You do not need Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve to produce usable action camera videos.

Free editing options:

- DaVinci Resolve (free version): Professional-grade color grading and editing. The free version has 95% of the paid version's features. Steep learning curve, but unmatched capability at $0.

- CapCut (desktop and mobile): Simple, fast, designed for short-form content. One-click subtitles, good templates. Ideal for social media clips.

- iMovie (Mac/iOS): Pre-installed, simple timeline editing. Sufficient for trimming, adding music, and basic titles.

- Shotcut (Windows/Mac/Linux): Open-source, no watermark, decent feature set. Less polished interface but fully functional.

- GoPro Quik / DJI Mimo: Free companion apps (work primarily with their own brands) that auto-generate highlight reels with music.

Workflow for a quick result:

1. Import footage → trim the dead space at start and end of each clip

2. Cut to the interesting moments (approximately 5–15 seconds per clip for social media)

3. Apply a basic color adjustment (brightness +5, contrast +10 is a safe starting point)

4. Add background music at low volume

5. Export at 1080p for social media, 4K for YouTube