Got time on your hands and want to learn a new skill? Apple has extended the free trial period for Final Cut Pro X to 90-days from 30-days – and started offering a similar 90-day trial period for Logic Pro X.
Apple said: “We hope customers who are home and looking for something new to master will try out these free trials”.
Final Cut Pro X is Apple’s advanced software for editing, processing, and outputting video. Some well known movies made using Final Cut Pro include The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Our video editor who uses the software describe it as “iMovie on steroids”. While it’s designed for professionals we think anyone who enjoys making home movies will enjoy using it. If you already use iMovie you will find it familiar but with many more features and tools to explore.
Final Cut Pro was updated from Final Cut Pro 7.0.3 to Final Cut Pro X back in 2011 and the current version is Final Cut Pro X 10.4.8. Apple is offering the extended free trial to new users as well as those currently using the older, pre-FCPX versions of the software. However, we recommend that if you are currently using Final Cut Pro 7 and you update to the use the trial you must back up your libraries first. This is because when you start to use the FCPX trial your existing libraries will be converted for the new software, which would mean you won’t be able to downgrade them again later.
If Final Cut Pro is “iMovie on steroids” then Logic Pro X is “GarageBand on steroids”. It’s a digital audio workstation that offers software instruments, audio effects and recording facilities for music synthesis. Logic Pro is used by the likes of David Guetta, Ed Sheeran and Swedish House Mafia.
How to get 90-day free trial of Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro X normally costs £299/$399 here, but Apple is offering a 90-day trial here.
To run Final Cut Pro X you will need at a minimum:
- macOS 10.14.6 or later
- Minimum 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended)
- 256MB of VRAM
- OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later.
- 3.8GB of disk space
For more advanced features such as 4K editing, 3D titles and 360° video editing, VR headset support, and so on you’ll need:
- 1GB of VRAM
- Discrete graphics card (ideally AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card)
- macOS High Sierra or later
- SteamVR
Here’s how to download the trial:
- If you are already using an older version of Final Cut Pro (pre FCPX) please back up your libraries.
- Visit the Final Cut Pro trial web page here
- Submit your name and email address
- Click on the download tab and the trial version of the software will download. It’s a 1.15GB download.
- Once it is downloaded you’ll find the disk image in the downloads folder on your Mac.
- Double-click on the installer package and install it on your Mac.
- At the end of the 90-day trial you will be invited to get the full version.
Apple indicates that “If you’re already using a licensed copy of a prior version of Final Cut Pro X, you will be prompted to upgrade your library when the trial application is first launched. It is recommended to keep a back up version of your libraries before upgrading. Once your library is upgraded, you must update your licensed copy of Final Cut Pro to access your upgraded libraries after the 90-day trial period expires.”
How to get 90-day free trial of Logic Pro
Apple is also offering a free 90-day trial of Logic Pro X, normally £199/$299 here. If you have already begun the free 30-day trial it will automatically extend for an additional 90 days.
To run Logic Pro X you will need at a minimum:
- macOS 10.13.6 or later
- 4GB of RAM
- OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later
- 256MB of VRAM
- 6GB of disk space minimum or up to 63GB of disk space for the full Sound Library installation
Logic Remote works with iPhone 6s, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 or later with iOS 11 or later.
The trial version of Logic was not immediately available at time of writing, but it eventually went live here.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.