Avidemux is an open source video editor for Mac that will make encoding, filtering, and cutting a breeze. In comparison to other video editors for Mac, this video editor for Mac is compatible with different video formats such as DVD, MPEG, AVI, and many more. It also supports some audio formats including WAV, AAC, MP3,among others. Mac laptops are generally designed to meet the hardware needs of video editing tools and software. No wonder why video editors prefer to invest in a Mac. However, with a wide range of options to select from, choosing the best laptop for video editing can be quite a challenge. Apple introduced a new Mac Pro in 2019, and it's really a niche machine aimed at professional video editing, graphic design, music, 3D animation, and virtual reality development. This is not a Mac for people looking to edit photos or enthusiests trying to get the most power out of the Mac that they can. The MacBook Air used to just be known as Apple’s most affordable Mac, but only capable of basic video editing. That all has changed. The newest MacBook Air now has a high-resolution display, faster 10th generation Intel Core processors and more memory, all of which make a big difference to its video editing credentials.

Mac laptops are generally designed to meet the hardware needs of video editing tools and software. No wonder why video editors prefer to invest in a Mac. However, with a wide range of options to select from, choosing the best laptop for video editing can be quite a challenge.

Are you a video editor? If yes, are you specifically looking for what is the best Mac laptop for video editing? Then you’ve come to the right place. Mac laptops are generally designed to meet the hardware needs of video editing tools and software. No wonder why video editors prefer to invest in a Mac. However, with a wide range of options to select from, choosing the best laptop for video editing can be quite a challenge. You may wonder, “Is 8gb RAM enough for video editing?” and “Which MAC is best for video editing?”

It is for that reason that this buying guide is created. We will take a closer look at the different Mac laptop models and find out if they are great for making and editing videos.

What to Look for in a Video Editing Laptop

Laptops come with different specs and features. So, to be able to find the best video editing laptop, you have to know what to look for.

Graphics

Mac Laptop Good For Video Editing

Do you know what the key is to a fast render? It is the dedicated graphics card. Although you can still perform basic video editing tasks with an integrated graphics card, only a dedicated card can do beyond simple YouTube home videos or vlogs. With a dedicated graphics card, your laptop can utilize the RAM for higher-quality projects and visuals that need rendering.

Processor

Every single piece of detail of your video will be handled by the processor. That means you should be looking towards the most recent generations of the Intel i5 and i7 processors. And because the majority of video editing software utilizes multiple threads, you can benefit from the latest processors as well.

RAM

The RAM or the Random Access Memory is one of the most important elements that can make or break your MacBook’s performance, especially when working on a video editing project. Because the RAM is widely used by your computer, particularly when it comes to processes, you will need a minimum of 8GB memory for basic work and 16GB memory power for professional video editing projects.

Our Best Mac Laptop Picks

Here are four of our best MacBook picks for your video editing needs:

1. 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (Without Touch Bar)

If your task is mainly for editing simple videos to be uploaded to YouTube or any home video content for that matter, you don’t need any advanced software or video editing programs. That means the 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM 256SSD is more than enough to achieve your video editing goals without compromising the quality of your final visual output.

Advantage: The 13″ MacBook Pro model is lightweight and portable. So, you have all the editing power you need right at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. In addition, its 8GB RAM is just enough for amateur video editors because it saves and renders videos faster than computers with a physical hard disk drive.

Disadvantage: An SSD is a bit pricey. So, to make it not so expensive, the 13″ MacBook Pro is designed with only 256GB disk space. With such a small amount of space, you might need to purchase another external hard drive to store all your videos. This model also utilizes an integrated graphics card, making it ideal for new video editors – not professionals.

2. 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD (With Touch Bar)

Whether you are still learning the fundamentals of video editing or an aspiring short-film director, you need an advanced and professional video editing setup. This MacBook model comes with Apple’s latest Touch Bar and ID technology, all fitted into a portable 13″ sized laptop but powered by an 8GB RAM and an integrated graphics card.

Advantage: If what you are after are power and portability, this advanced laptop has it all. Its advanced specs allow you to complete your video editing task without all the unnecessary workload. Not to mention, it has the latest Touch Bar technology that can be integrated with video editing tools such as Adobe Suite or Final Cut Pro.

Disadvantage: Yes, the disk space is a bit bigger compared to the 256GB model. However, it’s still too small to store large video and other visual files. It also has an integrated graphics card, which is less than what’s recommended for a professional video editing finish.

3. 13″ MacBook Air with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

Apple has a reputation for being pricey but you don’t really need to spend all your cash for one of its sleek and powerful machines for video editing, the lightweight and slim 13″ MacBook Air.

Advantage: With its 8GB RAM, you can process videos smoothly and export them lightning-quick. Compared with other MacBook Air models, this one is noticeably powerful with an epic battery life. It also comes with more connection ports than other MacBooks, 2 USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a Thunderbolt 2 slot.

Disadvantage: Like the 13″ MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air only has 256GB of disk space. Thus, if you edit larger video files, you will run out of space sometime soon. In the long run, you might need to get an external hard drive for file storage.

4. 15″ MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 4GB Radeon Pro

Truly one of the priciest machines of its kind, the 15″ MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and 4GB Radeon Pro is designed to perfection. It has a quad-core i7 processor that can withstand even the most complicated process you throw at it. Plus, it comes with a 16GB RAM and a 4GB Radeon Pro Graphics card, which is top-of-the-line.

Advantage: This 15″ MacBook Pro is unbeatable. All thanks to the powerful mix of a topnotch processor, dGPU, and RAM. Other great features of this machine include the 15″ screen that is capable of producing accurate colors and the responsive touch bar that allows you to effectively and efficiently edit videos. If you feel the need to have more storage space, you can do so.

Disadvantage: If you are editing videos, a widescreen size is a plus. However, at the moment, no laptop can offer all the screen space you need, not even the 15″ MacBook Pro. If you really need a wider screen so bad, you need to use an additional external monitor.

The Best Mac for Video Editing Is…

What Mac laptop should you get? Well, the answer depends on whether you are a passionate amateur or a professional video editor with lots of deadlines to meet. But, the good thing is that laptops today have become powerful and flexible enough to handle even the most complicated video editing task. While these laptops are expensive, you get your money’s worth. It is true that you will never find the perfect device that perfectly matches your needs but at the very least, you can choose a Mac and make it work for you.

As an added bonus, to help your Mac to always be in top shape and run efficiently while performing video editing tasks, scan your machine with 3^rd party cleaning tools like Tweakbit MacRepair. They are designed to identify apps that take up too much of your RAM’s space, so you can get rid of them easily. Anyway, we hope our buying guide helped you decide which Mac to choose for when it comes to your video editing needs.

What laptop do you use for editing videos? Let us know by commenting and sharing with us the specs of your chosen device.

Mac Tips

Before we start

Whichever device you choose to purchase after reading our article, please remember that you need to keep it safe—from malware, viruses, junk, and so on. It’s best to take care of it from the very beginning to minimize any future risks.

Just download MacKeeper and never worry about any of these issues ever again. This app offers powerful virus and malware protection, as well as helping you to keep your Mac clean from junk files and useless apps—all this with minimal effort from you (just a few clicks). Try for yourself!

If you are a film-maker or regularly perform video editing, you need to look into specific specs of your computer to make sure it is powerful enough to sustain video editing software and high-resolution movies. In this article we will look into everything you need from a Mac as a media creator.

To sum it up, here’s the list of the best Macs for video editing in our review:

• Ultimate best:Mac Pro with 96GB RAM and an 12-core processor
• Best price/performance ratio: 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display
• Best alternative: 16-inch MacBook Pro
• Best for beginners: Mac Mini with a 6-core Core i7 CPU and 32GB RAM

Why Use a Mac for Video Editing

Today, the variety of tech available for film-making is astonishing and can be a source of confusion. Out of all the options, why Apple?

The changes that have been introduced to MacBooks and iMacs in the past couple of years made them truly great tools for creators. Here are some of the important features that make them a good fit for video editing:

1. Screen. Video editing requires a large, high-definition screen, and the 27-inch iMac is the perfect example of that. The 5K Retina display offers 500 nits display and 99% of the DCI-P3 color space, running at 60MHz.
2. RAM. Film-making requires a lot of free memory and storage space even with the lightest software. With the basic 8GB you won’t get further than HD (720p), while 16GB will allow you to edit a Full HD (1080p) video. 32GB is ideal for Ultra HD 4K. Finally, 64GB is required for the most advanced editing tasks such as 8K, 3D modeling and animation.
3. CPU. Professional video editors will benefit from a powerful multi-core processor such as i7 or i9. Recently, the number of cores in Intel processors has increased to as much as 28 with Intel Xeon W in a Mac Pro, which guarantees smoother sessions.
4. Graphics. Most recent models of Mac Pro have gained an extensive array of graphics cards with up to 64GB of HMB2 memory in each of the two modules. For video editing, you’ll need a discrete graphics card with a separate memory slot.
5. Storage. Despite a popular misconception, storage is not the same thing as RAM. For a comfortable process, you’re looking at 512GB minimum, and it must be a solid state drive (SSD), so older Macs are out of the picture right away. Luckily, iMacs offer up to 8TB of storage space.
6. Ports. When editing a video, you’ll inevitably need to plug in multiple peripherals, whether it’s your camera, microphone or other gadgets. Apple computers are quite convenient in this sense—even a simple MacBook has four USB 3 ports, compared to a more advanced Mac Pro which can have up to 12 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports.

This is quite impressive, although not all Macs have an ideal combination of a big screen, large RAM and a powerful graphics and CPU. To choose the one that will suit your needs, consider the system requirements for your software, which is what we are getting into in the next section.

Video editing apps require a lot of space, so remember to keep your memory free from useless programs, duplicates, and junk files.

Download MacKeeper and free up gigabytes of memory in a couple of clicks. Try for yourself and see how a clogged up Mac can turn into a clean one in just a few seconds.

Recommended System Requirements

When choosing the best Mac for video editing, you need to identify what projects you are planning to work on. You should consider the type of footage, complexity of the job, output formats, as well as whether you will be editing online or offline. That last aspect is especially important as offline editing requires more storage space and time to complete an edit, though it is easier to access the files.

To edit videos comfortably on a Mac, you will need at least 4GB of RAM. For heavier tasks, such as 4K editing, working with 3D, and 360° video editing, 8GB is the required minimum. Other demands include an up-to-date macOS, as well as an Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later. As the majority of editing programs support GPU rendering, CPU has become less important than it used to be.

Most of all, your storage needs will depend on the size of source footage you expect to work with. In general, your Mac will require three to four times the size of the source footage for your project.

The Best Macs for Video Editing

We have conducted thorough research and talked to professional video editors from our team to make a list of the best Macs to use for video production.

Mac Pro for Video Editing

As you have probably guessed already, Mac Pro is the ultimate Apple device for video editing and, probably, any other purpose. Starting at $5,999 for the most basic configuration, it’s a major investment. For an upgraded version that includes all of the most powerful, high-tech components you will pay as much as $51,399—this may seem shocking at first, but it’s not actually that different from what a PC manufacturer would charge for a computer of an equal level.

The Mac Pro offers the most in terms of every single specification—CPU, RAM, graphics, storage, you name it. The base model provides an 8-core Intel Xeon 3.5GHz processor with 32GB RAM, 256BG SSD and Radeon Pro 580X graphics card. This configuration has almost a limitless upgrade potential. However, a 12-core processor and 96GB of RAM seem optimal for video editing needs.

Mac Pro comes without a screen, which needs to be purchased separately. There is no point in buying Apple’s own display that is available at a price similar to that of an iMac Pro—you can get a cheaper model with almost identical benefits, such as Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q.

iMac Pro for Video Editing

With iMac Pro, you can enjoy the massive 27-inch screen and the exceptionally fast 8-core Intel Xeon W processor to edit 8K videos and create audio effects. The processor can be upgraded up to 18 cores for a smoother editing experience. Other base components include 256GB RAM, storage capabilities of up to 4TB, and the superb Radeon Pro Vega graphics card.

Overall, the most recent model of iMac Pro is the second best option for video editing after Mac Pro with all the specs being entirely on the level. It offers an additional advantage of a 5K retina display, eliminating the need to purchase it separately. However, bear in mind that the model hasn’t been updated in two years—look out for news from Apple to get a newer version.

iMac for Video Editing

The new 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display is the third best computer for video editing. It has the most attractive price/performance ratio and enables editing 4K videos in full size with visible controls. We recommend this model to less dedicated video editors who are still aiming to produce top quality content but don’t use highly demanding software.

The base model is on the lower side of the price range, being only $1,799, but that is for less advanced specs. Serious editors will need to make a few custom changes:

• The RAM in a 27-inch iMac is only 8GB, which will need to be upgraded ideally to 32GB—an extra $600 right off the back. The top iMac has 128GB on-board memory.
• 3.1GHz 6-core i5 processor and an AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (4GB memory) are also not the perfect option and require improvement. We recommend getting a discrete graphics card with as much memory as you can afford.
• The default 256GB SSD can be replaced with a 512GB one for $300.

The final price comes out as approximately $5,000, nearing that of a Mac Pro. Professionals have to think of whether it’s really worth the hassle—you might as well just buy a device that has all the required tech built in. But is the base model enough for an amateur film-maker? That’s up to you to figure out.

MacBook Pro for Video Editing

If you’re looking for a portable computer that maintains those powerful video editing capabilities, MacBook Pro is a solid and reliable option.

If you've ever tried running Final Cut or Adobe Premiere on a generic Mac, you are most certainly familiar with the frequent crashes and kernel panics. This is not an issue with a MacBook Pro.

However, you need to be conscious of the fact that the power potential of a laptop is undeniably inferior to that of a desktop computer. The small scale of the device makes heat management a harder task, not to mention the size of the display which is significantly smaller in MacBooks than in iMacs.

If you do wish to buy a MacBook Pro, go for the 16-inch version due to a better graphics card, a more powerful 2.6GHz 6-core i5 processor and RAM of up to 64GB. In addition, the starting capacity of the SSD is 512GB, which is exactly what you’re looking for. These components can be further improved at an additional cost, but the base model will come to $2,399.

Beginners can opt for a cheaper and lighter 13-inch option with a 2.0GHz processor. It’s a slower model that lacks integrated graphics, but this can be fixed with an upgrade to an eGPU. A new 13-inch MacBook Pro will cost $1,799.

Mac mini for Video Editing

This is the cheapest device produced by Apple that can be used for video editing, being only $799 for the basic model. With this option you get a selection of surprisingly good characteristics: 3.6GHz Quad-Core processor that can be upgraded to a 6-core one, a default SSD with 256GB memory that can go up to 2TB, and 8GB RAM that you can boost up to 64GB. The final product in this case will come at $3,099—still cheaper than an upgraded MacBook Pro.

Despite the fact that the slow graphics card is a typical disadvantage of a Mac Mini, it can easily be upgraded to a better eGPU. The small screen size can be compensated by an external display of high resolution.

Overall, beginners and film enthusiasts will find this laptop their best option due to affordability combined with reasonable specs and agility of the device.

Good Mac Video Editing Software

How to Optimize your Mac for Video Editing?

If you've been video editing for a while you must have encountered problems with your Mac being slow and overloaded with tons of unneeded files or duplicated videos and images. As a highly resource-consuming process, video editing does require some extra steps towards minimizing memory overload and maximizing disk space. So, what can be done for more efficient work?

Whenever your Mac's performance lags— MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner can help you get rid of that annoying spinning wheel. This way your Mac's RAM memory will be cleaned automatically with just a click. Another cool perk of the Memory Cleaner feature is that you can monitor which apps are the ones eating up the most RAM memory.

Besides, it's a good practice to track down old junk files, duplicates, and other files taking up your Mac's valuable space for no reason whatsoever. Here, MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup and Duplicates Finder come to rescue. These comprehensive scanning tools delete duplicates, leftovers, caches, logs, and more. Safe Cleanup even empties the Trash! And that's all before you know it.

Simply put MacKeeper in charge of your Mac's cleanup and optimization and get extra time for video editing!

Wrapping Up

When making a decision, think about the level of video editing you want to undertake. The choice will differ for amateurs and professionals that use specialized software on an everyday basis.

A Mac Pro will return the investment fast if you make a living out of film-making. An iMac Pro or iMac with Retina 5K display are also great for professional video editors who are in need of a large screen. If you have a more dynamic lifestyle, MacBook Pro will be perfect for your needs. Finally, a Mac Mini is ideal for those who don’t run demanding software and simply edit videos as a hobby.

Depending on the types of tasks you usually do, you might need a particular set of computer specs. Therefore, before you buy a Mac, check the system requirements of the programs you’re planning to use. The most popular video editing software for Mac, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut, mention all the details on their websites.

Read more:

It doesn’t matter which app you choose for video editing, but make sure that you check for viruses and malware on all the apps that you download from the internet.

In fact , MacKeeper offers you all the tools you need for this—no malicious component will be able to sneak into your Mac. The app will even notify you if you are about to enter a potentially malicious website—download MacKeeper and see for yourself.

Mac Or Pc Better For Video Editing