Professional video editors often flock to macOS, but a Linux PC is a worthy alternative. Video editing software on Linux distributions is often free, easy to use and full of professional features.
If you’re looking to try out video editing on Linux, particularly Ubuntu, here are four video editing software options you could try.
1. DaVinci Resolve
If you need a Hollywood-standard video editing tool, look no further. DaVinci Resolve has played a part in the post-production editing process of various Hollywood movies and TV shows like Pirates of the Caribbean and NCIS.
DaVinci Resolve comes with support for professional editing consoles to supercharge your editing process. You have the ability to edit videos up to 8K, as well as create impressively detailed 3D visual effects.
Resolve is free, but there’s also a paid version of the software, Resolve Studio, which adds features for team collaboration and editing, as well as advanced special effects. This will set you back an extra $299, however.
To install DaVinci Resolve (on Ubuntu), you’ll need an extra bit of software called MakeResolveDeb, which converts Resolve’s CentOS install file into a .deb file that Ubuntu and other Debian-based systems can use. Download the installation file for Linux from the DaVinci Resolve site, as well as the MakeResolveDeb script.
Open up your terminal, find your files and run the following, replacing the file names with the real names:
unzip Your-DaVinci-Zip-File.zip tar zxvf Your-MakeResolveDeb-Tar-GZ-File.tar.gz
Once that’s done, run the following if you want to install the free version of Resolve:
./makeresolvedeb_16.0-1.sh lite
If you want to install Resolve Studio, run:
./makeresolvedeb_16.0-1.sh studio
Once the process is complete, run the following to install it, replacing the .deb filename with your correct version:
sudo dpkg -i davinci-resolve-studio_16.0-1_amd64.deb
2. Flowblade
Free to use, open-source and low on resource usage, Flowblade is the video editing tool for Linux users that tries to bin off the excess to give you the fastest editing tool possible.
The interface you’re working with when you use Flowblade is pretty typical, with a bottom editing bar to help you cut up and customize your content. There are tools for video cropping, transitions, color correction, and audio editing, but Flowblade’s stand out feature is the proxy editor.
This lets you run a low-resource render on your video, meaning you can cut and create content on a PC with limited resources. You can then take your video to a better PC, import it, and export it at much higher resolutions.
Installing Flowblade on Linux is a slightly easier process than DaVinci Resolve. Download the latest .deb file, open up your terminal, and run:
sudo dpkg -i flowblade-2.0.0-1_all.deb
3. Lightworks
Editing across different platforms is easy with Lightworks, with support for Ubuntu and other Linux distros, as well as macOS and Windows. Lightworks has been cutting up your video content since 1989, playing its part in the post-production of films like Pulp Fiction and The Wolf of Wall Street.
For casual users, Lightworks comes with export tools for YouTube, exporting at 780p. It’ll handle all common video formats, and comes with preset features to handle color correction, 3D animation, and more.
Free to use (although not open source), there are some limits on the free version. You’ll gain additional special effects, along with 4K video quality, by upgrading to Lightworks Pro. This costs $24.99/month, or a one-off cost of $437.99.
To install on Ubuntu, download the .deb file from the Lightworks website. Open up a terminal, and run:
sudo dpkg -i lightworks-14.5.0-amd64.deb
4. Blender
Blender is a little different to our other video editing tool recommendations — Blender’s primary focus is 3D modeling. Don’t let that put you off, however, as it’s a capable video editor in its own right.
The video editing section is called Video Sequence Editor and comes with tools for audio editing, color adjustment, transitions, and filters, alongside Blender’s existing 3D editing tools. The best part is the cost, as Blender is completely free.
If you’re looking to create animated films, or add 3D elements to your video, this is the tool you need as part of your Ubuntu installation. The easiest method for installing it requires Snap. Run the following commands to install Snap (if it isn’t already installed) and Blender on your PC:
sudo apt install snapd sudo snap install blender --classic
Edit Your Videos on Linux With Ease
Beginners and professionals alike can take advantage of the video editing software we’ve recommended for Linux users. They’ll give you the ability to create the video you want, but without large upfront licensing costs, unless you’d prefer to pay.
If you’re an Apple user, you can try out some of the best video editors for Mac instead. Let us know which software choice is your favorite in the comments below.
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