Faster and better than ever

Professional editors and producers like you around the world have told us what you need to succeed. More efficient and easy-to-use video editing tools. An open platform that enables you to work with everything you want and integrate into any workflow. More power to eliminate bottlenecks, so you can work faster than ever. We listened. We took notes. We made it happen. Introducing Media Composer 6—the fastest, most versatile tool for professional video editing.

What's new

• Get better performance and speed to handle complex editing, now that Media Composer is a 64-bit app
• Work with the Avid or third-party hardware you want—with Avid Open I/O, third-party manufacturers can now make their I/O hardware work with Media Composer
• Manage and edit stereoscopic 3D projects with a comprehensive set of editorial tools and workflows
• Take hands-on control of all color correction and grading functions with Artist Color
• Create 5.1 and 7.1 surround mixes directly within Media Composer, or import from Pro Tools
• Work more creatively with audio with new mixer features and support for additional Pro Tools hardware
• Work more easily and efficiently—but not differently—with the sleek and sexy new user interface
• Get full native ProRes support on Mac (encode and decode) and Windows (decode only) for easy integration into any ProRes workflow
• Instantly access, screen, and edit AVCHD clips and RED EPIC footage through AMA
• Accelerate your RGB 4:4:4 workflow with Avid DNxHD 444, which delivers exceptional image quality in a low bandwidth format
• Conveniently purchase stock footage, plug-ins, and more through the Avid Marketplace
• Get direct access to user guides and documentation from within the interface
• Access additional ancillary data when working with XDCAM HD material
• Work more easily with animated effects with many keyframe editor improvements
• Get Avid FX (Boris RED), Avid DVD, and Sorenson Squeeze in all versions of the software
• Manage multiple licenses more easily with unified licensing

Features

Full 64-bit power

Fast gets even faster with native 64-bit operation, so even when you layer together the most complex effects, things will still feel snappy. Experience smoother playback, faster rendering performance, and better handling with large bins—and say goodbye to the old memory limitations of the 32-bit operating systems.

Better performance—and 3D—with Avid hardware

For the fastest capture/edit/monitor/output workflows, pair Media Composer with a Nitris DX or Mojo DX video interface and experience hardware-accelerated power that’s second to none. You can now even customize Nitris DX with up to two Avid DNxHD or AVC-Intra chips to fully support stereoscopic 3D and HD RGB 4:4:4 workflows.

Open for business

Media Composer is now fully open thanks to Avid Open I/O, so you can work with your choice of Avid audio and video interfaces or third-party video interfaces, including those from AJA, Blackmagic Design, Bluefish444, Matrox, and MOTU. Manufacturers can simply create plug-ins using Avid Open I/O to have their hardware work with Media Composer, meaning you’ll have even more choices to come.

Sleek new look and Avid Marketplace

Modern, smart, and sexy. Media Composer has a whole new look, but its familiar editing workflow stays the same. Work faster through the tabbed interface (no more window clutter!). Customize window configurations with Workspaces. Browse the Avid Marketplace for stock footage, video and audio plug-ins, software and hardware options, training materials, and more—right from within the app. You can even access user guides and other documentation without having to scour our website.

Work with 3D

Edit stereoscopic 3D material as quickly and easily as you do with standard 2D footage, with a full set of new features and workflows. Capture, edit, and manage the complete 3D end-to-end workflow. Mix and match 2D and stereoscopic 3D clips on the same track. Plus, work with full frame and frame-compatible sources, full-fledged editing tools, video effects, and more.

Go hands-on with Artist Color

Accelerate your color correcting and grading with Artist Color. With its highly responsive feel, you can keep your eyes on the picture instead of the interface while you make adjustments. And since you can tweak multiple parameters at once, you dramatically gain more speed and efficiency to complete time-consuming tasks quickly.

Mix in surround sound

You want your audio to sound as spectacular as your video looks. Now you can record, edit, and mix studio-quality audio in up to 7.1 surround—right in Media Composer. Not only that, you can share mixes with Pro Tools editors (using AAF), and even record and monitor audio using a host of Avid audio interfaces.

Open to anything

You never know what kinds of media, projects, and people will arrive at your desk or doorstep. That’s why Media Composer offers an open workflow, so you can take on whatever challenge awaits. Work with practically any media format, including tape and film. Capture and monitor with your choice of Avid and third-party interfaces. Accelerate editing with Artist Series control surfaces. Integrate into any professional production pipeline. Sync projects with Pro Tools editors using Video Satellite. And take your offline online to Symphony or Avid DS—without redoing work.

Experience the “waitless” workflow

With AMA (Avid Media Access), you can instantly access and edit file-based media—including new RED/RED EPIC, new AVCHD, ProRes, QuickTime (including footage from HDSLR cameras), XDCAM, P2, Canon XF, and other formats—without transcoding, importing, or rewrapping files. Get a jumpstart on reviewing footage without the wait, and avoid bringing in unwanted material. And as new cameras and formats emerge, manufacturers can create and release their own AMA plug-ins independently from a Media Composer release.

Work with any media

File-based media, analog and digital tape, stereoscopic 3D material, film — bring it on. Media Composer offers a wide range of features, workflows, and options that enable you to work with everything, from old-school media to the latest camera technologies. Experience the fastest tapeless workflows in the industry. Capture footage directly from digital cameras. Or add an Avid or third-party video interface to capture from other analog or digital sources. Plus, with support for 4:4:4 HD-RGB color and DNxHD 444, you can work efficiently while preserving the full-quality color detail from beginning to end.

Take storytelling to the cutting edge

It doesn’t matter how you learned to edit—Media Composer goes where others leave off, enabling you to work faster and in ways you’re most comfortable. In fact, its tools are ACE-certified. Trim clips and manipulate transitions on the fly using the Smart Tool (see the Smart Tool in action), or perform ultra-precise edits using traditional tools. Mix and match media formats, frame rates, resolutions, and more in the same timeline—in real time—without rendering (see Mix and Match in action). And edit HD material in real time—in mastering picture quality—using Avid DNxHD or DNxHD 444.

Collaborate with ease

Share media, projects, and bins—locally and across the world—to complete projects on time and on budget. With Avid ISIS, you and your team can access the same assets and capture media to the same volume simultaneously. Access files—even when in use by others—without copying media. Collaborate across mixed editing platforms, including Final Cut Pro through AMA, which supports ProRes encoding (Mac only) and decoding. Share audio mixes with Pro Tools editors—and vice-versa—using AAF. And bring collaboration to the highest level with Avid Interplay.

Find the right clips and best takes fast

Working on a scripted or dialog-heavy project such as a reality TV show, documentary, or interview? Save hours of wasted search time using two dialog search options for Media Composer. For script-based projects, the ScriptSync powered by Nexidia option phonetically indexes all clip dialog in your project and then syncs all relevant clips to your script—automatically—so you can find the best takes fast. The PhraseFind powered by Nexidia option offers the same phonetic audio indexing, but enables you to quickly pull up all relevant clips by searching on a key word or phrase.

Gain peace of mind with reliable media management

Whether you work alone or as part of a team, you won’t have to worry about losing your assets. Media Composer provides you with 20+ years of industry-proven media management innovation, which keeps track of all your projects, assets, source material, rendered files, metadata, and more, so you don’t have to. Not only that, you can customize it to track your assets the way you want.

Shop the Avid Marketplace

Conveniently browse for stock footage, video and audio plug-ins, hardware, and more, right from within Media Composer—no shoes, shirt, or pants required. Search for and preview stock footage from Thought Equity Motion, download comps for editing, and make purchases once editorial is complete. Shop for video and audio plug-ins to get the look and sound you’re after. Discover software options that’ll greatly speed up your workflow. Shop for audio interfaces and other hardware. You’ll even find training and other media that’ll help perfect your skills.

Design and dazzle with visual effects

Give your projects that professional polish using the bundled and built-in design and effects tools. Create eye-catching 2D and 3D composites, titles, animation, and effects with Avid FX (aka Boris RED), a powerful collection of creative tools designed by Boris FX. Add visual impact, drama, and depth with a host of built-in 2D and 3D effects, title tools, transitions, key and motion effects, and more. Add focus and fix issues with motion tracking and stabilization tools. And expand your visual palette with our third-party partners' effects, many of which can be purchased within Media Composer from the Avid Marketplace.

Create studio-quality soundtracks

Make your projects sound as good as they look using the built-in audio recording, editing, and mixing tools. Record and monitor voiceovers, overdubs, and more using select Avid audio interfaces. Edit and mix multitrack audio in up to 7.1 surround. Share mixes with Pro Tools editors. Polish sounds with 20 included AIR effects—the same ones that come with Pro Tools. And expand your sound with the industry’s best compressors, reverbs, and other sound processing plug-ins, many of which can be purchased within Media Composer from the Avid Marketplace.

Color correct and grade with precision

Save time and maintain the highest quality production with the fully integrated 10-bit color correction toolset. Quickly and accurately match colors from shot to shot using NaturalMatch. Gain better color precision with support for full-quality 4:4:4 HD-RGB color space processing. Get fine control over shots with animatable color correction. Speed up your color work with Artist Color. And dive into the large palette of easy-to-use tools to refine settings or get creative.

Design and deliver

With Avid DVD and Sorenson Squeeze included, you can author DVDs and optimize media for the highest-quality playback—online or on disc. Author professional DVDs and Blu-ray Discs using Avid DVD, which works with Windows-based systems (including emulation software on Macs). With Sorenson Squeeze, you can optimize content in a variety of formats (including HD, DVD, MPEG-2, MPEG-4/H.264, Flash, and 3GPP), author DVDs and Blu-ray Discs (on Windows), and burn discs on a PC or Mac.

Get started fast

To help you get up and running quickly, we offer a huge collection of video tutorials, workflow guides, webinars, and more on our website. We also have a Getting Started Fast forum dedicated to new Media Composer users, where you’ll find friendly Avid and community experts who provide helpful information and answers—you can even post your own questions for advice. Or advance your career with Avid Training, which offers a variety of courses taught by certified experts.

Join the community for support and more

Need advice or answers from your peers and experts? Join the Avid community, made up of hundreds of professional editors and Avid representatives around the world. Search for answers, ask questions, or help others in our forums. Get some great tips and tutorials from other users in the community. And check out what other Media Composer users are doing or thinking about in our Blogs section.

We’re here to help

If you need personal assistance, help is just a click, email, or phone call away. We offer a variety of support options, from the affordable Avid Vantage—which provides unlimited online support, five NewBlueFX plug-ins for a year, and a great return on your $149 (USD) investment (which can be applied towards a new purchase of Media Composer or an upgrade)—to Avid Priority and Avid Uptime Support plans for more critical needs.