Final Cut Pro 11 touts AI-powered features for the Mac

Following the launch of the first M4 Macs, Apple released Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac and updates for iPad, Final Cut Camera, and Logic Pro. The updated software is free to current users through the App Store. Here are quick summaries of the new features for each app.

Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

• Magnetic Mask: An AI-based feature that can “isolate people and objects in a video clip without the need for a green screen or more time-consuming rotoscoping.” Magnetic Mask can be used with color correction and video effects.
• Transcribe to Captions: Uses AI to automatically generate closed captions with an Apple-trained large language model that transcribes spoken audio.
• Spatial Video Editing for Apple Vision Pro: Spatial video editing support includes special effects, color corrections, titles with depth positions, and more. Previews of left- and right-eye angles are available and spatial videos can be exported directly to a Photos library, viewed immediately on Vision Pro, or uploaded to the native visionOS Vimeo app.

The release notes for Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac has a complete list of the new features. Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac is free to current users; new users can get a 90-day free trial, after which the app is $299.99 (one-time fee).

Apple

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1

• Enhance Light and Color: adjust color, color balance, contrast, and brightness. This feature is optimized for SDR, HDR, RAW, and Log-encoded media.
• Haptic feedback for Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard: “a light pulse” occurs when trimming clips, moving media, navigating the timeline, and resizing viewer clips.
• Vertical pinch gesture: to expand or minimize clip height in the timeline.
• Dynamic adjustment of the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode.
• Timeline support for recordings at 90 fps, 100 fps, and 120 fps on iPhone 16 Pro.
• New inks for Live Drawing: watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen options.
• Expanded content library: new modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1 is free to current users of the app. It’s free for a month to new users and then will cost $4.99 per month. It’s also available for a $49 annual fee.

Final Cut Camera 1.1

• Capture Log-encoded HEVC video in standalone or Live Multicam sessions.
• A level to help compose shots with roll and tilt indicators.
• A crosshairs indicator for top-down shots.

Final Cut Camera is available for free later in the App Store.

Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 and Logic Pro for iPad 2.1

The major new feature for Logic Pro is the Quantec Room Simulator plug-in, which produces “the most acoustically accurate reverb ever created.” The plug-in adds natural acoustic space and “or the modern Quantec Yardstick for improved clarity and detail.”

“The Quantec Room Simulator has been a key element to my sound for many years, appearing on records like Passion and Us. I also used it to build harmonic drones to start my live set, which then evolved into songs like ‘Across the River,’” said musician Peter Gabriel in an Apple press release. “It’s wonderful that Apple is bringing the Quantec QRS back to life as a plug-in for Logic users around the world.”

Apple

The Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 release notes have complete details on the new features and updates. Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 is free for current users, while new users get a free 90-day trial. After that, it’s a one-time purchase of $199.99. Logic Pro for iPad 2 is a free update to current users, while new users get a free trial for a month and then pay $4.99 monthly or $49 annually.