Video editing was once a costly, complicated process that only highly skilled professionals could perform, using expensive and enigmatic video-editing suites housed in professional post-production studios. The advent of affordable, simplified video-editing software has changed all that. Now amateurs can rearrange video footage, incorporate visual and sound effects, and add a soundtrack to their film, right from their Windows desktops, using free or low-cost video editors.
What's the difference between a video editor vs. a video cutter and converter?
IMovie is the Mac-based amateur filmmaker’s best friend, delivering themes, Hollywood-style trailers and video effects with minimalistic panache, a cinematic flair, and deep integration. Splice is a video editor from GoPro, the company behind some of the world’s best action cameras. You can import your photos and videos into the app, to edit them into a movie. You can import your photos and videos into the app, to edit them into a movie.
If all you need to do is cut a clip or convert a video's file format (from MOV to MP4, for example, so you can play it on your phone), then you probably don't need a premium video-editing suite. Plenty of no- to low-cost video cutters and converters are up to the task.
What makes a great video editor?
All of our below recommendations are easy to use, with simple editing modes, automatic video creation, and preset templates. They include a robust toolset, including myriad effects and transitions, an audio mixer, and titles and credits. They offer high-quality sharing options, whether you're exporting digitally or to DVD. And the software makers offer helpful FAQs, online technical support, and free tutorials.
Are there good free video editors worth trying?
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Best Video Editing For Mac 2017
Video editing is a complex task for your computer to handle, especially if you're using high-definition clips and rendering multiple HD files. It requires sophisticated programming code to perform well, and that kind of code is not cheap to produce or update later. As a result, the free options are more limited in how many clips they can handle at once, how much time they take to render, and how smoothly the preview window plays. A moderate amount of money gets you much better quality and more options.