amortisation per video ($).
- 7Read your total cost per video on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Cost per finished minute is the metric that decides whether long-form is worth it. Once editing runs past 8:1, outsourcing almost always pays for itself.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Finished video length (minutes): 12
- Shoot hours: 4
- Edit hours: 9
- Blended hourly rate: 45 $
- Hard costs (props, music, travel): 120 $
- Gear amortisation per video: 60 $
Results
- Total cost per video: $765.00
- Cost per finished minute: $63.75
- Labour cost: $585.00
- Edit-to-finish ratio (min per finished min): 45
- Total hours: 13
- Cost of 4 videos a month: $3,060.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Finished video length (minutes)
- The finished video length (minutes) used in the calculation. Starts at 12 so you have a working example on load.
- Shoot hours
- The shoot hours used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load.
- Edit hours
- The edit hours used in the calculation. Starts at 9 so you have a working example on load.
- Blended hourly rate ($)
- The blended hourly rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Hard costs (props, music, travel) ($)
- The hard costs (props, music, travel) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 120 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Gear amortisation per video ($)
- The gear amortisation per video used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 60 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total cost per video
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost per finished minute
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Labour cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Edit-to-finish ratio (min per finished min)
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total hours
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost of 4 videos a month
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How does the video production cost calculator work?
Cost per finished minute is the metric that decides whether long-form is worth it. Once editing runs past 8:1, outsourcing almost always pays for itself. The underlying maths is: Cost = (Shoot hours + Edit hours) × rates + gear amortisation + hard costs.
What do I need to enter?
6 values: finished video length (minutes), shoot hours, edit hours, blended hourly rate, hard costs (props, music, travel), and gear amortisation per video. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move.
What does the total cost per video result mean?
It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds.
Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?
Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser.
How accurate is the result?
It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
Who is this tool for?
It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Video Production Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/video-production-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/video-production-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Video Production Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Video Production Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/video-production-cost) (2026).