When it comes to video editing platforms, there are arguably two titans in the industry; Adobe's 'Premiere Pro' Apple's 'Final Cut Pro'. The former was originally considered to undoubtedly be the industry-topping platform, but Apple have improved Final Cut significantly in recent years, creating much more of a deadlock. Now both behemoths of video editing in their own right, the apps are often subject to polarising comparisons from editing aficionados, who tend to side rather religiously with either one or the other.
In this 5-minute read, we'll be clearing the noise, breaking down both platforms for their advantages & disadvantages that YOU should take note of before pulling the trigger.
Price
It's important to understand how much money you'll actually be parting ways with for each platform, especially given that they offer different pricing structures respectively. While Final Cut Pro requires a one-time financial commitment of $299.99 for creative individuals, Premiere Pro allows you to be more staggered with your commitment, by paying just shy of $20 per month for as long as you use the platform. Sounds great, but after a little over a year of paying for Premiere Pro by the month, you could have paid for Final Cut outright. Food for thought...
Functionality
Both platforms offer comprehensive video & audio editing features, although they're hidden in different corners of their respective interfaces; Final Cut's color grading takes place in the 'Color Board', while Premiere Pro uses a 'Lumetri Color' panel, for example. Final Cut could be said to be a little more intuitive to edit in from the off, with an interface that's noticeably cleaner and sleeker.
Apple have also made it easier to edit & export projects, and improved the platform's audio editing capabilities to arguably trump those of Adobe. Through its 'auto mode', Final Cut also boasts faster render times and less crashes, meaning less of an interruption to your creative process. If you're a creator who handles audio regularly, and prefers a quick, clean creative process with smaller projects, it may be worth opting for Final Cut Pro.
Premiere Pro is a little more complex initially, but for seasoned video creators who want more of the 'spaceship' experience, this is where the platform shines. With a more pro-orientated interface, and additional features such as cross-project editing, Premiere Pro boasts advantages for the versatile editing aficionado who handles big projects regularly, and is looking for a more holistic editing experience that allows them to get super detailed. While Premiere Pro is known to crash from time to time, it's also far more capable of handling larger projects & more file formats.
It's clear, then, that the devil is in the details when it comes to these two platforms. Both take the trophy for different purposes, and it's less a case of whether one is 'better', just whether it's more appropriate for YOU. Ultimately, however, both platforms would be a great choice for content creators looking to take their video editing to the next level.
If you're looking to license music directly within Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, Studio Lite is the only option. To learn more about the Studio Lite plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro & Final Cut, click here.