Lightworks 2023.2

Lightworks is our full-featured editor with all the power, performance and features you would expect, with support for all major professional broadcast formats from SD, HD, 2K and Red 4K files. We believe that to make great work, you need great tools. And editing is no exception. Our mission is to give everybody access to the most affordable professional non-linear video editor available. Offering the same tools that professionals around the world have been using every day for the last 20 years to edit feature films, dramas, news and sports. Lightworks gives you everything you need to make your next movie look great!

Unmatched native format support

Lightworks has the widest format support available in any professional NLE. MXF, Quicktime and AVI containers, with almost every format you can think of importing natively without the need for transcoding, from ProRes, Avid DNxHD, AVC-Intra, DVCPRO HD, RED R3D, DPX, AVCHD (with AC3 audio), H.264, XDCAM EX / HD 422, all on the same timeline in realtime. Check out the detailed Tech Specs for a full list of supported formats.

Background Import, Rendering and Export

We believe that users should be able to import, render or export without delay. Lightworks allows you to continue editing whilst you are importing a batch of material, rendering your complicated third party FX or exporting two files at the same time to your favourite format. With time saving elements like this Lightworks might just be the fastest editing application available.

Hardware I/O Support

To deliver high quality video you need to be assured that what you are editing is suitable for your viewers and clients use. Lightworks supports hardware from the three main manufacturers of I/O equipment: Blackmagic, AJA and Matrox.

Unique Patented Console and Dedicated Keyboard

Since 1989, Lightworks has had a unique and Patented hardware Console at the heart of its editing philosophy. Based around a flatbed film editor, the console offers the most tactile and intuitive editing experience available. There’s nothing else quite like it. It’s fast and it’s how the professionals edit. Every film that has been edited with Lightworks has been cut with a Lightworks console. And for those who fancy something different, we’ve developed a dedicated keyboard with an ergonomically designed layout for optimal use. 

Note: The Lightworks Console requires an active Lightworks Pro license

Multicam Editing

Not everyone shoots with multiple cameras. But when you do, you need the best tools to edit. Creating a group of synced clips straight from a bin has never been easier. Sync it directly with your edit with the click of a button and even generate an Auto Edit from the sync group saving you hours of time. Need to change a clip within the edit, simply right click the clip and choose another or cycle through the available choices with a shortcut key. Multicam editing doesn’t get easier than this.

World class Trimming for fast, precision editing

Lightworks sets the standards for trimming. Others have tried, but none have got close to the simple, yet powerful trim functions that Lightworks offers. Why make editing complicated and slow when it can be fast and enjoyable? Once you’ve trimmed in Lightworks, you won’t look back.

Built for Project Sharing and working in group environments

We believe we understand project sharing better than anyone. And with Lightworks, we’ve taken it one step further than anyone else. This is true realtime collaboration. Share media, bins and edits in realtime with full control over which user has read / write access.

Powerful, realtime effects with inbuilt presets

Lightworks has a realtime GPU pipeline architecture, designed from the ground up to deal with compositing and effects, such as primary and secondary colour correction, blurs, mattes and masks including over 100 inbuilt effect presets – completely independent of the source media. HD? 2K? 4K? No problem, we’ll deal with it in real time. The faster your GPU, the faster your system.

Dedicated Web Export (MPEG4/H.264)

Share your movies with colleagues, friends and family with our super-quick export to MPEG4/H.264. The video files produced are ready-made for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Instagram. You even have the option to upload directly to your YouTube account in one easy step, so you have more time to make a better movie!

Customisable interface

Whether applying the predefined keyboard shortcuts to your liking (AVID, FCP) or creating Macros to speed up your workflow, Lightworks allows quick and easy configuration to suit your needs. Want to use Lightworks in your native language? No problem, just apply one of the bundled language packs: Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, German, French, Bengali, Czech, Turkish, Polish, Thai, Japanese or Chinese. You can even create your own FX and Export Templates and add them to shortcut menus, or configure the interface exactly how you like it (Colour, Scale etc).