Apple has owned the name of creating products with high efficiency and performance for many decades.
MacBook Pro is one of the finest and successful products of Apple and it has been warmly received by critics and users alike.
Once you have got your hands on MacBook Pro or other Apple products, you will fall in love with them.
MacBook Pro can perform various heavy tasks without any issues and it is one of the best laptops for video editing.
MacBook Pro is made to work efficiently and faster thus making them ideal for all levels of video editing.
In this guide, we will specify the features of the MacBook Pro and how it will work efficiently in video editing at various levels.
If you still cannot pick one of them, then you can choose from the list of the 5 best MacBook Pro for video editing that we prepared for you.
MacBook Pro – Is It Good for Video Editing?
You may have this question running through your mind ‘Is MacBook Pro good for video editing?’ The answer is an absolute yes.
When compared to Microsoft’s windows, Apple’s OS is way more efficient and powerful.
The software in MacBook Pro is well optimized for the hardware in it because both hardware and software are created by Apple itself.
MacBook Pro can be perfectly integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and other third-party video editing software.
They also provide an effective and streamlined experience for the people who are working as freelancers.
Even for a big multimedia company, they mostly prefer the MacBook Pro for video editing rather than other laptops.
But before all the other features, you should check how much power you need for editing videos.
If you are working on YouTube videos and other small tasks, then you do not need to pay for extra specifications that are built for heavy tasks.
But if you are working on digital animation or heavy multimedia tasks, then you might probably need a high-end MacBook Pro.
Things to Consider While Buying Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing
MacBook Pros are more expensive than Windows laptops because of their excellent performance.
So, if you are determined to buy a MacBook Pro, then you should know about all the specifications.
Also, know your requirement and usage then buy according to it because you should spend your hard-earned money on the right products.
Now, you should check some of the basic things before or while buying a MacBook Pro for video editing.
RAM
For normal video editing or YouTube video editing, 8 GB RAM works well and smoothly. Even the MacBook Pro with 8 GB RAM can do some heavy tasks too.
But for great efficiency and fast processing, you need to buy a MacBook Pro with 16 GB RAM.
It will allow you to edit videos at Full HD (1080p) and Ultra Full HD (4K) then it also works very well in heavy video editing software.
But for more advanced tasks such as 3D modeling, animation, and 8K, we would recommend having 32 GB RAM and beyond (64 GB RAM).
References: https://mackeeper.com/blog/mac-for-video-editing/
Graphics
It is very important to check the graphic card before or while buying a laptop because it is needed for various purposes such as video editing, gaming, etc.
For rendering high-quality videos, you definitely need a good graphics card.
It is recommended to have dedicated graphics for the works beyond normal or casual home video editing.
It is because the dedicated graphics card allows you to render high-quality visuals smoothly and effectively.
Most MacBook Pro uses AMD Radeon Pro 5300M graphic card which will provide the best balance of mobility and productivity.
Processor
Apple processors are way more powerful and efficient for video editing work than other laptop processors.
Along with the latest and most powerful Apple M1 chip and Intel core i7 processor, you can use heavy software without any issues.
The M1 chip of Apple will increase the CPU performance by 3.5x and GPU performance by 6x faster than previous generation Macs.
With that M1 chip, you can perform complex activities such as machine learning, scientific calculations, etc. very easily.
Also, choose the laptop with a multi-core and high clock speed laptop so that you will have a seamless experience in video editing.
Storage
Storage is also one of the important features, you should check while or before buying MacBook Pro for video editing.
It is important because your rendered video should have proper space to store in your MacBook Pro.
If you are buying a MacBook Pro for casual editing, then a 256 GB SSD is enough for your usage.
But if you are doing big editing, then we would recommend you to buy a MacBook Pro with a 512 GB SSD.
Lastly, if you want a MacBook Pro for professional editing and performing complex functions, then it is better to buy a MacBook Pro with a 1 TB SSD.
We have picked the 5 best MacBook Pro for video editing and provide a detailed description with pros and cons.
List of 5 Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing With Pros & Cons
13.3-inch MacBook Pro 256 GB SSD, 8GB RAM (2020)
If you are looking for MacBook Pro for editing home videos or content for YouTube, then this is the ideal laptop for you.
With the Apple M1 chip, the CPU performance and the graphic speed are beyond your expectation.
The battery life of this MacBook Pro is also very good when compared to other normal laptops.
The retina display is one of the best displays of Apple that provide incredible levels of detail and realism.
The true tone technology present in retina displays will adjust the screen color according to your surroundings for a natural viewing experience.
Also, the P3 wide color feature will bring more vibrant colors than standard RGB.
The thunderbolt port is used to transfer data at a high speed that is 40 Gbps which is very fast when compared to normal ports.
However, a 256 GB SSD is enough for casual editing but with high levels of editing, it is recommended to have 512 GB or 1 TB SSD.
When it comes to security, no one can beat Apple because of its advanced security and privacy features.
– Pros
- Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and true tone technology provides an excellent display for video editing
- Best choice for casual home editing or content for YouTube videos
- 20 hours of standby battery life will allow you to edit videos for long hours
– Cons
- Because of basic features, it is not suitable for high-level video editing such as 3d renders, animations, etc.
13.3-inch MacBook Pro 512 GB SSD, 8GB RAM (2020)
This MacBook Pro has a higher SSD than the above-mentioned model but the remaining features are the same.
If you are a budding short-film director or budding editor, then you can buy this MacBook Pro.
This MacBook Pro will be compatible with every heavy video editing software.
However, the RAM is low but with the help of Apple’s latest M1 chip, it performs faster than other normal laptops.
The 16-core neural engine will allow you to perform machine learning functions such as video analysis, voice recognition, image processing, etc.
It also has a retina display accompanied by true tone technology and P3 wide color.
True tone technology always comes in handy because it adjusts the white balance to match the color temperature.
The Wi-Fi 6 will provide a stable internet connection even if many devices join the network.
The thermal efficiency of this MacBook Pro is also very good because the active cooling sustains the blazing-fast performance of the Mac.
– Pros
- Long Battery life (20 Hours) enables the user to perform video editing for long hours
- The studio-quality microphone that has improved signal-to-noise ratio
- Touch ID and Touch bar comes in handy
- With a 512 GB SSD, you can store a lot of files and rendered videos.
– Cons
- Low RAM and small screen size are the major cons in this MacBook Pro
13.3-inch MacBook Pro 512 GB SSD, 16GB RAM
With this MacBook Pro, you can do advanced levels of video editing without any issues.
It is because the 16 GB of RAM will provide a fast and seamless experience in various heavy tasks.
The 512 GB of SSD will allow you to store many high-quality rendered videos.
Whenever we talk about MacBook Pro for video editing, we should ignore the retina display.
The retina display will have a high pixel density ratio which allows the user to have a good viewing experience.
The processor of this MacBook Pro is a 2.0 GHz Quad-Core 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processor which processes heavy tasks fast and smoothly.
If you want to increase the SSD for more storage space then you can extend it up to 4 TB.
The touch bar helps to access shortcuts fast and the touch ID provides fast authentication.
– Pros
- P3 wide color and true tone technology provide a great experience in video editing
- 500 nits screen brightness will enable you to view your screen even under sunlight
- Fast data transfer that is up to 40 GB per second
– Cons
- It has an average screen size, but big screens are more suitable for video editing.
- Other than that, we did not see any notable cons in this MacBook Pro.
16-inch MacBook Pro 512 GB SSD, 16GB RAM (2019)
This MacBook Pro is more suitable for video editing because of its big display.
Every video editor wants their screen to be big because a big display will help them to see more details in the video.
This MacBook Pro also has a retina display that produces 500 nits of brightness and a P3 wide color.
The P3 wide color provides more vibrant red, blue, and green colors than the sRGB.
This MacBook Pro has the largest retina display ever in a Mac notebook because no other Mac has a 16-inch retina display.
The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M series renders UHD videos and provides seamless playback without any lags.
The clock speed of this MacBook Pro (2.6 GHz) is higher than the above-mentioned model.
The clock speed is one of the important features because the higher the clock speed, the faster the performance is.
You can even do tasks like 3d rendering, complex functions, testing code, etc. because of its high processing power and fast performance.
– Pros
- Perform multiple heavy tasks without any issue
- Big screen will allow you to notice every detail of the video
- Fast performance and high processing power with a good graphics card
– Cons
- We did not find any notable cons in this MacBook Pro for video editing
16-inch MacBook Pro 1 TB SSD, 16GB RAM
If you are an advanced or Pro editor, then MacBook Pro is the perfect choice for you.
It has every feature that is required to support good video editing software and do multiple heavy tasks without any issues.
The only disadvantage is low battery life (11 hours) because the battery life of other MacBook Pros has great battery life (20 hours).
Again when it comes to video editing, you should ignore the powerful retina display.
This MacBook Pro also has the largest retina display ever with the size of 16 inches.
True tone technology and P3 wide color in a big retina display will allow you to edit videos or photos with more accuracy.
This MacBook Pro uses an Intel Core i9 processor with 8 cores and 16 threads for higher performance.
The clock speed of this MacBook Pro is 2.3 GHz which is also one of the best clock speeds.
The storage of this laptop will allow you to store more high-quality videos and files because it has a 1 TB SSD.
Also, the graphics of this MacBook Pro is very good because it has AMD Radeon Pro 5500 M with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory.
– Pros
- More storage space for storing more high-quality videos
- Big size retina display will provide a good viewing experience and shows every detail of the video
- Good processor with high processing power and graphics card
– Cons
- Low battery life when compared to other MacBooks.
- Other than that, we did not find any notable cons in this MacBook Pro for video editing
Best Macbook alternatives for video editing
Best Software for Video Editing (MacBook Pro)
Many third-party video editing software is supported in MacBook Pro but Apple has made separate video editing software only for Apple users.
The two most known and famous video editing software of Apple are
- iMovie
- Final Cut Pro
With the help of these two software, you can do a lot of magic in video editing.
Both iMovie and Final Cut Pro are well optimized for Apple hardware so they provide fast performance.
iMovie
If you are a beginner in video editing or want to edit youtube videos, then iMovie is the best choice for you.
iMovie is a simple and user-friendly editing program because even the new user will learn how to edit in iMovie easily.
iMovie has a faster operating speed than the Final Cut because Final Cut has a lot of tools and effects which makes it slower than iMovie.
Another advantage is iMovie is free for Apple users and it is not as complex as other video editing software.
But the only disadvantage is that you cannot use advanced features like 360-degree editing, graphics, etc.
Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a superior program that is used by professionals for advanced editing.
Final Cut Pro provides top-notch features such as advanced color grading, audio effects, plugins, and integrations, etc.
Many professional video editors find it difficult to choose between Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.
But Mac users mostly prefer Final Cut Pro because the interface will feel familiar and much easier for them to use.
The color correction feature in Final Cut Pro is far greater than other video editing software.
In Final Cut Pro, you can customize the color to match the tone and mood of the footage.
The retina display cannot be avoided when we are discussing color correction because it provides accurate color which is very useful in video editing.
Why is the MacBook Pro better than Windows in Video Editing?
Many professional video editors use Mac rather than Windows because Mac provides a lot of features in editing.
Other than editing Mac has various advantages and special features over windows and some of them are listed below.
Hardware-Software Optimization
Both the hardware and software used in MacBook Pro are made by Apple so that hardware and software support each other.
The hardware of Mac is well optimized to software and the software is also well optimized to its hardware so the performance of the Mac will be smooth and soft.
In Windows, the OS is made for multi-hardware so much different hardware from HP, Dell, etc. will cause conflict with Windows.
Sometimes the windows crash or become very sloppy and slow while installing or using heavy video editing software.
But due to optimized hardware and software, the Mac does not crash like windows.
Retina Display
Retina display is one of the best features of Mac for video editors because it boosts color saturation.
The retina display provides a higher pixel density ratio than the traditional Apple displays.
The contrast between colors provided by the retina display is superb and it gives a good viewing experience.
The ultimate goal of retina display is to make the output of text and image sharper and crisper so that pixels are not visible to naked eyes at normal viewing distance.
Portable
Mac is more portable and lightweight when compared to many windows laptops.
Due to its lightweight, you can take it anywhere you want without any difficulties and continue your work.
This gives the user freedom of choice as to where he/she can work but some Windows-based laptops are bulky and difficult to carry.
Security
If you are a professional editor and working on big projects, then security is very important for your computer.
If you have a MacBook Pro, then you do not need to worry about security because Mac provides top-tech security.
Apple has a very closed environment in which no spyware or malware can be installed automatically.
First, Apple will test the software or application and then after the approval of Apple, the respective software will get into the Mac.
Apple has a more controlled environment and you do not need any separate antivirus installed in it.
Speed and Performance
When compared to Windows, the speed and performance of Macs are at a whole new level.
The 8 GB memory in Mac can outperform 16 GB memory in windows in both speed and performance.
It is due to the best hardware produced by Apple and the software will match and be optimized to hardware. So, there will be no lags and any speed issues found in Mac.