Introducing Final Cut Pro for iPad

Get Ready for Final Cut Pro on iPad

The FCP team has been hard at work and the rumors are true: Final Cut Pro is coming to the iPad! Apple has reinvented the UI to make it touch-friendly, pencil-enhanced, and keyboard-compatible for any M1- or M2-based iPad. The app will be available on May 23, but we can already read the fine print, see the lovely images in the press release, and pore over every detail of the launch video on their launch page.

The subscription for FCP on the iPad is only US$4.99/month or US$49/year. While it’s not a one-time outright purchase, it’s still affordable. Time will tell if this approach makes it across to the desktop version, but we hope not.

The New Touch UI

The new touch UI is finger and pencil-friendly, but the hover feature on the M2 iPad is likely to be the preferred method for skimming. However, there’s always the keyboard and mouse for M1 iPad users. The UI looks like a cross between iMovie on the iPad and FCP on the desktop, and you can import existing work from iMovie if you wish. The timeline looks more complex, like the desktop FCP, while the overall organization of the app looks a little more like iMovie.

The new movable on-screen jog wheel allows for more precision when you’ve only got your fingers to work with. While it may not have all the functionality of the desktop app, it’s reasonable to simplify complex functionality along with the UI for an iPad market. As Apple’s page says, “Export a project to Final Cut Pro for Mac to access features like advanced color grading, object tracking, and more.”