Countdown to Final Cut Pro 10.7*
The Fall of 2023
(Update: FCP 10.7 Announced at the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit)
As usual, the best Final Cut Pro professionals from around the globe will be discussing
FCP on FCPRadio and Final Cut TV
Follow along on Twitter @RichardTaylorTV or on Facebook.com/groups/FinalCutProRadio.
You can download and listen to the Final Cut Pro Radio podcast on iTunes here.
Professional video editors have been requesting long missing pro NLE features from the FCP Team for years. We started checking off that long feature request list with the arrival of the industry standard Dupe Detection in March 2022. But that took 11 years! Let's hope other features that editors need come to FCP sooner rather than later.
Here are a few features I'd like to see in FCP 10.7
Text based editing and auto transcription with captions and subtitles options.
Apple is trailing Resolve, Premiere and Avid with these standard missing NLE features.
Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration!
The ability to have multiple editors, audio, colorists, graphics people working on the same project at the same time like AVID would be most welcome. Whatever that's going to look like in FCP 10.7, we are ready and waiting for it!
Pro Audio features: Audio Mixer with Master volume control, AU plugin inserts, keyframe recording, assignable Roles submixes that output to discreet audio track hardware channels, precise volume & audio keyframe adjustment in the timeline, audio peak detection, audio ducking, etc.
Q: Will this new FCP 10.7 update require macOS Sonoma for some new features?
A: Probably although I expect FCP 10.7 will also work with macOS Ventura and earlier macOSes for many new features.
Editorial
The long awaited next full number update to Final Cut Pro, FCP 10.7*, will very likely be released in the US Autumn of 2023.
Based on the full number FCP releases in the past 7 years, there are two main events that could host the10.7 launch (or preview):
1) The Final Cut Pro Creative Summit on November 6th through the 8th.
2) Apple's 'Scary Fast' Mac Event, could preview/demo the new M3 machines with a new version of Final Cut Pro.
Also for the last four years, when macOS is updated in the Fall, three out of four times Final Cut Pro has been updated on the same day.
And the fourth year, FCP was updated a week before macOS was updated.
This year, FCP was updated for the new iPhone 15 Pro in late September just days before macOS Sonoma was released.
Of course Apple could surprise us, as they have before, and just announce Final Cut Pro 10.7* with a press release at any time. Final Cut Pro 10.6 is two years old and we are up to FCP 10.6.10. So a new feature full number update to FCP is due.
For the last ten years, the average span between full number updates is 19 months.
We are at 24 months right now.
Based on the last 5 years of Final Cut Pro development, my expectations for a full feature FCP update are low. They were lowered during the three years it took to get from 10.4 to 10.5 (which is hardly an update). 10.6 was certainly better than 10.5. but still not as good as previous full number updates.
There is nothing that I'd like more than to be surprised and have my expectations exceeded by the Final Cut Pro Team with a long overdue full feature update.
Here's a timeline of recent FCP full number releases:
FCP 10.3 - October 2016 - MBP Event - the day before the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit
FCP 10.4 - November 2017 at the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit
FCP 10.5 - November 12th, 2020 first Apple silicon M1 Macs event
FCP 10.6 - October 18th, 2021 M1 14" and 16" MacBook Pros event
FCP 10.7 - Fall 2023 perhaps in November at the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit or October at the Apple M3 Mac event.
3 out of the last 4 full number FCP updates (10.3, 10.5, 10.6) have coincided with Apple Mac hardware events. FCP 10.7 anyone?
Project improvements.
Project playback/scrubbing in the Browser and the ability to add a project to another project. You can scrub a compound clip timeline and multicam clip in the browser and a project in the Share window, but you can't scrub a project in the Browser.
Compound clips expand for editing in place in the Timeline.
And the ability to make a compound clip from a range selection in the timeline. Also be able to extend the in and out points of the compound clip in the timeline if there is media available.
Color coding with sort by color for video clips, audio clips, Events, Projects, Storylines, selections, Roles, Duplicate Ranges, Keywords, folders, etc. Basically colors application-wide. Color clips in the timeline as well. Editors have had to resort to using colored emojis because of the lack of colors in the Browser. Also replace FCP's dull color pallette with Logic Pro's expanded color palette.
Right click on a Library and choose "Close Other Libraries" from the drop down menu. Also choose a storage location by right clicking on a Library.
Drag a customized Effect(s) from the Inspector to a clip or selected clips in the Timeline or Event Browser.
Individually drag-adjustable Timeline lane heights and thin lane dividers and the ability to save a custom lane height layout.
Draggable timeline markers, extend markers, move markers via timecode, export marker lists with notes and custom multi-colored markers.
Q: Do you think that Final Cut for the iPad has slowed development of FCP for the Mac?
A: I sure hope not! FCP development has been slow for years. It doesn't need any help slowing down its development.
Shift - F Reveal in Browser works with Titles, Generators and Transitions like it works with clips in the timeline.
Drag and drop Browsers for Titles, Generators, Transitions, Effects to save customized timeline favorites, organizing in folders, etc.
Storyline Parameters in the Inspector Lock, Enable and Disable, Scale etc.
Q: Will this new version of Final Cut Pro require Apple Silicon Macs or will it still run on Intel Macs?
A: It most certainly will still run on Intel Macs although some features will require an Apple silicon Mac.
Q: Will we finally get a full number update with more than a few new features with FCP 10.7?
A: That remains to be seen but as the eternal Final Cut Pro optimist, I believe yes!
Tune in most Saturdays at 10 AM EST US for Final Cut TV and Coffee! A worldwide FCP discussion.
Q: Would you ever switch to another NLE?
A: I've been editing with Final Cut Pro for over 20 years and I've been an
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer since FCP V5 so switching is not likely.
I can, and do, edit with more than one NLE ie FCP, Resolve and LumaFusion.
Master Timeline overview navigation track with timeline selection highlighted in a moveable view bubble, where you can jump to a timeline position and perform basic edits by clicking on it like Resolve and LumaFusion have.
LumaFusion
Join our FCP FaceBook Groups Final Cut RadioTV or Final Cut Pro Tips and Tricks
So for the last seven years, all Final Cut Pro full number updates have been released around the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit or a new Mac Event in the Fall. I expect this year to follow suit.
Even if it is a good solid feature update with text based eiting and auto captions, it is unlikely that Final Cut Pro 10.7 will satisfy everyone. There will be some who don't get their list of pet features fulfilled and say "I'm leaving for Resolve!" in a big NLE huff.
If my low FCP feature update expectations are met, I won't be disappointed.
If they are exceeded, I will be reinvigorated.
Apple Event October 30th