MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus review

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus lets you achieve professional results on consumer software.

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus review
(Image: © Magix)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

This program offers professional-level tools in a consumer-level application, making it a good choice for both novice and advanced video editors.

Pros

  • +

    Place any type of media on the editing tracks

  • +

    Good interface

  • +

    Image stabilization is new

Cons

  • -

    Very download intensive

  • -

    Not many new changes for this iteration

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MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus is one of the best video editing software programs because it allows you to achieve professional-level results with a consumer-level program. However, that comes at a cost: we found that MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus has a bit of a learning curve, but it’s nothing that can’t be overcome by putting in some time getting to know the software and its workflow. Other editors like Adobe Premiere Elements are easier to use, especially for beginners. Experienced users should be able to get the hang of it with few problems, but more casual users may find it slightly difficult the first time through.

One of the tests we conducted was an output quality test. We used each program to compress a high-resolution file into a smaller size. We then examined the results on an high resolution screen, searching for imperfections in the video such as pixelation, compression artifacts and motion blur. MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus performed excellently in this test. We were only able to detect small flaws in the video. You should expect to have a perfect (or near perfect) picture when you use this software, which is why we say it gets professional results.

The timeline is the central tool for any video editing program, and MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus’s is fundamentally different from other applications we reviewed. Other programs dedicate their editing tracks to specific types of media like video, audio and text. However, MAGIX gives you 200 tracks that you can put any type of media on. This makes the program very flexible, especially for complex projects. It simplifies the workflow and allows you to use fewer tracks to build your video project.

The software also features a simplified storyboard mode. This is a great tool for beginner, novice and casual users because it allows you to see all the elements in your project regardless of how long they run on the timeline. It also allows you to bring in your elements in a broad-strokes fashion, then move into the timeline to fine-tune your project.

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus 2020 review

(Image credit: Magix)

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro also employs what is known as proxy editing. This feature creates lower-resolution versions of your footage for you to work with. When you’re finished with your project, the program exports from the original files. This is a great feature because it decreases the time you spend waiting for video files to render in the editing space. Few consumer-level video editors utilize proxy editing, so this is a bonus.

When you install MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus, you’ll get a decent library of effects, transitions and other elements to work with to enhance your footage and clips. However, you must download most of them immediately after installation. This can take a while. In our testing phase, it took us more than an hour to download and install the complete effects library, so do set aside some time when you buy it, especially if you have a slower fibre connection.

The picture is only half the story in any video project – audio is just as important. In addition to letting you add effects and enhancements to your sound, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus features an audio mixer that can fine-tune all your audio to exactly how you want it. As with many of the advanced tools in this software, you’ll have to spend some time getting to know how to use it to its full potential.

This video editor offers many of the tools found in professional-level applications, like chroma key (green screen), masking tools, motion tracking, 3D editing, video stabilizers and more. The video stabilization has been much improved for the 2020 edition, which is ideal if you film handheld. MAGIX offers several ways to learn how to use these features both in the program and online, although it isn't as well supported as the likes of Shotcut or Corel VideoStudio Ultimate.

One of the more useful features is the multi-cam functionality. This can take footage of the same event from several sources and sync them up in your editor. You can then easily switch between angles in real time. This provides a great deal of control over how your finished video will work and saves you tons of time from syncing and editing these videos manually.

Another cutting-edge tool found in this video editing software is the ability to import, edit and manipulate 360-degree video. This is a great boon for movie makers who have cameras with this technology, and it's still quite rare among consumer video editing software.

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus 2020 review

(Image credit: Magix)

One more editing feature of note is the Movie Edit Touch app that’s available for Android devices. This app lets you edit movies on the go and even transfer what you’ve done on your smartphone or tablet to your home computer. This is a convenient feature for editors who don’t like being tethered to a desk when they work.

One of the advanced features we look for in this category that Movie Edit Pro lacks is an action cam module. This type of feature is specifically built to take footage from ultra-high definition cameras such as GoPros.

MAGIX has added GPU and CPU acceleration to the program. This means that Movie Edit Pro Plus will utilize all of your computer’s resources to process the video to make sure the program runs smoothly and exporting is a quick as possible without compromising quality. It will still need a reasonably powerful PC or laptop to run, but you don't need a top-end rig. 

When your project is finished, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus offers several ways to get it in front of an audience. You have the option not only to export your movies into eight of the most popular video formats, but also to optimize them for playback on specific types of mobile devices like Android and iOS. It also allows you to upload your videos directly to Facebook, Vimeo and YouTube without leaving the program.

Should you buy MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus?

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus 2020 is great software for video editors of any skill level. You may need to invest some time getting to know how it all works, but it’s well worth it, and MAGIX offers plenty of options to help you learn. There are loads of supported modes and support features, and you can export to all modern video file types. It's mid-priced, so not the cheapest nor the most expensive, making it a good option for anyone with reasonable video editing skills and a smaller budget to work with.

J.D. Chadwick
Contributor

J.D. Chadwick started writing articles for Top Ten Reviews 2008 and, after filling the role of Multimedia Editor, the keen video creator and expert in software was one of the most prolific members of the TTR team, authoring articles on things like antivirus software, video editing apps, and more.