Best Video Editing Softwares, With the explosion of social media, there has been a proliferation of video content. You don’t have to be on YouTube to consume high-quality video content; all platforms offer users the opportunity to upload and share clips. Many have become overnight sensations after uploading viral videos that tapped into the aspirations of the masses or tickled their funny bone. The lucky ones among them have landed lucrative deals with huge multinational companies that tapped them up as their brand ambassadors.
Especially, if you want to ride this wave and become the next big Instagram influencer, but don’t have the resources to bring in a professional video production team. The good news is you don’t have to. You can shoot high-resolution videos and edit them to pro standards on your own.
Smartphone makers are continually tweaking their cameras to make them more and more adept at capturing high-res footage. Most flagship phones released over the past two years allow users to capture 4K video. You can get an affordable Android or iOS device that comes loaded with telephoto and wide-angle lenses able to offer plenty of zoom.
Even front-facing cams can now produce crystal-clear footage. After snagging your skateboard tricks or whacky dance moves, so you will want to edit them so that you get rid of unwanted shots. Editing your footage will allow you to improve on lighting, crop out fluff and add effects to your liking.
Many applications exist to help you achieve that share-worthy result- from basic apps limited to general effects to the feature-laden programs used by professional videographers. Choosing the best video editing software will depend on your needs, your budget, and your level of expertise. Let’s look at some more popular applications and why you may be the most suitable for your video project.
Best Video Editing Softwares – Quick Look
Editing Software | Media format Supported (MAX) | Operating System | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Final Cut Pro X | up to 8K | MacOS only | |
Adobe Premiere Pro | 4K to HDR | MacOS and Windows | |
Lumen5 | 1080p (4k not supported) | MacOS and Windows | |
Corel Video Studio | supports 4K editing | Windows | |
Filmora | supports 4K editing | MacOS and Windows | |
Adobe Premiere Elements | supports 4K editing | MacOS and Windows | |
ClipChamp | supports 4K editing but exports in 1080p only | Works Online | |
VideoPad | supports 4K editing | MacOS and Windows | |
Hit Film Express | supports 4K and 4K UHD editing | MacOS and Windows | |
Microsoft Movie Maker | Doesn't supports 4K editing | Windows Only |
Final Cut Pro X
Even if you’re new to the world of videography, you’ve probably heard of Apple’s much-lauded series of video editing programs called Final Cut Pro. It debuted in the early 2000s, targeted at independent and amateur filmmakers. But with established production houses adopting this robust tool, it will soon capture half of the U.S.’s editing market.
Among the features that endeared this editing suite to users was its ability to edit 4K and 8K, and edit video from multiple cameras simultaneously. This was just one of many powerful utilities Final Cut offered users in an interface that even non-professionals could use.
The many keyboard shortcuts and the ability of users to create their own shortcuts added to the ease of use of Final Cut Pro, or FCP. In 2011, Apple released the landmark Final Cut Pro X, which further burnished the editing suite’s reputation for usability. It also brought on board additional features like tools for editing footage shot with 360-degree cameras.
Pricing
At $299, FCP X may not feel like an excessively pricey investment for professional videographers. However, hobbyists may feel it is too steep a price, especially when they can get alternatives like Adobe Premiere Elements at less than half the price.
Usability
If you’re familiar with iMovie you won’t need much time to figure your way around Final Cut Pro X. You only need to drag-and-drop frames onto your timeline. Multi-camera editing is available on FCPX, as with Adobe Premiere Pro, but you will find it easier to use on the former.
Performance
Exporting options
Besides enabling you to export your video in the common formats that play on QuickTime and other players. If you wish to export to disc or embed the output in a webpage, Final Cut Pro X allows you to do that. You can even export unique elements of the video separately for example, you can export a video without background music.
Pros who wish to have greater control over the exporting process can purchase the Compressor app. FCP X makes sharing your processed video on Facebook and YouTube a breeze. And you can share your film in 4K on these platforms and on Apple devices with easy-to-use presets.
Effects and filters
You will have over 100 transition styles to choose from and a handy search feature to help you find the one you want. FCPX also comes with over 100 video effects, which you can customize according to your needs. And this editing suite’s functionality can be further extended with several third-party plug-ins.
Audio editing
You won’t even have to lift a finger to get rid of background noise. FCPX will take care of it automatically. But if you need to adjust these manually, it will give you the option to do so. This suite has a feature, Match Audio, which works to marry sound to footage recorded on different devices. Besides this, you can spice up your film with any of over 1,300 free sound effects. Apple has also thrown in a 10-band equalizer and a surround sound mixer to help fine-tune the audio experience.
Standout features
- Support for 8K.
- Flow Transition makes your jump cuts more seamless than ever.
Pros
- Easy to navigate for users of all levels.
- Great for audio editing.
- Excellent support for 360° cameras.
Cons
- Interface could use an update.
- Quite pricey for casual users.
Adobe Premiere Pro
You can use Adobe Premiere Pro to stitch together an entire movie, a music video, and anything in between. It’s more than capable of helping you refine and render your social media posts. This non-linear editor was launched by Adobe in 2003 and has been fine-tuned in subsequent releases to encapsulate all features required by today’s professional video editor.
Small wonder it has been used in such popular productions as Gone Girl and several BBC shows. As you would expect with a tool created for film industry pros, Adobe Premiere Pro has quite a steep learning curve. It also comes with a price tag that will put off many independent and enthusiast videographers.
Pricing
Adobe has adopted the Software as a Service model for this product. You will need to cough up at least $20 per month for access to Premiere Pro’s bouquet of video editing features. Prices go up to $80 per month depending on the features you require, and the number of users who will need access. Depending on which plan you opt for, you could enjoy a seven or 14-day free trial.
Usability
Whether you’re beginning a new project from scratch or continuing an existing one, the Adobe Premiere Pro interface makes it easy for you to get going. You can customize your workspace by moving panels around to your preferred position. But the default layout of the panels will feel intuitive to anyone who has a bit of editing experience. Being able to edit a clip while it is playing back makes the editor’s work easier.
Performance
Exporting options
This editing suite comes coupled with Adobe Media Encoder, a tool that will allow you to export output in an array of different formats. Adobe Premiere Pro allows you to format videos for posting on your social channels easily using the Auto Reframe feature. You only need to select Auto Reframe when you’re done editing and choose your desired aspect ratio.
Effects and filters
Adobe Premiere Pro offers 38 transition effects to filmmakers who wish to make life between takes more interesting for viewers. If you feel these are not adequate, you can install a plug-in that comes with more. You also won’t get much over and above what you expect in terms of effects- just the basic colorizing, lighting adjustments, etc.
Audio editing
You can change the audio on individual tracks by adjusting the mute/solo, balance, clipping indicators, etc. on the Premiere Pro Audio Mixer. Plug-ins like Adobe Audition offer pros more advanced tools like adaptive noise reduction to eliminate background noise and Studio Reverb to make sounds echo.
Standout features
- Seamless integration with Adobe Photoshop; you can open files you’re working on in Premiere Pro in Photoshop. Any updates you make in Photoshop will automatically be applied to Premiere. The same goes for Adobe Illustrator.
- One of the more recent additions to Adobe Premiere Pro’s range of features is Productions. This breaks a project into multiple tasks that you can then assign to original team members to work on simultaneously.
Pros
- Integration with other Adobe tools.
- Productions make it easier to manage collaborative projects.
- Rich in features that pros can use for commercial productions.
- Performs well on both Mac OS and Windows.
Cons
- Subscription model makes it very expensive in the long run.
- You lose all your work if you end your subscription.
- Interface can intimidate editing novices.
Lumen5
If you’re seriously contemplating a career as a digital content creator or social media influencer, pull a chair. You don’t have to dive into heaps of tutorials trying to become a Final Cut or Adobe Premiere guru overnight. Not when all you want to do is create engaging clips for your Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube audience not make a movie.
It specifically targets Lumen5 for anyone desiring to make promotional content of good enough quality to engage their intended audience. It presents you with an intuitive interface that you can be able to use productively in a matter of minutes. Let’s look closely at its features.
Pricing
There are five tiers of pricing for Lumen5, starting with a free tier with very limited features. You won’t even want to share the resulting video, watermarked as it will be with the Lumen5 logo. The next tier of membership will cost you $19 per month if you agree to a year-long commitment. The price jumps to $29 if you insist on monthly billing. Whichever plan you settle for, you will enjoy a free trial period just to be sure you get what you pay for.
Usability
With Lumen5, all you need is an idea to work on your film. You don’t even need raw footage. The program will help you come up with a storyboard and then give you a layout for your content. All that will then be left will be for you to sift through Lumen5’s robust media library to find video and audio clips that fit into your story outline.
If you get stuck at any point, you can always reach out to their support team. Their support crew is available 24/7 on live chat. So no, you won’t need any technical expertise to get things done on this platform. What several users complain about is how Lumen5 limits them to the pre-loaded soundtracks, which they may not want to use.
Performance
Built on artificial intelligence, the Lumen5 engine does all the heavy lifting to leave you with the simple task of just dragging and dropping elements.
Exporting options
After you’re done creating your video, you can upload it directly to Facebook, YouTube, or any other social media platform. You will have a copy stored on your local drive for later sharing.
Effects and filters
Audio editing
There is a plethora of royalty-free songs available for you to add emotional appeal to your film. But once you have selected a soundtrack, you’re stuck with it, as is you won’t be able to trim the score. There is a feature still in beta that allows you to record a voiceover in one take. Unfortunately, there is no feature to edit your VO, though you can re-record it as many times as you want.
Pros
- Free trial period with all plans.
- Very easy to use, and no technical expertise is required.
- Enables you to make shareable content in a short time.
- Robust media library.
- Comes with tools to enable collaborative workflows.
Cons
- You’re restricted to the media in the Lumen5 library.
- You may not find the exact sound or audio you desire for your video.
- Limited audio editing capability.
Corel Video Studio
Anyone who has ever had the slightest interest in graphic design will have heard about Corel Draw. Corel VideoStudio brings the intuitive interface and wealth of features Corel Draw is known for into the video editing environment. All you need is a PC running on either Windows 7, 8, or 10, preferably the 64-bit versions.
Usability
Even if you have no background in videography, you will find your way around Corel Video Studio with minimal training. Thanks to the intuitive interface, you can be able to work on everything from 3D to 360-degree video footage without being a video editing geek. By adding key points to 360° clips, you will easily be able to speed up videos, tweak the background and add transparency. You can make these and other adjustments that may take you ages to do on other platforms with little fuss.
Pricing
There are two levels of pricing for the most recently released version of Corel Video Studio. You can get the Pro version for $79.99 or pay $20 more for a couple more features in the Ultimate version. Upgrading the former will set you back $60, while an upgrade of the latter will cost $79.99.
Performance
Though it handles tasks promptly with little lag, Corel Video Studio has the tendency to crash when working on large projects.
Exporting options
If your client insists on having their video on DVD, you will be able to easily burn them a copy using My DVD. If your client wants their content in the more advanced H.265 format that compresses 4K clips into manageable file sizes, you can achieve that on this platform. Yes, you will still be able to get video in the more common MP4, 3GP, and WMV formats.
Effects and filters
You will have over 2,000 filters that you can customize to add some flavor to your movie. You’ll also find loads of effects you can add simply by dragging and dropping them wherever you want them. Look-up table (LUT) profiles allow you to infuse eye-catching cinematic color effects. The Mask Creator introduced with Corel Video Studio Ultimate allows you to set the focus on particular elements in your video while adding interesting effects to the background.
Audio editing
Audio Ducking allows you to manipulate sound to your heart’s content. Like most other video editors, Corel Video Studio offers you an expansive library of royalty-free songs you can use to create the right mood for your visuals. If you want to add original sounds of your own, including voiceovers, you can record them on Corel Video Studio. You can add subtitles for them as well.
Added features
It basically does what Lumen5 does allowing you to create a movie from scratch using available clips and images.
You can use this video editor to do more than slice and meld video clips. Its Slideshow Maker allows you to create engaging slideshows using readily available templates. The Screen Recorder will prove an invaluable asset if you’re looking to create tutorial videos.
Pros
- Easy for non-pros to use to produce pro-quality videos.
- Priced fairly.
- Tools like FastFlick and Instant Project make it easy to create videos quickly using templates.
Cons
- Not the most stable video editor.
- Limited to a Windows environment.
Filmora
Here is yet another video editor aimed at the consumer market; those more at home with iMovie and Windows Movie Maker than your Adobe Premiere Pros. It allows you to trim, split, rotate, and add a plethora of effects using an intuitive interface. Within a matter of minutes, you will render and export your movie even if you’re a novice user.
If the marketing is to be believed, Filmora will have you making Hollywood-esque films without having to get into the nuts and bolts of professional editing. Exporting is available on this platform in almost all the video formats in use today. You will also be able to import video, audio, and image files of all types. And whenever you get stuck, you can get ready help from the Filmora Support Center. Pros will also find Filmora a useful resource, and users of all levels will enjoy being able to work on the go using the Filmora app.
Pricing
Filmora’s pricing model is confusing, though it appears to be quite affordable. Their base plan costs $44.99 per year, and it gives you access to all the platform’s features. But if you wish to get the most out of your subscription, you may opt for the Bundle Subscription Club. It will set you back $104.87 every year, but you will get unlimited access to royalty-free files from their database.
The most expensive plan is the Business Annual plan targeted at commercial production houses. Depending on the number of users who will be needed, annual license fees can cost anything between $155 and $700. You will also have access to additional effects as it releases them.
Compared to other consumer video editors, Filmora is quite well-priced. For your peace of mind, you will have a 30-day money-back guarantee whichever plan you opt for. You won’t have to worry about paying for any updates (unlike the Adobe offerings).
Performance
What it may lack in features Filmora makes up for in performance. You will find it quite responsive when chopping and changing your clips. Rendering the output of your editing also won’t take an age. A five-minute video that includes 4K clips can take less than three minutes to render.
Exporting options
You will export video in all common formats (WMV, MP4, MOV, etc.). If you wish to post your video to YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook directly, there are buttons to help you do so easily.
Effects and filters
There are 100 transitions you can use with Filmora, but you will have to find the one you want manually as there is no search tool to ease this process. The only distinction between the transition effects is the categorization between Basic and Fancy.
Audio editing
Filmora provides the Denoise audio tool to help deal with unwanted background noise. But if you’ve been around the video editing block, you notice that the results it produces are not as clean as what you’ll get on more advanced editors. You will have a selection of 22 songs you can use as background music for your movie. And there is a full mixer to help you tweak the songs to your liking. You can import audio files and record voiceovers as well.
Added features
Coming down to the fundamentals, Filmora doesn’t let you trim or join clips, or even drag one clip over another. For this reason, many professional editors may shun Filmora.
Pros
- Intuitive interface makes for a short learning curve.
- Offers an abundance of resources for beginner users.
- Has an app for on-the-go editing.
- Not laggy in performance.
Cons
- Interface is not great for touchscreen use.
- Lacks many basic features.
- No search engine for effects.
- No search engine for help articles.
- Audio editing tool, is not powerful.
Adobe Premiere Elements
Adobe Premiere Elements is Adobe’s video editing offering for the video enthusiast market. It is a robust tool with plenty of features that even professionals can make use of. Every year Adobe adds a few additional elements to Elements to keep customers locked in, but there is a feeling that the software’s interface needs an update.
Novice video editors will find the Guided mode that takes you through the fundamentals of editing step by step very useful. But there is an Expert mode for you if you feel you need less handholding. If you’re weary of making long-term financial commitments for software purchases, you will be glad to hear Adobe Premiere Elements has a one-off fee. Let’s look at the attributes that will make you love or skip past this editing tool.
Pricing
Adobe Premiere Elements is for you if you would rather not have monthly notifications of a couple of dollars being docked from your credit card or PayPal account for the use of a software package. You can purchase the base Premiere Elements for $99.99 or purchase the bundled package that includes Photoshop Elements for $149.99. Before you make a commitment, you can take advantage of the 30-day free trial, but any videos made during this period will have a watermark.
Performance
Rendering a five-minute video composed of a mix of HD, SD and 4K clips will take about the same time. The software responds well enough when you’re doing regular editing things.
Usability
They aim this software at video editing beginners and this clearly shows in the three editing modes you see. In the Guided mode, it will prompt you through achieving particular editing tasks as you work on your project. Quick mode, as the name suggests, allows you to combine clips and pictures to create a movie with minimal effort. If you want to go into slicing clips and applying effects on individual frames, you can do so in Expert mode.
Audio editing
You can upload MP3 files and manipulate their volume and the amount of bass, and treble in Premiere Elements’ sound editing environment. Add several interesting effects and use tools like Audio Polish to get rid of background noise. You will have dozens of songs to choose from to score your movie in the Premiere Elements studio. But you will have to rely on the genre categories to find the background for your visuals, as there is no search engine.
Exporting options
You can have your movie exported as MP4, WMV, AVI, and most other common video formats. You will also have the option of uploading your video straight onto your preferred social platform. If you wish to burn your creation onto DVD or save it onto your local disk, Premiere Elements allows you to do so. You can even export your film as an animated GIF.
Added features
Pros
- No annual or monthly subscription fees.
- Can be used by different levels of users.
- Covers virtually all export bases.
Cons
- Interface has not changed over the past few versions.
- Lacks many functionalities that come as standard with other editors, including 360-degree VR editing and multi-cam support.
- Pay for upgrades.
- Switching between modes can be messy.
ClipChamp
If you’re only interested in videography as far as it can help you boost engagement on your social media channels, ClipChamp is the tool for you. This software enables you to create films easily and share them online quickly. Unlike many other video editing software systems, you won’t have to download or install ClipChamp onto your local drive to use it. It works online within your chosen browser.
Not that it doesn’t pack as much of a punch as rival editors. You can use it to trim, split, rotate and combine video clips and apply various filters and transitions. ClipChamp enables even non-technical users to accomplish pro-level results using templates in a beginner-friendly environment.
Pricing
ClipChamp, following the SaaS model, offers users four levels of subscription, the first of which is free. If you need high-resolution video output then the 480p available to free users, you can move to the Creator’s plan, which will cost you a modest $9 monthly. But this plan still won’t allow you to export full HD videos. For this, you need to join the $19-a-month Business plan or the $39-per-month Business Platinum plan.
That the software is not domiciled on your computer makes it less demanding on your computer.
Usability
Not having to go through the pain of installing this software onto your local drive enhances its appeal to users. ClipChamp presents oodles of video editing functionalities in an interface that will not intimidate novice users. You can choose to create your film from scratch or use ready-made templates for different social media platforms.
Even working from scratch is easy as you only must upload your footage, tweak it or add text and then drag and drop them onto your timeline. You can also use the wealth of royalty-free clips available in the Clipchamp library.
Audio editing
You can choose background music from the thousands of royalty-free songs available in the ClipChamp library. However, be a premium subscriber to enjoy this service. The best you can do to manipulate these songs is to adjust the volume.
Exporting options
If you’re working on promotional videos for your social media, Clipchamp will make your life very easy. You will load your finished videos to YouTube directly. They will also generate an embed code for you to display the video on your website or other sites.
Added features
Pros
- Easy for novice users to produce great content.
- No need to download and install.
- Free subscription tier.
- Paid subscription is not too expensive.
- Easy to upload recorded video.
- Easy to share edited videos online and on social media.
Cons
- Only Business Platinum subscribers have full access to stock media.
- Audio editing is very basic.
VideoPad
If you’re looking for a safe, non-intimidating place to begin your foray into the world of video editing, Videopad is a good idea. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to drag and drop clips onto your timeline and add transitions and effects wherever you want. In a matter of minutes, you can have a professional-looking film ready for export.
Videopad is also useful for pros who would like a quick fix, as it has most of the features they need from stabilization to video overlays and green screens. And you can use the Videopad app to manipulate and share video content on the go.
Pricing
You won’t have to break the bank to get your hands on VideoPad. You won’t even have to put up with monthly subscriptions that hack into your account, even when you’re not using the product. For a one-off price of $39.95, you can have the Home Edition of VideoPad, and for $69.95 you can have the whole enchilada.
If you would rather pay for the license bit by bit, you can pay $5.50 a month (billed quarterly) for the Master’s Edition. The difference between the Home and Master editions is in the number of audio tracks available and the ability to extend functionality with plug-ins.
Performance
Usability
Though it’s useful to every level of user, this software’s interface is made to accommodate video editing beginners. There is even a blue help icon at the top of the screen that opens brief explanatory articles whenever you get stuck. VideoPad comes with templates so you don’t have to start your video editing process from scratch.
Audio editing
VideoPad allows you to import audio in a wide variety of formats including wav, mp3, m4a, WMA, AIFF, and more. Once you’ve uploaded your sound effect or music file, you can slice and dice it like a pro, spicing it up with several audio effects. You can add to your viewers’ auditory experience by selecting and adding sound effects from the VideoPad library. You can add a soundtrack to your movie by using the multi-track MixPad to mash together your choice of songs.
Effects and filters
If you’re coming from a platform that allowed you to add diverse effects to text, what VideoPad offers may disappoint you. Overall, the effects available on this platform are rather limited as compared to some rivals.
Exporting options
You can burn the video you create on VideoPad directly to DVD. Or you can save it on your mobile device in 3GP format. You can even share your new clip with your YouTube subscribers straight away. The beauty is that you can export your video in resolving your choice- from HD to full HD to 4K.
Pros
- Organized layout makes it easy to maneuver.
- Export can be done in a wide variety of formats.
- Reasonably priced.
- Free trials for users’ comfort.
Cons
- Templates can prove difficult to work with.
- Effects and filters are basic.
HitFilm Express
Have you ever wished you could do all the video editing you wanted to a professional level and never have to pay for it? Well, HitFilm Express is the answer to your prayers. You can download this software for free and use its robust arsenal of editing tools to create pro-standard movies. Whether you’re a seasoned editor or a beginner, this tool will help you create share-worthy content.
Made by FXhome, this editor lets you do everything from 360-degree editing to exporting 4K video. Sound too good to be true? Well, HitFilm has its drawbacks and there are next-level features you will have to pay for. So let’s analyze its nuts and bolts and see if the good outweighs the bad.
Pricing
In this age of no free lunch, FXhome offers you a full suite of video editing features and effects completely free. Simply download the software and you’re on your way, no entering of credit card information. Free though it may be, you will still be able to use HitFilm Express to do your usual layering and masking. You also find that it has support for 360-degree video.
Performance
Usability
Most of the functions you can do on premium video editors you will do on HitFilm Express. And you will find the interface quite easy to get around if you have worked with other editors. There is the familiar timeline and there are movable window panels for unique features. Novice users can take advantage of the many video tutorials to get their projects going. There are also preset workspaces that make it easier for you to accomplish a particular task.
Effects and filters
For free software, HitFilm offers an impressive range of effects and presets. You will have over 400 effects, including several kinds of blur, at your disposal. But if you still don’t find the effect you’re looking for, you can look for it among the premium add-ons. If you ever reach a point where you decide you must have 3D text, have your credit card details handy.
Exporting options
To export your films from HitFilm Express, it will require you to create an export timeline, which is a minor annoyance for some users. Until the most recent HitFilm, you couldn’t export audio in wav format, but this is now available.
Added features
Pros
- Interface is well laid out it’s easy to find what you want.
- Free of charge.
- Offers many effects, even in the free tier.
- Significant support for beginner users.
- Very versatile in terms of usage.
Cons
Cons
- Performance is not the best.
Microsoft Movie Maker
Now renamed Win Movie Maker, this video editing software allows enthusiasts to create movies easily from images and video clips. You don’t need to have any prior video editing experience to navigate your way through the user-friendly interface. In just a few minutes you will cut and join videos and add transition effects. And when you’re done, you can post your media directly to Facebook or YouTube.
If you’re wondering if they limit this joyfully simple video editing experience to Windows users, worry not. Mac users can also download a version of Movie Maker built for their preferred OS. Is the simplicity with which this editor can help you accomplish otherwise complex tasks its only selling point? Let’s find out.
Pricing
If you don’t have Windows 10 PC, you will need to purchase Movie Maker at a one-off price of $59.95 for a lifetime license but is currently on offer for $39.95. After purchase, you will have the comfort of a 30-day money-back guarantee. You won’t have to pay for subsequent upgrades.
Performance
Usability
There are few entry-level video editors that are as easy or as fun to use as Movie Maker. Creating a movie is as simple as selecting or uploading two or more clips and clicking ‘Create’ in the Automatic Video mode. The software will automatically cut your clips, assemble them, and even choose some background music for you.
If you wish to get your hands a little dirty, you can go to manual mode where you can arrange and rearrange clips or photos on a storyboard. Aside from the intuitiveness of its interface, Windows lovers will be happy to note that they can use Movie Maker with older versions of their beloved OS. You can use it even on XP and Vista.
Effects and filters
There is a color filter in the app that enables you to set the mood of your video. You can speed up or slow down the playback speed of the frames to give your movie a dramatic or comical effect.
Audio editing
You basically have zero control over your video’s audio in Movie Maker. There is no extensive catalog of songs to choose from or a mixer for you to tweak the volume of the music.
Added features
Pros
- Easy for entry-level editors.
- Interface is uncluttered and simple.
- Produces good quality videos for an entry-level app.
- Comes free with Windows OS.
Cons
- Limited control for more advanced users.
- They bundle the latest Movie Maker version of the Windows Photos app.
We have also written article on online marketing tools.
FAQs
What is the best video editor for free?
There are quite several strong contenders for this title, including Apple’s iMovie and Microsoft’s Movie Maker. But they aim most of these at novice users and won’t have the depth of features pros need. For this reason we consider HitFilm Express the best free video editor. It is simple enough and has enough tools to support non-technical users, but is still robust enough to serve professional film editors.
Which is the best professional video editing software?
If you’re looking for a tool that will work for large-scale commercial projects, Adobe Premiere Pro is the most highly recommended. If you will work only in a Mac environment, consider using Final Cut Pro X.
What do professionals used to edit videos?
Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro are the most commonly used editors in media houses and movie productions.
Which is the easiest video editing software?
There are several tools aimed at the consumer, and different users will have their preferences. Some Windows users will tell you it’s Movie Maker; some MacBook users will vaunt iMovie. However, if you’re looking for a simple tool that will help guide you through movie creation from concept to sharing, Lumen5 is a good option.
How to choose the best video editing software for you
You need to consider several factors when selecting the video editing software you’ll use. First, you need to look at your budget. Next, you need to consider your level of expertise as they make different editing systems for different levels of users. If you’re a stranger to video editing, software with guides and templates will be of help. Pros will be more focused on the capabilities of the platform and the effects and transitions it offers. The processing resources the software needs will also determine if you can use it or not.
How we test video editing software
There are various parameters we look at when deciding whether video editing software is worth your while. How easy is it to use for the level of user they target it at? How heavy is it on the computer system it is running on? Will you be able to export video in the format you wish?. How easily does the software make it for you to post clips on social media, if that’s your aim? And last but not least, does it offer actual value for money? These are some questions you need to ask yourself when shopping for a video editing tool.
Is Premiere Pro free?
Though it has a 14-day free trial period, Premiere Pro is not free. You will need to pay between $20 and $80 monthly depending on the specs you require.
What free editing software do YouTubers use?
There are many great free video editing tools you can use to create the perfect clip for your YouTube audience. Both Windows and Mac OS environments offer formidable inbuilt video editing tools for beginners. If you’re a bit long in the tooth you and desire more control, HitExpress will help you produce the YouTube content you desire.
Is it hard to learn video editing?
It depends on what you want to do with a video editor. If you simply want to pull together photos and clips to make sharable content, you can learn all you need to know in a few minutes. You can download a video editor that will handhold you through high-level editing. However, if you want to get into the nuts and bolts of trimming and joining clips down to using a music mixer to make the soundtrack of your choice, the learning curve will be a little steeper. Gaining solid expertise on pro-level tools like Adobe Premiere Pro can take months.
What is the best video editor for beginners?
If you are a Mac user, why not try out iMovie. This is a simple, yet powerful editor that you can get the hang of in a few minutes. Windows Movie Maker is the same, guaranteeing significant results with minimal effort. You can even post your visuals to your social media right from these platforms. But if you wish guidance through the whole video-making process from scratch, Lumen5 is a great option.
Is Final Cut better than Premiere?
Perhaps the better question to ask is, what features am I looking for in a video editor? Which is better depends on what you’re looking for and your preference. If you love working in a Mac environment, Final Cut will make more sense. Or you’re a seasoned video editor for whom functionality trumps usability, Adobe Premiere will offer you the bite you’re looking for. If efficient rendering is important to you, Final Cut Pro will be the better tool.