Final Cut Pro X update improves speed, adds easier video formatting for social media platforms

Apple is giving Final Cut Pro an update to help its video software adapt to the ever-changing needs of social media and working from home and has dubbed this new version Final Cut Pro X. 

The free update, labeled 10.4.9, adds support for new proxy workflows in either ProRes Proxy or H.264 to make libraries more manageable and portable even if you're editing large, high-resolution videos. Proxy media can also be consolidated to an external or a network-connected drive, which should be particularly helpful for those dealing with projects in multiple locations.

Also new is a "Smart Conform" tool to convert traditional horizontal video into "square, vertical or any other sized video" that is popular on mobile platforms like Instagram , Snapchat and Twitter. Apple says it is using machine learning on the videos to automatically analyze for dominant motion, allowing the software to crop according to the active parts of the shot. 

As with other videos, graphics and text can be overlaid on the cropped footage. 

Those with a Mac Pro or recent MacBook Pro should see speed improvements when transcoding 8K Red Raw video to ProRes 422. The new update also adds support for working with 8K Canon Cinema Raw Light. 

A full list of changes, as well as the update itself, can be found at the Mac App Store.