“The cross-platform, uber-popular timeline-based video editor that’s long set the standard for video editing software.” “An essential multitasking tool that’s perfect for beginners or aspiring filmmakers.” Best for Macs: Apple Final Cut Pro at apple.com “Treads the line between a consumer product and one for professionals who need powerful editing tools.” “Built specifically with beginners in mind, offering special features that make it a breeze to create.” Best Value: Corel Pinnacle Studio 24 Ultimate at Best Buy “Offers a host of post effects that put this thing way out of its price class.” “With over 2,000 customizable effects, transitions, and titles, there’s something for everyone.” “Can directly upload to Facebook or other social media for fast sharing.” “Includes storyboard mode, which helps users draft the exact vision they have in mind.” Remember to take into consideration your operating device. If you have a Mac, consider Apple Final Cut Pro or another option best for Macs. However, if you plan on switching between devices, a subscription service like Adobe Premiere Pro will allow you to make the switch with ease. The best video editing software will simplify the process for you while still delivering outstanding results. While most professional-grade software can handle multi-cam editing, Premiere Pro goes one step beyond, handling as many sources as necessary with as many angles as required. The inclusion of the bundled Lumetri Color Panel allows advanced color adjustments to be handled with ease. Additionally, Adobe’s integration with After Effects and Photoshop adds even more reason for professional grade editors to choose Premiere Pro. It now includes improved facial recognition to identify portraits, people and groups more accurately. It also has 1-Click Video Story, and DriveSpan app for making stored creations even simpler. Whether you need to edit that great new film you shot with friends or want to organize your files, Nero Platinum Unlimited is an excellent choice. It has great organizational tools like libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces and scenes, and automatic color coding for track-specific clips, useful keyboard short-cuts, and drag-and-drop media importing give Adobe’s Premiere Elements a run for its money. Unfortunately, you can’t directly open projects from Final Cut Pro 7 or earlier, but there are many third-party plug-ins that will help you out there. Have older, subpar quality videos you wish you could clean up a bit? Use Magic Enhance. Need some extra footage? You can use Movavi Video Editor to record new clips from within the application as well. With all these tools in mind, Movavi offers powerful ways to package and share your footage, whether you’re an old auteur or fledgling director. For starters, there are amazing seamless morph transitions to help you blend together all the parts of your visual story. There’s also a pretty unique paintbrush filter effect that will work in tandem with already-shot video, letting you transform raw, live footage into living animations. Not only does Studio 24 Ultimate offer support for uploading 360-degree video but they’ve included a surprisingly intuitive set of trim, edit and control features for 360 video that will let you ensure your viewer gets the exact immersive experience you want. Finally, they give you the ability to include a motion-tracked image-blurring filter over the top of any element on the screen, meaning you can protect the identity of someone’s face, their license plate or anything else you’d prefer not to be in your final product. Support for 360-degree VR, 4K, Ultra HD and 3D media help round out the export opportunities available with VideoStudio and, while they may not all be supported by YouTube now, it’s good to know you have the capability for when they are. The user interface isn’t for beginners, but within a short amount of time, you’ll be a pro at capturing, editing and sharing. Features such as time remapping for including slow motion, high-speed effects or freeze action are complemented by easily grouping or ungrouping clips on a timeline to edit in bulk or one at a time. With over 2,000 customizable effects, transitions and titles, there’s something for everyone. Even as the video itself is the focus, custom fitting your project with a soundtrack is handled well with custom-fit audio allowing your movies to both look and sound good. With large, easy-to-use buttons, fewer menus and the popular Simple Edit Mode, Movie Studio 17 makes video editing fast and easy, so you can keep up with the Internet’s viral pace. The software also comes with Sound Forge Audio Studio 14 to take your online media up a notch. VideoStudio Pro has a whole extra set of options that beginners will quickly love, including multi-monitor support, easier title creation, and even stop-motion animation. Corel supports almost every output format imaginable, so it’s ideal for sharing socially or for hosting online for the world to see. Another highlight for beginners is the inclusion of storyboard mode, which will help draft the exact vision they have in mind for a finished product without wasting hours and days on edits that may never see the light of day. Experience - Are you brand new to video editing or a seasoned professional? Some video editing software packages can feel extremely intimidating with an endless number of settings and dials. If you are new to the game, consider picking out a started solution from companies like Corel and Nero. Price - Professional video editing software packages and cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars. If you are looking to edit videos of your family events, you most likely won’t need the features in the professional suites. If you’re keeping it simple, don’t spend over $100 on your software of choice.
