System Requirements and Compatibility:
For optimal performance and reliability, be sure that your computer or laptop meets the following minimum system requirements.
Some features of Media Composer have specific system requirements in order to perform properly. The Feature Performance chart explains each feature and what the specific requirements are.
Important: Avid dedicates a significant amount of engineering resources and time to test and qualify specific platform configurations. Our Customer Success and Engineering teams are equipped with these systems in our development and support labs. For an optimal experience with Media Composer, we strongly recommend choosing an Avid-qualified system. We cannot guarantee performance, compatibility, or the resolution of issues with other systems.
For Windows:
Computer: Avid-qualified Windows-based computer
Memory: 8GB minimum, 16GB (or more) recommended
Windows OS Compatibility Grid
Additional Notes:
Media Composer | Software requires a 64-bit Windows operating systems
Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise
Windows 8.1 Professional and Enterprise
Windows 7 Professional (Service Pack 1 only)
PC's with more than 48 cores (including hyperthreading) are not supported at this time.
For Mac:
Computer: Avid-qualified Apple computers
Memory: 8GB minimum. 16 (or more) recommended.
Mac OS Compatibility Grid
Additional Notes:
12-core 2013 Mac Pro (Ivy Bridge 6,1 Cylinder) and dual 6-core Mac Pro (Westmere 5,1 tower) model CPU's on Mac OSX 10.10.x (Yosemite) have known performance issues with playback, render, and transcode of RED material. If possible, customers with these CPUs that use RED workflows should stay on Mac OS 10.9.5 as it does not exhibit the same performance issues. (UPDATE: This is fixed with the latest RED AMA plugin v1.16.5 and later)
Deliver your best stories
There’s a reason why more professional moviemakers and television editors use Media Composer than any other video editing solution—it gives you the editing and finishing speed you need to complete projects faster. From its ACE-certified tools and unique timesaving workflows, to the most reliable media management in the biz, Media Composer empowers creative storytelling like no other.
Collaborate with anyone, anywhere
When it’s crunch time, collaboration is key. Media Composer | Ultimate (formerly Media Composer) makes it a breeze. Share media, projects, and bins to complete projects faster, together. Share assets locally and remotely with Avid NEXIS. Collaborate with other Media Composer, MediaCentral | Editorial Management, MediaCentral | Production Management, Final Cut Pro, and Premiere Pro editors and contributors. And extend real-time production everywhere with Media Composer | Cloud Remote.
Design stunning visuals
Add dramatic flair to your stories with a host of built-in effects, color, and title tools. From creating jaw-dropping VFX, green screen composites, motion effects, and transitions, to correcting color, tinting scenes, and designing graphical titles and animations, it’s easy to give your projects that professional polish.
Work in HDR
With support for a variety of High Dynamic Range (HDR) color specs, profiles, and workflows, Media Composer enables you to color grade video and achieve richer, more dramatic imagery, with exceptional detail in the shadows and highlights. It’s a fast-growing technology—and an important way to future-proof your valuable content.
Extend your workflow
Media Composer | Ultimate includes the Media Composer | Symphony Option, providing advanced and secondary color correction tools and Universal Mastering to finish and deliver projects. It also comes with the Media Composer | NewsCutter Option, making it easy to integrate with MediaCentral | Newsroom Management, iNEWS, and other ENPS for streamlined news editing (Windows only).
Edit anything
SD and HD. 2K through 8K and beyond. Even stereoscopic 3D and HDR. No matter what media you’ve got, Media Composer welcomes the widest range of file/camera formats, codecs, and resolutions, so you can acquire and turn around content faster. Without copying or transcoding media first. Whether you’ve got footage in a camera, media drive, smartphone, or video server, bringing your story together is easy.
Run Media Composer virtually
For broadcasters and media enterprises, Media Composer | Ultimate is available as a “virtual” license that runs on a single server, enabling multiple editors to access the software and projects remotely using an Internet-connected computer or zero client. Not only will you save time on software deployment and upgrades, you get more access flexibility and easier management.
