The Mac is hugely popular among creative professionals, so it’s no great surprise that there are lots of video editing tools available for it. Whether you just want to add titles, transitions and a soundtrack, or you want to add Hollywood-style effects and access to professional color correction there’s a Mac application that will do the job.
The really great news is that many of these programs are free. You might expect that free video editing software would have fewer features or produce less professional results than expensive software, but many of the free tools featured here are more than good enough to produce professional-looking movies. The only downside is that they tend to have a steep learning curve and they don’t walk you through the process of editing. However, there are plenty of video on YouTube to help you get started. Here are the best free and paid-for video editing applications for the Mac.
Sofortbild - Free capture control for mac + nikon. DSLR Shutter - Free sequence capture control for Mac/PC + lots of DSLRs. You need a shutter control interface, like this one in order to use this with a nikon however. Nebulosity 3 - $80 capture and processing software for Mac/PC. Supports a bunch of Canon DSLRs and astro cams.
Best free video editing software for Mac
1. iMovie
Apple’s consumer focused video editing tool used to only be free if you bought a new Mac. But now everyone can download it free from the Mac App Store. It’s a brilliantly easy to use application. One of its best features are the movie trailer themes that allow you to create amazing cinema-style trailers in a few minutes.
If you want to create your own movies, there are tons of effects, transitions, sound effects and title styles to help you. And it’s easy to import your own audio tracks and photos and add them to your production. If you’re looking for a free video editor for Mac, iMovie could be the only tool you’ll ever need.
2. DaVinci Resolve
If iMovie isn’t for you, give DaVinci Resolve a try. It’s the free version of DaVinci Resolve Studio, but being free doesn’t mean there aren’t many features. It’s loaded with professional tools like some of the best color correction and image stabilization there is. In the free version, you can work at frame rates up to 60fps and export your movie in SD, HD and Ultra HD.
It has a full digital audio workstation for sound editing, meaning you won’t have to leave the app to get the audio just the way you want it. It’s available on the Mac App Store, but if you want the full features of the free version, download it from the Blackmagic website.
Data Flow Diagram Software for Mac. Easy-to-use and intelligent data flow diagram software for making data flow diagram rapidly on Mac, Windows and Linux. Use standard data flow symbols to represent the flow of data through an information system. Try it Free Try it Free Try it Free. Free software for mac.
3. Lightworks
While DaVinci Resolve gives away lots of its high end features in the free version, the same can’t be said of Lightworks. There’s still plenty here though, including: effects, multicam editing, titling, and a timeline with multiple layers.
There’s also access to royalty-free video and audio content for you to include in your projects. However, output in the free version is restricted to 1080p on Vimeo and 720p on YouTube. And there are no detailed export options for H.264 or MP4. Also, if you want to use the free version for more than seven days, you’ll have to register.
4. OpenShot
OpenShot is an open source video editor with a user interface that’s much simpler than most. That doesn’t mean it’s short of features, though. It has templates for creating titles, effects, the ability to remove the background from your video, and slow motion and time effects. You can also create 3D animated titles and effects, there’s support for unlimited tracks, and for more than 70 languages. The interface isn’t the slickest you’ll ever use, and there have been question marks over its reliability in the past, but it’s definitely worth trying if you want a free video editor for the Mac.
5. Video Editor MovieMator
Video Editor MovieMator allows you to trim, split, move, and merge clips from a variety of different sources. It handles every consumer file format you’re likely to need and can import directly from your iPhone or GoPro. There are lots of built-in effects and transitions, and, of course, you can add titles too.
The interface is simple enough for most people to get to grips with quickly and the real-time preview makes it easy to see exactly how your video is coming along. There is a significant limitation on the free version of the app — exports are listed to videos that are up to five minutes long. Also, there is only one transition and a handful of effects in the free version.
Best paid-for video editors for Mac
1. Final Cut Pro X
Image Stabilization Software
Final Cut Pro has come a long way since it was overhauled a few years ago and lost several features that caused lots of criticism to be directed at Apple. The fact that it’s designed by Apple means that it takes full advantage of hardware on the Mac, particularly the Mac Pro and iMac Pro. It pushes their multi-core CPU and GPUs to the maximum.
Features like the Magnetic Timeline 2 and Enhanced Timeline Index may be beyond the needs of most of us, but if you edit videos for a living, you’ll appreciate them. Support for up to 64 camera angles with automatic audio syncing is another feature that makes video professionals lives much easier. And of course, it supports the formats you would expect of a serious video editor including ProRes, RED, and XAVC, as well as H.264 from digital SLR cameras. When it comes to Mac video editing, Final Cut Pro X has all the bases covered.
2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Like all of Adobe’s professional products, Premiere Pro is only available as a subscription package and subscribing for a year will cost you almost as much as buying Final Cut Pro X outright. However, if you prefer your video organisation tools and especially the timeline to look and work like a traditional non-linear video editor, you may prefer Premiere Pro over Final Cut’s Magnetic Timeline.
In other respects, Premiere Pro is very similar to its Apple rival, offering a full range of audio editing and color correction tools, as well as effects, support for multiple formats (including Apple’s ProRes) and all the output options you’re likely to need.
One area where Mac users will notice a difference is in rendering performance, particularly on a high-end Mac like a Mac Pro or iMac Pro. Adobe’s application is designed for Mac and PC and so optimized or for the Mac’s multi-core CPU and GPU the way that Final Cut Pro is.
3. Adobe Premiere Elements 2018
The simplest way to describe Premiere Elements is that it is to Premiere Pro what iMovie is to Final Cut Pro. But Elements and iMovie are two very different apps. For a start, while iMovie is free, Elements costs $100. The other main difference is that Elements is set up to automate much of the process of creating your movie masterpieces. So, for example, Quick mode takes the clips and other media you’ve imported and throws them together on the timeline, you can then re-order them, trim them and add transitions and other effects. Even here, however, the emphasis is on letting Elements do the hard work for you. So, press the Fix button and it will apply image stabilization and other ‘fixes.’ If you want to be more involved, a guided mode prompts you with onscreen tips. Of course, if you’d rather work completely manually, you can. Elements doesn’t make it as easy to import media as iMovie does, and you’ll have to download much of its additional content, like music scores, individually.
4. Filmora
FIlmora allows you to import clips from your Mac’s hard drive, a camera, and even from social media accounts. It has a somewhat quirky interface, that may take some getting used to if you’ve used other video editors. But it has plenty to commend it including lots of effects, titling options, and audio controls. It’s neatest feature could be the lighting preset options that allows you to emulate the look of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, or House of Cards at the click of a button.
How to make space for video on your Mac
Image Stabilization Software Mac Free Download
Working with video editing software means you need lots of free space on your Mac’s main drive — video clips use several gigabytes of space for every hour of content, and that’s before you export the final version. You should also make sure your Mac is running at its optimal speed, you’ll need every ounce of power to render video.
One quick and easy way to both improve your Mac’s performance and clear space on its hard drive is to use CleanMyMac X. CleanMyMac identifies “junk” files that sit on your Mac’s drive, taking up space and slowing it down. It makes removing the files very easy and could claw back tens of gigabytes of space. You can download it free here.
The best video editing software for Mac is, ultimately, the one that does what you need to do in a way that you enjoy working. There’s lots of Mac video editing software, and much of it is free. Take time, try out as many applications as you can and choose the best one for you.
These might also interest you:
Image stabilization is one important technique that filmmakers use in still and video images to neutralize the effects of blurring. Exposure of the videos to uncontrolled light can cause blurred effect which ends up affecting the quality of final product. That is why the image stabilization technique was discovered to balance for any sharp movements of the camera whenever tilted. It is very much possible to stabilize a video in iMovie and this piece will discuss all that for your sake. You will learn abut the reasons why you should stabilize a video in iMovie and even the alternatives available for your consideration.
Part 1. The Best Alternative to iMovie to Stabilize Videos on Mac (10.13 included) - Filmora Video Editor
Filmora Video Editor is one of the best iMovie alternative to stabilize video on Mac (macOS 10.13 High Sierra included) and Windows. It also has some outstanding features that make Filmora Video Editor a force to reckon with in the industry. There are assorted editing tools to use, it performs color correction through adjusting contrast and brightness and there are animated templates as well as faceoff which are good for making green screen without hassle.
Key Features of Filmora Video Editor:
- Ability to produce top-quality videos as it comes with Video Stabilization tools.
- Lots of basic editing tools includes changing video orientation and speed.
- A comprehensive Media Library for easy management of projects.
- Various special effects including split screen, green screen, and face-off features are also available.
How to Stabilize a Video in iMovie
To stabilize shaky video in iMovie will help in coming up with a professional and high quality movie. This tutorial will be of immense value if you are planning to stabilize your video in iMovie. Start by selecting the right video clips for stabilization from the browser. Go to the “file” icon, select “import” and then “movies” and you will have a huge selection of clips to consider. You can optimize the videos to full or original size. Be sure to optimize as per your specific size requirements because your choices might have dire consequences later on.
See the detailed step-by-step guide on how to do stabilization in iMovie
Step 1. Open the iMovie and add your movie project
You will have two options to ponder; stabilize the clips and then add to the project or drag them to the project and stabilize from there. Either of the options will be good so don’t waste time thinking about what to go with. It is always good to have a preview of the videos before beginning on the stabilization process. This step will help you to determine the quality and status of the video as well as whether stabilization is a good choice. Make a good analysis of the clips and effect key adjustments that you may deem necessary. Zooming is one thing that can have adverse effects on the final quality of your stabilized videos and you will have to check on that.
Step 2. Start to do stabilization
At maximum, zoom will degrade the quality of the video so be sure to get a compromise by turning the zoom slider to the left side. You can now set on to stabilize the clips and the period it will take for a single video to stabilize will be dependent on its length. The longer the video the longer the stabilization period and the shorter the video the shorter it will take to stabilize. Once done with stabilizing the videos in iMovie, play them to see what you have achieved and judge if it’s a nice job. Use the project browser to playback the videos if you want the stabilization to appear.
The changes made will not appear if you choose to play your stabilized video on event browser and that is a great caution to apply. If a video is too shaky and cannot be stabilized, there will always be a red line appearing on the video to indicate that. In case it stabilizes, all the parts covered by the red line must be removed for it to play.
Video Tutorial: How to Stabilize a Video in iMovie
Here we would like to teach you about doing stabilization in iMovie for Mac OS X.