A public beta of Lightworks, the professional-grade video editor from Editshare, is now officially available for download.

No more limited dry-runs, or badly-communicated access to alpha builds; the app can be downloaded and installed for free on 64bit Ubuntu-based Linux distributions, including the newly released Ubuntu 13.04.

Long Wait

If it seems like you’ve been waiting for this day for years it’s because you have. The first Linux release was promised way back in 2011.

But we can forgive Editshare, the company behind the app, for their various delays because Lightworks isn’t ‘just’ another video editor. The ‘professional-grade’ tool has been used in the editing of many well-known television programmes and film industries for years it has a prestigious reputation – one that now graces Linux desktops.

The video editor is free to download and use, with a PRO paid plan offering extra features and codec support for $60/y.

Also note:

It’s 64bit Only

Requires ATI or Nvidia graphics card & drivers

Only “officially” supported on Ubuntu & Linux Mint

Not all tools work/are included on Linux

Requires Lightworks account (free)

Includes seven day PRO license trial

On top of this note the following ‘known issues’ concerning the following formats:

No H.264 MOV, Quicktime/MPEG4 & AVI export options

No support for .WMV

AVI playback issues

Want in? You’ll find the download sign-up form and additional information behind the button below.

Download Lightworks for Linux Beta

After installing be sure to check out the ‘Getting Started’ guide below. While it was made for the Windows beta it can be used step-for-step with the Linux version – just ignore any instructions on opening the app from the Start Menu ;)

Getting Started with Lightworks