1. Apple iMovie
If you’re looking for simplicity and elegance, it doesn’t get much better than
Apple iMovie. iMovie’s ten high-fidelity filters are some of the classiest in the
video editing game; and if you’re shooting on your iPhone, or have been
editing a project on your iPad, you can use AirDrop to wirelessly and
seamlessly transfer your project over to your Mac.
One of iMovie’s most coveted features is its green-screen, or “chroma-key”
tool, which allows you to place your characters in exotic locations—Hawaii,
say—at a moment’s notice. Want to overlay the scene with “Somewhere
Over the Rainbow”? iMovie ties directly in with iTunes and GarageBand,
so you can easily implement custom tracks and sounds. When your
movie’s finally ready to ship, release it into the wild using iMessage,
Facebook, YouTube, or any other of iMovie’s succinctly connected platforms.
Standout Features: Seamless Apple product integration; green-screen;
audio and social platform integration
Pricing: Free with the purchase of a Mac
Apple iMovie. iMovie’s ten high-fidelity filters are some of the classiest in the
video editing game; and if you’re shooting on your iPhone, or have been
editing a project on your iPad, you can use AirDrop to wirelessly and
seamlessly transfer your project over to your Mac.
tool, which allows you to place your characters in exotic locations—Hawaii,
say—at a moment’s notice. Want to overlay the scene with “Somewhere
Over the Rainbow”? iMovie ties directly in with iTunes and GarageBand,
so you can easily implement custom tracks and sounds. When your
movie’s finally ready to ship, release it into the wild using iMessage,
Facebook, YouTube, or any other of iMovie’s succinctly connected platforms.
audio and social platform integration
2. Lumen5
We’ll put this more in the category of a video editing “tool” than video editing
software, but for social media marketers who want to create fun, flashy social
promos in the blink of an eye, Lumen5 is a no brainer. Here’s a short little
feature we made for a recent blog post, 14 Fun & Festive Holiday Marketing
Ideas for 2017.
Lumen5 markets itself as a tool that turns blog posts into social promos.
While the process isn’t perfect, and you’ll likely have to do some tinkering to
get your blog content looking just the way you want it, the rest of the video
creation process is a cinch. Merely refine some copy that teases your blog
post; drag and drop some gifs, screengrabs, or video clips; add some
music; and your engaging social video will be ripe for Facebook and Twitter.
Standout Features: Blog-to-social-promo creation; drag-and-drop interface
Pricing: Create as many 480p videos as you want with the free version; or,
for $50 per month, upgrade to 1080p HD.
software, but for social media marketers who want to create fun, flashy social
promos in the blink of an eye, Lumen5 is a no brainer. Here’s a short little
feature we made for a recent blog post, 14 Fun & Festive Holiday Marketing
Ideas for 2017.
While the process isn’t perfect, and you’ll likely have to do some tinkering to
get your blog content looking just the way you want it, the rest of the video
creation process is a cinch. Merely refine some copy that teases your blog
post; drag and drop some gifs, screengrabs, or video clips; add some
music; and your engaging social video will be ripe for Facebook and Twitter.
for $50 per month, upgrade to 1080p HD.
3. Nero Video
One of the cheaper options around ($49.99), Nero Video holds its own on
this list—it comes well-stocked with a lot of the tricks and effects you’ll find
among other products vying for video editing supremacy, and as far as
software for beginners, you can certainly do worse. If you’re going to spend
money on video editing software, however, you might want to steer clear.
Nero just doesn’t have the speed and functionality of some of the other
products listed here, and if it’s value proposition is its price, $50 is still not all
that cheap.
Standout Features: Low pricing
Pricing: One-time payment of $49.99
this list—it comes well-stocked with a lot of the tricks and effects you’ll find
among other products vying for video editing supremacy, and as far as
software for beginners, you can certainly do worse. If you’re going to spend
money on video editing software, however, you might want to steer clear.
Nero just doesn’t have the speed and functionality of some of the other
products listed here, and if it’s value proposition is its price, $50 is still not all
that cheap.
4. Corel VideoStudio
Corel VideoStudio has all the characteristics of the other top-of-the-line
products on this list, including 360-degree VR and 4k support, but it also has
the distinction of being the first piece of consumer video editing software to
offer motion tracking—which, if you’re not already familiar, is a feature that
allows you to track specific objects throughout your cut (if you wanted, say,
to point an arrow at one of your characters, blur out his face, or bestow him
with a funny hat). Most of the products on this list come equipped with
motion tracking, but VideoStudio still boasts one of the best motion tracking
systems around.
One of the knocks on VideoStudio is its speed, which lags notably behind
some of the faster systems on this list, like CyberLink PowerDirector and
Pinnacle Studio. Still: for a one-time payment of $51.99? You can do much
worse.
Standout Features: Motion tracking
Pricing: One-time payment of $51.99
products on this list, including 360-degree VR and 4k support, but it also has
the distinction of being the first piece of consumer video editing software to
offer motion tracking—which, if you’re not already familiar, is a feature that
allows you to track specific objects throughout your cut (if you wanted, say,
to point an arrow at one of your characters, blur out his face, or bestow him
with a funny hat). Most of the products on this list come equipped with
motion tracking, but VideoStudio still boasts one of the best motion tracking
systems around.
some of the faster systems on this list, like CyberLink PowerDirector and
Pinnacle Studio. Still: for a one-time payment of $51.99? You can do much
worse.
5. Filmora from Wondershare
When it comes to free video editing software, Filmora is about as multi-faceted
as they come. Filmora is Wondershare’s standard, simple, high-quality video
editing offering; but Wondershare also offers FilmoraGo (for mobile editing)
and Filmora Scrn (for screen recording and editing). The design is intuitive
and easy to use, and comes replete with filters, overlays, motion elements,
transitions, and a small selection of royalty-free music. Here are a few more
of the “basics” Filmora offers:
4k and gif support are boilerplate features for most video editing products
today, but one thing Filmora does particularly well is titles. Title tools are
trending in video software, and while Filmora’s doesn’t have the functionality
of say, an Apple Final Cut Pro X, which can superimpose 3D titles over your
videos and rotate them on three axes, it nonetheless has some snazzy titling
features for the money you’re spending.
Another Filmora feature beginners to video editing will find attractive is
“Easy Mode,” which allows you to create fun, polished edits by merely
dragging and dropping clips, choosing a theme, and selecting music.
Standout features: Title tool; mobile and screen editing; “Easy Mode”
Pricing: Starts at $59.99 for a lifetime license; or, $39.99 for a year.
as they come. Filmora is Wondershare’s standard, simple, high-quality video
editing offering; but Wondershare also offers FilmoraGo (for mobile editing)
and Filmora Scrn (for screen recording and editing). The design is intuitive
and easy to use, and comes replete with filters, overlays, motion elements,
transitions, and a small selection of royalty-free music. Here are a few more
of the “basics” Filmora offers:
today, but one thing Filmora does particularly well is titles. Title tools are
trending in video software, and while Filmora’s doesn’t have the functionality
of say, an Apple Final Cut Pro X, which can superimpose 3D titles over your
videos and rotate them on three axes, it nonetheless has some snazzy titling
features for the money you’re spending.
“Easy Mode,” which allows you to create fun, polished edits by merely
dragging and dropping clips, choosing a theme, and selecting music.
6. CyberLink PowerDirector
So—we stretched the meaning of “software” a bit earlier; now, we’re going to
stretch the meaning of “beginner.” We included CyberLink PowerDirector on
this list because its interface is, at the end of the day, pretty straightforward.
Head to the product page, run through the tutorials, and you’ll be alright.
There is within the interface, however, an embarrassment of options and
effects. If you’re not willing to invest the time in learning all of them, it can get
a bit overwhelming.
Don’t be scared of CyberLink’s extra features; just be wary of your
commitment level!
In terms of rendering, PowerDirector is regarded as one of the fastest video
editing systems around. It also operates consistently in the sphere of the
innovative and cutting edge. PowerDirector led the charge in the switch to
4k, and today, it’s one of the first systems to support 360-degree virtual
reality footage.
Price: you get what you pay for! $79.99 gets you unlimited access to one
of the most capable pieces of video editing software around.
Standout Features: Lightning-fast rendering; comprehensive suite of effects
Pricing: One-time payment of $79.99
stretch the meaning of “beginner.” We included CyberLink PowerDirector on
this list because its interface is, at the end of the day, pretty straightforward.
Head to the product page, run through the tutorials, and you’ll be alright.
There is within the interface, however, an embarrassment of options and
effects. If you’re not willing to invest the time in learning all of them, it can get
a bit overwhelming.
commitment level!
editing systems around. It also operates consistently in the sphere of the
innovative and cutting edge. PowerDirector led the charge in the switch to
4k, and today, it’s one of the first systems to support 360-degree virtual
reality footage.
of the most capable pieces of video editing software around.
7. Adobe Premiere Elements
We include Premiere Elements on the list mostly because it’s been an
industry leader in the video editing game for some time. And $79.99 is not
egregious, but we’re here to say that at that price, you’re mostly paying for the
name. In the time since Premiere Elements’ inception, too many other
products have surpassed it in speed and capability for us to place it among
the cream of the crop. That’s to take nothing away from Premiere Elements’
usability, though—specifically for beginners.
The Guided Edits feature makes Adobe Premiere a particularly attractive
option for beginners, as it allows them to take on both quick edits and
advanced projects with substantial assistance from the software.
If you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing, don’t sleep on Guided Edits!
So while Premiere Elements lags behind the competition in terms of
speed, 3D editing, multi-cam, and some other advanced features, it’s
still a great choice for the beginner looking for a comprehensive suite of
effects, and some guidance on how to implement them.
Standout Features: Guided Edits; simple interface
Pricing: One-time payment of $79.99
industry leader in the video editing game for some time. And $79.99 is not
egregious, but we’re here to say that at that price, you’re mostly paying for the
name. In the time since Premiere Elements’ inception, too many other
products have surpassed it in speed and capability for us to place it among
the cream of the crop. That’s to take nothing away from Premiere Elements’
usability, though—specifically for beginners.
option for beginners, as it allows them to take on both quick edits and
advanced projects with substantial assistance from the software.
speed, 3D editing, multi-cam, and some other advanced features, it’s
still a great choice for the beginner looking for a comprehensive suite of
effects, and some guidance on how to implement them.
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