Drone Video Editing Software: Best to Use in 2024
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Key notes
- Drones are cool little gadgets that you can pilot safely from the ground to explore the sky.
- People also use drones to take screenshots and videos of awesome landscapes that would normally be inaccessible.
- We've compiled a list of the best video editing tools used for drone footage.
- We've included software from large developers such as Adobe, but also lesser-known entries.
Drones are the latest fad among the videographers. Be it a wedding video shoot or for your personal Vlog on YouTube and Facebook, audience and clients highly prefer drone videos these days.
But, just having a drone to capture 4K footage is half the job. To make the most of the drone footage, you need to polish it using a video editor before making it live.
A videographer may have different requirements from a video editor than a video logger – as a result, it is safe to assume that no one video editor may cater to the needs of different people.
Which is why we have had a look at the best video editors that can help you produce stunning video footages captured from your drone.
In this article, we present you the best software to edit drone footage that can be used by both professionals and beginners.
What is the best software to edit drone footage?
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry standard for video editing and is one of the well-known software from Adobe.
The Premiere Pro does not offer a perpetual license for the copy, and you have to rely on the monthly or yearly subscription plans to use the tool.
This means if you don’t plan to renew the subscription you will certainly lose access to your older edits and projects within the cloud.
Other than that, Adobe Premier comes equipped with all the basic and advanced video editing features that are essential to creating a stunning video from drone footage.
Adobe supports multiple-monitors which allows you to hookup up to 3 monitors easily making it easier to preview the videos before the rendering process.
From 8K resolution to virtual reality, Adobe Premiere Pro can handle any footage without any issues.
The latest version of Premiere Pro comes with precise and simple color grading tools for accurate color touches along with an improved audio function embedded into the Essential Sound panel that lets you remove background noise and reverb for professional-grade results.
The new Motion Graphics templates let you add infographics with drag and drop functionality to make an informative video.
There is also end-to-end VR 180 support to create a more immersive experience for your VR headsets and online platforms.
Despite its non-linear workspace, Adobe Premiere Pro is among the best video editors used by TV studios to YouTube creators alike.
Download the free trial that works for seven days but offers all the features without any limitations to test the software.
Pros
- Easy to learn and use
- Multi-platform support
- 8K video support
- Excellent color grading options
Cons
- No perpetual license
Adobe Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro is the industry-leading video-editing software for social sharing, TV, and film.CyberLink PowerDirector
PowerDirector is among the most popular drone footage video editors available today. Cyberlink, the developer of PowerDirector, has added new tools to the video editor over the years, and today it is equipped with a huge arsenal of editing tools that can compete with other industry grade video editors.
The user interface is not the easiest of the lot and that is one part where we think it can improve. Apart from that, PowerDirector offers all kind of editing tools that includes support for 4K and 3D videos, tons of effects, multicam editing features and motion tracking tools.
PowerDirector comes in three version – PowerDirector Ultra, Ultimate and 365. The last one is a subscription-based model and costs around $48.99 for a year.
Cyberlink has included a feature called Express Projects that let’s you pick ready-made templates with effects, transition, animation, and music and add it to your drone footage.
It also has tools to edit action camera footage, color adjustment tools, one-click color correction, Color Match feature to standardize color through different clips, and other color grading options.
It also comes with tools to customize text, theme designer for animated slideshows, ability to add subtitles, ability to add a hand-drawn overlay, animated objects as overlays and Green Screen removal feature.
PowerDirector is an excellent video editor and the fact that it offers the fastest preview and rendering options makes it an ideal choice to edit drone footage.
PowerDirector 365
PowerDirector 365 allows you to create compelling content with useful new effects, streamlined interface, and best-in-class editing tools.Corel VideoStudio Pro
Just like all the other Corel multimedia software, the VideoStudio Pro also offers excellent set of required tools for video editing while keeping the user interface clean and simple.
It comes equipped with multicam editing, motion tracking support, 4K, and 360-degree video support as well as video masking feature. You name it, and VideoStudio Pro has it.
Corel has equipped the video editor with over 1500 filters and effects for video enhancement. You can begin with the ready-made templates or start from the scratch by editing on the timeline and add photos, videos, and audio to your drone footage or simply combine them in a video.
The latest version of VideoStudio Pro comes with resize and crop video tools, split screen video templates that can be used to create promotional videos, new lens correction tools, stop-motion animation to capture animation frame by frame and Pan and zoom feature.
The earlier mentioned 360-degree video support means you can import videos from a 360 camera to the editor and later upload it to YouTube directly.
Just like the previous version, file formats are not an issue for VideoStudio Pro, but the latest version comes with XAVC-S so that you can export the video onto the SD card and play it directly on your camera.
Corel VideoStudio is a well-designed and powerful video editing software that comes with support for 4K and 360-degree video combined with an affordable price tag makes it a top choice for professional and home users alike.
Pros
- Intuitive user interface
- Support for 4K Ultra HD videos
- 360-degree video and Motion tracking support
- Excellent set of editing tools
Cons
- Average performance
- Limited video overlay tracks
Corel VideoStudio Pro
Loaded with easy to use tools and with lots of fun features, Corel VideoStudio is your editor for everyday adventures.Magix Movie Edit Pro
Magix Movie Edit Pro is a complete video editing package that comes with essential and advanced video editing tools while offering an intuitive user interface allowing for better productivity and an easy learning process.
Magix Movie Edit Pro can be used to create intros and outros for the videos using the ready-made templates. There is a new title animation feature that lets you add finishing touches to the videos and also add slow motion and fast motion effects by modifying speed.
The tools offer over 1500 effects and music tracks to select from. For green screen addicts, Movie Edit Pro supports the Chroma keying feature to make it all possible.
Magix has also improved the workspace with new controls offering precise editing tools. You can rearrange, delete and reorder the tracks on the timeline with ease as well.
Besides, you can match colors for multiple videos in the same group with match color option. For the export, Movie Edit Pro supports multiple formats including support for direct upload to YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo.
Magix Movie Edit Pro comes with tons of effects and music tracks while offering an excellent set of editing tools. The beginners can learn to use the basic editing functions quickly; however for the difficult procedure, one needs to spend a good amount of time to learn all the tricks it has on offer.
Pros
- 4K file support
- Tons of video effects
- Multicam support
- Excellent audio editing tools
- New automatic program wizard
Cons
- Advanced features involve a steep learning curve
- Slow rendering process
Pinnacle Studio
Pinnacle Studio is our last recommendation in this list, but that doesn’t mean it is the least of the lot. Pinnacle Studio offers a great combination of usability, performance and essential video editing that can be used and mastered by even beginners while the advanced users will figure out the working in no time.
Pinnacle Studio offers ready-made templates if you want to render a video without putting much effort into editing quickly. Or you can edit the raw footage on the multi-track timeline and experiment with included 1500+ filters and effects.
You can work with features like multi-camera video editing and split-screen video feature. The built-in MultiCam feature enables you to record the screen as well as webcam simultaneously for creating tutorial videos.
The selective color feature lets you highlight a single-colored object from a picture while keeping everything else in black and white.
Other features in this tool include stop-motion animation, green screen (Chroma keying) feature, time remapping for slow and fast motion video effects as well as an audio editor.
Pinnacle Studio has one of the best rendering speed among the video editors. When combined with its price tag and the features like MultiCam screen recording, it can be used for more than just video editing.
Pros
- Intuitive user interface
- 360-degree video and VR support
- Super fast rendering
- Tons of visual effects
- 4k video and H.265 support
Cons
- Occasional crashes
For professionals content creators it is important to have a good drone but what’s equally important is to have a powerful video editor that is easier to use yet offer all the effects and templates that will help you produce a studio-grade video.
We have tried to find the most accessible yet affordable tools for this guide that can help both the professionals as well as home users who use drones to capture fun and family moments and wants to make it special with adding some cool effects.
What do you think? Which is your preferred software for editing drone footage? Do let us know in the comments below.
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