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The choices in software for video and audio editing/mixing are wide, with a few well-known frontrunners and a larger number of less well-known options available. If you're like me, you'd prefer to know what other people in your shoes are using, and what they like or don't like about the selection
they made.
For this article on NLEs and audio editing software, we thought we'd take a different approach and ask you what you are using and what you think of it. Our survey ran for about a week in June 2010. In this issue,we present a summary of what you had to say. Note that for the likes and dislikes, what is reported are items that multiple respondents commented on. For example, if only one out of 30 users of a particular product felt it was too expensive, it would not be listed as a "con" of the product. It should also be pointed out that the respondents' comments are on whatever version they are using, not necessarily what is currently for sale as the latest version.
Video Editing
We learned that of the 304 respondents who do video editing, 126 (41%) are using Apple's Final Cut Pro, followed by 63 (21%) using Adobe Premiere, 32 (11%) using Sony's Vegas, 29 (10%) using Pinnacle Studio and 54 people (18%) using a wide variety of other applications, including iMovie and Windows Movie Maker.
Sony Vegas has the highest user loyalty rating, with 96% saying they would buy Vegas again. Apple's Final Cut Pro was a close second, with 96% saying they would purchase Final Cut again. Loyalty falls as we head into the other choices; Adobe would keep 84% of their current users, Pinnacle would keep 82% of their users, and of those who listed "other" for their software choice, only 66% would make the same choice again.
Apple Final Cut Pro users appreciate the ease-of-use of their software, the stability of both Final Cut Pro and the Apple Mac platform, the high-quality appearance of the edited video, and the fact that Final Cut Pro is the industry standard for video editing. Some negatives mentioned include the price tag and having to render before being able to preview.
For Adobe Premiere, users like the integration with other Adobe products. While some mentioned ease-of-use as a positive, more complained about it being complicated and having a steep learning curve. Other negatives mentioned were its high cost, consumption of memory and processor resources, and some instability.
Sony Vegas users love its ease of use and low learning curve. Many commented on it being the best value for video editing on a PC. For negatives, one user mentioned having some DVD authoring issues, while several would like to see more Codecs included and more availability of plug-ins for effects.
Ease-of-use and low cost are two primary factors attractive to Pinnacle users. Many users wish it had more effects and features that are standard on other platforms, and several complained of crashes during rendering.
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Jim Kumorek is the owner of Spreading Flames Media, providing video/media production and writing services to the A/V/L, technology, architectural and hospitality industries. He has led audio, video and lighting teams in churches as both staff and a volunteer for over 10 years. He can be contacted at james@spreadingflamesmedia.com.
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