Which 360 Video Editor Should You Use?

Which is the best desktop-based 360 video editing software? In this IN-DEPTH comparison, I’ll compare Adobe Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro & Insta360 Studio, to see which the best options are for both 360 video reframing AND editing 360 videos for VR.

👇 The four editors:

*MY COURSES* 🎓

*FREE DOWNLOADS* 🔥

🎙️ *My Podcast:* The Creator’s Journey

🕑 TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Intro
0:48 The contenders
1:15 Insta360 Studio
3:05 Premiere Pro
5:29 Davinci Resolve
8:19 Final Cut Pro
10:07 Pricing comparison
13:36 My recommendations!

#360video #editing #software

[BenClaremont]

p.s. there's also After Effects- however it's quite advanced and therefore has a much steeper learning curve. Not something i'd recommend for beginners to intermediates when these 4 can do 99% of what you'd need to do with 360 video editing & reframing. That said, if you're interested in AE, let me know below! 👇🏻

[georgeaura]

I wish insta360 would do an update to edit multiple clips on a single on their app

[ariadnamartinez]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for in a video

[scottied]

I use Cyberlink Powerdirector for my GoPro 360 reframed videos. I can use the software to render them as full 360 or reframe them as equirectangular 16:9 video using keyframes. $69 bucks a year, plus I'm too old to learn new tricks (new software) lol

[KhalidAlhajri]

Hi Ben, we missed you. Thank you for the video. Please keep posting. I learn a lot from you.

[mrdonsmith]

I love editing 360 in Final Cut Pro. I was once a beta tester for Premiere. Most people who try Final Cut simply click around and can't figure it out and go to Premiere because it's basically the same workflow as the legacy Final Cut. Slow! Cumbersome! I can edit two to three times faster in Final Cut Pro than you can in Premiere. But first, you have to 'get' the new paradigm. Once you understand that, you'll never go back. Now, you may not know that there's a trick in Final Cut Pro for editing 360 video that I use a lot. When I'm reframing the shot, I can right-click in the blank area next to the section title that lists the Pan, Tilt and Rotate settings and create markers in all the settings in that section with a single click. You want to ALWAYS do that because if you don't, Then, when you next set a marker, you'll probably cause the path to change in relation to a previous setting of another marker. That won't happen if you always set all markers. That way, they position will be locked into looking the way you initially set it to look. If links are not allowed here, go to Texas Two Lane dotcom and look at my motorcycle videos. Episode 6 is a good example of what I do. Plus, you'll see how I make a logo appear on the windscreen of my motorcycle. If a link is allowed here, then

[theroadhome_Liz_Summers]

Super happy to hear all of the comparisons but particularly your vote for Premiere Pro (for you). As an IT professional, I have had the Adobe subscription (54.99/mth) as I use enough Adobe products in my work life to make this my best choice. Video editing is new-ish to me and at this point, I do have time invested in learning Premiere Pro. And the Adobe products work so well together plus updates. But that is me. I know not for everyone. But again, thanks for the comparison. CAVEAT ... I reframe in Insta360 Studio as well as separate clips by "project". Then import into Premiere Pro. So far, I have not had much luck with the PP GX reframe plug in.

[darylstewart]

Awesome content and answered all my questions spot on. Cheers!

[CarnisChampion]

I wish insta360 made a pro version or something with the same capability as the other ones. just some audio tracks and transitions would be awesome. powerdirector 21 and up is alternative, sure there is a limit on 4k but there is a tutorial how to add higher res and it is not that difficult to do. add a custom res, go in to a text editor and change the data to be the res you like.

[karsstukov]

How do you export vr video from davinci?

[GregDeocampoogle]

Admire how you're videos are so gosh darn helpful. also i'm jealous of your floating monitor.

[maximilianyuen]

if you are a bit more advance and will do more than just linear keyframe, either you go premier or insta360+davinci, premiere being a much better choice. biggest problem of insta360 is the keyframe control is super troublesome to use with no shortcut and limited option of editing, split and merge is non existent, and once you do things like tracking you lose the ability to edit at all. but it does offer some form of keyframe easing, so you can export from 360 to davinici which do the normal video edit, but not 360 video edit. Davinci biggest problem is the total lack of keyframe easing, even the most basic flat ease in ease out, making all the keyframe motion rigid and ugly to use. yes you do have some form of control in fusion tab but thats whole can of worms. good luck trying to sync your cut to the music in edit page.

[TechnoViel]

Is there any solution that works without Insta360 Studio? The Davinci solution still requires Studio to convert the videos - unfortunately the video does not mention that. I am considering getting an ARM based windows laptop (Snapdragon X Elite systems seem to be great for light video work!), but Insta360 Studio will not install on these machines. Any alternative for converting the insv-files?

[WorkingIdeas]

Can you make a premiere pro tutorial with 360 video, that how import, edit, render, etc.?

[davidjohnson]

Missed a chapter marker at 5:29 for DaVinci?...

[cjsebes]

Great insight, Ben. I've only just started playing with 360 video on my Theta X, so this gives me some great direction.

One thing that I have to consider is the fact that anyone who is using a Theta X (may be other cameras as well) can shoot 5.7k 360 video. The 4k resolution limit on the free version of Davinci Resolve is a con for me. I own Davinci Resolve Studio which has a 32k resolution limit. I think that should work. ;)

I also use Final Cut Pro, but have yet to dive into editing 360 video with it. Funny thing... For the past however-many-years I've been editing with FCP, I've hidden the 360 video column in the editing environment and thought, "I don't ever see myself editing that. So annoying that I have to hid it all the time." Well, not anymore!

[benhimmself]

Thanks great video! Any chance you could do one of these for us that only use iPad Pro please?

[Remontek]

thank you, and how can import video from insta 360 to final cut pro ??? are need plugin ??

[FxRiderST]

Hi. Can you cut out some parts in the middle of the clip in insta360?

[remington]

Great video. I’ll be looking for your 360 course. The timing is perfect as I’ve been wanting to do more 360 VR content.
FWIW. I’ve been a GoPro Max owner for several years and participated in their Beta group who helped develop the GoPro Player software. I owned an Insta360 X3 long enough for me to give the Insta360 Studio S/W a test, drive against the GoPro Max Player software. I eventually returned the X3: as I felt the Max held its own in general image quality and actually beat the Insta360 X3 indoors and in low lighting. That said- HDR was a nice feature in the X3.
GoPro Player software works much the same as the Insta360 Studio. Both do, well to reframe individual clips or create individual 360 clips. Both softwares can also extract single frame reframe or full 360 still images. Only the Insta360 Studio has the auto track feature which would be nice to have .
Reframe clips are easy to join in order to create a longer multiple scene video . There are many other programs beyond the four you mentioned that can do basic editing of non 360 clips. My typical workflow uses the GoPro Player to extract rendered clips and magix Vegas software for simple splicing and audio editing. I have a copy of DaVinci Resolve, but because I couldn’t process the full 5.6 K resolution 360 files with the free version, I tended to stick with the Vegas software I know . Therefore, the 360 VR clips I post are direct stand alone clips from the GoPro Player software with no current way to join several of these 360 clips together