Easy to Use Video Editing Apps Mac
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In video editing, as in other creative media arts, there's a much-noted preference for Apple's Mac computers, as opposed to Windows, Chrome OS, or Linux–based PCs. No doubt it's because of Apple's longstanding emphasis on design and creativity. Apple itself has long been at the forefront of producing excellent video editing software, with Final Cut Pro for professionals and iMovie for consumers, but there are plenty of capable third-party video editing software, too.
Should You Edit Video on a Mac?
The preference for Macs for video editing seems largely based on the fact that nonlinear video editing on personal computers started with Macs—all the way back on the Apple Macintosh II, to be precise. It persists despite Windows systems having long afforded more choices in editing software and more upgradeability in hardware, including for CPUs, GPUs, storage, peripherals, and touch screens.
That said, Apple has its own indisputable inducements, most notably terrific screen options with accurate, wide-gamut colors, not to mention exclusive access to the previously mentioned Final Cut Pro software. Some Mac laptops include a partial touch screen known as the Touch Bar, which may be useful for some video editing procedures, and you can use an iPad as a touch-screen peripheral via the Sidecar feature.
Some iMacs in recent years let you upgrade RAM, but with Apple's move to the Apple Silicon architecture, that won't be possible anymore. Nor will you be able to upgrade the hard drive (meaning the SSD), though that's long been the case for MacBooks. As a result, you should be willing to pay extra for more memory and storage when buying a Mac for video editing. That said, the new Mac Studio is a video-editing powerhouse hard to match, though it will set you back a cool two grand and double that if you want the top-end M1 Ultra CPU.
What Kind of Mac Video Editing Software Is Available?
There are three tiers of video editing software for macOS: entry level, enthusiast, and professional.
The best known entry level video editing application for macOS is Apple's own iMovie. It comes with Macs for free and it's impressively capable. iMovie ties in very well with the iOS version of the app too, letting you pick up on the Mac where you left off with the iPhone. Other entry-level options are Lightworks and Movavi.
At the enthusiast level, the old standby is Adobe Premiere Elements, which offers a clear, simple interface and great tutorial content for getting that special effect you're looking for. A recent arrival in this space is our longtime PC Editors' Choice-winning video editing application, CyberLink PowerDirector. The program tends to offer the best support for new formats and technology, and it was the fastest at rendering our test project of any software included here. Other choices at this level include Wondershare Filmora and the free, powerful, and open-source Shotcut.
The professional level is where choices on the Mac shine, particularly because that's the only platform you can run Apple's excellent Final Cut Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro has taken over much of Final Cut's market share usage by professionals after Apple completely revamped the traditional Final Cut interface. The new version is a boon to enthusiasts and those moving up from iMovie, however, as its trackless timeline and simplified interface ease the transition. Don't think that means Final Cut Pro isn't professional level, however: It can match and even sometimes beat Premiere Pro on deep editing tools, format support, and performance.
For more on these two higher-end apps, you can read Adobe Premiere Pro vs. Apple Final Cut Pro: What's the Difference?
Other pro-level editing software available for macOS include the far more expensive and complex Avid Media Composer ($1,299) and DaVinci Resolve ($295, with a limited free version available).
All the apps in this category except Final Cut and iMovie are available on Windows, too, whose users have a couple more choices as well, including Magix Pro X ($399) and Sony Vegas Pro ($399). We focus on the more consumer software that appeals to a general audience rather than these niche products; that said, we include Final Cut and Premiere Pro among our reviews, because they're of interest to enthusiasts as well as to professionals.
Since many Mac users also have iPhones, they should know that they have options for editing video on their mobiles—even more options than for the desktop, since many of our top Windows video editing applications also offer iOS versions, as CyberLink does with PowerDirector's mobile app. You'll also find capable mobile-only apps like CapCut and InShot. For more details, read our Best Mobile Video Editing Apps roundup.
What to Look for in Mac Video Editing Software
The basics of video editing—joining, trimming, and splitting video clips and then outputting the result as a single file—are possible in all the software here. But there's so much more that you can do with your video. Adding transitions between clips, text titles and captions, and fun effects all come in limitless variations. Picture-in-picture, motion tracking, and chroma keying are further possibilities in the medium.
The entry- and enthusiast-level programs include templates that help you arrange your content for a compelling, coherent presentation. iMovie's Storyboard and Premiere Elements' Smart Trim tools and templates are standouts among these capabilities.
And then there's audio. Most video editing apps for Mac let you add background music, voice-over narration, and effects and adjustments to your clips' audio. Want to make it sound like your video was recorded in a concert hall or stadium? The software can do that.
The final stage of editing is not to be ignored: Output. Does the program make it easy to format your project for your intended output? For most hobbyist video editors these days that means online social video—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, but you may want to share an HD or 4K file privately or to the more professional Vimeo, as well as embed it on your website, in a presentation, or in a Zoom session. You may even want to create a DVD or USB key with your video to share as a physical gift or promotion, popular for videos of special events.
The video editing software you choose must be able to output to your specifications, whether that's a smartphone screen or a wall-size 4K TV. Maybe you even want to output for VR headsets. Whatever the output, you don't want to be waiting around for long periods while the program processes your project, and that's what our next section discusses.
How Does Video Software Perform on macOS?
Rendering a project with all your media, edits, and effects, is one of the more computationally intense processes today's computers can perform. If you want to create complex videos that are more than a few minutes long, you need a powerful computer with high-end components. Better video software enlists your GPU to aid in rendering, and the results show.
To test rendering, I created a 4-minute project in each app consisting of a mix of 8K, 4K, and HD clips with a consistent set of various transitions and render it to 1080p60, using H.264 High Profile and targeting 20Mbps bit rate if the software offers that setting. Audio is output at 48KHz AAC at 192Kbps. I tested on a 2021 MacBook Air with an M1 processor and 8GB RAM running macOS Monterey—on the low end of power for video editing, which shows up performance differences more.
CyberLink PowerDirector, which is newly available for macOS, took the lead with a time of 1:17 (min:sec) on our rendering test. As you can see from the chart, most of the products hovered between 1:30 and 2:30, though Premiere Elements held up the rear with 5:29. Your mileage will vary, of course, depending on your hardware, the format of your source media, and the output settings.
Make Movies on a Mac!
Though more video editing applications are available for PCs, Apple's computers have more than enough options, with the top software in the field available on the platform. Whether you only use the free iMovie at the entry-level or Apple's reasonably priced but mega-powerful Final Cut Pro, you're likely to software that suits your needs on the Mac. And more software is gaining support for macOS too, with CyberLink's PowerDirector the most prominent example of late.
If you're wondering which operating system is best for you, check out: macOS vs. Windows: Which OS Really Is the Best? In that we compare the two operating systems point-by-point to help you choose. If you have or intend to switch from one to the other, read Windows 10 Tips for Mac Users or macOS Tips for Windows Users, depending on which direction you're heading.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-video-editing-software-for-macs
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