Adobe vs Avid vs BlackMagic vs Mac …which one is best? With the abundance of websites and social media these days, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Videos are one way to stand out from the crowd and get your clients relating to you on a more personal level.
All you need is a laptop (or possibly just a smartphone) and some editing software to get started. If you're unsure which editing software is best for you, keep reading to learn about some of the best video editing systems currently available.
Below we are going to compare and contract the difference between Avid vs Adobe vs BlackMagic vs Mac native apps.
Adobe's Creative Cloud
Adobe's Creative Cloud integration comprises over 20 creative applications including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Character Animator, Animate, Premiere Rush, Audition, and Media Encoder.
Adobe basically covers every single corner of media creation from still images, to video, to website creation, to audio creation, you name it.
Adobe is definitely a leader in the Avid vs Adobe vs BlackMagic vs Mac debate. But its expensive, and they charge you every month!
Image Editing
Whether you're editing images or creating graphics, Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard. It offers the most image editing capabilities including layered editing, drawing, text, and 3D imaging.
Video Editing
Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the most complete video editing platforms on the market and includes tools for audio editing, titles, graphics, color correction, and compositing.
You can use it on both Mac and Windows, plus its own mobile apps. It is relatively easy to use with an intuitive interface and keyboard shortcuts.
You can import project files directly from Photoshop or render After Effects projects. Adobe supports almost all file formats and can work with 4K (or higher) resolutions.
Audio Capability
Adobe Audition is a robust audio toolkit in the Creative Cloud system. Its cleanup, restoration, and precision editing tools include multitrack, waveform, and spectral displays that will give a polished, professional sound to your videos.
Media Compression
With Adobe Media Encoder you can easily compress a video without a noticeable change in the quality or changing the aspect ratio.
Features
- Adobe Creative Cloud provides a low entry price to an amazing suite of products that deliver high-quality features.
- With a subscription plan, you can get free access to the latest releases of the products.
- The cost of the subscription compared to a perpetual purchase is worth it for many organizations. For instance, the full master collection price is about $2,500. This amount represents three to four years of subscription depending on the edition considered and does not include upgrades, this costs about $500 when going from CS5.5 edition to CS6 edition. In this case, the subscription sounds very affordable.
Pricing
Each Adobe Creative Cloud software provides four different plans: Individual, Teams, Enterprises, and Education. All of which cost different monthly subscription fees. You can check out these plans here!
Thoughts
The biggest advantage of using Adobe Creative Cloud is that it provides a low entry price to an amazing suite of products delivering high-quality features. Its users love it whether they’re just trying it out for the first time or they are avid Adobe users, it works great for the beginners and also for the experts. There are so many plans to choose from, anyone in any niche will find Adobe Creative Cloud’s software useful.
Avid
The Avid platform is a strong all-around video and audio system. The industry standard for professional editors, the system integrates includes powerful media organization tools to integrate workflow and allow your entire team to collaborate.
The big problem with Avid is that its been around so long, tat it wasn't built as a modern app. ITs a legacy app that they keep trying bring into the future.
Because of that its one of the least user friendly options. Avid is the choice for a professional studio because all of its advanced features, but I don't recommend it for basic social media stuff.
Image Editing
While Avid’s Media Composer has one of the fastest color-grading systems in the industry…it only applies to video clips. The Avid platform does not have a still image editing program at all:(
Video Editing
The Media Composer video editing software gives you more power and speed for fast, consistent turnarounds. It includes color correction, stabilizer, slow motion, multi-cam editing, and much more.
You can cut quickly and easily on this keyboard-based editing interface that includes more shortcuts than most other editing packages.
With Media Composer, you can import and edit footage in any format, codec, or resolution. You can mix video, audio, images, and even have different frame rates within your project. Media Composer works with high-res, HDR, 8K, and more.
Audio Capability
AVID’s Pro Tools offers an all-inclusive audio interface that simplifies and connects your system. You can utilize up to 32 inputs and 128 tracks (more with Pro Tools Ultimate) with 5.4 GB of sounds included.
Media Compression
Avid’s Media Composer utilizes ProRes compression on raw data and supports frame sizes ranging from SD and HD to 4K and beyond. IT also allows for almost any type of file export.
That said, AVID is not the most adaptable export software. Like changing frame rates on an export usually causes problems.
Features
- Avid has perfected their software and have created a user experience like no other from things like their interface to their support both on hardware and software.
- They have a wide range of products that interface with Avid providing so many options for their users
- Their media composer is one that most people know about and avidly use.
- Get started with Avid has never been easier, they have made it incredibly easy to learn its interface along with all its great capabilities.
Pricing
Like Avid’s competitors, this software comes with different plans for different individuals and enterprises, big and small. Individuals interested in month-to-month subscription have the choice between the $29.99 1-year subscription and the $34.99 monthly subscription both providing slightly different benefits and access to all new releases, the Avid Complete Plugin Bundle, HEAT, UVI Falcon, and support.
Avid for individuals also offers a 1-year subscription plan for $299 for a discount on 2 months when you pay in full upfront along with access to all new releases, the Avid Complete Plugin Bundle, HEAT, UVI Falcon, and support.
There is also a Pro Tools perpetual plan for $599 that comes with a 1-Year Software Updates + Support Plan, which includes access to all new releases, bonus plugins (including UVI Falcon), and, support, renewable annually (see System Requirements) and once you buy it you own it forever. So you can forget about paying a monthly or yearly subscription fee.
There are more advanced plans for larger businesses and enterprises, of course. To get a better idea of each pricing for other leading plans you can visit the site here!
Thoughts
Movie and TV professionals looking for a robust video production tool can find exactly what they’re looking for in Avid Media Composer.
Its users can expect a pro tool with a wide range of features perfect for producing Youtube clips and home videos, but also full on feature films and television shows!
Non-commercial users can opt to use the free version of Media Composer first. This version is good for getting familiar with the program before going into professional filmmaking.
Black Magic Design
Black Magic's DaVinci Resolve is a multi-platform editing system that runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. This all in one software combines 8K editing, visual effects, audio and a full version of its professional-grade color correction system
Image Editing
Its world-class Color Features let you define looks and manipulate light and color for exceptional images. But like with avid, its video only. No still image editing option.
Video Editing
DaVinci Resolve lets you work with different frame rates and has a dual timeline system that lets you edit quickly. You can collaborate remotely with your team and share your projects instantly with online services like YouTube and Vimeo.
Some of DaVinci’s features include face-detection technology, tracking and stabilization, true 3D composition and 3D particle systems, plus new tools for sorting and previewing media assets.
DaVinci's Resolve Fusion app is one of the most advanced professional VFX compositing apps for motion graphics.
Audio Capability
With Fairlight, DaVinci Resolve provides professional audio postproduction, integrating ADR and mixing with 5.1, 7.1, or 22.2 mastering. With an internal library of over 1000 audio clips and cross-platform audio plug-ins, you have everything you need for your project.
Media Compression
With HDR and RAW video support, Black Magic’s DaVinci Resolve can input and output just about any format up to 8K, and works quickly due to it’s Cuda and Metal support.
Black Magic is by far the most comprehensive and fool proof compression and exporting engine. It's kind of a miracle worker really. This is one of the main reasons I love this software!
Features
- DaVinci Resolve does color correction via masking really well. The mask tracking feature is much faster and accurate than similar software applications.
- Its free version is extremely robust. Users love it because if anyone who is unsure about the software they can do an in-depth test run with the majority of its features, and evaluate to see if it is the right fit for them before purchasing the software.
- DaVinci Resolve is incredibly user-friendly, its ease of use is unmatched. They also make it extremely easy to adjust default settings and customize your fades, transitions, etc. precisely how the user wants them. It really leaves users feeling more empowered and is a total time-saver.
Pricing
DaVinci Resolve Studio costs $299 and gets you advanced color correction, full nonlinear editing, fusion effects, and motion graphics, and Fairlight professional audio tools, all included in a single and simple software solution perfect for all your editing needs.
Thoughts
DaVinci Resolve is sure to provide a feature-rich, and high-end video editing/post-production software solution.
It offers all similar features and capabilities of its competitors but without the price tag! It also contains the industry’s highest- quality color grading. DaVinci Resolve has the ability to work with basically any medium or format for video editing out there.
Mac Native Apps
Apple’s proprietary apps iMovie, Preview, and Garageband are fun, easy to use systems with simple, intuitive interfaces. While some feel they are too simplistic for a serious editor, they are a favorite for novice editors and Apple aficionados.
While Apple provides a competitive offering in the comparison of Adobe vs Avid vs BlackMagic vs Mac, the main downside is that they're only available to Mac, iPhone, and iPad users.
Image Editing (Preview)
Preview offers basic photo editing tools for adjusting the color, exposure, and other simple parameters. Plus it includes more advanced options for exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint, highlights, shadows, and sharpness.
Video Editing (iMovie)
iMovie has a great green-screen compositing tool, along with video stabilization, effects, and color correction. It uses an intuitive interface and includes easy to use themes and templates.
With support for 4K video editing, iMovie also lets you animate titles, add color filters and utilize special effects such as a split-screen. It does, however, lack some useful items such as 360-degree VR, motion tracking or multi-cam support
Audio Capability (Garage Band)
Garage Band allows for voice over recording, along with having a complete sound effect and music (instrumental and voice) library with pre-recorded loops and synths. The can be helpful especially if you need royalty-free music for your videos.
It supports MIDI recording and is a very stable system. However, it is a bit less flexible than other systems, for example, effects can only be added to an entire track, not individual sections.
Media Compression (iMovie)
It is easy to organize and view clips in iMovie and the program has good editing and export speeds. You can import from most GoPro or DSLR/mirrorless cameras, and of course, your iPhone.
iMovie provides 4K video support and importing/exporting of 1080p at 60 fps.
Pricing
Mac Native apps of course come reinstalled in every Mac, For most of the basic photo editing and video editing software, etc there isn’t any need to purchase these because they’re already provided with your purchase of a Mac computer. Yet another reason to love Apple!
Thoughts
Macs are premium devices containing the most amazing features, with awesome apps, and top-tier desktop programs supplied by Apple. These apps provided on Macs and ones that you can download for free really add to the luxury experience of having an Apple product such as the Mac.
Adobe vs Avid vs BlackMagic vs Mac Wrap-up
Whether you’ve decided to become the next YouTube sensation or utilize how-to videos on your company’s website, knowing how to edit videos will engage your audience on a whole new level.
From the professional industry standard of the Avid or the ease and simplicity of iMovie, you really can’t go wrong with any of these systems.
That said, my choices are these…..
Black Magic for Video creation. It has the most comprehensive set of tools and can create everything from a simple youtube clip to a full on feature films. If you are going to learn a video platform this is the one. And the price is amazing for what you get.
For image editing I use Adobe Photoshop, along with preview. Preview does a lot considering its free. But Photoshop allows you to really manipulate images in an untold amount of ways!