What just happened? Apple has announced that it will bring its professional video editing software Final Cut Pro and digital audio workstation Logic Pro to the iPad. The new apps will have optimized multi-touch interfaces and support the Apple Pencil. They will both be available on the App Store from May 23 for either $4.99 per month or $49 per year, with a free month's trial available in each case.
In a press release announcing the new apps, Apple said that Logic Pro will require iPads powered by the A12 Bionic and newer, while Final Cut Pro will only work on iPads powered by the M1 chip and later. FCP will also only be compatible with iPadOS 16.4 and later, meaning users will have to update their device before downloading the app if they're running an older version of the OS.
While porting FCP from Mac to the iPad, Apple added a touch interface and intuitive navigation tools, including a jog wheel that the company says will make the editing process easier than ever. With the new tool, users can navigate the Magnetic Timeline, move clips and make fast frame-accurate edits with just the tap of a finger.
Another new feature in FCP for iPad is Live Drawing that will allow users to draw and write directly on top of video content using Apple Pencil. On the M2 iPad Pro, hovering the Apple Pencil over the screen will allow users to quickly skim and preview footage without ever touching the screen.
Creators using Final Cut Pro on their iPad will be able to import supported media from Files or Photos and save it directly inside a Final Cut Pro project. The app will also support importing projects created in iMovie for iOS. Apple also says you will be able to export your Final Cut Pro projects to Mac, provided you're running Final Cut Pro 10.6.6 or later.
Logic Pro for iPad also comes with a bunch of new touch-optimized enhancements, including support for multi-touch gestures, allowing creators to play software instruments and interact naturally with controls. The app will also support the pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-scroll gestures. Users will also be able to edit and draw detailed track automation with Apple Pencil.
Like Final Cut Pro, the new Logic Pro app will also support easy swapping of projects between Mac and iPad. As part of the plan, users will be able to export audio from their tablet to a computer in a variety of compressed and lossless audio formats, as well as individual audio track stems. They will also be able to create a soundtrack in Logic Pro for iPad and export it into Final Cut Pro for iPad. The app will also let users open projects created in GarageBand for iOS.