Avid Media Composer

December, 27th 2024 - 3.8 GB - Trial

Latest Version

Avid Media Composer 2024.6 LATEST
Review by

Sophia Jones
Operating System

Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 64 / Windows 11
User Rating

Click to vote
Author / Product

Avid Technology, Inc. / External Link
Filename

Media_Composer_24.6.0_Win.zip

Create with powerful free video editing software Avid Media Composer. Customize the interface for any production role! It has an option for everyone, from students to high-level post-production teams and broadcasters.

Discover new timesaving features and usability enhancements that enable you to edit faster with less stress. From more efficient bin workflows and workspaces to new Avid Titler+ capabilities, It keeps getting better.

Plus, gain more control over Media Composer 2025 | Distributed Processing, enabling various users to prioritize, suspend, resume, cancel, and delete jobs; create, view, and filter queues; display worker details; and much more.

Accelerate your edit
Boost your capabilities with advanced tools for color and news workflows.

Remote collaboration made easy
Add web browser editing, storyboarding, phonetic media search, and project management capabilities to your Media Composer workflow to jumpstart and accelerate post production.

Access your edit suite anywhere
Expand your production team and ramp up new projects at a moment’s notice with a fully provisioned virtual editing suite in the cloud—complete with cloud-optimized software and Avid NEXIS storage.

This highly desired feature request is here, enabling you to drag clips (or other bin content such as effects or titles) from one open bin window to the bin icon presented in the Bin Container or Project Sidebar, increasing workflow efficiency by saving clicks. If you have bins within a closed folder in your sidebar, dragging assets to the closed folder will expand it, so you can continue to drop them into one of the embedded bins.

Improve your timeline playback interaction and eliminate extra clicks by adding the new “Timeline Movement During Play” button to your timeline (find it in your Command Palette), which provides instant access to page through or scroll your timeline—even as your sequence is playing.

To create a more natural flow across workspaces, you can now load the last state of a workspace rather than the last saved workspace. That way as you’re working through your edit, opening different tools and panels, you always have the option to move freely between them without having to re-open anything.

It can now automatically populate text from Avid Titler+ as a clip note overlayed on the Titler+ segment. This enables you to view and search for the Titler+ title in the timeline, as well as export it as a clip notes list or as part of the EDL (Edit Decision List).

Being able to move to head or tail frames in your sequence, as well as to markers and keyframes, lets you quickly verify cut points or jump through any notes made to fix later. In the Composer Settings, you can now choose to go to the previous or next event/keyframe when the Composer, Timeline, and Audio Mixer windows are active.

Features

Advanced Editing Tools: Includes frame-accurate trimming, multicam editing, and real-time collaboration features.

Robust Media Management: Offers efficient project organization with customizable bins, media indexing, and metadata tagging.

HDR and 4K+ Support: Handles high-resolution projects seamlessly, offering HDR grading and real-time playback.

Integrated Effects: Includes tools for color correction, stabilization, and a library of transitions and visual effects.

Collaborative Editing: Avid’s cloud-based solutions allow teams to collaborate in real time from different locations.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: Runs on both Windows and macOS, ensuring flexibility for teams using diverse systems.

Seamless Workflow Integration: Compatible with third-party plugins and supports industry-standard formats, making it versatile for various production pipelines.

ScriptSync and PhraseFind: Helps editors locate and align clips efficiently using script and dialogue analysis.

What`s New

Enhanced PhraseFind™ with Transcript Tool:

Avid's PhraseFind toolset now includes an AI-powered Transcript Tool that automates transcription of source clips in multiple languages.
Editors can search for specific words/phrases across massive media libraries and use the transcriptions to perform basic edits directly from the tool to the timeline.
The feature significantly speeds up the editing process, as highlighted by industry professionals.

Improved Media Composer and Pro Tools Integration:

Seamless interoperability between Media Composer and Pro Tools eliminates the need for AAF file exports or round-trip imports.
Features like sub-frame automation for volume and pan, along with Pro Tools session file compatibility, ensure smooth metadata transfer.
This integration saves time and enhances efficiency in editing and mixing workflows, earning praise from prominent editors.

Introducing Avid Huddle for Collaboration:

Avid Huddle, a new SaaS solution, allows remote teams to review and approve content in real-time using tools like Microsoft Teams.
Editors can stream Media Composer timelines, receive time-stamped comments and annotations during video meetings, and import feedback as markers back into this program.
This tool replicates the collaborative in-person editing experience, enabling secure and efficient teamwork from anywhere.

User Interface

The Avid Media Composer’s user interface is designed with a focus on functionality and precision. While it might appear overwhelming for newcomers due to its vast array of tools and windows, experienced users appreciate the customizable layout that can adapt to specific project requirements.

The interface includes:

Timeline: The backbone of the software, enabling precise edits and layering.

Source and Record Monitors: Allow users to preview and refine their edits.

Project Window: Centralized access to all media, effects, and settings.

Custom Workspaces: Tailor the UI for tasks like editing, color correction, or audio mixing.

Installation and Setup

Download the software from Avid’s official website or FileHorse.

Run the installer and follow the guided setup.

Install additional plugins or codecs if required.

Activation: Choose from options like perpetual licenses, subscriptions, or free trials. Sign in with your Avid account for activation.

How to Use

Starting a New Project:

Open Media Composer and create a new project.
Set the desired resolution, frame rate, and file path.

Importing Media:

Use the Media Tool to import footage or link to external media files.
Organize clips into bins for easy access.

Editing:

Drag clips to the timeline to start building your sequence.
Use trimming tools, split edits, and ripple edits to refine cuts.

Applying Effects:

Add transitions and effects from the Effects Palette.
Use the Color Correction toolset for grading.

Exporting:

Use the Export settings to choose the format and resolution for your final output.
Save custom presets for future projects.

FAQ

Is Avid Media Composer suitable for beginners?
While it has a steep learning curve, Avid offers tutorials and training resources for new users.

Can I use Avid Media Composer on a low-spec computer?
It’s best to use a system that meets or exceeds the recommended specifications to avoid performance issues.

What’s the difference between Avid Media Composer and Premiere Pro?
This software is favored in high-end film and TV production for its collaborative tools and media management, while Premiere Pro is popular for general creative projects and YouTube content.

Does Avid Media Composer support plugins?
Yes, it supports a wide range of third-party plugins for effects, transitions, and workflows.

Is there a free version of Avid Media Composer?
Yes, Avid offers a free version called Media Composer | First, though it comes with limitations.

Alternatives

Adobe Premiere Pro: Best for creatives and freelancers due to its ease of use and integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Vegas Pro: An intuitive alternative with strong audio editing features.

DaVinci Resolve: Known for its advanced color grading and free version.

Pricing

Media Composer | First: Free

Perfect for beginners
Industry-standard creative tools
Edit like the pros

Media Composer: $40/month (Standard Subscription)

Complete professional editorial toolset
99 video and audio tracks
Advanced color management

Media Composer | Ultimate: $85.99/month (Advanced features and collaboration tools)

PhraseFind AI, ScriptSync AI, Symphony
Remote features & advanced deliverables
Shared bins & projects, and much more

System Requirements

Minimum:

Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and integrated graphics.

Recommended:

Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB RAM, and NVIDIA GTX series GPU.

PROS

Industry-standard for professional video editing.
Exceptional media management tools.
Supports high-resolution and HDR workflows.
Real-time collaborative editing.
Extensive plugin support.

CONS

Steep learning curve for new users.
Expensive for casual or hobbyist editors.
Demands high system resources.

Conclusion

Avid Media Composer remains a gold standard in the video editing industry, trusted by professionals for its precision, reliability, and collaborative capabilities. While it may be daunting for beginners and costly for casual users, the software’s advanced features and scalability make it a worthy investment for serious video editors.

Whether you’re producing a blockbuster film or editing a documentary, this program equips you with the tools you need to bring your vision to life.

Note: 30 days trial version.

Also Available: Download Avid Media Composer for Mac

Download Avid Media Composer Latest Version

What's new in this version:

Avid Media Composer 2024.6
- Transcript Tool
- Subclips and Groups Reference the Transcript for Master Clips
- Manage Transcription of Clips per Bin
- Import Pro Tools Session (PTXM) into Media Composer
- Expanded Marker Colors and Fields
- Sub-Frame Automation for Volume and Pan Controls
- Update to the Public Preview of OpenTimelineIO (OTIO)

Avid Media Composer 2024.6
- Change log not available for this version

Avid Media Composer 2024.2
- Change log not available for this version

Avid Media Composer 2023.12
- Change log not available for this version

Avid Media Composer 2022.12
Export Pro Tools Session:
- Projects that require additional audio editing, mixing, and picture turnover to a sound department, are now able to move their sessions more easily to Pro Tools by outputting a Pro Tools Session file (.ptx) from Media Composer.

Support for Avid MBOX Studio:
- Media Composer supports the new Avid MBOX Studio USB audio interface for both Windows and macOS

Mounting UNC Drives in Media Composer:
- Starting with this version of Media Composer, available UNC drives will be displayed in the appropriate menus and available for any read and write operations

Go to Previous Selected Clip and Go to Next Selected Clip:
- With the new “Go to Previous Selected Clip” and “Go to Next Selected Clip” commands, users can move forward and backward in the Timeline, depending on their selection

Avid Media Composer 2022.10
Enhancements:
- Noise Burst Peak Protection Preference:
- (Pro Tools Intro / Artist / Studio / Ultimate™)
- A preference can now be used to disable protection against unexpected noise bursts, allowing full headroom. For more information, please visit the Noise Burst Peak Protection Knowledge Base article.

Support for Avid | Carbon Expanded Systems:
- (Pro Tools Studio / Ultimate™)
- For more information on Pro Tools | Carbon + Carbon Pre (Expanded systems) please see the Carbon Systems support homepage

Support for MBOX Studio:
- (Pro Tools Intro / Artist / Studio / Ultimate™)
- For more information on MBOX Studio, please see the MBOX Studio support homepage.

Fixed:
ARA:
- Fixed a crash that was caused by moving a clip group with Melodyne or Elastic Audio to a new track
- Removed an assertion that occurred when committing or rendering a Melodyne clip containing a crossfade
- Fixed a rendering issue when dragging and dropping a Melodyne clip onto a track with a different timebase
- Fixed an ARA Tempo map issue that occurred when the song start was different than the session start
- Fixed an issue where Melodyne and Pro Tools bar numbers did not line up
- Removed an interrupt that occurred when performing certain operations on a Melodyne clip
- Reduced the frequency of the 'Saving ARA Data' progress bar
- The Melodyne tab height is now recalled after reopening the tab
- Fixed an issue that resulted in dropped Melodyne edits when recalling a Track Preset
- Aux I/O:
- Aux I/O devices will now be unavailable in the session when they are incompatible with the current Pro Tools H/W Buffer setting. This is to prevent audio artifacts

Control Surfaces:
- Surface knobs will more consistently update after attentioning tracks from a EuControl control surface or by clicking in Pro Tools
- Using OK and Cancel buttons from a EUCON control surface will no longer crash Pro Tools on macOS Catalina

Crashes and Errors:
- Fixed a crash on quit that may occur on session close after using Aux I/O (Fixed because of crash report submissions. Thank you!)
- Shift+clicking in the Edit Window to extend the edit selection will no longer assert when the grid is set to Bars|Beats and the Main Counter is set to something else
- Tabbing to the next or previous MIDI clip will no longer assert when the Main Counter is not Bars|Beats and Real-Time Properties is enabled
- Fixed a crash that may occur when using certain clip groups

Editing:
- Separating a clip that contains a sync point will no longer cause the clip to appear in the wrong place after reopening the session
- The Spot dialog opened via a custom shortcut was not functioning correctly and has been removed
- Fixed an issue where Pro Tools fails to warn about removed plug-ins when a track-width changing plug-in is added earlier in the plug-in chain

Elastic Audio:
- Fixed an issue that resulted in a missing file when rendering an Elastic Audio track under certain circumstances

Import:
- Import Audio will no longer prompt with redundant dialogs when importing an ADM file
- Clicking the "Open" button in the Import Audio Window will now be prevented if there are no files selected to import
- Import speed has been improved when importing large amounts of files with the Import Audio Window

Performance:
- Eliminated a specific type of frequent long SWODs which occurred when the edit selection was on many tracks in sessions with hundreds of tracks and thousands of clips
- Fixed an issue that was causing AAE -9400 errors when Melodyne enabled clips encountered tempo changes

UI:
- Fixed the text display in the Playback Engine for several non-English languages
- AudioSuite menu will no longer be grayed out after creating a new session with a different sample rate
- VCA meters are once again correctly positioned when a session is opened, session is imported, and right after a group is assigned to a VCA
- The playhead is once again drawn and updated correctly when scrolling modes are changed, the tab section is closed, during shuttle, and after Edit Window resize and vertical scroll
- The pan knob is once again responsive to mouse drags

Video:
- Timecode overlay will now loop with Interlaced video
- The video engine will no longer fail to load after updating the Pro Tools installation on Windows OS (UME-1685)

Miscellaneous:
- A warning dialog will once again be displayed when a width changing plugin is added which will cause certain automation lanes to be removed
- Localized some Melodyne related warning dialogs
- Windows Audio Device is now prioritized over ASIO4ALL as a default playback engine on Windows OS

Avid Media Composer 2021.12.1
- Change log not available for this version

Avid Media Composer 2021.9
Clear Bin Memory Button Location Change:
- The Clear Bin Memory button is located on the Configuration tab of the About Media Composer menu. You can access About Media Composer from the Help menu

Updated Message:
- The editing application notifies you if your third-party storage is emulating Avid NEXIS or Avid ISIS storage

Default Change for Bin Frame View:
- With this release, you will notice the following: If clips have an assigned clip color, the color will appear as a border on clips in Frame View by default. You will see this change if you create a new user setting after installing Media Composer v2021.9.

Move Clip Leaves Filler:
- You can use an option in the Timeline menu that allows you to leave filler when you move clips up and down over multiple tracks in a sequence

Improved Bin Column Width Adjustments:
- Bin Column widths can now be manually adjusted