FCPX Pro Tip: Add a Skin Smoother Effect Without Any Plugins

Full Guide: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect with Final Cut Pro

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Fortunately, we have the best solutions to fix the skin tone issue by using FCPX’s built-in tools or smooth skin plugins. You will learn how to strategically adjust your footage’s look for stylistic purposes and impress your audience with your video-editing skills. Now, let’s understand what a skin smoother effect is before learning how to add it in FCPX.

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Smoothening the skin in Final Cut Pro is very simple. Simply select the video, choose Video effects to be applied, and adjust the percentages from the Inspector pane. You will get wrinkle-free skin with an astonishing look. While multiple plugins are also available to apply a skin smoother effect, you can use the built-in features of Final Cut Pro to smoothen the skin and decrease the amount of contrast.

Here’s how you can do this:

step1Choose the starting image and edit the clip into the timeline. Press Option and make a connected copy of the clip by dragging it up. The start and end points should match for syncing. In the Effects Browser, drag Blur > Gaussian Blur to apply the blur effect on the upper clip.

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

step3Now, go to the top of the Inspector and turn on the blue checkbox next to Gaussian. Adjust the blurring effect until you achieve your desired level of skin softening. It is highly recommended to blur using the horizontal setting to soften the skin while keeping the eyes sharp. Here, the glow is controlled by Opacity while skin softening is controlled by the Blue Amount.

For better results, add a Vignette by selecting and combining the two clips into a Compound Clip. From the Effects Browser, select Stylize > Vignette and adjust drag the vignette. Now, customize the compound clip settings in the Inspector pane until you achieve your desired look. Compare the results between two images before and after editing

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Plugins make it easy for beginners and users with limited expertise to add a skin smoother effect in Final Cut Pro X. You can find both free and paid skin smoother plugins for FCPX online. Given below are some popular skin smoothening plugins for Final Cut Pro X.

Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
3 to 5 times faster rendering.

Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
Allows personal preference on the interface.

Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Smooth skin with clear facial expressions attracts everyone. You can apply a skin smooth effect in your video by using advanced video editing tools like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premium, and Wondershare Filmora.

There are two methods to add a skin smooth effect with FCPX: By using in-built software settings, or by using plugins like Skin Smoother 2, Color Finale, and Universe. Use Beauty Studio Effect in Adobe Pro to smooth skin and improve facial appearance. Finally, you can beautify the face in your video by adding transitions, making color adjustments, and applying different effects with Wondershare Filmora.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Here’s how you can do this:

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
3 to 5 times faster rendering.

Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
Allows personal preference on the interface.

Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Here’s how you can do this:

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
3 to 5 times faster rendering.

Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
Allows personal preference on the interface.

Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It’s quite common for vloggers to try to show the best of their states. However, makeup, weather, and the shooting equipment may disagree. So, how to tackle this problem?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Here’s how you can do this:

step2Open the Inspector pan and select Compositing from its bottom. Switch the Blend Mode to Lighten and adjust the Opacity slider as per your desired glow. Usually, 40 to 45% is ideal.

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Skin Smoother 2

Skin Smoother 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to smooth out unwanted skin details and enhance your facial appearance.

Price: $19.99 (One-time Charges)

Software Requirements: FCP 10.2 or later

Features:

Enhanced control over facial adjustments with fine-tuning giving more natural results;
Precise color sampling without a need to match up with present skin tones; and
3 to 5 times faster rendering.

Color Finale

Color Finale is a user-friendly, fine-tuned, and fully-featured professional skin smoother plugin purpose bit for FCP.

Price: $152

Software Requirements: FCP 10.4.8 - 10.5.1

Features:

Color wheels, curves, and LUT utilities;
A complete professional color toolset for videographers, colorists, and editors; and
Allows personal preference on the interface.

Universe

A comprehensive FCP tool with 89 individual plugins to apply the next-generation skin smoothening and facial improvement effects.

Price: $199/year

Software Requirements: FCPX 10.5 or later

Features:

Advanced transitions and effects and motion graphics tools;
A variety of cool presents and text generators; and
Number counters, chromatic aberration, VHS looks, camera shake, glitch effects.

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Follow these steps to use the Skin Smooth 2 Plugin for Final Cut Pro X:

Purchase and download the Skin Smoother 2 plugin. Go to downloads, unzip the folder containing the plugin and install it on your computer.
Open the FCPX, go to Effects, and click on Skin Smoother 2. A list of options will appear. Import the image or video you want to edit.
To apply the skin-smoothing effect, click on Add Color Mask, and select the areas of the face where the color mask has to be added.
Adjust the Skin Smoothing, Smoothing Mix, and the Softness of the color mask as per your requirements.
Finally, click on Add Shape Mask, two circles will appear on the image. Adjust the covering area of both circles for Shape Mask 1 to add a smiling face.

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Wondershare Filmora features advanced tuning tools and a variety of video filters and overlays. Learn how to smooth skin or beautify your face in the video with this advanced video-editing software.

Open Filmora, open New Project and click Import to load your videos to the timeline.
Double click on the video to open the editing window. Open the Color panel and adjust parameters according to your preference such as white balance, tone, and 3D LUT, etc.
Open the toolbar, click the Advanced Color Tuning icon, go to the advanced color tuning window, and adjust the white balance, color tint and temperature, HSL, 3D LUT, Vignette, and Light. If you are a beginner, try applying the present templates.
To set a specific tone or beautify your video, open the Tools tab and click the Color Correction option to change the color tones.
Open Effects and Transitions and select the skin smooth filter. Hover the cursor over the filter and click the plus icon in the middle to add that effect. You can also apply the effect to the whole clip by dragging and dropping it directly onto the video clip.

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Given below are simple steps to create a face matter, control the skin smoothing, adjust color correction, and correct the skin glow in Adobe Pro by using the Beauty Studio Effect:

Applying the Beauty Studio effect smoothens all parts of the image including the background. However, it will make your footage look artificial, which is not desired. Hence, turn on the Pixel Chooser, pick two colors with the eye dropper tool. Color A for the darker area and Color B for the lighter area.
Underneath the Mocha Matte, use the eyedropper tool to select colors on the skin of the subject in your footage.
Now, click on View Matte/Mask to visualize the image areas where you are applying the skin smoothing effect. The Beauty Studio will affect the smoothing effect in the white area while the black area will remain unsmoothed.
Adjust the Saturation, Hue, and Luma softness to enhance the appearance of the skin, eyes, and mouth.
To prevent the rest of the image from getting affected, create a Mocha mask around the face by clicking on the Mocha logo and drawing a mask with the X-Spline tool. Make sure the mask moves as the subject is moved after your track forward and back.
Beauty Studio offers four levels of skin smoothing. You can adjust these levels as per your situation by lowering the smoothing amount for each level. For better results, adjust the levels at 70 or below.
For the final touch, adjust the sharpening between 10-20 points, add saturation between 3 to 8 points for color correction, and add 5 to 10 points of glow. Your image is ready, compare the results before and after applying the effect.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

FCPX Image Editing: A Beginner’s Guide to Cropping

Final Cut Pro X: How to Crop an Image

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cropping an image means to remove a portion of the image, either to hide something you don’t want the audience to see or emphasize different elements within the image. Just as Photoshop allows us to crop still images, Final Cut Pro X allows us to crop moving video clips, as you’ll learn in this article.

This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, 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 Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

However, before I show how this is done, I need to explain one really important fact about video: all video uses what’s called “fixed resolution.” Fixed resolution means that high-definition video is always displayed at one of two sizes:

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

Unlike still images which can be thousands of pixels on a side, video clips are locked into one of these two sizes. This means that if you crop a video clip, to remove something you don’t like, the remaining pixels are often enlarged to fill the frame. Crop too much and your video clip will look blurry, blocky, and edges will look stair-stepped.

I’ll show you two ways to crop a video clip in this article, one that maintains a high image quality but reduces the size of the frame (called “trimming”) and the other that fills the frame with the image but reduces image quality (called “cropping”). You get to pick which one works the best for you.

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Now, drag a blue button in one of the corners. Because cropping, unlike trimming, fills the frame with the portion of the image we select, we can only move corners and the image is always sized to match the aspect ratio of our sequence.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

Cropping is used to reframe an image, say from a medium shot to a close-up, but runs the risk of overly softening an image. The general rule is that cropping a little is OK, but don’t crop too much.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Free M4A Editing Solutions: Top 5 Software

Top 5 Best Free M4A Editor Software in 2024

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Since 2007, Apple has sold their audio files on iTunes as M4A files. M4A is a high quality audio file compatible with all Apple products and software. Unfortunately, considering the audio file is relatively new and designed to work only on Apple software, most audio editors have difficulty importing the file type. There are few audio editor programs, for professional or personal use, that support the file and do so well. Despite this, it is still possible to find free audio editors that supports M4A. However, you must be careful to edit only non-copyright protected audio files. Most of these programs do not support copyrighted M4A files. That means no editing of an audio file you downloaded from the iTunes store. If you avoid copyrighted materials, these five free audio editors that allow you to edit your M4A files with little to no trouble.

1.Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a shockingly advanced free M4A compatible audio editing software. You can record audio from various sources with ease. Once you import your M4A file, you can delete, cut, copy, mix, and paste different sections of the M4A file or combine the edited file with another imported M4A file. You can also create DVDs out of the file format.

Platform: Windows, Mac

2.AVS Audio Editor

AVS Audio Editor is an advanced free M4A compatible editing software. You can edit and save files in M4A format, which is an uncommon feature. Many programs that can edit M4A files cannot save the edited files in the same format, so AVS Audio is welcome change to the market. You also can make your audio file unique to you with 20 different effects and filters within the program. On top of all this, within the software, you can record audio in the M4A format.

Platform: Windows only

Cons: there will be a voice logo which will pop-up every 10 seconds in the free version.

3.Wavepad

Wavepad is a simple audio editor from Australia’s NCH Software. This free desktop software supports the editing and conversion of M4A audio file formats.

To edit a file, import the file into the program. You can then select sections to delete, copy, or cut. You can also add audio effects to all of or part of the audio file. Examples of the effects available on Wavepad include echo, reverberation, and normalization.

You also can convert from and to M4A with this program. The “to and fro” conversion will be especially useful to you if you need to convert your files to an iTunes friendly format.

Keep in mind that this audio editor only is free for non-commercial use. If you want to use this editor for professional or money-earning purposes, upgrade to the paid Master version of the software.

Platform: Windows, Mac

4.Windows Movie Maker

Since its 2011 edition, Windows Movie Maker (WMM) has touted free audio editing features. You can edit a variety of audio file formats, including M4A. When you import a M4A file into Windows Movie Maker, the audio file will appear in the audio/music section of the timeline. From there, you edit the m4a file in the same manner you would edit a video on WMM. You can split, combine, and remove sections of the audio.

There are two downsides of using WMM to edit your M4A files.

One downside is that WMM will always output the audio file as a WMA. That being said, WMA files are compatible with most audio playing formats and can easily be converted into another type of audio file, so there’s no need to fret.

The second downside is that the audio editing feature, just as the program’s video editing capabilities, is limited. Not much can be done to increase the loudness or clarity of an audio file. To increase the clarity or loudness of your M4A file, you will need to utilize another audio editor.

Platform: Windows only

5.DJ Audio Editor

DJ Audio Editor is a professional-grade free M4A compatible editing software. Import the MP4 file and enjoy the editing process. As with most of the other audio editors on this list, you can apply filters and effects to parts of or all of your file. What makes this audio editor different is the addition of an audio properties editor. You can edit the metadata of each audio file, adding titles, artists, and other pieces of information. DJ Audio Editor is a free product that has a paid version. However, users who take advantage of the free software have most of the benefits paid users have. DJ Audio, despite its various amounts of features, will take up little space on your desktop. The same software company that offers this editing software also offers several other video and audio programs. These programs are also “freenium,” meaning they are free in their most basic form. Working with M4A files does not doom you to paying hundreds of dollars to get a compatible audio editor. Check out the free editors above and see which one is the best for you.

Platform: Windows only

Conclusion

Above m4a editors all can meet your demands when editing audios. And we highly recommend you to try Filmora to edit m4a files, as it can work on both Windows and Mac, and it really can do more for you. When it comes to video editing, it is the tool you would need.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

1.Wondershare Filmora

Platform: Windows, Mac

2.AVS Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Cons: there will be a voice logo which will pop-up every 10 seconds in the free version.

3.Wavepad

Wavepad is a simple audio editor from Australia’s NCH Software. This free desktop software supports the editing and conversion of M4A audio file formats.

You also can convert from and to M4A with this program. The “to and fro” conversion will be especially useful to you if you need to convert your files to an iTunes friendly format.

Keep in mind that this audio editor only is free for non-commercial use. If you want to use this editor for professional or money-earning purposes, upgrade to the paid Master version of the software.

Platform: Windows, Mac

4.Windows Movie Maker

There are two downsides of using WMM to edit your M4A files.

Platform: Windows only

5.DJ Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

1.Wondershare Filmora

Platform: Windows, Mac

2.AVS Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Cons: there will be a voice logo which will pop-up every 10 seconds in the free version.

3.Wavepad

Wavepad is a simple audio editor from Australia’s NCH Software. This free desktop software supports the editing and conversion of M4A audio file formats.

You also can convert from and to M4A with this program. The “to and fro” conversion will be especially useful to you if you need to convert your files to an iTunes friendly format.

Keep in mind that this audio editor only is free for non-commercial use. If you want to use this editor for professional or money-earning purposes, upgrade to the paid Master version of the software.

Platform: Windows, Mac

4.Windows Movie Maker

There are two downsides of using WMM to edit your M4A files.

Platform: Windows only

5.DJ Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

1.Wondershare Filmora

Platform: Windows, Mac

2.AVS Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Cons: there will be a voice logo which will pop-up every 10 seconds in the free version.

3.Wavepad

Wavepad is a simple audio editor from Australia’s NCH Software. This free desktop software supports the editing and conversion of M4A audio file formats.

You also can convert from and to M4A with this program. The “to and fro” conversion will be especially useful to you if you need to convert your files to an iTunes friendly format.

Keep in mind that this audio editor only is free for non-commercial use. If you want to use this editor for professional or money-earning purposes, upgrade to the paid Master version of the software.

Platform: Windows, Mac

4.Windows Movie Maker

There are two downsides of using WMM to edit your M4A files.

Platform: Windows only

5.DJ Audio Editor

Platform: Windows only

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Video Editing on a Mac? Here Are 10 Fantastic Vegas Pro Alternatives

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.

Lightworks
Wondershare Filmora
Adobe Premiere Pro
HitFilm Express
Kdenlive
OpenShot
Blender
Jahshaka
Final Cut Pro
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

What are the limitations when using Sony Vegas (Vegas Pro) on Mac?
Hot FAQs about Vegas Pro Alternatives

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

10. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

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.

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

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

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:

2. Wondershare Filmora

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

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:

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

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

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

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:

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.

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:

6. OpenShot

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.

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:

7. Blender

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

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:

8. Jahshaka

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

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

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:

10. Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

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:

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

You need to invest in other hardware

Not incredibly unique

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.

Ai Vdieo Software

FCPX Pro Tip Add a Skin Smoother Effect Without Any Plugins

FCPX Pro Tip: Add a Skin Smoother Effect Without Any Plugins

Full Guide: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect with Final Cut Pro

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Add a Skin Smoother Effect without Plugins in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: Where to Find Good Skin Smoother Plugins?

Part 3: How to adopt Skin Smoothing Plugins into FCPX?

Part 4: How to Smooth Skin in Filmora?

Part 5: How to smooth skin in Adobe Pro?

FCPX Image Editing: A Beginner’s Guide to Cropping

Final Cut Pro X: How to Crop an Image

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING

RESET

SUMMARY

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING

RESET

SUMMARY

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING

RESET

SUMMARY

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING

RESET

SUMMARY

Free M4A Editing Solutions: Top 5 Software

Top 5 Best Free M4A Editor Software in 2024

Liza Brown

1.Wondershare Filmora

2.AVS Audio Editor

3.Wavepad

4.Windows Movie Maker

5.DJ Audio Editor

Conclusion

Liza Brown

1.Wondershare Filmora

2.AVS Audio Editor

3.Wavepad

4.Windows Movie Maker

5.DJ Audio Editor

Conclusion

Liza Brown

1.Wondershare Filmora

2.AVS Audio Editor

3.Wavepad

4.Windows Movie Maker

5.DJ Audio Editor

Conclusion

Liza Brown

1.Wondershare Filmora

2.AVS Audio Editor