Mac Video Editing Software Reddit

Mac Video Editing Software Reddit Average ratng: 3,5/5 3501 reviews

Dec 15, 2017  Final Cut Pro X, with its easy-to-use, freeform timeline, is truly revolutionary. However, with new ideas come new challenges and tools. This in-depth editing tutorial by expert editor Michael Wohl, dives beneath the 'Magnetic' timeline's surface to show you FCP X's many incredibly powerful editing modes and tools. Get this tutorial to learn all about the new, Advanced Editing Techniques in. The video editing process largely depends on the amount of RAM in your computer. The most time-consuming process is the export of the finished video. For comfortable video editing on a Mac, you need at least 8GB of RAM (16GB is required for 4K editing, 3D work, and 360 ° video editing). SSD Capacity.

Effectiveness
4 out of 5
Lots of features found in professional-level programs
price
4 out of 5
Affordable at $69.99 for a single-seat license

Accelerated performance with Metal. Metal dramatically accelerates graphics tasks like rendering, real-time effects, and exporting. Video editors on 15-inch MacBook Pro will benefit from render performance that is up to 20% faster while editors using iMac Pro will see gains of up to 35%. 1 And when you’re working on a system with an eGPU attached, you can select which GPU to use — internal.

ease of use
5 out of 5
Excellent interface that makes complex tasks simple
support
3 out of 5
Not enough tech support documentation

Quick Summary

Wondershare Filmora is a great video editing software that balances powerful features with an intuitive interface at an affordable price point. It supports all modern video formats, as well as HD and 4K video editing and output. While it has a few issues with its social media integration options, it’s still an excellent editor that is perfect for creating high-quality online videos. It’s not a professional video editing suite, but most beginner and intermediate videographers looking to create shareable videos quickly and easily will be happy with the results.


What I Like
  • Clean & intuitive user interface
  • 4K video support
  • ​Built-in screen recording
  • Youtube / social media uploading
  • Optional GPU acceleration for faster encoding
What I Don't Like
  • Buggy social media importing
  • Add-on content packs are expensive
  • Latest GPUs not supported for acceleration
  • Some features are in standalone programs

Filmora

Windows/macOS, $69.99

Quick Navigation

// Why Trust Me
// Filmora FAQs
// Filmora Review: What's In It for You?
// The Reasons Behind My Ratings
// Filmora Alternatives
// Conclusion

Why Trust Me


My name is Thomas Boldt. I’m a college-educated graphic designer with experience in motion graphic design as well as a dedicated photography instructor, both of which require me to work with video editing software. Creating tutorial videos is one of the best ways to showcase more complicated photography techniques, and high-quality video editing is an essential element for making the learning process as smooth as possible.

I also have extensive experience working with all types of PC software from small open-source programs to industry-standard software suites, so I can easily recognize a well-designed, high-quality program. I’ve put Wondershare Filmora through several tests designed to explore its range of video editing and exporting features and documented all of the results of the process with screenshots you’ll see throughout this review. I have not received any kind of compensation or consideration from Wondershare to write this Filmora review, and they have no editorial or content input of any kind.

I’ve also contacted the Wondershare support team to test their responsiveness to bug reports and other technical issues, as you can see below from the open ticket I submitted after a problem I experienced during the review process.

Filmora FAQs

What is Filmora?

It is a simple yet powerful video editor available for Mac and PC, aimed at the enthusiast and prosumer markets. It’s perfect for a range of basic uses, from creating tutorial videos to editing action camera footage to making viral videos for social media sites.

You probably wouldn’t want to use it to edit a feature-length movie, but for short video work it’s surprisingly effective for its price point, with a good blend of features that are easy to use.

The program has been around for quite a while, reaching version 9 in the latest release (you can learn more from the official site here). It was originally released as Wondershare Video Editor, but after version 5.1.1 it was rebranded as Filmora. This extensive history has allowed Wondershare to iron out almost all bugs and user experience issues, although some of the newer features need a bit more work before they’re fully reliable.

Is Filmora Safe?

The program is absolutely safe to use, and both the installer file and the program’s executable file pass virus and malware scan from Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes AntiMalware. The Mac version also passed scans from Drive Genius.

The installer program available from the official website connects directly to their servers to ensure that you’re downloading the latest and most stable copy of the software currently available. The installation process is simple and straightforward, and it doesn’t attempt to install any unwanted adware, add-ons or other third-party software.

Is Filmora Free?

Filmora is not free software, but offers a full-featured free trial with only one usage restriction: exported videos are watermarked with a Filmora banner across the bottom third of the output.

There are two main purchasing options: a one-year license that must be renewed annually for $39.99 (or $44.99 for the Mac version), or a lifetime license for a single payment of $69.99.

These licenses are only valid for a single computer, but multi-seat licenses are also available on a sliding scale depending on the number of copies you want to use simultaneously.

If you already purchased the software but lost your license key or you’re re-installing on a new computer, you can recover your license key by clicking the “Register” menu at the top and selecting “Retrieve Registration Code.” This will take you to the support section of the Wondershare website, and allow you to enter the email address used to purchase the software. You’ll then receive an email that contains your registration code, and you can enter it to regain full access to the software.

Example of the only difference between the Trial and Registered versions of Filmora for Windows

How to Remove Filmora Watermark?

Removing the watermark on exported videos is extremely easy, and only requires that you purchase a license key for the software.

There are several ways to do this from within the application, including the prominent red “Register” menu item in the toolbar as well as the “Unregistered” link in the bottom right corner.

Once your registration is complete, you simply enter your license code, and the watermark will be removed on any videos you export in the future.

Filmora Review: What’s In It for You?

Note: the screenshots below were taken from an old version of Filmora, we’ll re-review Filmora 9 (the latest version) soon.

The software has a huge range of features, and since we don’t have room to talk about all of them we’re going to focus on the main points that make it worth your time – as well as point out a few issues that might get in your way.

The screenshots I used for this article were taken from the Windows version, but JP was testing the Mac version at the same time and included some comparison screenshots to show the differences in the user interface. He’ll also highlight any feature differences between the two platforms.

Editing Interface

The simplicity of its user interface is one of its most appealing features. The main section you’ll be working with is the timeline, which fills the bottom half of the screen and lets you manage all the different video clips, images, overlays and audio that will become your movie. It’s a simple drag and drop interface that allows you to quickly arrange, trim and edit your various media elements, and it makes composing your video a breeze.

More advanced editing options are easily accessed by double-clicking on the element you want to edit in the timeline, and you’re presented with many of the customizable elements related to that item.

Certain media types will then allow you to edit even more by clicking the “Advanced” button. The interface can sometimes get a bit confusing once you’ve dug this deep into the editing functions, but that’s only because there are so many options, not because it is poorly designed.

The only downsides to the interface are a couple of small but surprising ones that affect the track manager, where you add or remove tracks from your video timeline. It’s quite an odd design choice because instead of allowing you to right-click on tracks to add or remove them, you click “Add New Track” and then set the number of text and audio tracks you want – but removing them uses the same process. It’s not a big issue, but if you want to use tracks to help organize the various elements in your movie, you’re going to be unhappy to learn that Filmora limits you to three of each.

Finally, it’s impossible to rename your tracks, which can make it a bit confusing to find which item you want to edit among a range of similar media elements. It’s not a problem when you’re working on a simple video like the one I made for this Filmora review, but on a larger project, it would be all too easy to get lost in the timeline.

Media Importing

Filmora supports an impressive number of file formats as media sources, and importing from files from your hard drive into the Filmora media library is a snap. Unfortunately, the software starts to run into problems when you use the other methods of importing media. Importing from social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Flickr should be a fast and easy way to get your existing videos and images into the program, but the process was too bugged to work for me at all beyond the sign-in phase, as you can see below.

Eventually, Filmora was able to begin retrieving my media from Facebook, but crashed completely while creating the list of thumbnails. Flickr and Instagram media importing never made it past the stage shown above. This may be due to a large number of photos in my account, but I cannot be sure as the only crash information was found in highly technical log files.

Searching the official website and even some careful Google sleuthing didn’t provide any solutions to this problem, so the only option in this case is to send a support ticket to the company and wait for a reply. They replied to me after about 12 hours, but they simply requested that I update to the latest version (which I was already using), and to send them the log files and an accompanying screenshot.

Unfortunately, it seems that this bug isn’t limited to the PC version of Filmora, as JP ran into a similar issue on his Macbook. He could connect to Facebook inside the app, but while it retrieved a list of his photos, it couldn’t retrieve the associated thumbnail images. This makes it more or less impossible to find the right images and videos to import into Filmora, or at the very least time-consuming and frustrating. Clearly, this feature needs a little bit more work before it’s a reliable part of the software.

Screen Recording

For those of you making on-screen software tutorial videos, this feature is going to be a major productivity booster. Instead of having to use a separate screen capture app to record your instructions, Filmora offers a built-in screen recording feature complete with audio, mouse click tracking and varying quality options. The resulting file gets imported directly into your media library to be quickly added to any project you’re working on, allowing you to streamline your recording process.

Video Effect Presets

Filmora includes a number of different free preset elements that you can include in your movies, and some of them are quite good. There are titles, credits sequences and lower third overlays as well as a range of filters, emojis and other elements that can be added to your movie with just a few clicks. Many of the presets can be fully customized and saved for later use, although some presets only allow you to customize certain parts of them such as fonts or masking.

If you’re not satisfied with the presets that are included with the software, you can visit the Filmora Effects Store directly from the program to find some new presets that are more to your liking.

This is a useful feature, but while they do occasionally offer some free preset packs, the paid packs are actually quite expensive – some as much as $30, which is a bit much for a program that only costs $60 originally.

Encoding and Exporting

There are a lot of different ways of encoding digital video, and Filmora can encode your videos in almost all of them. The encoding format, bit rate, resolution and audio formats can all be customized to meet your requirements, and you get a handy estimate of the final file size so that you’re not surprised when the encoding process is done. Some social media sites limit the file size of uploaded videos, so this will save you from spending hours encoding a 4K video that turns out to be over the limit.

The export process is easy to use and relatively fast, despite the fact that my graphics card was not supported by the program which prevented me from using the optional GPU acceleration feature (Source: Wondershare support). Most of the supported cards are several years old now, but if you have a computer new enough to include an unsupported card, it’s probably fast enough to handle video encoding quickly without needing to rely on help from the GPU.

One of the more useful export features of Filmora is the ability to export videos directly to Youtube, Vimeo, and Facebook, which is another great productivity booster for aspiring viral video stars. You also have the ability to burn DVDs directly from the program, although there is no support for Blu-Ray discs despite the fact that the program is perfectly capable of outputting HD and 4K videos, neither of which are compatible with DVDs.

Extra Editing Modes

For those of you looking for a more streamlined editing process, Filmora has a couple of extra modes that you can select when the program starts: Easy Mode, Instant Cutter, and Action Cam Tool. These are all designed to do specific jobs, and they are all quite easy to use.

Easy mode, as you might expect, is an extremely streamlined video creator intended for making animated slide shows or quickly combining several clips while automatically adding music, overlays and transitions between clips. Unfortunately, it’s almost a pointless addon because the main program itself is incredibly easy to use. Easy mode will do all the work for you, but it will almost certainly mangle your media along the way, so it’s better to just work in Full Feature Mode.

Instant Cutter and the Action Cam Tool are far more useful, but they really should be integrated into the main program instead of acting as standalone programs. They allow you to manipulate and merge individual video clips with customized speed settings, freeze frames, and image stabilization. They’re great features, but there is no good reason for their functionality not to be integrated into Full Feature Mode where you’ll do the majority of your editing, and switching back and forth between them can be time-consuming and frustrating.


The Reasons Behind My Ratings

Effectiveness: 4/5

Filmora does a great job of editing videos at the enthusiast and prosumer level, and despite some issues with its non-essential features such as media importing, GPU acceleration and disc burning, it’s quite effective at its primary tasks. For most users looking for a video editing program, Filmora will handle anything you can throw at it with ease, streamline your creation process and look good while doing it.

Price: 4/5

It is fairly competitively priced at $60, but in order to get the most out of the program, you’re probably going to want to buy some of the add-on effects packs. These are a lot less reasonably priced, with some packs costing as much as $30 – half the price of the program itself. There are other video editors on the market that cost slightly more but provide a little more value for your dollar.

Ease of Use: 5/5

Ease of use is where this editing program really shines. Few video editing programs do such a good job of combining a rich feature set with a simple interface that doesn’t require an extensive training process. Within a few minutes of downloading and installing the program, you can be well on your way to making your first movie, especially if you’re already familiar with other video editing programs. Even if you’re not, the basics are easy to learn, and the Wondershare website has some great introductory training material.

Support: 3/5

Wondershare has been around for a long time, which makes the lack of support information available on their website a bit surprising. They have some good tutorials available on how to use the more basic features of the program, but there are no support forums for users to help each other, and the FAQ section of the site doesn’t provide very many answers. Confusingly, some of the support links within the program itself point to previous versions of the software, which can make it difficult to get the right answers to your questions.

If you find yourself in that spot, like I did when trying to set up social media importing, your only solution is to open a support ticket with the developers and wait for them to get back to you. I don’t know how much of a backlog they have in their support queue, but you may be waiting a while for a reply.

Filmora Alternatives

Camtasia is a very similar program to Filmora, but far more expensive at $199 USD. The primary difference in terms of features is that Camtasia doesn’t rely on presets to create most of its video effects, and instead allows you to create your own animations and presets without requiring a secondary effects program. We also reviewed Camtasia here.

Adobe Premiere Elements is the slightly less-powerful cousin of Adobe’s flagship video editor, but that makes it a better competitor to Filmora. A digital download of the software is available for both Windows and macOS, and while it’s not quite as easy to use as Filmora, it’s also quite a bit more powerful and feature-packed. You can learn more from our Premiere Elements review.

PowerDirector Ultimate is priced competitively and includes a much larger range of effects that can be used in your videos. It’s also the first video editing program to support 360-degree VR videos, so if you’re looking to specialize in VR content this is a better choice than Filmora. That power comes at the cost of user experience, which means the learning curve is much steeper. We also have a detailed review of PowerDirector here.

Apple beta software program macos. New public betas for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, tvOS 14 and watchOS 7 are coming soon. As a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, you can help shape Apple software by test-driving pre-release versions and letting us know what you think. If you’re not already a member, sign up today. Learn more about the next releases. Apple Beta Software Program. The iOS and macOS public betas available through the Apple Beta Software Program come with the built-in Feedback Assistant app. If you’re running the tvOS public beta, you can submit feedback through the Feedback Assistant app on an enrolled iOS device. When you experience an issue or something does not work as.

If you’re looking for alternatives to the Mac version of Filmora, there’s always Apple’s iMovie app. It’s quite easy to use, it’s free and it has been in development for even longer than Filmora, so it’s worth a look. However, so check your macOS version before installing it.

Conclusion

Filmora is a powerful video editing program that is perfect for users who want to focus on their creativity instead of getting stuck on the technical side of video production. Its careful balance of an easy-to-use interface and professional features make it a good value for beginner and intermediate content creators, but more experienced users will want a solution that offers a bit more control and customization in the editing process.

5/5 (2 Reviews)

If you can’t choose which Apple’s model is the best Mac for video editing, read more about these top 6 laptops that will run Premiere Pro and Final Cut without lags.

What Is the Best Mac for Video Editing?

Defining the best computer for video editing and multimedia from the Apple line is not easy. Numerous variants need to be analyzed, each of them can have different hardware pieces, additionally, several received updates this year.

Regardless of your position and degree of financial freedom, I’ve gathered top 6 Macs that are good for basic and experienced video post production.

Best Macs for Video Editing In 2020

Look through these laptops and choose the one for your budget and video editing.

1. Apple iMac 27-inch Retina 5K Display

  • Powerful 6-core i5 processor
  • Clear 5K retina display
  • Corporate ultra-thin design
  • 2 Thunderbolt 3 high-speed ports
  • Keyboard and mouse included
  • Haven’t been found

Apple regularly updates its older versions, so the new iMac for video editing is nearly flawless, even comes close to what the Pro can do. The clear screen with awesome color rendition and high contrast ratio is worth a lot.

It almost fully reproduces the DCI-P3 color space used in the movies. The built-in Retina Display works at 60 MHz.

Being 1K bigger in size, it is an ideal 4K video editing computer, allowing you to change frames in full definition without hiding the controls. Its heart is the cutting-edge six-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost capability above 4GHz that can process nearly everything at high speed.

Dedicated AMD Radeon Pro graphics processor with 4-8 GB of video memory will handle any rendering software easy. Other cool features are the 8GB of RAM and a large 1TB SSD Fusion drive. Memory can be extended too.

Considering Apple's brand industrial design, updated fillings, price-quality relationship, I can recommend this device as the best iMac for video editing.

  • Read more about the best monitor for video editing.

2. Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch

  • Retina display of increased sharpness
  • New processor
  • Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Long battery life
  • Non-4K screen
  • SSD could be larger
  • No standard ports

In case your job requires combining portability with the capability to handle complex video processing, Apple MacBook Pro i9 is your choice. The 15-inch versions are advisable for their discrete video cards: video editing in 4K or photo editing in RAW is ensured by the AMD Radeon Pro powerful graphics processor.

It alternates with the integrated Intel UHD graphics processor when performance can be reduced. Video editing on MacBook flaws smoothly on the high definition Retina screen that is very sharp with incredible colors. Additional monitor can be joined easily, too.

It includes a branded track and touchpad to flip through the software timeline. You will also like optimized stereo speakers. It combines 16GB of RAM with a 512GB SSD drive.

Mail app not launching safari on mac with gmail download. The installed battery can run for about 10 hours, offering superior performance by laptop standards. The sturdy case protects the 9th generation 8-core Intel processor from overheating and throttling.

The 15-inch version would be the best MacBook Pro for video editing for those who need to balance portability with decent image and power.

  • Check out the best computers for video editing.

3. Apple iMac Pro

  • 5K resolution display
  • Powerful discrete video card
  • Ability to expand hardware
  • Double cooled case with 4 UCB-C ports
  • Branded keyboard and mouse included
  • High cost
  • SSD volume could be larger

It’s not surprising that the brand’s leader in my lit too due to its quick processing and low delay. With iMac Pro video editing is possible in 8K format, sound effects can be adjusted smoothly at the fastest speed.

The 27-inch screen is large and crisp with a 5120x2880 definition and renders colors naturally thanks to the Retina panel. The standard version includes 8 Intel Xeon W cores, the maximum is 18, with the possibility of overclocking.

You can install recent Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB or 64 with 16GB of memory. Either one performs great with software capable of GPU acceleration.

The 32GB of RAM and a voluminous 1TB solid state drive make professional video editing flawless. Numerous ports are very convenient, including Thunderbolt 3, plus Apple Magic keyboard and mouse.

  • Read more about how much RAM do you need for video editing.

4. Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch

  • Retina screen with True Tone feature
  • Ability to connect a separate eGPU
  • Ultra-compact design with 4 USB-C ports
  • Super-fast SSD
  • Could have more memory
  • The screen isn`t 4K
  • Integrated video card

When Intel engineered their 8th generation of processor, users got a new MacBook Pro 13 inch. This model has an outstanding True Tone Retina screen, famous for clear and natural picture, powerful speakers, and four fast Thunderbolt 3 inputs.

The Core i5 with 2.4 GHz base frequency is enhanced by 8GB of RAM. This should answer “Is the 13 inch MacBook Pro good for video editing” question, though 4K processing may be troublesome.

Despite the integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, the device can flawlessly run any modern video editing software. The CNC-Machined cover has a super-fast 512GB solid-state drive.

If work is mostly done not at home, you will benefit from Macbook Pro video editing with this mobile and portable but powerful machine that has 10-hour battery duration and a weight of 1.35 kg.

  • Check out what is the best Apple laptop.

5. Apple Mac Pro

  • Ability to connect up to 6 monitors simultaneously
  • You can expand hardware components
  • Connecting up to 36 peripheral units
  • Silent cooling system
  • Monitor required
  • Old CPU and GPU technologies
  • No FireWire Connections

Apple Workstation is a professional video editing computer designed for specialists, who consider the highest power combined with flexibility very important. It is suitable for applications that use the biggest amount of processing cores and rendering like video editors, image editing softwares, 3D programs, etc.

Despite the updates being discontinued, it remains the best desktop computer for video editing with tremendous computational capability and speed. It has two AMD FirePro graphics processors.

You can install up to 64GB of RAM memory, up to 1TB of flash memory, update the graphics or up-level the processor (even to a 12-core one). This would let you effortlessly run a whole software set while simultaneously encoding a 4K video.

Doing professional work and being in need of extreme multiprocessing capabilities, undoubtedly purchase this best Mac for video editing considering its decreasing cost.

  • Read more about the best video editing softwares.

6. Apple MacBook Air

  • Retina screen
  • Processor Turbo-overclocking up to 3.6 GHz
  • Slim body and lightweight design
  • Excellent battery life
  • Built-in graphics processor
  • RAM could be bigger

Since Apple has updated the frame and internal components, added the desirable features, using MacBook Air for video editing has become quite realistic for simple video color grading operations.

The laptop is quite light (1.35 kg) with a familiar keyboard. The miniature body fits a 13.3-inch Retina screen. At 2560x1600 definition, it shows a sharp image with realistic colors.

The 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor can be overclocked to double its speed. The video editing won’t be flawless. Still, it handles simple editing and normal administrative work great.

The integrated Intel UHD 617 video card, 8GB of RAM, together with 128 or 256GB SSD ensure that. It has 2 USB-C ports plus an SD card slot, so transferring photos is convenient.

This laptop for video editing is under $1000 and has the benefit of working for up to 14 hours on a battery charge. For people with limited budget who search for a portable and inexpensive version of the MacBook, this is the best choice.

Top 6 Best Macs for Video Editing

ImageNameFeatures
OUR CHOICE
  • Clear 5K display
  • 6-core i5 processor
  • Ultrathin design
Check Price
Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch
  • Increased sharpness
  • Double overclocking processor
Check Price
PROFESSIONAL
  • 5K display
  • Discrete video card
Check Price
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch
  • Retina Screen
  • Connect a separate eGPU
Check Price
  • Can have up to 6 monitors
  • Can connect up to 36 peripherals
Check Price
Apple MacBook Air
CHEAPEST
  • Retina display
  • Processor turbo-overclocking
  • Thin body
Check Price

How to Choose Mac for Video Editing?

Video editing is a serious task for any OS. Certainly, this brand’s computers can do this job, but the difference is substantial between some vlog clips and a real movie.

Not working in the 4K format, you can afford to go around with a small laptop. For a specialist, the full-size desktop will forever remain superior in power.

CPU

For any video editing software, the processor plays the main role. My advice is to not go below the quad-core Intel Core i5 processor.

If you’re ready to invest, get a 6-8 core processor, because the expense greatly enhances performance. Being very limited in budget, you can still get a dual-core but performing complex jobs will be problematic.

Display

Those working with footage consider accurate color rendition of the highest importance and Apple Retina displays gained the best reputation in this. iMac and MacBook Pro have it and it’s a huge boost.

Such a display is known for crisp definition, natural colors, and wide viewing cones. Such features help to display the footage accurately and clearly, with no distortions, which ensures higher-quality video editing.

GPU

The second most influential component is the video card. The software is mostly capable of rendering through a graphics processor.

Mac Video Editing Software Reddit

AMD hardware has gained popularity, so a middle- or higher-class Mac means a discrete GPU. Certain Pro models even have the AMD Fire Pro dual feature that concentrates on providing superior performance or combining integrated and discrete processors to optimize it.

Best Video Editing Software For Mac

RAM Capacity

Best Free Video Editing Software Mac Reddit

The video editing process largely depends on the amount of RAM in your computer. The most time-consuming process is the export of the finished video.

For comfortable video editing on a Mac, you need at least 8GB of RAM (16GB is required for 4K editing, 3D work, and 360 ° video editing).

Video Editing Software Mac Free

SSD Capacity

Best Free Editing Software Reddit

The speed and capacity of the internal drive will provide instant access to the material. Get at least a standard SSD drive. Better yet, the branded hybrid SSD. Its speed is several times higher than usual, both during recording and reading.

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