By: Nick Gambino
It’s been a staggering 13 years since Apple released a new version of Final Cut Pro, their popular video editing software. Final Cut X, released in 2011, was a big redesign that proved to be controversial amongst fans. We expected a new version within a couple years, but instead the company opted to do smaller updates, until now.
Apple just released Final Cut Pro 11 and has packed it with a ton of new features, including AI tools. And don’t get it twisted, AI is probably a huge reason why Apple decided to finally release a new version of the professional video editing software. They’ve just launched Apple Intelligence and are fusing AI tools into all of their products.
“With the power of Apple silicon and state-of-the-art machine learning capabilities, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are faster and more intelligent than ever,” Senior Director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps at Apple, Brent Chiu-Watson, said in a press release about the new software versions. “These latest updates give creative professionals more stylistic interpretations to explore – whether that’s with fine-tuned masking for color grading or amazing sound processing – and greater versatility and efficiency in their workflows.”
An example of an AI tool you can now use in Final Cut Pro 11 is the Magnetic Mask. This tool allows users to quickly cut people and objects out of videos without having to shoot on green screen first. Apple has also introduced automatic AI-power transcripted captions to videos.
Good news for those who currently have Final Cut X, they’ll get a free upgrade to 11. Those users who are buying Final Cut for the first time will have to shell out $300 or start a 90-day free trial. This is still cheaper than Adobe Premiere Pro which requires a monthly subscription that can quickly eclipse $300 in under a year depending on the plan.
Final Cut Pro 11 is available right now in the Mac App Store. They’ve also created a new version of Final Cut Pro for the iPad, available now in the App Store as well.
