Subscribe There was a time when editing a video from your PC was a task better left to professionals. Well, we’ve come a long way since the days of Vdub, and today we’re going to take a look at the best video editing software for YouTube.
Video Editing Software for Youtube Final Cut Pro The Best Video Editing Software for Mac Users Final Cut is arguably the most popular editing software on the planet, depending on which side of the fence you find yourself on when it comes to operating systems. While it is in Pro class, it’s a great tool to learn with and something you can continue to use for years to come. Final Cut Pro is one of a handful of programs on our list that has been used in. That’s because of the high-end features which include HDR support, advanced color grading, and the Magnetic Timeline which makes finding and arranging scenes simple. The multichannel audio tools are top tier, and we’re big fans of the new noise reduction system as well. Do you need to work with dozens of angles?
If so, you’ll appreciate the Multicam feature which allows you to view 16 angles simultaneously and sync up to 64 angles. As it’s a program used by many in the film industry, support is excellent, and you’ll have a long list of third-party applications to work with as well. Another advantage of Final Cut Pro X is the ability to work with 360° video. That’s ideal if you plan to work with VR, especially when you can mirror your headset view in the program. Whether you want to add closed captions to a video, unify your color or edit a quick video for your YouTube channel, FCP X can do it all. The only drawback to this program is a big one, as it’s only available for Mac users which rules out a considerable number of consumers.
While that’s a disappointment if you run Windows, it’s an amazing piece of software and a steal at $299 considering all it can do. If you’re not ready to make the jump, Apple also offers a 30-day trial version. Pros:. Unlimited video tracks. VR support.
List of the Best video editing software for Mac in 2018 – 1.Apple iMovie – This is a great software for non-professional users. Amateurs can use it easily as it presents a simple user interface and has controls right on the screen, which are easily accessible.
Ease of use. 4K and HDR. Excellent tools Cons:. Mac only. Overkill for simple edits Pinnacle Studio Excellent Software for Beginners and Pros If you’ve used a PC in the past 20 years, there’s a good chance you’ve used a program from Corel. Pinnacle Studio 22 is the latest version of their top-tier editing software, and one to keep an eye on if you need solid software for your YouTube videos. Pinnacle Studio is packed full of cool features which allow you to edit videos with ease.
That includes beginners that are just learning the ropes and advanced users looking for features like 360-degree videos, motion tracking or audio ducking. Like most editing software these days, there are three tiers to choose from with Pinnacle Studio. The standard version lets you edit up to six HD videos and gives you simplified color grading, over 1500 video effects, split screen video, and 2-channel Dolby Digital support. You won’t need green screen software thanks to the chroma key, and you can export or share your content to all the popular channels including Facebook and YouTube. With the Plus version, you can edit up to 24 HD tracks and detach audio or place clips with precision with three and four-point editing. Dolby gets an upgrade to 5.1, and XAVC S support is added, so it’s a solid bump up over the standard tier overall.
When you want the best, you’ll need Pinnacle Studio 22 Ultimate which brings 4K editing into play along with unlimited streams. Everything from the previous tiers is available, but you’ll also get multi-camera editing for six cameras and other goodies as well. You won’t need a beastly machine to run this program, and we’re pleased to say the pricing is fair across the board.
The standard version is $59, Plus will set you back $99 while the Ultimate version is $129, but is not Mac friendly. The program is compatible with Windows, and there’s a trial version available as well if you want to give it a test run.
Pros:. Advanced color grading. 4K editing. Over 1500 effects. Three and four-point editing. Excellent audio tools Cons:.
Occasional crashes. 360 editing could be better Adobe Premiere Pro CC A Professional Video Editing Solution The minds at Adobe have produced outstanding design software for decades. That includes programs for consumers that prefer to edit videos instead of photos or creating vector-based graphics. Adobe Premiere Pro is the company’s solution for video editing and one of the standard tools used in Hollywood today. Do you plan to work with 4K video or VR? Well, Adobe can handle those formats and anything else you throw its way. It can deal with 8K as well and even has end-to-end VR 180 support so you can publish directly to YouTube.
If you plan to edit alongside others, you can do so remotely with a virtual screening room and invite people to your projects straight from your enterprise address book as well. YouTuber’s will appreciate a cool new feature with Premier Rush CC. Rush allows you to create content from your mobile and share it across social media without having to access a PC. The tools are simple but effective and you can edit your files in Premiere Pro CC if you want to take things to the next level. Your social circle will definitely be impressed.
Editors that love effects will have plenty to choose from as well. Services like After Effects, Audition and Stock work seamlessly with Premier Pro alongside all the top third-party apps. In a nutshell, it has almost everything you need in one package and a price that makes it attractive for professional editors and amateurs alike. Well, with one minor drawback Adobe went the subscription-based route several years ago, and you can no longer buy Premier Pro outright, but it is available for Mac and Windows. You’ll need to pay by the month or year with prices starting at around $20 depending on how long you want to sign up for initially. Alternatively, this program is also available through the Creative Cloud bundle along with Photoshop and 30 other apps for $52.99 per month. Pros:.
Streamlined interface. Wide range of formats. Top-notch tools. Excellent support.
Built for professionals Cons:. Subscription-based model.
Better options for simple YouTube edits PowerDirector When You Have the Need for Speed Media has changed considerably over the past decade, but Cyberlink has always been a name you can turn to. Whether you need to author a DVD or edit videos, they have a tool for everyone including PowerDirector, an excellent program for YouTube streamers.
PowerDirector is widely considered one of the fastest editing tools around with their speedy TrueVelocity engine. You’ll be impressed with how quickly it can deal with any clip or export, and it’s current, so you’ll have access to the latest formats. That means 4K is only a few clicks away and there are plenty of tools for 360° video footage as well. The 360° feature was a major reason this program made the cut. From here, you can add PiP objects, set and switch angles or stabilize footage from a shaky cam. Fans of action sports will enjoy action cam center and motion tracking.
The former can correct several issues brought on by action cams including the dreaded fish-eye. Motion tracking is also extremely handy for moving objects and allows you to track objects and people with precision. Need a chroma key for green screen work? This program has one along with a slew of high-end features like multicam designer, screen capture, color correction, and video blending. We also feel it’s one of the more accessible programs to use considering there are several modes to choose from. The Magic Movie Wizard will definitely take the guesswork out of things for beginners new to editing videos for YouTube. CyberLink has their editing software on the tier system so you’ll have three options when it comes to purchasing this program.
You can buy it outright with the Ultimate version, but you won’t get continuous updates like you will with the Ultimate 365 – a subscription plan. Director Suite 365 is another option which includes everything from the other bundles along with some additional perks. Prices range from around $130 outright or $70 per month depending on your preference. Pros:. Top-notch rendering speeds. 360° video tools. Modes for beginners.
Reasonably priced. 4K and 3D capable Cons:. Windows only.
Color tools could be better Filmora An Exceptional All-Around Editor Not all editing programs cost an arm and a leg. In fact, some of the best video editing software for YouTube is quite affordable including Filmora. Wondershare offers this program in three different versions, but even the Premium tier sports a nice price. We’re not going to go through this program level by level. Instead, we’re going to focus on the unlimited version which gives you everything. That includes over 1000 video effects with new ones added each month along with free updates and tech support for life. It’s a big step up from free programs but still easy to use if you’re a beginner due to the theme system.
Filmora allows you to slice and dice your YouTube videos or tailor them to suit your needs through a variety of filters and transitions. The controls are intuitive, and there are plenty of advanced features to keep more experienced users interested through Full Feature mode. This mode unlocks advanced color tuning, an action cam tool, freeze frame, and a power tool along with a slew of other options. While the program was missing features a few critical features in previous years, currently it covers all the vital areas. You’ll get 4K support along with a robust set of action tools for stabilization and correction in your videos. Social sharing is simple as well, so you’ll be able to upload your videos to YouTube and other social media sites in seconds.
Wondershare’s Filmora is available for Mac and Windows systems in an individual plan, or you can purchase a license for educational or business use. The free trial version lets you try before you buy but includes a watermark on the finished product. You can also pick this software up on a yearly subscription or under lifetime or unlimited plans with prices starting at $69 and running all the way up to $279 for the unlimited annual plan with video and audio effects.
Pros:. Easy to use for beginners.
Great action cam tools. Excellent price point. Plenty of export formats Cons:. Not as speedy as other programs. Lack of advanced tools Movavi Video Suite Capable and Affordable Video Editing Software Movavi is another affordable program geared towards novice editors looking for something quick and easy. We’re pleased to say it delivers in that regard and it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking to make tutorials or edit a gameplay session to post on YouTube or Twitch. Movavi has several products in their arsenal, but we went with their Video Suite as it has everything you need in one package.
Editors will have an array of tools at their disposal to merge, cut or add transitions to their videos. There are around 160 filters included as well along with features like caption support, chroma key, and slow-mo. If you enjoy making tutorials, you’ll appreciate the screen recording feature. From here, you can capture your screen while making adjustments on the fly. Just make sure you’ve got a microphone and webcam, or it’s all for naught. If you need help with the latter, we have you covered with the.
Need to convert some files? It can handle that as well Media conversion is another advantage of Movavi as it has support for over 180 different formats. Whether it’s a GIF or an old AVI file it can handle jobs in seconds. Batch conversion is supported, and there’s no loss of quality even on UHD files.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the VHS digitization feature and disc burning in case you want to author instead of share online. Movavi Video Suite isn’t as cheap as some of our other options, but reasonable at around $149 unless you catch it on sale. That’s for a personal lifetime license for one PC, and there’s a free version as well. The software is available for Windows although Mac users can’t get the suite so you’ll need to purchase the or individual products you need. Pros:. Easy to use. 4K support.
Lots of bang for your buck. Wide variety of formats Cons:.
Optimization could be better. Limited effects HitFilm Express The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube It’s great to have a full set of tools in your arsenal, regardless of your experience editing video. HitFilm Express provides you with a boatload of features and is ideal for folks that want to add some pizazz to their YouTube videos for free. Several picks on our list offer a trial version, but nobody gives you as much for free as the minds behind HitFilm Express. The aptly name program can turn amateur videos into professional masterpieces with over 400 effects and presets. There are tools for animations, composite shot enhancements, an adaptive trimmer and you can work with unlimited tracks. We felt the audio features are a little sparse without a “boost” but the mixer is very easy to use, and we love the built-in YouTube upload feature.
If you’ve ever had issues with color grading, you’ll dig HitFilm’s preset system. This allows you to recall and apply your favorite settings to any video you like. It goes hand-in-hand with the grading toolkit and warping tools that can distort your footage with some insane effects.
The worklow is adjustable and easy to learn, even when you get to the more advanced features. They also have an active online community and great tutorials if you do happen to get stuck. As much as you get for free with HitFilm Express, most of the pro features are missing unless you hit up the Add-on store.
It’s purely optional but well worth checking out if you want to add 360° video, battle damage effects, or work with some third-party solutions. The particle simulator and custom color tools are fan favorites along with the LUT pack. HitFilm Express if free to download and use for both Windows and Macs with a few obvious drawbacks compared to paid programs. If you like what you see and want more, there are two more options available with HitFilm Pro for $299 or Studio for $499.
Both add a considerable amount of professional level tools but only come with 12-months of free updates and support. Pros:. Wealth of free features. Easy to use interface.
Animation tools. Viewer quality options Cons:.
High system requirements. Add-ons can get expensive. Spammy download process Conclusion While a few programs didn’t quite or list like iMovie and Shotcut, the best video editing software for YouTube simply has to suit your needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re a power user that goes through hours of footage a day or someone that just wants to edit and upload vacation videos to YouTube. Just remember to keep your system requirements in mind if you opt for a Pro level tool. If you’re a gamer and prefer Twitch to YouTube, be sure to check out our list of the as well! DISCLAIMER: TheTechLounge generates revenue through a number of affiliate relationships including but not limited to Amazon and Walmart.
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Michael Muchmore The Best Video Editing Software of 2018 Whether you're a weekend GoPro shooter or a full-time video professional, you need editing software that's powerful but easy to use. Here's how the best video editing software stacks up. Edit Video on Your PC Nothing makes an impression like moving images with sound. That's why digital video continues to grow in importance online. Couple that trend with the ever-increasing availability of devices capable of high-resolution video recording—smartphones, GoPros, DSLRs—and the case for ever more powerful video editing software becomes clear.
Further, the software must be usable by nonprofessionals, and it has to keep up with new formats such as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), 360-degree VR video, and 4K and above. Increasingly, new capabilities trickle down from professional-level software to the consumer category. That's a good thing for nonprofessional movie editors, since the more-consumer-oriented software makes formerly difficult procedures a cinch for them. Read on for a survey of the latest trends in video editing software and our top picks in the field. Multicam, Motion Tracking, and Yet More Motion Advanced abilities continue to make their way into accessible, affordable, and consumer-friendly video editing software as each new generation of software is released. For example, multicam editing, which lets you switch among camera angles of the same scene shot with multiple video cameras, used to be a feature relegated to pro-level software. Now this and many other advanced effects are available in programs designed for use by nonprofessional enthusiasts.
Another impressive effect that has made its way into consumer-level video editing software is motion tracking, which lets you attach an object or effect to something moving in your video. You might use it to put a blur over the face of someone you don't want to show up in your video. You specify the target face, and the app takes care of the rest, tracking the face and moving the effect to follow it.
This used to be the sole province of special effects software such as Adobe After Effects. Corel VideoStudio was the first of the consumer products to include motion tracking, and it still leads the pack in the depth and usability of its motion-tracking tool, though several others now include the capability. The 4K Factor Support for 4K video source content has become pretty standard in video editing software, but the support varies among the products.
For example, some but not all of the applications can import Sony XAVC and XAVC-S formats, which are used by Sony's popular DSLRs, camcorders, and professional video cameras. The same holds true for the H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Most of the applications here now can import and export HEVC, though there are still a few holdouts. 360-Degree VR Support.
Several of the products here (Adobe Premiere Elements is a notable exception) still support 3D video editing if that's your thing, though the this has been replaced by 360-degree VR footage like that shot by the as the current home-theater fad. As is often the case, our Editors' Choice, CyberLink PowerDirector was the first product in this group to offer support for this new kind of video media. Other programs have jumped on board with 360 VR support, including Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Magix Movie Edit Pro. Support varies, with some apps including 360-compatible titles, stabilization, and motion tracking. PowerDirector is notable for including those last two. Final Cut offers a useful tool that removes the camera and tripod from the image, often an issue with 360-degree footage.
Video Editing 101 Of course, none of the extras matter if an app can't do the most basic editing tasks. At this point, however, all of the products included here do a good job of letting you join, trim, and split video clips. They also let you make use of special effects such as animated transitions, picture-in-picture (PiP), chroma-key (the technique that lets you place a subject against any background, often known as green screening), and filters that enhance colors or apply creative effects and distortions. With most of them you can add a multitude of timeline tracks that can accommodate video clips, effects, audio, and text overlays. LUTs and CLUTs One of the capabilities that has been making its way into consumer-level video editing software is support for LUTs (lookup tables), also known as CLUTs (color lookup tables).
This staple of pro-level software lets you quickly change the look of a video to give it a specific mood. For example, think of the dark blue look of thriller movies like The Revenant. You can download LUTs for free from several sites or use those included with some video software to give your video a specific look. One well-known LUT type is the kind that can make a daytime scene look like it was shot at night. Where the Action Is Many video editing apps now include tools that cater to users of such as the GoPro Hero7 Black. For example, several offer automated freeze-frame along with speedup, slowdown, and reverse time effects.
CyberLink PowerDirector's Action Camera Center pulls together freeze frame with stabilization, slo-mo, and fish-eye correction, and color correction for underwater footage. Magix Movie Edit Pro Premium includes the third-party NewBlue ActionCam Package of effects.
And Wondershare Filmora lets you subscribe to new effect packs on an ongoing basis. Titles That Zing. I've been seeing a lot of attention paid to creating title effects in the applications over the past year. Apple Final Cut Pro X has added 3D title creation, which is pretty spiffy, letting you extrude 2D titles and rotate them on three axes. Corel VideoStudio in its latest version also adds 3D Titling, though not as powerful as Apple's. PowerDirector's Title Designer offers transparency, gradient color, border, blur level, and reflection in titles; Magix has impressive title templates, complete with animations.
Premiere Elements offers a nifty title effect in which your video fills the text characters. Look for an application that lets you edit titles in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mode, so that you can type, format, and time it right over the video preview. Gathering Speed Video editing is one of the most computing-intensive activities around, so you'll want the or desktop you can afford if you're serious about cutting your own movies. Most applications help speed up the editing process by creating a proxy file of lower resolution, so that normal editing and previewing aren't slowed down by the huge full-resolution files. Particularly intensive is the process of rendering your finished product into a standard video file that will by playable on the target device of choice, be that an HDTV, a laptop, or a smartphone. Most of the software can take advantage of your computer's graphics processor to speed this up.
Be sure to check the performance section in each review linked here to see how speedy or slow the application is. In rendering speed testing, CyberLink and Pinnacle have been my perennial champs. Other measures of performance include startup time and simple stability. Again, video editing is a taxing activity for any computer, involving many components. In the past, video editing programs took longer than most other apps to start up, and unexpected shutdowns were unfortunately common, even in top apps from top developers such as Adobe and Apple. The stability situation has greatly improved, but the complexity of the process, which increases as more powerful effects are added, means crashes will likely never be fully eliminated, and they often raise their ugly heads after a program update, as I found with the latest version of Pinnacle Studio.
Free Video Editing Software If you don't want to invest a lot of money and effort into your video editing exploits, there are a few free options. Of course, if you use a Mac, the excellent iMovie comes with it. For PC users, 's Photos app (as of the Fall Creators Update) lets you join, trim, and even add background music, 3D animated effects, and titles to video. There are also some free video apps on the Windows Store, including, PowerDirector Mobile, Movie Maker, and Magix Movie Edit Touch. Some of these are quite basic, but the Magix app is fairly capable, with clip joining, transitions, and effects, in a very touch-friendly interface.
Free video editing software often comes with legal and technical limitations, however. Some widely used codecs require licensing fees on the part of the software maker, meaning they can't offer free software that can handle these standard file formats. That said, the impressive open-source does a lot of the same things that the paid applications in this roundup do, including things like chroma-keying and picture-in-picture. Shotcut is completely open-source and free, while another free option, Lightworks has paid options that remove a 720p output resolution limit. Note also that both Shotcut and Lightworks run on Linux as well as Windows and Mac. What About Apple?
Though Mac users don't have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served, by four products in particular. At the entry level, the surprisingly capable and enjoyable-to-use iMovie comes free with every Mac sold since at least 2011. IMovie only offers two video tracks, but does good job with chroma-keying, and its Trailers feature makes it easy to produce slick, Hollywood-style productions. In the midrange, there's Adobe Premiere Elements, which is cross-platform between Macs and PCs, and offers a lot more features and lots of help with creating effects.
Professionals and prosumers have powerful, though pricey options in. Final Cut is a deceptively simple application that resembles iMovie in its interface and ease of use, but it offers massively deep capabilities, and many third-party apps integrate with it for even more power. It also makes excellent use of the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro, as shown in photo above.
Premiere Pro uses a more traditional timeline and adds a large ecosystem of companion apps and plug-ins. It also excels in collaboration features. Audio Editing We still live in the days of talkies, so you want to be able to in your digital moves as well as the images. Most of the products included here offer canned background music, and many, such as Pinnacle Studio, can even tailor the soundtrack to the exact length of your movie. All of these programs can separate audio and video tracks, and most can clean up background noise and add environmental audio effects such as concert hall reverb. A couple of the products have an auto-ducking feature, which lowers background music during dialog—a definite pro-level plus. What's Not Here There are more video editing software applications than we can fit into this roundup of the best options, which includes only software rated three stars and higher.
The best known among them is probably, which was recently acquired by Magix from Sony. Sony's product used a very cluttered interface that more resembled high-end professional video editing software from the early days of the craft. Magix has made some progress in simplifying it and bringing it up to par with the competition, but more work is needed for it to be included here. Another program, simply has too outdated an interface, making common tasks difficult. Longtime pro video editors will note the absence of Avid Media Composer, which is simply too unwieldy for PCMag's primarily consumer audience. There are a couple of more interesting applications—NCH VideoPad and AVS Video Editor among them—that we simply haven't tested yet. The Finish Line The video editing application you choose depends on your budget, the equipment you're using, and how serious you are.
Fortunately, you're spoiled for choice with the products available. Peruse our in-depth reviews of enthusiast-level video editing software reviews linked below to see which is the right one for you. Pros: Clear, flexible interface. Lots of organizational tools. Responsive speed. Ultimate power in video editing.
Rich ecosystem of video production apps. Excellent stabilization. Unlimited multi-cam angles. Cons: No keyword tagging for media. Some techniques require additional applications such as After Effects or SpeedGrade. Bottom Line: An expansive professional-level digital video editing program, Premiere Pro CC has everything today's pro video editor needs, particularly when it comes to collaboration.
Pros: Wide selection of fun video-creation tools. Clear, simple interface. Support for 360-degree VR, 4K Ultra HD, and 3D media. Multipoint Motion tracking. Multicam editing. HTML5 video page creation.
Stop-motion tool. Cons: Middle-of-the-road rendering speeds. No search for effects or media. Only 20 video overlay tracks.
Bottom Line: Corel continues to offer one of the most feature-packed consumer video editing packages around. The 2018 update adds even more including 360-degree support, 3D titles, and action-cam lens correction. Pros: Clear interface. Edits 360-degree VR content. Fast rendering performance in testing. Tons of effects.
Multicam editing. 4K and H.265 support. Tagging and star ratings for media.
Good audio tools. Cons: Motion tracking issues on one test PC.
Occasional crashes in testing. Uneven 360-degree VR implementation. Bottom Line: Pinnacle Studio is a fast, full-featured, near-professional-level video-editing application with support for 360-degree VR, 3D, and multicam edits. New color grading and four-point editing make it even more appealing, though our testing uncovered some instabilities. Pros: Lots of video effects.
Good titling tools. Trailer-like movie templates. Solid audio editing tools. Strong disc authoring. Fast rendering.
Good stability. 360-degree media support. Cons: Not much help with difficult procedures.
Lacks import and organization tools. Extra costs and coded downloads for some video formats. Bottom Line: Now with faster rendering, Movie Edit Pro offers solid stability, up-to-date support for 4K, 360-degree, and multicam editing, but it trails other video editing software in ease-of-use. Pros: Magnetic, trackless timeline. Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces, scenes.
Support for 360-degree footage and HDR. Multicam support. Fast performance. MacBook Touch Bar support.
Cons: Nontraditional timeline-editing may turn off longtime editors. Can't import projects from previous versions without a third-party plug-in.
No stabilization or motion tracking for 360-degree video. Bottom Line: Apple's professional-level video editing software, Final Cut Pro X, brings a wealth of power in an interface simple for pros and consumers alike. Recent highlights include rich support for 360-degree content and improved stability. Pros: Inexpensive. Plenty of video effects. Good audio tools.
Solid file format support, including H.265. Compatible with 4K content.
Burns DVD, Blu-ray, and AVCHD. Cons: Light on features. Outdated, unconventional interface. No 360 or 3D support.
No motion tracking. No direct output to social networks. Bottom Line: For less money than the competition, Nero offers a wide array of enthusiast-level video editing capabilities, but the interface is dated and it trails in support for new formats and techniques.
Pros: Beautifully simple interface. Color matching for consistent movie looks. Classy themes. Great chroma-keying tool.
Lots of audio tools. Theater feature shares movies to all your Apple gear. Cons: Not as flexible as some PC video editors. In the name of simplicity, some useful controls are missing. Does not support tagging. Lacks multicam or motion tracking capabilities.
Limited to two video tracks. Bottom Line: Apple's excellent entry-level desktop video editing application can turn your footage and photos into impressive productions.