It’s been 13 years since Apple released Final Cut X, marking over half of the life span of this video editing software, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this past April. In a consumer software world where change is constant, many wondered if the company had decided to phase out this program.
However, the wait is over, and Apple has finally launched Final Cut Pro version 11, available for download starting Wednesday. Current users can update at no cost, while new users will need to pay $300 on the Mac App Store, with a free 90-day trial available.
What makes this new version so anticipated? Two letters: AI. After integrating Apple Intelligence into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple now powers Final Cut Pro 11 with artificial intelligence to add innovative features.
Among the key new features is Magnetic Mask, a tool that allows users to cut out people and objects in a video without the need for a green screen.
“This precise and powerful automatic analysis provides greater flexibility for customizing backgrounds and environments,” Apple explains. “Editors can combine Magnetic Mask with video effects and color adjustments, achieving detailed control and styling in every project.”
Another AI-powered function is Transcribe to Captions, which makes it easier to add subtitles to the project timeline through Apple’s proprietary large language model (LLM).
One of the other notable improvements focuses on Apple’s mixed reality headset, which is currently facing some challenges. After adding spatial video capture in the latest iPhones, Final Cut now allows editing of this content, applying color correction, effects, and adjusting title depth.
Although Tim Cook acknowledged that the $3,500 Vision Pro headset isn’t yet a mass-market product, Apple is working on a more affordable version. The Vision Pro itself, along with the iPhone 15 Pro and next-generation iPhone 16 models, can capture spatial video, as can a new dual lens recently released by Canon for its R7 camera.
Final Cut Pro 11 also includes tools designed to streamline work. Magnetic Timeline, for instance, simplifies clip reorganization while keeping audio synced with video.
Apple states that this version was optimized for its M-series chips, allowing the playback of multiple 4K and 8K ProRes video streams simultaneously.
Alongside this highly anticipated launch, Apple is also releasing Final Cut Pro 2.1 for iPad. This version includes improvements in the touch interface, lighting, and color, optimizing the workflow. Like the desktop version, existing iPad users can download this update at no cost starting Wednesday.
Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director