8 mobile video apps to try in 2019

Jan 9, 2019 in Mobile Journalism
Mobile phone

Video journalists once had to haul around bags of heavy equipment, which now fits inside a pocket-sized phone. As mobile journalism becomes more and more popular — and important — journalists need to have the tools to create videos with just a few clicks.

If you’re considering mobile journalism in 2019, you don’t want to miss out on these tools which make editing on-the-go quick and simple.

KineMaster  

This mobile editing software is available for iOS and Android devices, and has a great deal of editing features, including multiple layers, audio controls, transitions, themes, hue control and more.

The downside is that these features don’t come cheap. The free version exports video with a watermark, so anyone hoping to use it for professional purposes will have to pay US$4.99 per month for use.

Splice

From the creators of GoPro, this app for iOS devices is free and easy-to-use. It offers all the features of other editors, but without having to pay. Users can trim and crop, as well as add effects, titles, transitions and music. The only problem is that there is no available version for Android phones.

Quik 

Also from GoPro, Quik is a slimmed-down version of Splice, but also available on Android. The app is great for quick, on-the-fly editing, which means that the number of features is limited. It can, however, create some things completely automatically — and it’s free.

Adobe Premiere Clip

From the creators of the popular Adobe editing software, this free app can be used in conjunction with Adobe editing software, or as a standalone product. Experienced editors can drive the editing process themselves, but those that are new to editing can use the app’s automatic features. The app is free and available for iOS and Android devices.

Magisto

This app is powered by artificial intelligence, and automatically creates videos based on pre-established styles. All you have to do is upload the clips you want to include. The lack of control can be frustrating for experienced editors, but great for those new to mobile video. It comes in a free or paid version, and is available for iOS or Android devices.

PowerDirector

This app is similar to iMovie, but available exclusively for Androids. It has all the necessary features, allowing users to trim, transition and more. You’ll have to pay a monthly subscription to rid videos of watermarks, but it is easy-to-use for experienced and non-experienced editors.

iMovie

This app is available exclusively for iOS devices, and is a benchmark for other mobile editing software. iMovie is easy-to-use for all levels of experience, and gives users basic editing functionality for free.

LumaFusion

For US$19.99, you can get LumaFusion for your iOS devices, which has nearly all the functionality of a desktop editor. Users have the ability to do multi-track editing and add animation, effects, titles and more.


Main image CC-licensed by Unsplash via Dan Silva