Best 8K Video Editing Software in 2020

Red, Panavision Sony or Sharp are some of the leaders on the 8K camera market, but the footage these cameras capture isn’t compatible with all video editing apps for Macs and PCs. Currently, there are only a handful of 8K video editors you can use to process footage captured in 8K resolution professionally.

Even so, 8K video files can be edited with some powerful video editing software. In this article, we are going to take you through some of the best 8K video editing software products on the market and help you select the app that can cater to all of your video editing needs.

3 Best 8K Video Editing Software Products

Editing the footage recorded in 8K resolution at the professional level requires much more than a versatile video editing app. A computer’s processing power, having sufficient storage space, and a monitor that can display 8K videos accurately are all factors that can simplify and facilitate the video editing process. So let’s that a look at some of the best 8K video editing apps film and TV industry professionals can use to process the footage captured in 8K resolution.

1. DaVinci Resolve 16

Price: Free, $299 for the paid version of the app

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux

Seasoned filmmakers don’t need an introduction to DaVinci Resolve since this cross-platform video editing software is widely accepted as one of the best color grading options in the industry. Earlier this year, the VFX, editing, and audio postproduction software received a significant update that brought some much-anticipated improvements. A new cut page, DaVinci Neural Engine, or 3D audio are just a few among numerous new features that are now available on DaVinci Resolve 16.

That latest version of this iconic video editing software also supports 8K video editing, which means that you can both import and export 8K files from DaVinci Resolve 16, although this option is only available on the paid version of the software. In case you chose to edit your videos with the free version of DaVinci Resolve, you are not going to be able to export files larger than the standard 4K resolution.

However, you will still be able to import and edit media files in resolutions larger than Ultra HD, although the footage is going to be scaled down to meet the project setting demands. DaVinci Resolve 16 is currently one of the best 8K video editing software products you can use to process and export videos in 8K resolution.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2020

Price: $20,99 per month as a single app

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Importing and editing 8K footage with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 isn’t any different than editing videos captured in lower resolutions. However, this video editing software for Mac and PC computers doesn’t let you choose the 8K resolution from its Export window. That is why you must adjust a project’s resolution from the Sequence Settings window before you actually start manipulating the footage.

So if you change the Editing mode to Custom and you set the resolution of a sequence to 7680 x 4320, Adobe Premiere Pro will allow you to export your video in the 8K resolution.

Keep in mind that you must also change the codec to H.264 from the Export Settings window in order to get the maximum video quality. Optionally, you can experiment with different export settings depending on the type of project you’re working on and the quality of the output file you would like to create.

Despite the fact that the process of creating 8K videos with Adobe Premiere Pro is a bit technical, this 8K video editing software is still one of the best options you can find on the market. Moreover, the video editing tools you’ll have at your disposal if you choose to edit your 8K videos with this video editing app are going to enable you to produce professional-looking videos.

3. Final Cut Pro X

Price: $299,99

Compatibility: macOS

The latest update of Final Cut Pro X that was released a little over a month ago has brought significant changes for different versions of the macOS. The 8K video editor's improved capability to process ProRes files has enabled editors to play up to 16 streams of 4K ProRes files at the same time, while the Metal-based engine accelerates the rendering process and real-time effects.

Besides, you can now play up to three streams of 8K ProRes raw videos captured with RED and other professional cameras. These improvements enable you to import, process and export 8K videos much faster than ever before, which is the reason why Final Cut Pro X is currently one of the best, if not the best 8K video editing software for Mac computers.

You should keep in mind that you are going to need at least 8 GB and preferably more of RAM and lots of storage space if you are planning on editing 8K footage with Final Cut Pro X on a constant basis. Using proxies can make the process of editing 8K video files much faster, but you are still going to need a hard-drive where you can keep all of your high-resolution materials.

Looking for video editing software to edit 4K videos? Check our picks of the best 4K video editing software.

Conclusion

Even though most of non-linear video editing apps offer support for 8K video editing, only a few of them are powerful enough to grant you complete creative freedom over your 8K video projects. That’s why you must make sure that 8K video editing software you are considering offers all the tools you are going to need to process 8K footage effortlessly.

You can hardly go wrong if you choose to edit your videos with any of the 8K video editors we featured in this article. Which 8K video editing software are you going to use to edit your videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.