media composer comparison

See how all of our Media Composer video editing apps compare and decide which version is right for you.

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Audience and availability

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Ideal for...	Aspiring video professionals and beginners	Professional editors and movie makers who work independently	Professional editors, movie makers, and journalists who work in a collaborative environment	Large broadcast and post-production teams with multiple roles contributing to the production that need administrative control and security, plus media education facilities
Availability	A free download for anyone to use	Get a 1-year subscription and pay monthly or in full or easily manage multiple licenses and users with Media Composer for teams	Get a monthly, annual, 2-year, or 3-year subscription—floating license included; add the Media Composer \| Cloud VM option to run Media Composer as virtual machine software or easily manage multiple licenses and users with Media Composer \| Ultimate for teams	Annual subscription—floating license included
Included software options			Media Composer \| PhraseFind AI Option, ScriptSync AI Option, Symphony Option, and NewsCutter Option	Media Composer \| PhraseFind AI Option, ScriptSync AI Option, Symphony Option, NewsCutter Option, Cloud VM, Distributed Processing, and Avid NEXIS \| EDGE

General

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Projects	Unlimited	Unlimited, with support for Custom Projects	Unlimited, with support for Custom Projects	Unlimited, with support for Custom Projects
Bins	5 bins per project	Unlimited bins Volume bins Favorite bins Shared bins and projects* * for perpetual licences only	Unlimited bins Volume bins Favorite bins Shared bins and projects	Unlimited bins Volume bins Favorite bins Shared bins and projects
Video and audio plugin support	AVX and AAX plugins from the Avid Marketplace only	All AVX and AAX plugins	All AVX and AAX plugins	All AVX and AAX plugins
Transcode	Limited	+	+	+
Consolidate	Limited	+	+	+
Backward licensing compatibility	Anyone can activate and run Media Composer \| First 2018.9 and later*	Current subscribers can activate and run Media Composer 2018.9 and later* (see details for perpetual licenses here)	Current subscribers can activate and run Media Composer 2018.9 and later* (see details for perpetual licenses here)	Current subscribers can activate and run Media Composer 2019.6 and later*
		* Get details on accessing older software in your Avid Account
Access control	n/a	n/a	n/a	Limit or restrict access by user or group to projects, bins, media functions, and more

Features

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Video editing	Best-in-class Trim tools Smart Tools Create sequence based on selection	Best-in-class Trim tools Smart Tools Create sequence based on selection Script-based editing Auto-Sequence	Best-in-class Trim tools Smart Tools Create sequence based on selection Script-based editing Auto-Sequence	Best-in-class Trim tools Smart Tools Create sequence based on selection Script-based editing Auto-Sequence
Multicam editing	Group Clips 4-Way Split Display Swap Banks Previous/Next in Group Group by Audio Waveforms	Group Clips MultiGroup 4-Way Split Display 9-Way Split Display MultiCam Editing mode MultiCam Accelerator keys Swap Banks Previous/Next in Group Group by Audio Waveforms Edit Groups Mixed Rate Groups	Group Clips MultiGroup 4-Way Split Display 9-Way Split Display MultiCam Editing mode MultiCam Accelerator keys Swap Banks Previous/Next in Group Group by Audio Waveforms Edit Groups Mixed Rate Groups	Group Clips MultiGroup 4-Way Split Display 9-Way Split Display MultiCam Editing mode MultiCam Accelerator keys Swap Banks Previous/Next in Group Group by Audio Waveforms Edit Groups Mixed Rate Groups
Video effects	Limited core set Source Side Motion Effects TimeWarp Stabilize	Full core set Source Side Motion Effects TimeWarp TimeWarp Fluid Motion Stabilize	Full core set Source Side Motion Effects TimeWarp TimeWarp Fluid Motion Stabilize	Full core set Source Side Motion Effects TimeWarp TimeWarp Fluid Motion Stabilize
FrameFlex	+	+	+	+
Timecode tool	+	+	+	+
Sequence Map	+	+	+	+
Bulk Edit	+	+	+	+
List tool		+	+	+
Film workflows		+	+	+
Stereoscopic 3D		+	+	+
Color Correction	CC Effect Predefined CC Effects HSL Controls Hue Offsets Luma Range	CC Effect Predefined CC Effects HSL Controls Hue Offsets Luma Range Curves Color Info Channels (Secondary and Relationships available through the Symphony Option)	CC Effect Predefined CC Effects HSL Controls Hue Offsets Luma Range Curves Color Info Channels (Secondary and Relationships available through the Symphony Option)	CC Effect Predefined CC Effects HSL Controls Hue Offsets Luma Range Curves Color Info Channels (Secondary and Relationships available through the Symphony Option)
Audio editing and mixing	Audio Tool Audio Ducking Audio Punch-in	Audio Tool Audio Ducking Audio Punch-in Audio Subframe Slip Audio Grouping Read Audio Timecode Audio MultiMix Change Sample Rate Audio Mixer	Audio Tool Audio Ducking Audio Punch-in Audio Subframe Slip Audio Grouping Read Audio Timecode Audio MultiMix Change Sample Rate Audio Mixer	Audio Tool Audio Ducking Audio Punch-in Audio Subframe Slip Audio Grouping Read Audio Timecode Audio MultiMix Change Sample Rate Audio Mixer
Audio effects	Limited core set	Full core set (see details)	Full core set (see details)
Workspaces	Edit Color Effects Audio	Edit Color Effects Audio	Edit Color Effects Audio	Edit Color Effects Audio
Interface customization				Customize the interface for any production role in your organization
Titles	Titler+	Titler+ Marquee tool	Titler+ Marquee tool	Titler+ Marquee tool
Background render, transcode, and consolidate		+	+	+
Settings	Limited User settings Limited Project settings	Full User settings Multiple Users settings Site settings Project settings	Full User settings Multiple Users settings Site settings Project settings	Full User settings Multiple Users settings Site settings Project settings
Keyboard Mapping	Limited (based on available functions)	Full	Full	Full
Source/Record color differentiation	On by default	Off by default	Off by default	Off by default
Snap to Edit	On by default	Off by default	Off by default	Off by default
Auto-launch Effects Editor	On by default	Off by default	Off by default	Off by default
Video and audio plugin support	AVX and AAX plugins from the Avid Marketplace only	All AVX and AAX plugins	All AVX and AAX plugins	All AVX and AAX plugins
Avid Marketplace	In-app AAX and AVX Marketplace and software upgrade	In-app AAX and AVX Marketplace and software upgrade	In-app AAX and AVX Marketplace and software upgrade	In-app AAX and AVX Marketplace and software upgrade

Collaboration and control

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Shared bins and projects		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
MediaCentral workflow integration		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
Avid NEXIS shared media workflows		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
Avid NEXIS \| EDGE collaborative and proxy workflows				+
Role-based interface customization				+
Limit access to features, functions, media, and locations				+
Lock content export and publishing				+
SRT output for remote over-the-shoulder collaboration			+	+

Tracks

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Video tracks	4	99	99	99
Audio tracks	8	99	99	99
Data tracks	Not supported	Fully supported	Fully supported	Fully supported

Video and color

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Linked file support	Full decode SD, HD, >HD File, Volume, and third-party export not supported	Full encode and decode SD, HD, >HD	Full encode and decode SD, HD, >HD	Full encode and decode SD, HD, >HD
Video file formats	See the latest	See the latest	See the latest	See the latest
Project formats	SD PAL, SD NTSC, 720, 1080	SD PAL, SD NTSC, 720, 1080, 2K, UHD, 4K, 8K, 16K, Custom	SD PAL, SD NTSC, 720, 1080, 2K, UHD, 4K, 8K, 16K, Custom	SD PAL, SD NTSC, 720, 1080, 2K, UHD, 4K, 8K, 16K, Custom
Frame rates	23.976p, 24p, 25i, 30i/p, 50i/p, 59.94i/p No progressive support for SD rasters	23.976p, 24p, 25i/p, 30i/p, 47p, 48p, 50i/p, 59.94i/p, 60p, 119p, 120p	23.976p, 24p, 25i/p, 30i/p, 47p, 48p, 50i/p, 59.94i/p, 60p, 119p, 120p	23.976p, 24.000p, 25.000p, 29.97p, 30.00p, 50.00p, 59.94p, 60.00p for rasters 1080 and higher. 1080i50 and 1080i59.94 720p25, 720p29.97, 720p50, 720p59.94 for the 1280 x 720 raster 720p23.976 does not allow for proxy creation. SD rasters do not allow for proxy creation.
Native compression	JFIF, DV, ProRes, XDCAM, AVC-I, IMX, DNxHD, XAVC-L, AVC-LongG	JFIF, DV, ProRes, XDCAM, AVC-I, IMX, DNxHD, DNxHR, DNxUncompressed, XAVC-L, AVC-LongG, J2K	JFIF, DV, ProRes, XDCAM, AVC-I, IMX, DNxHD, DNxHR, DNxUncompressed, XAVC-L, AVC-LongG, J2K	JFIF, DV, ProRes, XDCAM, AVC-I, IMX, DNxHD, DNxHR, DNxUncompressed, XAVC-L, AVC-LongG, J2K
Floating point timeline (32-bit)		+	+	+
Color spaces	601/709	601/709, RGB 709, S-Log3, SMPTE-2084, DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, ACES 1.0, ACES 2065-1	601/709, RGB 709, S-Log3, SMPTE-2084, DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, ACES 1.0, ACES 2065-1	601/709, RGB 709, S-Log3, SMPTE-2084, DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, ACES 1.0, ACES 2065-1
Desktop display LUTs	n/a	Rec. 709, DCI-P3, sRGB, Rec. 2020, ACES Proxy	Rec. 709, DCI-P3, sRGB, Rec. 2020, ACES Proxy	Rec. 709, DCI-P3, sRGB, Rec. 2020, ACES Proxy

Audio

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Audio resolutions	32, 44.1, on-the-fly conversion to 48 kHz; 24-bit	32, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz; 16- and 24-bit	32, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz; 16- and 24-bit	32, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz; 16- and 24-bit
Audio channels	Mono, dual mono, stereo	Mono, dual mono, stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 surround	Mono, dual mono, stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 surround	Mono, dual mono, stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 surround

Import

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Source Browser	+	+	+	+
Drag-and-Drop Import	+	+	+	+
Drag-and-Drop Link	+	+	+	+
Photoshop w/Layers	+	+	+	+
Capture		+	+	+
Dynamic Media Folders		+	+	+
IMF Link		With Symphony Option	+	+
OP1a Native Link and Import	+	+	+	+
ProRes decoding (Mac and Windows)	+	+	+	+
OpenEXR decoding		+	+	+
AAF Import		+	+	+
HEVC (H.265) decoding	+	+	+	+
EDL Import		+	+	+
ALE Import		+	+	+
Shot Log Import		+	+	+
SCC Import		+	+	+
Edit While Capture		+	+	+

Export

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
QuickTime (.mov) formats	Limited: H.264, DNxHD, PCM, WAV	+	+	+
Pro Tools Session			+	+
ProRes decoding (Mac and Windows)	+	+	+	+
OpenEXR encoding		+	+	+
Publish to YouTube	+
Publish to Vimeo	+
Graphic Export	Limited: TIFF, JPEG	+	+	+
AAF Export		+	+	+
ALE Export		+	+	+
AFE Export		+	+	+
Shot Log Export		+	+	+
SCC Export		+	+	+
TTML Export		+	+	+
AMA File Export		+	+	+
DPX Export		+	+	+
AS-11 MXF OP1a Export		+	+	+
DNxHD MXF OP1a Export		+	+	+
ProRes MXF OP1a Export		+	+	+
DNxHR MXF OP1a Export		+	+	+
J2K MXF OP1a Export		+	+	+
OP1a Export		+	+	+
IMF Export		With Symphony Option	+	+
HEVC (H.265) Export		+	+	+
Export to Device		+	+	+
Send to...		+	+	+

Hardware interfaces

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Avid and third-party audio interfaces	Limited to 2-channel I/O	+	+	+
Third-party video interfaces		+	+	+

Control surfaces

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Avid Dock		+	+	+
Avid S1	+	+	+	+

Software options

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Media Composer \| Symphony Option		+	+ (included)	+ (included)
Media Composer \| NewsCutter Option		+	+ (included)	+ (included)
Media Composer \| ScriptSync AI Option		+	+ (included)	+ (included)
Media Composer \| PhraseFind AI Option		+	+ (included)	+ (included)
Enterprise Roles and Profiles				Included
Media Composer \| Distributed Processing			+	+
Media Composer \| Cloud VM			+	+

Compatible Avid solutions

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
Interplay \| Production		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
Interplay \| MAM		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
MediaCentral		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
MediaCentral \| Cloud UX		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
Avid NEXIS \| EDGE				+
Avid NEXIS shared bins and projects		Perpetual licenses only	+	+
iNEWS		Perpetual licenses only	+	+

System requirements

	Media Composer \| First	Media Composer	Media Composer \| Ultimate	Media Composer \| Enterprise
	Avid-qualified Mac or Windows-based computer (get the details)	Avid-qualified Mac or Windows-based computer (get the details)	Avid-qualified Mac or Windows-based computer (get the details)	Avid-qualified Mac or Windows-based computer (get the details)