Passive income: NO

Earning passive income directly from video editing as a side hustle is challenging. Video editing is inherently active work, requiring time and creativity for each project. To make it passive, one would need to build a system where others do the editing, such as hiring a team or using automation tools. However, automation in video editing is limited, and quality often requires human touch. Most people do not reach a passive income level from video editing alone; it's usually a few outliers who manage to scale by creating a business model around it. Many fall for the myth that video editing can be passive without significant upfront work in building a team or system. Realistically, it becomes passive for those who can afford to outsource effectively, but not for individual freelancers who handle all tasks themselves. On platforms like Reddit and YouTube, successful stories often involve scaling into a business rather than remaining a solo side hustle.