Updated Shake It Off How to Fix Shaky Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro for 2024

Updated Shake It Off How to Fix Shaky Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro for 2024

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Shake It Off: How to Fix Shaky Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro

Stabilize Shaky Videos After Recording Easily

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Most of the photos or videos we shoot on our cameras feel shaky and a bit too jarring. Also, a camera shake is imminent when filming a video, especially while we’re zooming in to get an ideal shot. In this situation, we don’t need to go to a professional to stabilize the videos or look right. Fortunately, Adobe Premiere Pro has some valuable tools to help you take the shake out of your videos or photos, giving you stabilized and smooth footage.

The Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor that can fix unwanted camera shake in just a few clicks, giving fine-tuning to the footage – exactly the feel and looks you want! So, here in this article, we’re going to describe the guideline about Adobe Premiere Pro stabilization.

In this article

01 Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

02 What Is Warp Stabilizer?

03 How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

04 Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting:

05 How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Part 1: Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

Being an artistic or aesthetic choice, we might love a slightly shaken photo or video. But if it looks a little more shrill or jerky, we need to smooth it out! There are many reasons you might want to fix your irregular or shaky videos.

Generally, the shaky videos are due to our unintended movements during shooting. It can make your footage look less polished, sparkle, and glossy. Moreover, it can lower your photos or videos’ overall production quality and status. Therefore, this can be extremely disturbing for the viewers, creating a sense of mistrust.

Part 2: What Is Warp Stabilizer?

Warp Stabilizer is the effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects that can quickly smooth out your jittery footage with just a few clicks. It can save your work – fix the smaller shakes while you’re strolling or standing still. So, now you can stabilize motion by using the Warp Stabilizer effect in Adobe Premiere Pro. However, the premiere stabilization is not a substitute for all – you may require some other program for your clips as you may also observe some lost details on the edges of the footage frame. Now let’s have a look at the benefits of Warp Stabilizer!

  • It’s a built-in tool in Adobe Premiere Pro, so you don’t need to install additional software or plugin.
  • You can easily remove jerkiness and jitter from your footage caused by your camera movement and convert them into smooth and steady shots.
  • The results are fast, quick, and automatic.

Further, there are three more parameters to consider while using a Warp stabilizer for stabilizing the shaky footage.

  • Process ( an algorithm that can analyze and track the footage)
  • Smoothness ( called the strength of the effect)
  • Framing ( it can handle the edges of the clips)

Part 3: How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

Many filmmakers or shooters rely on handheld capture as it’s a fast, cheap, and usually intimate method. But do you know how they handle shaky footage? A handy Warp stabilizer tool in Adobe Premiere Pro lets you smooth your shaky videos or photos in minutes! So, if you find yourself dealing with photos or clips with a noticeable amount of shake, stabilize video premiere is your solution! Let’s discuss the process in detail about how Warp Stabilizer work in Adobe Premiere Pro to stabilize the footage.

Step 1: Choose the video clip you want to stabilize. Add it to your timeline and move to your “Effects” workspace. Hit on the Effects panel.

Step 2: Open the “Video Effects” folder and go to the ‘’Distort’’ option. Scroll down to ‘’Warp Stabilizer’’ and double click on it. Or search warp and you will see the Warp Stabilizer option under Video Effects.

warp stabilizer adobe premiere pro

Step 3: Wait for some time until Adobe Premiere Pro analyzes your video clip for Stabilization.

Step 4: Adjust the ‘’Smoothness’’ parameter of the video clip to modify the overall amount of Stabilization.

adjust warp stabilizer smoothness premiere pro

Step 5: Choose Stabilization> Result > No motion for creating the effect of a stationary camera with zero movements or select Smooth motion for only removing the shakiness of the video. And then click on Analyze to assess your video film.

premiere pro warp stabilizer result no motion

Part 4: Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting

Premiere Pro stabilize is a powerful tool, but it also carries some limitations. Let’s check them out!

1. Consider warp stabilize during shooting:

If you keep in mind the warp stabilizer function while filming your videos or photos, you’ll get rid of fixing problems after the work. So, if you want glossy touch in your shots with zero access to a gimbal, you should consider filming with a faster shutter speed or a wider frame. In this way, you’ll get more convenience while applying the effect in the edit.

2. Modify extra cropping in your footage:

Warp stabilizer is a tool that can provide you stable footage and crop your shot as well. It can crop out the edges of your photos or videos, giving you a smooth and clean shot. To adjust the cropping in your clips, go to advanced settings and then click on Crop less <-> Smooth More Slider.

3. Analyze the effect of Warp stabilizer:

Always check the order of effects in the ‘’Effect Controls’’ folder. If you ever lost some stabilization after editing your shot, ensure not to change the Warp Stabilizer analysis source. Further, you should always re-analyze your clip after a quick color fix.

4. Nest your clips:

Sometimes we got an error message in the form of a red banner across our footage while trying to modify the speed on premiere stabilize video. Basically, we can’t use a Warp stabilizer to alter the speed of the same clip. But no worries! There is an easy fix – click on the altered clip and then click on Nest. Now, you can fix the nested sequence without any trouble.

5. Save your favorite settings as a preset:

If you’ve found a setting that gives you a happy result, you can save it as a preset for future use. In this way, you can speed up your work nicely while working with numerous shaky clips. Also, it can help if you want to make a similar effect to your multiple projects. Moreover, keep in mind that the Warp stabilizer needs to assess each clip frame by frame because it is not a one-size model that can fit all footage. Therefore, remember to click the ‘’Analyze’’ button even after putting the preset to turn it on.

Part 5: How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Sometimes, the shakiness of clips is too extreme, and the Warp Stabilizer effect can’t handle it. Moreover, the filter algorithm incorrectly compensates for the camera moves. So what strategy should apply in this condition? Luckily, there is a method that can be used to stabilize your clips without using a warp stabilizer. Moreover, this process can give a hyper-realistic effect to your footage!

Step1: Import your clip into Premiere Pro Project and add it to your timeline. Hit on the “clip”, choose “Replace with After Effects Composition” to import the clip.

Step 2: Tap on the ‘’Tracker panel’’ from the right side of the screen. Scroll down to the ‘’Track Motion’’ option and open it.

Step 3: Pick the tracker marker, drag it to an area of contrasting subject and adjust it accordingly.

adobe premiere pro track motion

Tip: Remember not to make the outer box too large as After Effects can have a hard time performing the track.

Step 4: Hit the play button in the ‘’Tracker panel’’ to initiate the After Effects. Create a new ‘’Null Object’’ after the tracking process is complete.

Step 5: Move to the Tracker panel, click on “Edit Target,” choose your “Null Object” and click “OK.”

Step 6: Create a new camera and parent it to the null object for applying the stabilization effect to your clips. Enable the 3D option on both the footage layer and the null object.

Step 7: Extend your footage to compensate for any black bars that can occur as the camera pays for the shakiness. That’s it!

Conclusion:

Shaky footage is almost inescapable once you go handheld. If you don’t have a manual stabilizer like a gimbal, a tripod, or a glide cam – your work can fall victim to running, wind, walking, or other elements. In this article, we’ve introduced a quick and fast antidote for shaky footage – a Warp Stabilizer effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro. It can smooth out your shaky photos or videos with just a few clicks. So, do you know how to stabilize video premiere pro? Read out the article!

Try It Free Try It Free

Most of the photos or videos we shoot on our cameras feel shaky and a bit too jarring. Also, a camera shake is imminent when filming a video, especially while we’re zooming in to get an ideal shot. In this situation, we don’t need to go to a professional to stabilize the videos or look right. Fortunately, Adobe Premiere Pro has some valuable tools to help you take the shake out of your videos or photos, giving you stabilized and smooth footage.

The Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor that can fix unwanted camera shake in just a few clicks, giving fine-tuning to the footage – exactly the feel and looks you want! So, here in this article, we’re going to describe the guideline about Adobe Premiere Pro stabilization.

In this article

01 Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

02 What Is Warp Stabilizer?

03 How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

04 Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting:

05 How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Part 1: Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

Being an artistic or aesthetic choice, we might love a slightly shaken photo or video. But if it looks a little more shrill or jerky, we need to smooth it out! There are many reasons you might want to fix your irregular or shaky videos.

Generally, the shaky videos are due to our unintended movements during shooting. It can make your footage look less polished, sparkle, and glossy. Moreover, it can lower your photos or videos’ overall production quality and status. Therefore, this can be extremely disturbing for the viewers, creating a sense of mistrust.

Part 2: What Is Warp Stabilizer?

Warp Stabilizer is the effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects that can quickly smooth out your jittery footage with just a few clicks. It can save your work – fix the smaller shakes while you’re strolling or standing still. So, now you can stabilize motion by using the Warp Stabilizer effect in Adobe Premiere Pro. However, the premiere stabilization is not a substitute for all – you may require some other program for your clips as you may also observe some lost details on the edges of the footage frame. Now let’s have a look at the benefits of Warp Stabilizer!

  • It’s a built-in tool in Adobe Premiere Pro, so you don’t need to install additional software or plugin.
  • You can easily remove jerkiness and jitter from your footage caused by your camera movement and convert them into smooth and steady shots.
  • The results are fast, quick, and automatic.

Further, there are three more parameters to consider while using a Warp stabilizer for stabilizing the shaky footage.

  • Process ( an algorithm that can analyze and track the footage)
  • Smoothness ( called the strength of the effect)
  • Framing ( it can handle the edges of the clips)

Part 3: How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

Many filmmakers or shooters rely on handheld capture as it’s a fast, cheap, and usually intimate method. But do you know how they handle shaky footage? A handy Warp stabilizer tool in Adobe Premiere Pro lets you smooth your shaky videos or photos in minutes! So, if you find yourself dealing with photos or clips with a noticeable amount of shake, stabilize video premiere is your solution! Let’s discuss the process in detail about how Warp Stabilizer work in Adobe Premiere Pro to stabilize the footage.

Step 1: Choose the video clip you want to stabilize. Add it to your timeline and move to your “Effects” workspace. Hit on the Effects panel.

Step 2: Open the “Video Effects” folder and go to the ‘’Distort’’ option. Scroll down to ‘’Warp Stabilizer’’ and double click on it. Or search warp and you will see the Warp Stabilizer option under Video Effects.

warp stabilizer adobe premiere pro

Step 3: Wait for some time until Adobe Premiere Pro analyzes your video clip for Stabilization.

Step 4: Adjust the ‘’Smoothness’’ parameter of the video clip to modify the overall amount of Stabilization.

adjust warp stabilizer smoothness premiere pro

Step 5: Choose Stabilization> Result > No motion for creating the effect of a stationary camera with zero movements or select Smooth motion for only removing the shakiness of the video. And then click on Analyze to assess your video film.

premiere pro warp stabilizer result no motion

Part 4: Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting

Premiere Pro stabilize is a powerful tool, but it also carries some limitations. Let’s check them out!

1. Consider warp stabilize during shooting:

If you keep in mind the warp stabilizer function while filming your videos or photos, you’ll get rid of fixing problems after the work. So, if you want glossy touch in your shots with zero access to a gimbal, you should consider filming with a faster shutter speed or a wider frame. In this way, you’ll get more convenience while applying the effect in the edit.

2. Modify extra cropping in your footage:

Warp stabilizer is a tool that can provide you stable footage and crop your shot as well. It can crop out the edges of your photos or videos, giving you a smooth and clean shot. To adjust the cropping in your clips, go to advanced settings and then click on Crop less <-> Smooth More Slider.

3. Analyze the effect of Warp stabilizer:

Always check the order of effects in the ‘’Effect Controls’’ folder. If you ever lost some stabilization after editing your shot, ensure not to change the Warp Stabilizer analysis source. Further, you should always re-analyze your clip after a quick color fix.

4. Nest your clips:

Sometimes we got an error message in the form of a red banner across our footage while trying to modify the speed on premiere stabilize video. Basically, we can’t use a Warp stabilizer to alter the speed of the same clip. But no worries! There is an easy fix – click on the altered clip and then click on Nest. Now, you can fix the nested sequence without any trouble.

5. Save your favorite settings as a preset:

If you’ve found a setting that gives you a happy result, you can save it as a preset for future use. In this way, you can speed up your work nicely while working with numerous shaky clips. Also, it can help if you want to make a similar effect to your multiple projects. Moreover, keep in mind that the Warp stabilizer needs to assess each clip frame by frame because it is not a one-size model that can fit all footage. Therefore, remember to click the ‘’Analyze’’ button even after putting the preset to turn it on.

Part 5: How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Sometimes, the shakiness of clips is too extreme, and the Warp Stabilizer effect can’t handle it. Moreover, the filter algorithm incorrectly compensates for the camera moves. So what strategy should apply in this condition? Luckily, there is a method that can be used to stabilize your clips without using a warp stabilizer. Moreover, this process can give a hyper-realistic effect to your footage!

Step1: Import your clip into Premiere Pro Project and add it to your timeline. Hit on the “clip”, choose “Replace with After Effects Composition” to import the clip.

Step 2: Tap on the ‘’Tracker panel’’ from the right side of the screen. Scroll down to the ‘’Track Motion’’ option and open it.

Step 3: Pick the tracker marker, drag it to an area of contrasting subject and adjust it accordingly.

adobe premiere pro track motion

Tip: Remember not to make the outer box too large as After Effects can have a hard time performing the track.

Step 4: Hit the play button in the ‘’Tracker panel’’ to initiate the After Effects. Create a new ‘’Null Object’’ after the tracking process is complete.

Step 5: Move to the Tracker panel, click on “Edit Target,” choose your “Null Object” and click “OK.”

Step 6: Create a new camera and parent it to the null object for applying the stabilization effect to your clips. Enable the 3D option on both the footage layer and the null object.

Step 7: Extend your footage to compensate for any black bars that can occur as the camera pays for the shakiness. That’s it!

Conclusion:

Shaky footage is almost inescapable once you go handheld. If you don’t have a manual stabilizer like a gimbal, a tripod, or a glide cam – your work can fall victim to running, wind, walking, or other elements. In this article, we’ve introduced a quick and fast antidote for shaky footage – a Warp Stabilizer effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro. It can smooth out your shaky photos or videos with just a few clicks. So, do you know how to stabilize video premiere pro? Read out the article!

Try It Free Try It Free

Most of the photos or videos we shoot on our cameras feel shaky and a bit too jarring. Also, a camera shake is imminent when filming a video, especially while we’re zooming in to get an ideal shot. In this situation, we don’t need to go to a professional to stabilize the videos or look right. Fortunately, Adobe Premiere Pro has some valuable tools to help you take the shake out of your videos or photos, giving you stabilized and smooth footage.

The Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor that can fix unwanted camera shake in just a few clicks, giving fine-tuning to the footage – exactly the feel and looks you want! So, here in this article, we’re going to describe the guideline about Adobe Premiere Pro stabilization.

In this article

01 Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

02 What Is Warp Stabilizer?

03 How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

04 Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting:

05 How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Part 1: Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

Being an artistic or aesthetic choice, we might love a slightly shaken photo or video. But if it looks a little more shrill or jerky, we need to smooth it out! There are many reasons you might want to fix your irregular or shaky videos.

Generally, the shaky videos are due to our unintended movements during shooting. It can make your footage look less polished, sparkle, and glossy. Moreover, it can lower your photos or videos’ overall production quality and status. Therefore, this can be extremely disturbing for the viewers, creating a sense of mistrust.

Part 2: What Is Warp Stabilizer?

Warp Stabilizer is the effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects that can quickly smooth out your jittery footage with just a few clicks. It can save your work – fix the smaller shakes while you’re strolling or standing still. So, now you can stabilize motion by using the Warp Stabilizer effect in Adobe Premiere Pro. However, the premiere stabilization is not a substitute for all – you may require some other program for your clips as you may also observe some lost details on the edges of the footage frame. Now let’s have a look at the benefits of Warp Stabilizer!

  • It’s a built-in tool in Adobe Premiere Pro, so you don’t need to install additional software or plugin.
  • You can easily remove jerkiness and jitter from your footage caused by your camera movement and convert them into smooth and steady shots.
  • The results are fast, quick, and automatic.

Further, there are three more parameters to consider while using a Warp stabilizer for stabilizing the shaky footage.

  • Process ( an algorithm that can analyze and track the footage)
  • Smoothness ( called the strength of the effect)
  • Framing ( it can handle the edges of the clips)

Part 3: How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

Many filmmakers or shooters rely on handheld capture as it’s a fast, cheap, and usually intimate method. But do you know how they handle shaky footage? A handy Warp stabilizer tool in Adobe Premiere Pro lets you smooth your shaky videos or photos in minutes! So, if you find yourself dealing with photos or clips with a noticeable amount of shake, stabilize video premiere is your solution! Let’s discuss the process in detail about how Warp Stabilizer work in Adobe Premiere Pro to stabilize the footage.

Step 1: Choose the video clip you want to stabilize. Add it to your timeline and move to your “Effects” workspace. Hit on the Effects panel.

Step 2: Open the “Video Effects” folder and go to the ‘’Distort’’ option. Scroll down to ‘’Warp Stabilizer’’ and double click on it. Or search warp and you will see the Warp Stabilizer option under Video Effects.

warp stabilizer adobe premiere pro

Step 3: Wait for some time until Adobe Premiere Pro analyzes your video clip for Stabilization.

Step 4: Adjust the ‘’Smoothness’’ parameter of the video clip to modify the overall amount of Stabilization.

adjust warp stabilizer smoothness premiere pro

Step 5: Choose Stabilization> Result > No motion for creating the effect of a stationary camera with zero movements or select Smooth motion for only removing the shakiness of the video. And then click on Analyze to assess your video film.

premiere pro warp stabilizer result no motion

Part 4: Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting

Premiere Pro stabilize is a powerful tool, but it also carries some limitations. Let’s check them out!

1. Consider warp stabilize during shooting:

If you keep in mind the warp stabilizer function while filming your videos or photos, you’ll get rid of fixing problems after the work. So, if you want glossy touch in your shots with zero access to a gimbal, you should consider filming with a faster shutter speed or a wider frame. In this way, you’ll get more convenience while applying the effect in the edit.

2. Modify extra cropping in your footage:

Warp stabilizer is a tool that can provide you stable footage and crop your shot as well. It can crop out the edges of your photos or videos, giving you a smooth and clean shot. To adjust the cropping in your clips, go to advanced settings and then click on Crop less <-> Smooth More Slider.

3. Analyze the effect of Warp stabilizer:

Always check the order of effects in the ‘’Effect Controls’’ folder. If you ever lost some stabilization after editing your shot, ensure not to change the Warp Stabilizer analysis source. Further, you should always re-analyze your clip after a quick color fix.

4. Nest your clips:

Sometimes we got an error message in the form of a red banner across our footage while trying to modify the speed on premiere stabilize video. Basically, we can’t use a Warp stabilizer to alter the speed of the same clip. But no worries! There is an easy fix – click on the altered clip and then click on Nest. Now, you can fix the nested sequence without any trouble.

5. Save your favorite settings as a preset:

If you’ve found a setting that gives you a happy result, you can save it as a preset for future use. In this way, you can speed up your work nicely while working with numerous shaky clips. Also, it can help if you want to make a similar effect to your multiple projects. Moreover, keep in mind that the Warp stabilizer needs to assess each clip frame by frame because it is not a one-size model that can fit all footage. Therefore, remember to click the ‘’Analyze’’ button even after putting the preset to turn it on.

Part 5: How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Sometimes, the shakiness of clips is too extreme, and the Warp Stabilizer effect can’t handle it. Moreover, the filter algorithm incorrectly compensates for the camera moves. So what strategy should apply in this condition? Luckily, there is a method that can be used to stabilize your clips without using a warp stabilizer. Moreover, this process can give a hyper-realistic effect to your footage!

Step1: Import your clip into Premiere Pro Project and add it to your timeline. Hit on the “clip”, choose “Replace with After Effects Composition” to import the clip.

Step 2: Tap on the ‘’Tracker panel’’ from the right side of the screen. Scroll down to the ‘’Track Motion’’ option and open it.

Step 3: Pick the tracker marker, drag it to an area of contrasting subject and adjust it accordingly.

adobe premiere pro track motion

Tip: Remember not to make the outer box too large as After Effects can have a hard time performing the track.

Step 4: Hit the play button in the ‘’Tracker panel’’ to initiate the After Effects. Create a new ‘’Null Object’’ after the tracking process is complete.

Step 5: Move to the Tracker panel, click on “Edit Target,” choose your “Null Object” and click “OK.”

Step 6: Create a new camera and parent it to the null object for applying the stabilization effect to your clips. Enable the 3D option on both the footage layer and the null object.

Step 7: Extend your footage to compensate for any black bars that can occur as the camera pays for the shakiness. That’s it!

Conclusion:

Shaky footage is almost inescapable once you go handheld. If you don’t have a manual stabilizer like a gimbal, a tripod, or a glide cam – your work can fall victim to running, wind, walking, or other elements. In this article, we’ve introduced a quick and fast antidote for shaky footage – a Warp Stabilizer effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro. It can smooth out your shaky photos or videos with just a few clicks. So, do you know how to stabilize video premiere pro? Read out the article!

Try It Free Try It Free

Most of the photos or videos we shoot on our cameras feel shaky and a bit too jarring. Also, a camera shake is imminent when filming a video, especially while we’re zooming in to get an ideal shot. In this situation, we don’t need to go to a professional to stabilize the videos or look right. Fortunately, Adobe Premiere Pro has some valuable tools to help you take the shake out of your videos or photos, giving you stabilized and smooth footage.

The Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor that can fix unwanted camera shake in just a few clicks, giving fine-tuning to the footage – exactly the feel and looks you want! So, here in this article, we’re going to describe the guideline about Adobe Premiere Pro stabilization.

In this article

01 Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

02 What Is Warp Stabilizer?

03 How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

04 Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting:

05 How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Part 1: Why Should You Stabilize Your Video?

Being an artistic or aesthetic choice, we might love a slightly shaken photo or video. But if it looks a little more shrill or jerky, we need to smooth it out! There are many reasons you might want to fix your irregular or shaky videos.

Generally, the shaky videos are due to our unintended movements during shooting. It can make your footage look less polished, sparkle, and glossy. Moreover, it can lower your photos or videos’ overall production quality and status. Therefore, this can be extremely disturbing for the viewers, creating a sense of mistrust.

Part 2: What Is Warp Stabilizer?

Warp Stabilizer is the effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects that can quickly smooth out your jittery footage with just a few clicks. It can save your work – fix the smaller shakes while you’re strolling or standing still. So, now you can stabilize motion by using the Warp Stabilizer effect in Adobe Premiere Pro. However, the premiere stabilization is not a substitute for all – you may require some other program for your clips as you may also observe some lost details on the edges of the footage frame. Now let’s have a look at the benefits of Warp Stabilizer!

  • It’s a built-in tool in Adobe Premiere Pro, so you don’t need to install additional software or plugin.
  • You can easily remove jerkiness and jitter from your footage caused by your camera movement and convert them into smooth and steady shots.
  • The results are fast, quick, and automatic.

Further, there are three more parameters to consider while using a Warp stabilizer for stabilizing the shaky footage.

  • Process ( an algorithm that can analyze and track the footage)
  • Smoothness ( called the strength of the effect)
  • Framing ( it can handle the edges of the clips)

Part 3: How to Stabilize A Shaky Video In Premiere Pro with Warp Stabilizer?

Many filmmakers or shooters rely on handheld capture as it’s a fast, cheap, and usually intimate method. But do you know how they handle shaky footage? A handy Warp stabilizer tool in Adobe Premiere Pro lets you smooth your shaky videos or photos in minutes! So, if you find yourself dealing with photos or clips with a noticeable amount of shake, stabilize video premiere is your solution! Let’s discuss the process in detail about how Warp Stabilizer work in Adobe Premiere Pro to stabilize the footage.

Step 1: Choose the video clip you want to stabilize. Add it to your timeline and move to your “Effects” workspace. Hit on the Effects panel.

Step 2: Open the “Video Effects” folder and go to the ‘’Distort’’ option. Scroll down to ‘’Warp Stabilizer’’ and double click on it. Or search warp and you will see the Warp Stabilizer option under Video Effects.

warp stabilizer adobe premiere pro

Step 3: Wait for some time until Adobe Premiere Pro analyzes your video clip for Stabilization.

Step 4: Adjust the ‘’Smoothness’’ parameter of the video clip to modify the overall amount of Stabilization.

adjust warp stabilizer smoothness premiere pro

Step 5: Choose Stabilization> Result > No motion for creating the effect of a stationary camera with zero movements or select Smooth motion for only removing the shakiness of the video. And then click on Analyze to assess your video film.

premiere pro warp stabilizer result no motion

Part 4: Top 5 Warp Stabilizer Tips and Troubleshooting

Premiere Pro stabilize is a powerful tool, but it also carries some limitations. Let’s check them out!

1. Consider warp stabilize during shooting:

If you keep in mind the warp stabilizer function while filming your videos or photos, you’ll get rid of fixing problems after the work. So, if you want glossy touch in your shots with zero access to a gimbal, you should consider filming with a faster shutter speed or a wider frame. In this way, you’ll get more convenience while applying the effect in the edit.

2. Modify extra cropping in your footage:

Warp stabilizer is a tool that can provide you stable footage and crop your shot as well. It can crop out the edges of your photos or videos, giving you a smooth and clean shot. To adjust the cropping in your clips, go to advanced settings and then click on Crop less <-> Smooth More Slider.

3. Analyze the effect of Warp stabilizer:

Always check the order of effects in the ‘’Effect Controls’’ folder. If you ever lost some stabilization after editing your shot, ensure not to change the Warp Stabilizer analysis source. Further, you should always re-analyze your clip after a quick color fix.

4. Nest your clips:

Sometimes we got an error message in the form of a red banner across our footage while trying to modify the speed on premiere stabilize video. Basically, we can’t use a Warp stabilizer to alter the speed of the same clip. But no worries! There is an easy fix – click on the altered clip and then click on Nest. Now, you can fix the nested sequence without any trouble.

5. Save your favorite settings as a preset:

If you’ve found a setting that gives you a happy result, you can save it as a preset for future use. In this way, you can speed up your work nicely while working with numerous shaky clips. Also, it can help if you want to make a similar effect to your multiple projects. Moreover, keep in mind that the Warp stabilizer needs to assess each clip frame by frame because it is not a one-size model that can fit all footage. Therefore, remember to click the ‘’Analyze’’ button even after putting the preset to turn it on.

Part 5: How to Stabilize Shaky Footage Without Using Warp Stabilizer?

Sometimes, the shakiness of clips is too extreme, and the Warp Stabilizer effect can’t handle it. Moreover, the filter algorithm incorrectly compensates for the camera moves. So what strategy should apply in this condition? Luckily, there is a method that can be used to stabilize your clips without using a warp stabilizer. Moreover, this process can give a hyper-realistic effect to your footage!

Step1: Import your clip into Premiere Pro Project and add it to your timeline. Hit on the “clip”, choose “Replace with After Effects Composition” to import the clip.

Step 2: Tap on the ‘’Tracker panel’’ from the right side of the screen. Scroll down to the ‘’Track Motion’’ option and open it.

Step 3: Pick the tracker marker, drag it to an area of contrasting subject and adjust it accordingly.

adobe premiere pro track motion

Tip: Remember not to make the outer box too large as After Effects can have a hard time performing the track.

Step 4: Hit the play button in the ‘’Tracker panel’’ to initiate the After Effects. Create a new ‘’Null Object’’ after the tracking process is complete.

Step 5: Move to the Tracker panel, click on “Edit Target,” choose your “Null Object” and click “OK.”

Step 6: Create a new camera and parent it to the null object for applying the stabilization effect to your clips. Enable the 3D option on both the footage layer and the null object.

Step 7: Extend your footage to compensate for any black bars that can occur as the camera pays for the shakiness. That’s it!

Conclusion:

Shaky footage is almost inescapable once you go handheld. If you don’t have a manual stabilizer like a gimbal, a tripod, or a glide cam – your work can fall victim to running, wind, walking, or other elements. In this article, we’ve introduced a quick and fast antidote for shaky footage – a Warp Stabilizer effect in the Adobe Premiere Pro. It can smooth out your shaky photos or videos with just a few clicks. So, do you know how to stabilize video premiere pro? Read out the article!

Ditch Vegas Pro? Explore These 10 Free and Paid Mac Video Editing Software

For creating high-grade dynamic videos, simply shooting or recording a clip is not enough. Finding the best Sony Ve gas alternatives for Mac is essential since the software mainly targets Windows users.

Thanks to developers, there are many free and paid options to start your video editing journey on a Mac. Let’s first have a look at alternative software you could consider.

  1. Lightworks
  2. Wondershare Filmora
  3. Adobe Premiere Pro
  4. HitFilm Express
  5. Kdenlive
  6. OpenShot
  7. Blender
  8. Jahshaka
  9. Final Cut Pro
  10. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Part 1: Sony Vegas Pro Alternatives & Competitors Overview

Here is a list of the top 10 tools we found after research. For an easier understanding, the following are the essential points of difference between alternative video editing software types for Sony Vegas Pro in a tabular form.

Software Supported OS Price Editor’s Verdict
Lightworks Windows, Mac, Linux Create-$9.99/month, Pro-$23.99/month Medium-Difficult
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99 Easy
Adobe Premiere Pro Windows, Mac $20.99/month Easy-Medium
HitFilm Express Windows, Mac Free Easy
Kdenlive Windows, Mac, Linux Free Medium-Difficult
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux, OsX Free Medium-Difficult
Blender Windows, Mac, Linux Free Easy
Jahshaka Windows, Linux, OsX Free Easy-Medium
Final Cut Pro Mac Lifetime-$299.99 Easy-Medium
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Windows, Mac Lifetime-$52.50 Easy-Medium

Part 2: Top 10 Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) Alternatives & Competitors

Now that you know the primary differences between the Sony Vegas Pro alternatives. Are you find anything you like? Let’s move on to more details for your further consideration.

1. Lightworks

With Lightworks, using the independent timeline codec, format, and resolution alteration in videos is extremely simple. In addition, you can use the multi-cam editing feature for real-time, high-quality editing work. Moreover, drag and drop elements into videos for optimized video editing work, including pre-existing Storyboard points.

lightworks interface

Main Features:

  • Industry-grade features like QC, transcoding, and automated transfer are available.
  • Edit files at different FPS limits and use three-point editing for recording/source files.
  • Insert files and overwrite on a new project, replace, backfill, and fit to fill your video clips.
  • Attach Storyboard tiles and match-frame clips/sub-clips easily.

Pros

  • Flexible functionality and speedy transfers
  • Edit files with professional movie-like quality
  • Auto Sync feature for automatic timeline re-syncing is available

Cons

  • Direct X is only available on the Windows version
  • TotalFX plugin is not available for free- you have to upgrade to use them

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

Best For: Editing experts creating visually animated and professional-looking short videos can work with Lightworks.

What users say:

For professional-level video editing work, Lightworks brings a lot of resources and elements to users. According to reviews , people who have tried it have experienced better video editing functionality with these resources.

2. Wondershare Filmora

The top Vegas Pro alternative that both Windows and Mac users can opt for is Filmora. The software has advanced AI-incorporated editing functions for automated editing work, including preset effects from FX plugins. Besides that, you can easily add pre-set transitions, audio clips, text, images, and more.

Beginners find it simple to navigate through its interface and can opt for the Instant Mode function for automatic video edits .

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

wondershare filmora interface

For a better idea of how this works, you should check out this tutorial video: https://filmora.wondershare.com/get-creative/make-a-video-quickly.html

Main Features:

  • Instant Mode is available for automatic video/audio project editing out of 6 shorter clips.
  • Support Advanced editing tools like Chroma Key and AI Portrait.
  • Record voiceover, apply speech-to-text/text-to-speech functions, and more audio editing features.
  • OpenFX plugins like BorisFX and NewBlue FX for a better list of pre-set effects.

Pros

  • Simple to use and navigate on the editor timeline, especially with drag-and-drop support
  • Output your editing files in different video/audio formats
  • Quickly share the file on Vimeo or YouTube, besides downloading it on the local hard drive

Cons

  • Free trial users cannot bring their Instant Mode-created videos into the editor timeline
  • 4K support only with selected MKV, MOV, M4V (for Mac), and MP4 codecs

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: All types of users like educators, students, homeowners, businesses, and video editors for comprehensive video editing tools and uses.

What users say:

Filmora is extremely simple to use, with advanced features available for top-level video editing work. Users mention in reviews how they have benefitted from the simple functionality and dynamic AI-based features available here for video editing.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

If you are looking for high-quality programs like Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro is a reliable choice. This editing software allows you to easily create, delete, and move big video projects. Moreover, you can work on multiple files simultaneously and use shortcuts for faster editing work.

Preset filters and editing features are also available here, especially if they choose the Adobe Creative Cloud option.

adobe premiere pro interface

Main Features:

  • Multiple pre-set transitions and effects are available for quick thematic changes.
  • Add graphics, titles, and captions.
  • Color grading and correction tools are available.
  • It is possible to add keyframing and animation elements.

Pros

  • Opting for group plans for video editing practice and learning using Adobe Premiere Pro is possible
  • Aligns audio with videos instantly during editing
  • Utilize Quick Export functionality for video files in some taps

Cons

  • Windows High Contrast Mode is supported but to a limited extent, like with menus and title bars
  • HDR workflows can only be handled on the Windows version with DisplayHDR 400 support

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional editors and trainers can use the various plans under Adobe Premiere Pro for video/audio editing.

What users say:

Advertisers and videographers enjoy high-grade video editing features and like the simple effects and interface quality. The motion graphics support in Adobe Premiere Pro is high-grade as well.

4. HitFilm Express

A capable Sony Vegas free alternative that you should check out is HitFilm Express. With this, you can expect many prepared designs for quick video edits. Additionally, you can manually customize the video files you are working on with high-grade personalization features available in the timeline.

hitfilm express interface

Main Features:

  • Pre-set customizable designs are available.
  • Built-in sound effects and soundtracks are usable for free.
  • Cache renders in timelines are optimized.
  • The New Grade Clips feature allows users to apply varying effects to many video clips.

Pros

  • Stable process of switching between timelines with an active orbit tool
  • Easy to switch between 2D/3D timelines while using the text tool
  • Simple to use for an unlimited period

Cons

  • Does not work on older versions than Windows 10 and macOS 10.14
  • Users cannot integrate this with Vegas Pro like before

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: This software is a high-quality video editor for custom video editing work, fit for beginners and professionals alike.

What users say:

HitFilm Express is easy to use and efficient in the market for professional-level editing. The tutorial is available here for quick learning about the steps, and expandable features are well-admired by users.

5. Kdenlive

A high-quality Sony Vegas open-source variety that you should seriously consider is Kdenlive. The video editor comes with MLT framework support and holds many tools for optimizing video editing.

To simplify, you can arrange and adjust various video/audio tracks and mute or lock specific ones as needed. Add everything from filters, texts, and transitions using this editor for high-grade video projects.

kdenlive interface

Main Features:

  • Get an automatic backup of your video project while you are editing it.
  • Use proxy editing to create low-resolution source clip copies and render them later on computers.
  • Multiple video/audio scopes are available for monitoring projects like vectorscope, waveform, and RDB Parade.
  • Many transition and effect choices to use.

Pros

  • Flexibility with themes to add with multiple options
  • Pre-render specific timeline parts for preview
  • Effects are simple to use with keyframing quality

Cons

  • Complex for completely non-technical users to adapt to
  • Only supports 64-bit versions in regards to Windows-based compatibility

Trustpilot Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Best For: High-level editing experts who need strong video editing and monitoring features in an open-source platform.

What users say:

Kdenlive, as an open-source video editing software, assures quick and straightforward usability with projects. Per reviews , users like the ability to make simple video edits without bugs in this editor and quickly export finished projects.

6. OpenShot

OpenShot is a high-quality cross-platform video editor that you can use on different devices for quick but dynamic video project edits. Use keyframing ability here to adjust the animated elements you add to the file.

Moreover, cut the videos with simple steps and add many audio tracks/background videos/watermarks in layers. Also, get several video effects to optimize the video look easily.

openshot interface

Main Features:

  • Adjust video speed in reverse motion, fast forward, and slow motion.
  • Render effects and 3D animated elements into the video project.
  • Get title templates and edit them as needed.
  • Visualize the background audio beats with waveform support.

Pros

  • Very user-friendly interface with a simple navigation guarantee
  • Supports more than 70 languages that you can translate as well using LaunchPad
  • Drag-and-drop functionality is supported for adding images, audio, and videos into the OpenShot editor timeline

Cons

  • Some bug issues can occur
  • Slightly complex learning curve

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional-level video editing experts can opt for this cross-platform free software for high-quality video creations.

What users say:

The OpenShot software is suitable for high-quality video editing across different devices and operating systems. Users like the lack of automated watermarks on all videos, its simple dashboard, and its multi-track editing ability, all available for free.

7. Blender

Blender is free video editing software like Sony Vegas that users can use for video editing, but it is also effective for game development with animations. Indeed, you can create and render dynamic-looking scenes with features like Cycles.

Furthermore, the software has a rich modelling toolset with solutions like curves and sculpting tools.

blender interface

Main Features:

  • Completely customization-friendly UI, shortcuts, and window layout here.
  • Customization and scripting are possible to do with this software due to the Python API support.
  • Supports access and integration of many pipeline tools for projects.
  • Comes with advanced simulation-based features available in MantaFlow and Bullet libraries.

Pros

  • Basic and advanced tools for quick video edits
  • Strong composition and masking ability with object-based motion tracking benefits
  • Easily create short animations with Blender

Cons

  • Data under the standalone games created here fall under GPL conditions
  • Strict licensing rules are applicable here

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Game developers and videographers for companies can use this open-source platform for creation and editing.

What users say:

Blender is a capable software for animation-based editing, with high-quality game-based features and interactive elements that make editing simple. As per reviews , users like the simple animation-based tools and fast rendering it offers.

8. Jahshaka

Users of Jahshaka can experience an inclusive, collaborative environment for metaverse-level editing work. This free editing software, like Sony Vegas, focuses mainly on VR-based editing functions and comes with powerful tools for project management and content creation.

Take the help of other team members to collaborate on dynamic virtual world building, editing, and publishing.

jahshaka interface

Main Features:

  • Compatible player for different desktop and mobile devices.
  • Create diversified worlds and scenes with one comprehensive platform.
  • Immersive software 3D video development.
  • Access to pre-built content and libraries of scenes and assets

Pros

  • Easily share and distribute your virtual projects
  • Deliver final projects offline and online
  • An interactive multi-user engine is available

Cons

  • Usable for a niche audience and does not include standard video editing tools
  • Jahshaka V2 legacy support is no longer active

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

SourceForge Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors who want a collaborative experience in VR-based development and publishing.

What users say:

Jahshaka is a suitable program for optimized VR-based editing with many preset features and themes to choose from. Most users enjoy the new features and worlds and can work with them efficiently.

9. Final Cut Pro

One of the top Sony Vegas alternatives Mac users can safely turn to is Final Cut Pro, which has powerful modern video editing features. With this software, you will access Cinematic Mode, which you can use to create stylish and thematic video scenes.

Similarly, the Object Tracker features utilize ML technology to automatically detect objects and faces in moving videos. It can align effects and titles accurately with the graphical elements in videos.

final cut pro interface

Main Features:

  • Object Tracker feature for using color correction and adding texts into moving videos.
  • Accelerated functional for motion tracking with Apple Neural Engine.
  • Add high-quality effects and titles into videos with Cinematic Mode support.
  • Preset audio tracks and royalty-free sound effects are available for editing.

Pros

  • Handle color grading for optimized scene quality
  • Adjust the field depth and focus depth in clips
  • Share projects across iOS and macOS platforms

Cons

  • Not valid for Windows users
  • Relatively high cost to avail the paid version with all advanced features

OS Compatibility: Mac

TrustRadius Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors, students, and filmmakers who want to create cinematic-quality video projects.

What users say:

Final Cut Pro is an efficient Mac-based video editing tool with easy sharing and editing capabilities, rich effects/transitions options, and fast rendering ability. Customers enjoy the intuitive non-linear editor, easy accessibility to social media platforms for file exporting, and live scrubbing, as noted in one review .

Another Sony Vegas mac alternative for Windows you should give a try is PowerDirector 365 from Cyberlink. This software removes or compiles video clips and uses masking features like image/custom masks.

Preset special effects, blending modes, and sound effects are available here for quick editing. Additionally, the AI-powered Motion Tracking traces objects in clips and adds graphics, animations, and text quickly in line with it.

cyberlink powerdirector 365 interface

Main Features:

  • You can create and remove videos with masking features.
  • Drag and drop the pre-set effects and texts into videos.
  • Adjust video clips with tools for border, gradation, and shadowing.
  • Multiple animations, callouts, graphics, and stickers to add to videos.

Pros

  • Use green screen functionality for quick background removal or editing
  • Automatic audio mastering and mixing functionality are available
  • Keyframing benefits for customized animations like scaling and positioning

Cons

  • Dolby Digital-centric audio codec is not available for users
  • Users can try features like Room Echo Removal and NVIDIA A/V Denoise only on Windows 11

OS Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional videographers and regular users who want a Windows-based video editing software for standard video clip editing.

What users say:

Cyberlink PowerDirector is a powerful video editor with standard editing functions many users have tried and benefited from. According to customers , the program has high-quality video and audio editing benefits for presentations, with additional effects/splitting/cropping features.

Part 3: What are the limitations when using Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) on Mac?

Yes, with the given Sony Vegas alternatives, Mac and Windows users can benefit heavily. But why is it important to try for a replacement when Sony Vegas Pro is relatively efficient software?

To know the answer, you should take the time to understand its limitations, which do exist.

It only works for Windows users

The Sony Vegas Pro software is not available for Mac or other operating systems besides Windows. In addition, it’ll be really complex and time-consuming, even if you opt for virtual machine software or handle dual booting techniques to configure the software on your Mac or Linux.

You need to invest in other hardware

Sony Vegas Pro does do not work within one comprehensive platform like other capable video editing software types, like Wondershare Filmora . You have to acquire a powerful PC and tools to operate it separately. The software works very slowly on older devices.

Not incredibly unique

The functions of Sony Vegas Pro match somewhat with other options in the market. So, users would not expect much value in purchasing this software’s plans that they want to upgrade from their previous system, but on the other hand, the available features are mostly standard-level in functionality as well.

Hot FAQs about Vegas Pro Alternatives

After knowing these details, many users still have specific common queries about opting for a Sony Vegas Pro alternatively. So these are some common FAQs about this- answered.

1. Can Sony Vegas be used on a Mac?

No, it is impossible to directly use Sony Vegas on macOS devices since it does not support it. Instead, you have to separately use a dual boot strategy or virtual machine software to activate the video editor on Mac devices, but the process for that is complex.

2. Is Wondershare Filmora or Vegas Pro better?

Wondershare Filmora and Vegas Pro are top-level options in video and audio editing projects with professional-level editing accuracy. However, Filmora has a cohesive ecosystem with rich AI and standard functions and comes with Mac/Windows support. So, in that sense, Filmora is comparatively a better choice.

Final Words

In place of Sony Vegas Pro, any of these options would also give you a great user experience. Out of them, Filmora is one that we will recommend due to its multi-faceted benefits and features for Mac and Windows users. Ultimately, make your decision based on your particular needs.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Sony Vegas Pro Alternatives & Competitors Overview

Here is a list of the top 10 tools we found after research. For an easier understanding, the following are the essential points of difference between alternative video editing software types for Sony Vegas Pro in a tabular form.

Software Supported OS Price Editor’s Verdict
Lightworks Windows, Mac, Linux Create-$9.99/month, Pro-$23.99/month Medium-Difficult
Wondershare Filmora Windows, Mac Annual-$49.99, Perpetual-$79.99 Easy
Adobe Premiere Pro Windows, Mac $20.99/month Easy-Medium
HitFilm Express Windows, Mac Free Easy
Kdenlive Windows, Mac, Linux Free Medium-Difficult
OpenShot Windows, Mac, Linux, OsX Free Medium-Difficult
Blender Windows, Mac, Linux Free Easy
Jahshaka Windows, Linux, OsX Free Easy-Medium
Final Cut Pro Mac Lifetime-$299.99 Easy-Medium
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 Windows, Mac Lifetime-$52.50 Easy-Medium

Part 2: Top 10 Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) Alternatives & Competitors

Now that you know the primary differences between the Sony Vegas Pro alternatives. Are you find anything you like? Let’s move on to more details for your further consideration.

1. Lightworks

With Lightworks, using the independent timeline codec, format, and resolution alteration in videos is extremely simple. In addition, you can use the multi-cam editing feature for real-time, high-quality editing work. Moreover, drag and drop elements into videos for optimized video editing work, including pre-existing Storyboard points.

lightworks interface

Main Features:

  • Industry-grade features like QC, transcoding, and automated transfer are available.
  • Edit files at different FPS limits and use three-point editing for recording/source files.
  • Insert files and overwrite on a new project, replace, backfill, and fit to fill your video clips.
  • Attach Storyboard tiles and match-frame clips/sub-clips easily.

Pros

  • Flexible functionality and speedy transfers
  • Edit files with professional movie-like quality
  • Auto Sync feature for automatic timeline re-syncing is available

Cons

  • Direct X is only available on the Windows version
  • TotalFX plugin is not available for free- you have to upgrade to use them

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

Best For: Editing experts creating visually animated and professional-looking short videos can work with Lightworks.

What users say:

For professional-level video editing work, Lightworks brings a lot of resources and elements to users. According to reviews , people who have tried it have experienced better video editing functionality with these resources.

2. Wondershare Filmora

The top Vegas Pro alternative that both Windows and Mac users can opt for is Filmora. The software has advanced AI-incorporated editing functions for automated editing work, including preset effects from FX plugins. Besides that, you can easily add pre-set transitions, audio clips, text, images, and more.

Beginners find it simple to navigate through its interface and can opt for the Instant Mode function for automatic video edits .

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

wondershare filmora interface

For a better idea of how this works, you should check out this tutorial video: https://filmora.wondershare.com/get-creative/make-a-video-quickly.html

Main Features:

  • Instant Mode is available for automatic video/audio project editing out of 6 shorter clips.
  • Support Advanced editing tools like Chroma Key and AI Portrait.
  • Record voiceover, apply speech-to-text/text-to-speech functions, and more audio editing features.
  • OpenFX plugins like BorisFX and NewBlue FX for a better list of pre-set effects.

Pros

  • Simple to use and navigate on the editor timeline, especially with drag-and-drop support
  • Output your editing files in different video/audio formats
  • Quickly share the file on Vimeo or YouTube, besides downloading it on the local hard drive

Cons

  • Free trial users cannot bring their Instant Mode-created videos into the editor timeline
  • 4K support only with selected MKV, MOV, M4V (for Mac), and MP4 codecs

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: All types of users like educators, students, homeowners, businesses, and video editors for comprehensive video editing tools and uses.

What users say:

Filmora is extremely simple to use, with advanced features available for top-level video editing work. Users mention in reviews how they have benefitted from the simple functionality and dynamic AI-based features available here for video editing.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

If you are looking for high-quality programs like Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro is a reliable choice. This editing software allows you to easily create, delete, and move big video projects. Moreover, you can work on multiple files simultaneously and use shortcuts for faster editing work.

Preset filters and editing features are also available here, especially if they choose the Adobe Creative Cloud option.

adobe premiere pro interface

Main Features:

  • Multiple pre-set transitions and effects are available for quick thematic changes.
  • Add graphics, titles, and captions.
  • Color grading and correction tools are available.
  • It is possible to add keyframing and animation elements.

Pros

  • Opting for group plans for video editing practice and learning using Adobe Premiere Pro is possible
  • Aligns audio with videos instantly during editing
  • Utilize Quick Export functionality for video files in some taps

Cons

  • Windows High Contrast Mode is supported but to a limited extent, like with menus and title bars
  • HDR workflows can only be handled on the Windows version with DisplayHDR 400 support

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional editors and trainers can use the various plans under Adobe Premiere Pro for video/audio editing.

What users say:

Advertisers and videographers enjoy high-grade video editing features and like the simple effects and interface quality. The motion graphics support in Adobe Premiere Pro is high-grade as well.

4. HitFilm Express

A capable Sony Vegas free alternative that you should check out is HitFilm Express. With this, you can expect many prepared designs for quick video edits. Additionally, you can manually customize the video files you are working on with high-grade personalization features available in the timeline.

hitfilm express interface

Main Features:

  • Pre-set customizable designs are available.
  • Built-in sound effects and soundtracks are usable for free.
  • Cache renders in timelines are optimized.
  • The New Grade Clips feature allows users to apply varying effects to many video clips.

Pros

  • Stable process of switching between timelines with an active orbit tool
  • Easy to switch between 2D/3D timelines while using the text tool
  • Simple to use for an unlimited period

Cons

  • Does not work on older versions than Windows 10 and macOS 10.14
  • Users cannot integrate this with Vegas Pro like before

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: This software is a high-quality video editor for custom video editing work, fit for beginners and professionals alike.

What users say:

HitFilm Express is easy to use and efficient in the market for professional-level editing. The tutorial is available here for quick learning about the steps, and expandable features are well-admired by users.

5. Kdenlive

A high-quality Sony Vegas open-source variety that you should seriously consider is Kdenlive. The video editor comes with MLT framework support and holds many tools for optimizing video editing.

To simplify, you can arrange and adjust various video/audio tracks and mute or lock specific ones as needed. Add everything from filters, texts, and transitions using this editor for high-grade video projects.

kdenlive interface

Main Features:

  • Get an automatic backup of your video project while you are editing it.
  • Use proxy editing to create low-resolution source clip copies and render them later on computers.
  • Multiple video/audio scopes are available for monitoring projects like vectorscope, waveform, and RDB Parade.
  • Many transition and effect choices to use.

Pros

  • Flexibility with themes to add with multiple options
  • Pre-render specific timeline parts for preview
  • Effects are simple to use with keyframing quality

Cons

  • Complex for completely non-technical users to adapt to
  • Only supports 64-bit versions in regards to Windows-based compatibility

Trustpilot Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Best For: High-level editing experts who need strong video editing and monitoring features in an open-source platform.

What users say:

Kdenlive, as an open-source video editing software, assures quick and straightforward usability with projects. Per reviews , users like the ability to make simple video edits without bugs in this editor and quickly export finished projects.

6. OpenShot

OpenShot is a high-quality cross-platform video editor that you can use on different devices for quick but dynamic video project edits. Use keyframing ability here to adjust the animated elements you add to the file.

Moreover, cut the videos with simple steps and add many audio tracks/background videos/watermarks in layers. Also, get several video effects to optimize the video look easily.

openshot interface

Main Features:

  • Adjust video speed in reverse motion, fast forward, and slow motion.
  • Render effects and 3D animated elements into the video project.
  • Get title templates and edit them as needed.
  • Visualize the background audio beats with waveform support.

Pros

  • Very user-friendly interface with a simple navigation guarantee
  • Supports more than 70 languages that you can translate as well using LaunchPad
  • Drag-and-drop functionality is supported for adding images, audio, and videos into the OpenShot editor timeline

Cons

  • Some bug issues can occur
  • Slightly complex learning curve

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional-level video editing experts can opt for this cross-platform free software for high-quality video creations.

What users say:

The OpenShot software is suitable for high-quality video editing across different devices and operating systems. Users like the lack of automated watermarks on all videos, its simple dashboard, and its multi-track editing ability, all available for free.

7. Blender

Blender is free video editing software like Sony Vegas that users can use for video editing, but it is also effective for game development with animations. Indeed, you can create and render dynamic-looking scenes with features like Cycles.

Furthermore, the software has a rich modelling toolset with solutions like curves and sculpting tools.

blender interface

Main Features:

  • Completely customization-friendly UI, shortcuts, and window layout here.
  • Customization and scripting are possible to do with this software due to the Python API support.
  • Supports access and integration of many pipeline tools for projects.
  • Comes with advanced simulation-based features available in MantaFlow and Bullet libraries.

Pros

  • Basic and advanced tools for quick video edits
  • Strong composition and masking ability with object-based motion tracking benefits
  • Easily create short animations with Blender

Cons

  • Data under the standalone games created here fall under GPL conditions
  • Strict licensing rules are applicable here

OS Compatibility: Windows , Mac , Linux

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Game developers and videographers for companies can use this open-source platform for creation and editing.

What users say:

Blender is a capable software for animation-based editing, with high-quality game-based features and interactive elements that make editing simple. As per reviews , users like the simple animation-based tools and fast rendering it offers.

8. Jahshaka

Users of Jahshaka can experience an inclusive, collaborative environment for metaverse-level editing work. This free editing software, like Sony Vegas, focuses mainly on VR-based editing functions and comes with powerful tools for project management and content creation.

Take the help of other team members to collaborate on dynamic virtual world building, editing, and publishing.

jahshaka interface

Main Features:

  • Compatible player for different desktop and mobile devices.
  • Create diversified worlds and scenes with one comprehensive platform.
  • Immersive software 3D video development.
  • Access to pre-built content and libraries of scenes and assets

Pros

  • Easily share and distribute your virtual projects
  • Deliver final projects offline and online
  • An interactive multi-user engine is available

Cons

  • Usable for a niche audience and does not include standard video editing tools
  • Jahshaka V2 legacy support is no longer active

OS Compatibility: Windows , Linux , OsX

SourceForge Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors who want a collaborative experience in VR-based development and publishing.

What users say:

Jahshaka is a suitable program for optimized VR-based editing with many preset features and themes to choose from. Most users enjoy the new features and worlds and can work with them efficiently.

9. Final Cut Pro

One of the top Sony Vegas alternatives Mac users can safely turn to is Final Cut Pro, which has powerful modern video editing features. With this software, you will access Cinematic Mode, which you can use to create stylish and thematic video scenes.

Similarly, the Object Tracker features utilize ML technology to automatically detect objects and faces in moving videos. It can align effects and titles accurately with the graphical elements in videos.

final cut pro interface

Main Features:

  • Object Tracker feature for using color correction and adding texts into moving videos.
  • Accelerated functional for motion tracking with Apple Neural Engine.
  • Add high-quality effects and titles into videos with Cinematic Mode support.
  • Preset audio tracks and royalty-free sound effects are available for editing.

Pros

  • Handle color grading for optimized scene quality
  • Adjust the field depth and focus depth in clips
  • Share projects across iOS and macOS platforms

Cons

  • Not valid for Windows users
  • Relatively high cost to avail the paid version with all advanced features

OS Compatibility: Mac

TrustRadius Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Best For: Professional video editors, students, and filmmakers who want to create cinematic-quality video projects.

What users say:

Final Cut Pro is an efficient Mac-based video editing tool with easy sharing and editing capabilities, rich effects/transitions options, and fast rendering ability. Customers enjoy the intuitive non-linear editor, easy accessibility to social media platforms for file exporting, and live scrubbing, as noted in one review .

Another Sony Vegas mac alternative for Windows you should give a try is PowerDirector 365 from Cyberlink. This software removes or compiles video clips and uses masking features like image/custom masks.

Preset special effects, blending modes, and sound effects are available here for quick editing. Additionally, the AI-powered Motion Tracking traces objects in clips and adds graphics, animations, and text quickly in line with it.

cyberlink powerdirector 365 interface

Main Features:

  • You can create and remove videos with masking features.
  • Drag and drop the pre-set effects and texts into videos.
  • Adjust video clips with tools for border, gradation, and shadowing.
  • Multiple animations, callouts, graphics, and stickers to add to videos.

Pros

  • Use green screen functionality for quick background removal or editing
  • Automatic audio mastering and mixing functionality are available
  • Keyframing benefits for customized animations like scaling and positioning

Cons

  • Dolby Digital-centric audio codec is not available for users
  • Users can try features like Room Echo Removal and NVIDIA A/V Denoise only on Windows 11

OS Compatibility: Windows

TechRadar Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best For: Professional videographers and regular users who want a Windows-based video editing software for standard video clip editing.

What users say:

Cyberlink PowerDirector is a powerful video editor with standard editing functions many users have tried and benefited from. According to customers , the program has high-quality video and audio editing benefits for presentations, with additional effects/splitting/cropping features.

Part 3: What are the limitations when using Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) on Mac?

Yes, with the given Sony Vegas alternatives, Mac and Windows users can benefit heavily. But why is it important to try for a replacement when Sony Vegas Pro is relatively efficient software?

To know the answer, you should take the time to understand its limitations, which do exist.

It only works for Windows users

The Sony Vegas Pro software is not available for Mac or other operating systems besides Windows. In addition, it’ll be really complex and time-consuming, even if you opt for virtual machine software or handle dual booting techniques to configure the software on your Mac or Linux.

You need to invest in other hardware

Sony Vegas Pro does do not work within one comprehensive platform like other capable video editing software types, like Wondershare Filmora . You have to acquire a powerful PC and tools to operate it separately. The software works very slowly on older devices.

Not incredibly unique

The functions of Sony Vegas Pro match somewhat with other options in the market. So, users would not expect much value in purchasing this software’s plans that they want to upgrade from their previous system, but on the other hand, the available features are mostly standard-level in functionality as well.

Hot FAQs about Vegas Pro Alternatives

After knowing these details, many users still have specific common queries about opting for a Sony Vegas Pro alternatively. So these are some common FAQs about this- answered.

1. Can Sony Vegas be used on a Mac?

No, it is impossible to directly use Sony Vegas on macOS devices since it does not support it. Instead, you have to separately use a dual boot strategy or virtual machine software to activate the video editor on Mac devices, but the process for that is complex.

2. Is Wondershare Filmora or Vegas Pro better?

Wondershare Filmora and Vegas Pro are top-level options in video and audio editing projects with professional-level editing accuracy. However, Filmora has a cohesive ecosystem with rich AI and standard functions and comes with Mac/Windows support. So, in that sense, Filmora is comparatively a better choice.

Final Words

In place of Sony Vegas Pro, any of these options would also give you a great user experience. Out of them, Filmora is one that we will recommend due to its multi-faceted benefits and features for Mac and Windows users. Ultimately, make your decision based on your particular needs.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Final Cut Pro X: Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion

Final Cut Pro X: Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.

This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.

For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.

Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X

1. STILL FRAMES

still frames

A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)

In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.

freeze frames

This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.

create freeze frame

Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.

freeze frames in FCP X

In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.

Very cool, except….

Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.

So, here’s another way to do this.

Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.

Playhead

This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.

match clips

Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.

As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.

I use both these techniques in many different projects.

2. HOLD FRAME

A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.

hold frame

Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).

hold frames in fcp x

This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.

create hold frames

Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.

speed016

Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.

speed018

To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.

NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!

3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION

fast/slow motion

We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.

WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.

slow motion

Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).

Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)

create slow/fast motion

Three things happen at once:

  • The duration of the clip changes
  • The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
  • The speed of the clip changes

speed010

To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).

There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.

speed017

The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.

Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.

speed011

This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:

  • Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
  • Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
  • Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
  • Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.

You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.

4. EXTRA CREDIT

There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)

speed012

Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.

  • Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
  • Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
  • Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.

Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.

Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


SUMMARY

Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.

This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.

For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.

Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X

1. STILL FRAMES

still frames

A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)

In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.

freeze frames

This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.

create freeze frame

Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.

freeze frames in FCP X

In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.

Very cool, except….

Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.

So, here’s another way to do this.

Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.

Playhead

This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.

match clips

Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.

As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.

I use both these techniques in many different projects.

2. HOLD FRAME

A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.

hold frame

Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).

hold frames in fcp x

This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.

create hold frames

Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.

speed016

Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.

speed018

To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.

NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!

3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION

fast/slow motion

We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.

WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.

slow motion

Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).

Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)

create slow/fast motion

Three things happen at once:

  • The duration of the clip changes
  • The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
  • The speed of the clip changes

speed010

To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).

There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.

speed017

The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.

Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.

speed011

This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:

  • Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
  • Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
  • Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
  • Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.

You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.

4. EXTRA CREDIT

There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)

speed012

Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.

  • Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
  • Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
  • Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.

Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.

Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


SUMMARY

Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.

This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.

For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.

Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X

1. STILL FRAMES

still frames

A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)

In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.

freeze frames

This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.

create freeze frame

Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.

freeze frames in FCP X

In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.

Very cool, except….

Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.

So, here’s another way to do this.

Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.

Playhead

This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.

match clips

Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.

As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.

I use both these techniques in many different projects.

2. HOLD FRAME

A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.

hold frame

Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).

hold frames in fcp x

This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.

create hold frames

Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.

speed016

Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.

speed018

To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.

NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!

3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION

fast/slow motion

We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.

WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.

slow motion

Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).

Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)

create slow/fast motion

Three things happen at once:

  • The duration of the clip changes
  • The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
  • The speed of the clip changes

speed010

To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).

There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.

speed017

The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.

Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.

speed011

This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:

  • Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
  • Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
  • Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
  • Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.

You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.

4. EXTRA CREDIT

There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)

speed012

Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.

  • Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
  • Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
  • Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.

Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.

Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


SUMMARY

Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.

This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.

For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.

Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X

1. STILL FRAMES

still frames

A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)

In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.

freeze frames

This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.

create freeze frame

Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.

freeze frames in FCP X

In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.

Very cool, except….

Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.

So, here’s another way to do this.

Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.

Playhead

This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.

match clips

Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.

As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.

I use both these techniques in many different projects.

2. HOLD FRAME

A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.

hold frame

Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).

hold frames in fcp x

This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.

create hold frames

Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.

speed016

Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.

speed018

To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.

NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!

3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION

fast/slow motion

We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.

WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.

slow motion

Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).

Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)

create slow/fast motion

Three things happen at once:

  • The duration of the clip changes
  • The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
  • The speed of the clip changes

speed010

To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).

There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.

speed017

The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.

Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.

speed011

This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:

  • Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
  • Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
  • Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
  • Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.

You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.

4. EXTRA CREDIT

There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)

speed012

Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.

  • Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
  • Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
  • Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.

Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.

Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


SUMMARY

Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Free 4K Video Editing: Top Picks for Exceptional Results

The Ultra HD video, also known as 4K video , defines 3840 2160 pixels. It became popular in 2016 and has overtaken both HD and ultra-HD to become the video with the highest resolution. Most videos are shot in HD, but as camera technology improves, 4K video seems to have become increasingly common. Because of the additional level of detail that the camera acquires, 4K videos are large files that allow you more editing possibilities.

Several free 4K video editing software has been developed to make video editing relatively easy in recent times. These free 4K video editors allow you to import, edit, and export videos easily. This article will provide you with some of the best free 4K video editors you should try in 2022.

In this article

01 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

  • Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
  • Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

  • Every tool for video editing is available
  • Amazing Visual Effects
  • Efficient Text Processing
  • Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

  • Pro editing features are missing
  • Available for Windows only
  • Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

  • Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
  • Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
  • Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

  • The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

  • The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
  • Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
  • Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

  • Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
  • You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Filmora instant cutter tool

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

  • Clean and Intuitive User Interface
  • 4K Video Support
  • Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

  • Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
  • Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
  • Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

  • Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
  • Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
  • Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

  • Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
  • Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

  • Every tool for video editing is available
  • Amazing Visual Effects
  • Efficient Text Processing
  • Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

  • Pro editing features are missing
  • Available for Windows only
  • Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

  • Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
  • Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
  • Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

  • The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

  • The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
  • Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
  • Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

  • Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
  • You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Filmora instant cutter tool

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

  • Clean and Intuitive User Interface
  • 4K Video Support
  • Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

  • Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
  • Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
  • Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

  • Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
  • Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
  • Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

  • Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
  • Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

  • Every tool for video editing is available
  • Amazing Visual Effects
  • Efficient Text Processing
  • Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

  • Pro editing features are missing
  • Available for Windows only
  • Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

  • Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
  • Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
  • Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

  • The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

  • The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
  • Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
  • Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

  • Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
  • You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Filmora instant cutter tool

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

  • Clean and Intuitive User Interface
  • 4K Video Support
  • Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

  • Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
  • Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
  • Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

  • Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
  • Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
  • Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac

1. iMovie

Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.

iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.

Pros:

1. Switching across different devices:

This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.

2. Advanced editing features:

What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .

3. Saving all the original files

An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.

Cons:

  • Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
  • Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices

2. VSDC

Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10

VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.

VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.

Pros:

  • Every tool for video editing is available
  • Amazing Visual Effects
  • Efficient Text Processing
  • Lots of Blending modes

Cons:

  • Pro editing features are missing
  • Available for Windows only
  • Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available

3. ShotCut

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.

This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.

Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.

Pros:

  • Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
  • Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
  • Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.

Cons:

  • The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.

4. LightWorks

Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.

However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.

Pros:

  • The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
  • Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
  • Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.

Cons:

  • Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
  • You need to register first to use it

5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool

Supporting OS: Windows and Mac

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.

Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.

Filmora instant cutter tool

Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .

Pros:

  • Clean and Intuitive User Interface
  • 4K Video Support
  • Trim and merge large videos quickly

Cons:

  • Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool

Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors

While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.

  • Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
  • Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
  • Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.

Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.

Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly

  • Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
  • Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
  • Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.

Also read:

  • Title: Updated Shake It Off How to Fix Shaky Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro for 2024
  • Author: Ava
  • Created at : 2024-04-29 13:23:14
  • Updated at : 2024-04-30 13:23:14
  • Link: https://video-content-creator.techidaily.com/updated-shake-it-off-how-to-fix-shaky-footage-in-adobe-premiere-pro-for-2024/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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Updated Shake It Off How to Fix Shaky Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro for 2024