Today's video editing software is extremely powerful. You can produce videos that are professional enough for Hollywood on your home computer if you use the right software. Basic video editing tasks such as cropping and splitting video frames, adding text and art overlays, and animation clips are already standard in almost all video editing software. The best video editing software today competes on features such as 3D editing, execution speed, and the number of special effects available.
It's important to know which features to look for when comparing the many different video editing software options on the market. We've put together this guide to what to look for in the best video editing software for anyone who isn't sure which program will best meet their needs.
Ease of Use
One of the most important considerations when choosing video editing software is ease of use versus the features of the program. Some video editing tools are simpler and much easier to use. On the one hand, this makes them less powerful, but it also means that beginners are better able to create simple movies without difficulty. Corel VideoStudio focuses on making it easy for new users to edit their movies, and Adobe Premiere Elements is similar in promoting ease of use with advanced features.
If you want powerful features but don't yet have much video editing experience, it's a good idea to look for a program like HitFilm or CyberLink PowerDirector, which comes with a sizable library of tutorials and video tutorials. Or, you can handle it yourself if you choose software with an intuitive interface, such as Apple iMovie.
Users who are already experienced in video editing can probably cope with the more unusual interfaces of advanced programs such as VSDC Free Video Editor and Shotcut, both of which have extremely extensive features, as well as complex and complicated interfaces. If you decide to use a pro-level program but have no prior knowledge of video editing software, a program like Adobe Premiere Pro with an intuitive and easy-to-use UI experience and good tutorials along with extensive features will probably do the trick.
Price
Nowadays, video editing software covers a huge range of price points, from free to premium prices. Not every “free” video editing software is truly free. many claim to be free but reserve most of their features for paid users or include a watermark on your footage. However, Apple iMovie, Shotcut, and Blender are among the completely free programs that you can use. Blender is open source, so you can count on it being free.
Other programs have both free and paid versions, such as HitFilm, which offers a basic free program as well as a premium version for $349 for use on up to 3 computers, or you can pay by purchasing additional individual tools. along with the basic free version. It's important to be aware of mostly free software like VSDC Free Video Editor that provides full software for free, but you have to pay to access technical support.
If you choose to pay for video editing software, you also have the choice between purchasing software for a one-time license fee, such as Corel VideoStudio or Adobe Premiere Elements, which cost $99.99 each, or an ongoing monthly subscription setup, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. n:
Operating System
Obviously, you want to make sure you choose video editing software that is compatible with your operating system. Some options, such as Adobe Premiere Elements, are truly cross-platform. If you're running Linux, your options are probably more limited, but Avidemux, Blender, and Shotcut are still open to you, as well as Windows and Mac users. It should be noted that Apple iMovie only works on Mac, and VSDC Free Video Editor is designed to be used exclusively on Windows devices.
Speed of Performance
The more features your video editing software offers, the more likely it will be slow to run, unless you are using a very powerful computer. You may not mind if you have to wait a while for videos to load or play; In fact, it is more or less what was expected. Still, some programs, like HitFilm, need a more powerful device if you want to use them without frustration, while others, like CyberLink PowerDirector and Corel VideoStudio, run faster.
Supported Video File Formats
Another point to keep in mind is what file formats are supported by a certain video editing software. This applies to both the formats you can use when uploading a video to the program and the output formats. After all, it's important to make sure your editing software can open the format used by your digital camera. If you want to receive feedback on a video or use it in presentations or marketing campaigns, you will also need software that can export your finished video content in the necessary format.
Fortunately, the vast majority of software can import and export many different file formats. Many programs even support the 4K XAVC-S format, including Adobe Premiere Elements, Corel VideoStudio, CyberLink PowerDirector, and more. The export formats offered by Avidemux include AVI, DVD, MPEG, MP4 and QuickTime, to name just a few.
Features
One of the most important things you'll look for in video editing software is the variety of features included in the program. It's also the funniest part. Some video editing software options like Blender or Adobe Premier Pro include hundreds of features, too many for us to list. However, these are some of the significantly more popular features you should look for when comparing video editing software.
Every video editing software has some special effects, but they range from a few filters to dozens of advanced effects, such as smoke, selective special effects, motion tracking, transparency, and more.
Chroma keying, also known as green screen, allows you to create exotic backgrounds and place your characters in a wide range of unexpected locations without problems. You can simply choose the chroma options and select your preferred background.
Color correction and adjustment tools allow you to set brightness, color, and saturation levels, sometimes to an extremely sophisticated level. Adobe Premiere Pro offers the Lumetri Color tool, which provides Photoshop-level color correction to your videos.
Multi-camera functionality is becoming increasingly common among video editing programs. It allows you to work and combine several different camera angles at the same time, although different programs will allow a different number of camera feeds.
3D editing is another popular option, along with 360-degree video editing for new and popular video formats.
Create Professional Videos with Video Editing Software
Whether you're a Vlogger or marketing professional, an enthusiastic home video creator, or just want to have fun playing with video effects, you can find video editing software that suits your experience level, budget, and device.