Jul 01, 2020 Premiere Pro tops on the chart of best video editing software for years. It collects rich and powerful editing capability for GoPro shots, general videos or even feature films. It gives full support of all GoPro raw files, from 4K to 360-degree video (from Fusion), from slow-motion to time-lapse. Oct 21, 2016 The GoPro app is the quickest, easiest way to update your camera–all you need is a smartphone or tablet and access to Wi-Fi. You can also use the app to control your camera remotely, view your photos and videos and share on the fly.
Last article update: April 2020
In this article, we’re talking about different GoPro video editing software options.
If you’re a GoPro user, chances are that at some point you will want to edit your shots and create cool looking videos. Or maybe you want to save yourself some time and use our GoPro video editing services.
Anyways, enough with the self promotion…
At the end of the day you will want to take all that raw footage and start cutting it, stitch it, do transitions, add effects, stabilize the image if it’s too shaky, add music or voiceover, add titles or credits.
But where do you start?
How can you edit your GoPro videos?
So I get this question a lot from people that use our video editing services: Cristian, what is the best GoPro video editing software?
And that’s exactly what we are going to talk about in this post.
Please note that it this post I am going to refer to desktop or laptop software. I like to edit all my videos on a PC because it is much easier and faster.
If you are looking to edit your GoPro footage on your phone, head over to this article.
Best GoPro Video Editing Software
Now, before we jump right into it, let me just tell you that there is not really such a thing as the universal best GoPro video editing software.
It is more like a matter of personal preference and personal needs. Some people may just want to do really basic stuff like trimming the footage a little bit. For this purpose, a free, really simple video editor will do just fine.
Some, on the other hand, will want to do color grading, mask out objects or add visuals. In this situation, you will probably have to look at a paid video editing software which will be much more complex to learn to use.
So it’s not really a one size fits all kind of thing. You will have to decide on your own which is the best option for you personally.
With that being said, let’s get started on this.
#1 Quick by GoPro (Free)
Quick is a free basic video editor that was developed by GoPro itself.
So you would think that it is a great piece of software tailored specifically for creating GoPro videos.
The truth is that Quick is nothing more than a really simple and quite minimalistic video editing software that would allow you to do that much with your footage.
It’s more like a place or hub where GoPro allows you to keep all your clips and do really minimalistic edits.
There’s also a mobile version of it which I talked about over here if you’re interested in reading that.
But, the app is free, you can download it by clicking here and you’re ready to do. It will probably work if you are a complete beginner when it comes to editing videos. So if that’s you maybe Quick really is the best option in your case.
Now, GoPro had another piece of software out a while back called GoPro Studio. Unfortunately, that’s not available anymore so if you haven’t downloaded it back in the day, well there’s nothing you can do about it now. They discontinued that in August 2017.
Those of you who have it, you can still use it, I think it’s better than Quick, it has more feature and it lets you do more stuff with it. But you probably won’t be getting any updates or support from GoPro on it.
#2 Filmora (Free or Paid)
Moving on to more serious stuff, Filmora is a video editing platform that offers both a free version and a paid one.
You can start with the free version and then decide if it’s worth to buy the paid version.
If you want my personal opinion, I would spend the money on a more professional-grade video editing software if you do decide to get serious about your edits. But again, that’s just my opinion. Obviously, you can do whatever you want.
The free version is really good, definitely better than most free alternatives.
#3 iMovie (Free)
If you’re on Mac, the iMovie is actually a pretty good piece of editing software. Regardless if you’re looking to edit GoPro footage or any other kind of footage for that matter.
It’s great even if you’re not that new to video editing, it comes with plenty of options that will allow you to get really creative with your edits.
So big thumbs up to Apple for this awesome free piece of software. The Mac might be more expensive than a PC, I’m not going to even get into that debate now, but you do get great software with it, among other benefits.
If you’re on a PC though, Windows decided to retire their Movie Maker app, so you won’t be getting that anymore.
Don’t worry though, there are other free options that you can download.
#4 VSDC (Free)
VSDC is a great free GoPro video editing software alternative for PC users.
It is a really feature-rich editor and it can be a little bit confusing at first, but once you know your way around it, it’s really powerful and easy to use.
They also have a paid version which is just $20, and it will allow you to see the waveforms for the audio, do video stabilization, masking and chroma keying. So you might want that if you plan on editing green screen videos or you need to mask stuff in your videos.
But the paid one really has a ton of features that will keep you busy even if you are a seasoned video editor. I would’ve loved to have the waveforms and stabilization included in the free version, but $20 is a pretty good deal too.
#5 Magix Movie Edit (Paid)
Magix Movie Edit works with Windows and has 3 different options you can pick from:
![]()
There is also a free trial option that lets you play with it before you buy the license.
I would say it’s a decent tool, pretty powerful, comes with a pack of nice features.
It has to offer way more options than the above-mentioned video editing programs, but it doesn’t quite compete with the more complex (and more expensive solutions).
So it’s probably a mid-range kind of program that targets the semi-professional video editors.
Definitely worth trying the free trial and see if it grows on you.
#6 Premiere Elements (Paid)
Premiere Elements is developed by Adobe, which is world-renowned for all the illustration/photo/video software such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
Elements is like a little brother of the Premiere Pro which is really serious stuff. It will run you around $70 I think, but you do get a lot more options and features than you would get from any other free alternative.
As I’m sure you guessed, Premiere Elements is targeted at beginners and it even comes with 3 different editing modes you can use: quick, guided and expert mode.
“Quick” is the easiest, “guided” gives you a glimpse at what all the features to and the “expert” mode just lets you tweak all the knobs and figure out on yourself how everything works.
So Premiere Elements it’s a pretty good start if you are looking to slowly transition to professional video editing software such as Premiere Pro. Regardless if you are looking to edit just your GoPro footage or footage coming from any type of camera.
#7 Premiere Pro (Paid)
Alright, so this is one of my favorite pieces of editing software to use.
Premiere Pro will allow you to do absolutely anything you want with your footage. The only real limitation is your creativity.
Obviously, it will also take more time and practice to learn how to use this amazing tool. So expect a learning curve of at least a couple of months.
Premiere Pro is a subscription-based, paid video editing software that costs around $200-$300 per year. If you’re lucky you can get it on sale on Amazon for a bit less.
There’s no point to even begin to talk about the software itself. What I can tell you is that this is a Hollywood grade video editor. It is packed with everything you will ever need. On top of that, it can be easily integrated with After Effects, which is Adobe’s animation tool.
There are also a ton of plugins, LUTs (used for color grading) and presets that you can download and load up in Premiere Pro. Another plus is that the community around Premiere Pro is so big. You will always find an answer to any question you may have about editing using Premiere.
Adobe also does a really great job at optimizing their video editing software for using the high-end hardware that’s available right now. So, it will use all the cores of your CPU and GPU, unlike other free or less expensive video editors.
I think that’s particularly important when you are editing 4K GoPro footage. I know GoPro uses a compression method that is not as good (or as CPU friendly) as the one used by other cameras.
#8 Final Cut (Paid)
If you’re on a Mac user, Final Cut is probably the best video editor you can get your hands on. I’m on a PC so I don’t really have hands-on experience with it.
But from what I have been told and read, it’s just as good as Premiere Pro if not better. Also, I think it’s very, very well optimized for using the hardware and software configuration of the Mac since it is developed by Apple.
So you really can’t go wrong with it.
Best video editing software mac 2015. Apple MacBook Pro 15”Apple’s latest MacBook Pro may very well be the best MacBook Pro for video editing. And last but most certainly not least, you’ve got the excellent Retina display, with True Tone – a sharp, accurate and very bright panel that’s great for editing video. On top of the keyboard is the Touch Bar, a functional LED display which shows you shortcuts depending on the software you’re using at the moment. The Force Touch trackpad is excellent, it’s big and it’s very accurate.
Final Cut costs around $400 which is on the pricey side, but again, it’s a premium video editing platform.
#9 Vegas Pro (Paid)
Lastly but not least, there’s Vegas Pro, initially developed by Sony, and now owned by Magic.
This is a PC video editor that is quite good. Not really at the level of Premiere Pro or Final Cut, but it does offer a ton of features.
I used it a lot when I first got into video editing before I transitioned to Premiere Pro. From my own experience, Vegas Pro does have some ‘hiccups’ when you start to throw many large files at it.
It is also a bit on the pricey side. I think it will run you around $400, but at least that is a one time cost. Not a yearly subscription, as it is for Premiere.
How To Edit: Quick video editing tips for beginners
Before we wrap this up I wanted to give you guys a few tips on how to get the most out of your edits.
If you are interested in reading more about video editing I have a more in-depth article over here. So feel free to check out that one as well if you want to dive into this topic a little bit deeper.
These tips can be applied regardless of what GoPro video editing software you’re using.
Have the edit in your mind when you shoot
This is super important and I always say this. You need to plan your shoots so that they match the editing style or idea that you have in mind.
So you kind of decide upfront what type of video you want to create.
Do you want it to be emotional? Do you want it to be high-paced, or maybe funny?
You can even go as far as to draft a little script if you’re into that.
Maybe you have a specific type of transition in mind for a particular scene. Think about how you will edit that transition and film in a way that will support your editing ideas.
Shoot way more than you need
The last thing you want to do is not have enough footage to chose from.
One rule that I try to implement all the time is to have at least 2-3 takes of the same shot/scene. That usually is enough for picking bits and pieces out of it that will make it to the final cut.
It’s not something unusual to end up with just 5 minutes of usable footage out of 40-60 minutes of raw video.
So keep that in mind next time you take out your GoPro camera and start filming.
Use the right GoPro accessories
The quality of your footage can depend a lot on the accessories you will be using.
Most of the GoPro footage that I get from clients is kind of shaky. And that’s normal if you think about the fact that this is an action camera, right?
But there’s an easy way to make it look so much more smooth.
That’s where this awesome piece of gear comes into play.
A gimbal will make wonders for your footage.
Also, don’t forget about external lights if you’re shooting in darker conditions, red filters for underwater clips and a dome for those over-under shots.
Setup your video editing workflow
First and foremost you want to be really, really organized with everything.
You will probably have to work with tens or hundreds of video clips, multiple project files, audio files, logos, and branding stuff.
Gopro Hero 4 Software Download
So what you want to do, or what I like to do when I edit GoPro footage or any footage for that matter is to create a well-organized folder structure.
I do this before I even start downloading the footage from the GoPro to my computer and before I start editing.
Here’s how my typical folder structure looks.
So there’s a folder for everything basically.
I have all my footage in one folder, and that folder might have multiple subfolders if I have shots from different cameras or B-roll and A-roll.
Then there’s a folder where I keep all the project files, one for the .mp4 renders that come out of the video editing software that I use.
Then there’s the audio folder where I keep all the music, voice-overs and audio effects that I use.
Lastly but not least, I have the AE folder which I use specifically for After Effects project files and render, in case I use any After Effects animations or elements inside the video edit.
This structure has been working great for me and I highly recommend you use something similar to keep all your stuff organized.
Conclusion
So I guess that’s pretty much it. It should be enough to get you started.
There’s no real good or bad GoPro video editing software to use for your footage. It just depends on what are your goals and how much time you want to put into it.
Start off with a simple, basic, free editing software and upgrade to a pro one if this thing grows on you.
Oh and by the way, if you are using different software which you think it’s great and it’s not listed here, please let me know and I’ll be happy to check it out.
Related Posts:
by Christine Smith • 2020-06-23 21:05:16 • Proven solutions
With GoPro, you can shoot mind-boggling videos in high quality. Moreover, you also get a chance to shoot the video in a wide-angle format. In case you want to edit GoPro videos to make them more presentable, then this is where free GoPro editing software comes for your rescue. With the help of excellent GoPro video editor free, you get a chance to trim and crop videos as per your choice on MAC and Windows laptop and then share them over the internet. These software are user-intuitive; thus, you can work them in an efficient manner and save lots of your precious time during the edition process.
Part 1. Top 5 Free GoPro Editing Software for Windows Recommended
This is considered as one of the best GoPro editing software free for your windows laptops as it has excellent editing speed. Through the help of VSDC, you can easily process a wide range of multimedia and also supports a wide range of video formats. Thus you will get ease in the edition procedure. VSDC further provides you a wide range of features like enhancement of resolution, adjustment of parameters, etc.
This is another best free GoPro editing software that acquires less space on your computer system, and due to excellent GUI features, it gets very easy to use. Three main features which considered as cornerstones in this application are filtering, cutting as well as encoding. Furthermore, with the help of this software, you also get to de-noise as well as sharpen the video of your choice before you share it over the internet.
This is another GoPro video editor free for your Windows laptop, which will give you a chance to share videos on several media platforms, including YouTube. You will also be able to pick from a wide range of videos and audio formats. You will get a standard editing timeline with this software. This software allows you a chance to add videos by just selecting click here button.
This is another GoPro video editor free download for Windows, which gives you a chance to export videos on several online platforms in ultra HD form. You can even trim as well as editing and get a histogram tool for grading sequence in a professional manner. The GUI of this software is intuitive, and you will find it more than easy to use the software.
This best free software for GoPro editing offers you a wide range of customization for the video editing process. Davinci Resolve 16 gives you a source tape feature. Thus you can easily make a long video out of several individual clippings. Moreover, you also get a chance to choose a timeline when you plan to drop the clip. You also get a feature to perform clip stabilization from cut or edit page options.
Part 2. Top 5 Free GoPro Editing Software for Mac Recommended
Wondershare Filmora is the best GoPro video editing software for pc free program because the software is best in accordance with the interface of the software as well. The program interface is designed for beginners as well as professionals. Wondershare Filmora is available for the Mac and windows both types of users and fully compatible with mostly all new and older versions of the Mac and windows. This is a very powerful video editing software that offers you very easy to use and powerful tools for editing your videos very quickly without making much effort. You can easily create the simple to professional-looking videos with the help of the software in just a few minutes.
This free GoPro editing software, with the help of which you can edit professional-grade videos over the internet. Hit film express provides a large number of animation tools and allows you to sync audio and video files in a perfect manner. Through the aid of this tool, you also get a chance for compositing and layering of videos and sound files on your computer. With the help of 3-dimensional camera projection, you get a chance to convert 2-dimensional photographs into three-dimensional scenes.
With Blender GoPro editing software free, you get a chance to edit videos, sculpting, game creation, simulation, three-dimensional modeling, etc. This application requires a very less amount of space. Thus it can easily be stored inside your MAC laptop. Furthermore, this application also gets a camera, tracking option for objects as well as masking of areas during the video editing process.
Best Gopro Hero 4 Editing Software Mac Free
This best free GoPro editing software supports a great deal of video and audio formats for your MAC computers. Moreover, you also get a chance to edit 360 as well as three-dimensional videos beautifully. VideoPad also allows you to burn CDs and upload them on the internet. During the process of export, you do not have to suffer from a loss in the overall quality of the video.
In case you are a beginner in the sector of video editing, then this is considered as one of the best GoPro video editor free. There are several great editing options that you can acquire with the help of GoPro Quik software viz. panning effects, time-lapses, the addition of audio, etc. This will help to create excellent videos without spending even a dime. If you are in extreme sports and want to shoot some thrilling videos, then this application provides you aid in adding speedometer, graphs as well as charts.
Part 3. Best Alternative to Free GoPro Editing Software for Windows and Mac
Apart from all software, Wondershare UniConverter is considered as the most promising GoPro editing software free. The GUI layout of this software makes it even easy for beginners to understand how to use several editing options without a glitch. Furthermore, you also get a chance to export near around 1000 or so several video formats on this software. This free GoPro editing software also provides you an effective and info-graphic tutorial with which you can easily understand how to use this application. You can also convert ultra HD quality video to 1080p and vice-versa, and the process of conversion is completely loss-less.
Wondershare UniConverter - Best GoPro Editing Software Mac/Windows (Catalina Included)
Security Verified. 7,975,022 people have downloaded it.
How to edit GoPro video with Wondershare UniConverter?
Best Gopro Hero 4 Editing Software Mac FreeStep 1 Open the Application on Your Computer.
In the initial step, you are required to open Wondershare UniConverter, and then you have to click on the convert button, after which you can easily add files of your choice.
Step 2 Edit Videos of Your Choice.
You then have to pick several editing options from the software’s dashboards viz. trim, crop, and regulating proper aspect ratio after making changes click on the Ok button.
Step 3 Pick the Right Converted Format.Best Gopro Hero 4 Editing Software Mac Compatible
Finally, you are required to pick a suitable converted format for the video and then click on the convert-all menu button. The process will take place automatically.
As for more editing features, here is an step-by-step tutorial of how to edit videos. Just move to How to Trim Video? to learn more.
Conclusion
There are several software over the internet with the help of which you can effectively edit GoPro videos. This will provide you exceptional ease in uploading excellent quality videos on several social websites and gain likes. One of the best attributes of these best free GoPro editing software is that you can even use them even if you do not have any knowledge about video edition. Wondershare UniConverter is considered as one of the most effective video editors for GoPro videos as it has easy to use GUI features. Here you also get to access a guide for proper references.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |