Magix is a German company and the last time we saw their video editing software, Movie Studio was called Movie Edit Pro Premium.
We were very impressed with what we saw, giving the package three and a half stars in our review, noting that it "has a few glitches and annoyances, but it covers much more than the basics and even includes some automated features." for novice editors. .
Now with a new name, new updates make editing easier for novice editors.
Under the hood upgrades
By launching the latest version of the video editing app, you would be forgiven for thinking that nothing has changed. The interface is exactly the same.
But the performance is not the same. One of the biggest changes is not what you'll see, but what you'll feel, as Movie Studio's INFUSION engine has been updated to version 3.
According to the company, the engine "enables a smooth GPU workflow for all current graphics cards from Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD." This should allow for smoother playback of complex projects, or those with 8K footage, and also provide accelerated exports for AVC and HEVC formats.
When working with 8K, depending on the video editing computer you choose, you can preview your footage in real time as you edit it. It's a big help as we're slowly moving towards larger and more complex video files, and it's great that Magix is at the forefront here.
Magix Content is a great new addition for 2022, offering an extensive library of music, photo, video and animation samples for Platinum and Suite subscribers. .
This gives you access to royalty-free media to enhance your own projects. File libraries are nothing new. - although it is always an advantage to be able to access it directly from the editing interface. But is the Magix offer worth the subscription price?
It will really depend on your usage and if you find the content to your liking.
Magix claims to have millions of video and audio files, all thanks to its partnership with Storyblocks, and we'll have to take their word for it. In fact, the selection seems vast, and luckily you can find what you need through a search box or various categories.
You also have the right to use any available content for any type of project. Even better, there is no time limit beyond which you will lose the right to use this medium.
It's true that there are tons of free and paid stock libraries online, including Adobe Stock and Adobe Stock alternatives. Magix definitely wins for its convenience here.
Redesigned travel animations
You know those funny movie moments where the journey is illustrated by a dot moving across a yellowish map?
Well, you don't need the best video effects software to bring travel animations to life. You can recreate them with Movie Studio better than before. Once again, Magix has blocked this feature in the Platinum or Suite editions of the video editing software.
There's a new "flight" option, designed to give your animated itinerary a smoother introduction. You also have more control over the map itself, allowing you to tilt and rotate and zoom in and out.
If your imported files contain GPX data (i.e. general geographic information, including waypoints, tracks, and routes), this feature can take advantage of that and display your elevation alongside the map, just to show how high you got on your last hike!
Many tools have been redesigned and improved to make them easier to use and manage. This is true for the new controls that let you move video clips in the main preview section. It's all about making it easy to create collages, split screens, or anything like that, which makes it that much more enjoyable.
The controls you use to manipulate your footage are larger and easier to select, giving you more control over a clip's position and scale right from the preview section. The rotate tool gains flexibility, allowing you to specify where the point of rotation is, opening up even more creative opportunities.
If your goal is to produce videos that will be shared online, you'll appreciate the new social media management templates, which make it easy to create platform-specific vertical or square format projects.
The smartphone's automatic media alignment is another great feature that we liked. Some video editing software has issues with shots taken from a phone, especially an iPhone, displaying the footage upside down for some reason. This new feature automatically corrects the orientation of a clip, so you (and your audience) always see it in the correct position.
Exclusive features
The new Effects Pack, designed to add ambient lighting effects to your projects, adds to the host of new features available for higher-end versions of Magix software.
You are offered more than a hundred templates, which are also fully customizable. These effects include light beams and flickering candles, to help change or convey the perfect mood for your scene in post-production. But only by choosing the Suite version will you get this boost of creativity.
Rates and subscriptions
There are many ways to get a copy of this video editing package. You can buy Movie Studio for $69.99 / $49.99, great if you don't like Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription model and want a consumer Premiere Pro alternative.
The Platinum Edition costs €99,99 / €69,99, includes 600 additional transition effects and titles, advanced color correction tools, and the new travel path animation. If your budget extends to that, we'd say it's worth the extra money.
Movie Studio 2022 Suite is currently undergoing a massive promotional campaign. Magix says the usual price is around €1000 / €900, which seems extremely high, but it can be yours right now for less than Movie Studio Platinum – just €79.99 / €64.99. Suite includes these cool new lighting effects. If you're interested, grab it while you can.
If you prefer to subscribe, you can get Studio, Platinum and Suite for a monthly cost of €2.99/€2.29, €3.99/€2.99 and €4.99/€3.99 respectively.
As an added incentive, Platinum and Suite subscriptions include MAGIX content (unfortunately nothing for standard Studio users).
Magix is so confident in their product that they also let you try their editing software for free. We recommend that you check out Movie Studio to see if it's right for you.
final verdict
Magix Movie Studio is a clean and affordable video editor designed with ease of use in mind. Some issues remain, like reverse track order, but that's clearly an option and something to get used to if you're working with other video editing tools.
In general, the new additions will be of great use to many editors, whether they are new or more experienced.