Yes, You Can Edit Video Like A Pro On Linux - Here Are My 4 Go-to Apps

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Linux has respective high-quality video editors.
• You'll find immoderate pro-level and immoderate built for consumers.
• The best-in-class goes to DaVinci Resolve.

I've been filming and editing videos for a agelong time. When I first started, I worked pinch package that was user-friendly but incapable of producing professional-level videos. Slowly, I climbed nan ladder. Now I consciousness for illustration nan devices I person are worthy of being taken seriously.

That's not to opportunity those apps I utilized early connected aren't viable options, but it does dangle connected nan results you want to achieve, your target audience, and how/where you scheme connected distributing/submitting your work.

Whether you're conscionable starting pinch video edits aliases person been astir that peculiar artifact a fewer times, location are immoderate value editors disposable for nan Linux operating system. Here are my apical four.

1. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve (by Black Magic) is my go-to editor these days. Yes, it has a steep learning curve (and a lot of features), but it's worthy each 2nd you put into it. I've been utilizing Resolve for a mates of years, and each clip I usage it, I find thing caller to love. One of nan champion things astir Resolve is its colour grading devices (which are incredible). Outside of Adobe Premiere, you won't find a amended instrumentality for getting conscionable nan correct colour for your videos. And pinch nan latest releases, those devices are moreover smarter and easier to use. 

Also: 5 caller features successful DaVinci Resolve 19 that make my favourite video editor moreover better

But, arsenic I said, location is simply a steep learning curve pinch this software. If you really want to get nan astir retired of DaVinci Resolve, you person to return nan clip to study things for illustration a node-based workflow and person a coagulated knowing of really colour useful successful film. The bully news is that Resolve does person built-in support for a ample number of cameras. The caveat is that nan mostly of cameras included are cinema-quality and not consumer-grade. With DaVinci Resolve, you tin get creator pinch your colour grading aliases simply make it look arsenic existent arsenic possible.

DaVinci Resolve has some a free type and a paid Studio type ($295), which adds tons of other features (such arsenic AI, temporal and spatial sound reduction, text-based editing, Magic Mask, multi-GPU support, and more).

2. Lightworks

Lightworks video editor lives successful that abstraction betwixt user and professional. Lightworks has a timeline editor that tin grip video clips of each sizes, framework rates, and qualities. This editor isn't astir arsenic difficult to study arsenic Resolve, but it tin still nutrient stunning work. You'll get inheritance rendering and exporting, truthful you tin proceed to activity arsenic nan editor does its thing.

Lightworks besides supports proxy files, which tin make a large quality successful really good it performs (without lowering nan value of output). Although Lightworks doesn't person nan in-depth colour grading devices recovered successful Resolve, it's still very capable. You tin adhd ocular effects to your clips and greatly amended nan sound of your videos (which is ever an important characteristic for immoderate video editor). Lightworks has a free type that is stripped of galore precocious features and is usually considered a intends to effort retired nan editor. 

There are 2 paid versions: Create ($14/month), which includes much precocious features, and Pro ($28/month), which includes a broad group of features to get nan astir retired of your edits. You tin position nan afloat characteristic database for each type connected nan Lightworks value matrix.

3. Kdenlive

Now we commencement getting into nan editors that aren't considered pro-level, but tin still get nan occupation done. One of nan much celebrated Linux video editors is Kdenlive (KDE Non Linear Video Editor). One of nan champion qualities of Kdenlive is really fewer system resources it uses (even erstwhile rendering). Unlike nan pro devices above, you'll hardly announcement erstwhile this app is rendering a video for you. 

Also: My apical 2 productivity hacks for video editing that prevention maine clip - and wrist pain

You mightiness think, because Kdenlive is open-source, that nan UI would beryllium little than professional-looking, but you'd beryllium wrong. The Kdenlive UI is rather slick and user-friendly. As acold arsenic features are concerned, you won't find nan unthinkable colour grading devices recovered successful Resolve, but you do get immoderate awesome effects. While Kdenlive mightiness not beryllium an editor that is up to TV aliases film, it is simply a awesome action for those wanting to create YouTube videos, promo videos for your business, aliases videos to stock pinch family and friends. Kdenlive is free to instal connected astir Linux distributions.

4. Flowblade

Flowblade was created for fast, precise, and robust video editing. It offers basal editing devices (finally adding a trim instrumentality successful type 2.0). As well, you tin resistance and driblet a clip anyplace successful your timeline. You do get 9 video and audio tracks, truthful you tin create immoderate reasonably analyzable work, and you besides get six different compositors (such arsenic mix, zoom, move, and rotate). It besides features keyframe animation, 19 blends, and complete 40 shape wipes. There are plentifulness of filters to adhd to your clips, support for astir image formats, and videos tin beryllium rendered successful nan astir communal types. 

Also: My 9 must-have gadgets for creating value YouTube videos

If you request to do superior colour work, Flowblade isn't your answer. To create seamless activity successful Flowblade, you'll want to guarantee nan colour connected your original clips is solid; otherwise, you could tally into problems. Flowblade is free to install, but nan only binary installer is for Debian/Ubuntu; otherwise, you person to instal from source.

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