This Freebie Friday features software that is a bit more specialized and not as “general-purpose” as most previous entries in the series. It goes out to all you videographers and YouTube content producers. A while back I had the task of editing some videos, syncing them with music, adding some overlay effects, and preparing them for YouTube publication. Now, I did not then, nor do I now, fancy myself a video editor / producer, but I rarely turn down a challenge. Prior to this assignment, I had only worked with the now-defunct Windows Movie Maker. I knew this would not cut it for the project I was working on, so I started looking for an alternative — enter Lightworks.
I’ll be honest, for someone with almost no experience with video editing and production, there was a small initial learning curve, but once I got past that, I was cranking out quality content in no time. Lightworks is so powerful and capable of producing professional results that it’s been used in several popular feature films. There are Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux versions available for download so whichever platform you choose, you’re good to go. Also there is a good catalog of tutorial videos and thriving community of users and contributors to help if you have questions or get stuck.
Now, I feel like I need to mention that Lightworks has been pushing their “Pro” (read: not free) version for some time now, but you can still download Lightworks for free from their website. The download includes a 30-day trial of Lightworks Pro, after the trial period expires, you will automatically be converted to a free license. It’s also worth mentioning that you will need to create an account to maintain the free license. This puts Lightworks more in the “freemium” category rather than true freeware. With all that said, it is a worthwhile investment for such a feature-rich, powerful application. So, download Lightworks below and get editing!
Check back on Fridays for more awesome free software recommendations from Netris.
Brian Dunham is a Cisco and Microsoft certified network and systems engineer with over a decade of experience in the Information Technology field. When he is not in front of a computer he can be found out in the wilderness canoing, hiking, fishing, or camping.
Contact: brian.dunham@netris.us