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DaVinci Resolve is a powerful video editing software tool that includes features for fast editing, color correction, and powerful audio and visual effects and it’s slowly replacing Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X for mass-market video and film editing.

The latest “free version” (Resolve 15) has more features that are quicker and easier to use than all popular “paid versions” of video editing software, and that translates to businesses saving money and individuals saving time.

Since the rise of YouTube and growth in sales of phones like Google’s Pixel 2 and iPhone X that have incredible video capabilities the demand for do-it-all video, audio and effects editing software that is quick and easy to use has also increased dramatically and that’s where DaVinci Resolve shines, especially since the release of Resolve 15.

The DaVinci Resolve Trend

Is an indicator that shows DaVinci Resolve is steadily becoming the preferred video editing software of choice. In the Google Trends chart below it’s clear that in April 2017 Davinci’s Resolve 14 release had a significant impact in the marketplace and this was further bolstered with the release of Resolve 15 in April 2018.





It’s very hard for businesses to get loyal users switching from a video editor they know and love to another, but when your strategy is to make your free version more powerful than your competitors paid versions then getting people to switch becomes a whole lot easier and that’s what’s happening with Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve.

Resolve 15 New Features

The best video editing software is the one that’s fastest and most painless to use, and this is where Resolve excels. Version 15 introduced a number of “competitor killing” features, here’s a breakdown of what’s new since April 2018.

Subtitles and Closed Captioning

Allows importing of SRT files or manually create subtitles and closed captioning.

Stacked Timelines

The new stacked timeline feature lets you simultaneously open and work with multiple timelines, enabling creation and editing of multiple timelines that let you quickly edit, copy and paste between them.

On-Screen Annotations

Let’s you draw directly on top of video clips to make notes for future reference.

2D and 3D Title Templates

Incorporates integration of professionally designed 2D and 3D static and animated title templates.

Resolve FX Keyframes

Let’s you add keyframes to animate Resolve FX and Open FX plugins.

Improved Optical Flow

Added new algorithms to provide amazing results for slow motion and smooth cut.

Advanced Trimming

Resolve 15 added advanced trimming features that give it’s free version more advanced trimming tools than any other paid software.

You get an array of context sensitive tools that automatically ripple, roll, slip or slide based on the position of the mouse. You can use dynamic JKL trimming, perform asymmetric trims, trim multiple clips at the same time, and even trim live during looping playback to make precise edits.

Audio Overlays

A new way to navigate clips based on audio, the source viewer features an innovative audio waveform overlay that allows you to see the audio waveform and video clip at the same time.

This feature lets you quickly navigate to different parts of clips based on spikes, silent areas or other visual cues in the audio waveform so you can mark clips and create split edits.

Multicam Editing

Enables editing footage from multiple cameras in realtime, you can cut programs while playing back multiple sources in a 2, 4, 9 or 16 up multi camera grid view.

Synchronize camera angles based on timecode, in or out points, or audio. DaVinci Resolve can even recognize camera starts and stops, and uses metadata for angle and name information.

Speed Effects

Allows you to easily retime clips with constant or variable speed changes with ramping curves for dynamic effects.

There are separate curves for both frame position and playback speed that allow any frame to be moved to any point in time. Choose the improved optical flow, frame blending or nearest frame rendering for best results.

Built-In Visual Effects

Not content with massively improving video editing Blackmagic Design went ahead and incorporated Fusion into Resolve, making it possible to add feature film quality visual effects and motion graphics to your project.

Whether you’re a YouTuber or working on a Hollywood blockbuster, television show, commercial or independent film, Fusion gives you the ability to easily create photorealistic visual effects, motion graphics and title sequences that immerse the viewer.

Resolve 15 is Beginner Friendly

Prior to testing Resolve 15 I had no experience whatsoever with any of Blackmagic Design’s products and made no attempt to read the manual or search for tutorials, so when I saw my six year old son playing with his toy light saber and got the idea to make it look realistic on video I had no idea how to go about it.

Watch this video that discusses this post, and to see how I created the light saber effect.

Premiere Pro vs Resolve 15 Pricing

Premiere Pro – $300 to $600 “per year”.

Davinci Resolve – FREE “forever”.

Good luck competing with FREE Adobe! It’s not going to happen, not when Resolve 15’s FREE software is better than your PAID software.

The Studio version of Resolve is $299 (one-time payment) but you can do 99% of what you need to do without it.

But wait, there’s more RAW!

Blackmagic announced Blackmagic RAW a few days ago, it’s a revolutionary new and very modern codec that’s easier to use and much better quality than popular video formats, but with all the benefits of RAW recording.

I’d love to get my hands on an URSA Mini camera to review and assess Blackmagic RAW but it’s not in my budget so watch this video instead, it’s very impressive.

The Company Behind DaVinci Resolve

Blackmagic Design the company behind DaVinci Resolve is based in Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and as well as developing the best video editing software I’ve ever used (and I’ve used them all) they also manufacture powerful digital movie cameras.

Blackmagic was founded in 2001 by Grant Petty who has been innovating non-stop ever since and I’d never heard of them until I began researching the latest video editing software trends and looking for the best editing software for my new YouTube channels.

It was actually pretty exciting and cool to discover Resolve 15 because it seems to work exactly the way my brain wants it to work and that’s testament to great user interface design and product management.

But don’t take my word for it, download it here and try it out for yourself then leave your comments below and let me know what you think.