This Vegas Movie Studio 15 review marks the second release of the software since Magix bought out the entire Sony Creative range of video and audio editing products the year before last.
Despite the doomsday rumblings of existing users regarding what Magix was going to do with the software, this update and the last have clearly indicated Magix intention to bring the software up to date and to continue its development.
So just as I do whenever I am embarking on any review, here is a video from Vegas Creative showing a quick overview of the software itself and what has changed in this new version.
Before I get into a full Vegas Movie Studio 15 review I think it is important to address why Movie Studio in many ways sits outside the box when it comes to consumer level video editing software.
Movie Studio is a bit of an oddball within the the consumer level video editing software market in that it doesn’t really look or behave like most of the others in this category.
The reason for this is that the product itself grew out of the original Creative professional editing software which we now know as Vegas Pro.
At that time video editing software was considered to be something only professionals would ever use.
The idea that average people would be shooting and editing digital videos on home computers was about as likely as us all having flying cars.
Sadly we don’t have our flying cars yet but we certainly do have a wide range of video editing products available!
All of those early editors were based on the terminology, techniques and workflows of professional film editors which is why when you look at the Vegas Movie Studio user interface, it can seem a little daunting!
However the reality is that no matter which editing software you choose if you have had no previous experience with it, it will all look a little daunting.
Every brand of software on the market will at least at some point in time make the claim that, “It’s easy to use!”
I don’t care which software you are using or are thinking about using, that claim is absolutely meaningless.
I have had friends who are professional video editors at the level of feature films sit down with an “easy to use” consumer grade editing suite and be utterly stumped by it.
So, is Vegas Movie Studio easy to use?
Yes, if you are a professional editor!
If you are not, then like the rest of us you have a bit of a learning curve to get over before you can unleash its full potential.
So the real question is, “How well does the product guide you through that learning curve?”
In the case of Movie Studio 15, they have met the challenge admirably and have included with all their versions a series of excellent interactive guides built in to the program.
For any person new to video editing or new to the software this is by far one of the best introductions and guided tutorial series I have seen.
Before you even get started with the software you can spend an hour or so just following the interactive lessons learning the exact procedure for any given task within the software.
You can get up to pace and be working on your project in no time at all and more importantly, any time you get stuck or want to know how to do something, you can access the appropriate guide and find out immediately how to do it.
To give you an idea of it check the video below for an overview of accessing features and generally moving around the interface.
What’s New?
Although a few years back Sony attempted to improve the overall look of the program and make the interface easier to understand I can’t really say they succeeded particularly.
The image below is the old interface and I guess if you were looking for outdated and clunky this would certainly fit the bill!
The good news is that in this latest release Magix have taken the bit between their teeth and completely revamped and streamlined how the software looks and behaves.
I think part of the problem for Sony was that they never really understood what “consumer level” video editing was and how the average person actually used the software.
Fortunately this is exactly where Magix’ expertise comes in and the new interface is clean, modern and does not make your jaw drop to the floor in horror when you first see it!
I think this is a bit better!
As far as other “New” stuff goes most of it falls into the category of bringing Movie Studio up to date with the other video editing suites at this level.
Magix’ task with this software was never really to introduce a bunch of shiny new toys for us all to play with.
What they have added are further improvements to the user interface, a new “Quick Start” window for when the software launches to quickly get you set up for your intended workflow.
At the basic Movie Studio 15 version they have added:
An improved interface for adding and organizing your project media as well as improvements to the support of certain video file formats especially those coming from iPhones.
The hardware acceleration has been upgraded in line with changes to CPU and GPU developments over the past year speeding up both rendering times and the overall editing experience.
One of the more interesting addition this year is a feature called Event Healing which I particularly like.
In the course of editing in general it is common to get to a point where you realize that an earlier editing decision you made needs to be undone.
In all video editing software the only way to backtrack on editing decisions like that is to repeatedly hit the “Undo” button until you get there, make the change then manually “redo” all subsequent changes.
With Event Healing you can select the clip or asset in question and undo the specific step you want without having to retrace evey editing step you took.
At the Movie Studio 15 Platinum Level they have added:
A couple of extra customization options for the interface allowing you to change the basically what adds up to the skin color of the program as well as options to set the background color.
Enhancements to the behaviors of the windows so that you can dock them or rearrange them how you like.
Two added plugins purpose built for applying Picture-in-Picture effects and for cropping overlays.
An instant freeze frame video creation tool which allows you to freeze the video for as long as you like without having to create an image and insert it on to the timeline and finally HEVC support for H.265 video files.
At the Movie Studio 15 Platinum Suite level they have added:
A package of “Jumpstart Templates” which are simply templates you can use for the fast creation of projects.
Put simply they are projects thshave been created with placeholders so that all you have to do to get a quick project completed is to replace the place holders with your own assets then render to complete.
iZotope RX Elements, which is a visually driven set of audio correction tools which makes audio corrections much easier and faster to deal with.
The Boris Continuum Film Style Unit plugin that you can use to create projects with a more cinematic or “film” look without having to go into seriously time consuming color correction or grading.
And finally the HitFilm Boost Pack which is another plugin that offers some pretty advanced filters and effects you can use to enhance your projects with.
Which Version?
Vegas Movie Studio is offered at three levels:
Movie Studio 15
This is the bottom of the range version.
It offers basic editing features but has no ability to create discs of any kind, has limited audio features and only ten available video or audio tracks.
It does have integrated uploading to YouTube and other services because that’s basically the style of editing or distribution it is aimed at.
It would ideally be for someone wanting to perform simple editing and uploading to the internet or mobile devices.
Movie Studio 15 Platinum
At this level Movie Studio adds the ability to burn DVDs, Blu-ray discs and AVCHD on to DVD discs.
You also get a much wider range of audio effects, video effects and filters plus greater ability to control them.
Movie Studio Platinum 15 Suite
This version represents the peak of the consumer level of the Movie Studio family.
It has all the bells and whistles and I think if you look hard enough you will find the kitchen sink too!
It has hundreds of features and can do just about anything you can think of and it is at this level that the interactive guides really become necessary.
There is just a bewildering array of video, audio and still image effects and features inside the program and to list them all out would take pages and pages which I am not going to do here.
You can see a full Product Comparison Chart Here
Summary
There is no point going into what Vegas Movie Studio 15 can do here… it does it all and it does it very, very well!
Of all the video editing software at the consumer level Vegas Movie Studio 15 is one of the most feature packed products at each price level.
It particularly excels in the field of manually controlling every aspect of video production and honestly if it can’t do what you want then you probably need to go up to a pro editor.
With its excellent tutorial system the learning curve is still a curve but much less painful than most.
Within a very short time you will have the software well under control and doing what you want it to do.
hello ordered 2 weeks ago have not seen or heard from you , this a was a Christmas gift.. wheres my order ?
Bradley Huggins
Chico Ca.
Hi Bradley,
This is the second time you have contacted me on this matter and this is also the second time I have replied to you on it.
Let me re-state what I said in the first reply via email.
I DO NOT sell software on this site so it is impossible for you to have purchased any software from me.
This is a purely informational site and there is nowhere on this site where you can purchase software in any way shape or form.
What I believe has happened is that you may have read my review of Vegas Movie Studio 14 and then clicked on the link at the bottom of the page.
At that exact moment you LEFT DIYVideoeditor.com and went to the Vegas site and on THAT site you made your purchase.
If you did that and have not received your software then you need to go to that website and contact those people to track down what has happened.
Hi
Thanks for the review.
I have just started using Movie Studio Platinum 12 as I was using the GoPro Studio APP. Is it worth upgrading to the Studio 14, I am using it for my surfing videos and I am a novice with this editing stuff.
Just not sure if to upgrade now before I get used to using the 12?
Thanks
Hi Scott,
So here is my standard rant regarding updates/upgrades.
The software you have in hand is absolutely the perfect software for your needs unless you can conclusively prove that it is not.
It seems to me that right now you need to learn that software and above all, use it regularly.
It can do everything you probably need and much more.
The only reasons to upgrade would be:
That you are feeding it video files that are so exotic only the latest versions can handle them. (Doubtful)
There is a new feature in a later version that you actually NEED and would USE. (Again doubtful)
That all your friends have upgraded to the latest version and you are experiencing upgrade envy. (Tragic)
Or finally that the version you have is so old that the discounted upgrade path is about to run out for you. (In this case, not so.
I see people chasing the upgrades continuously in an effort to compensate for the fact that they have simply not sat down and learned the version they have.
Make an effort to learn and use 12, then you will be armed with knowledge and experience so as to be able to decide for yourself if an upgrade is worth it.
Good Afternoon! I’m planning to purchase the Vegas Studio Platinum 14 Suite version. I already have the Movie Studio Platinum 12 and wanted to upgrade. I got a pop-up notification asking me if I want to upgrade to Vegas Studio Platinum 14 Suite for $79.99 the offer is good till 9/6/17. I really tempted to purchase this software but my only concern is I want a CD delivered to my house and not a download version once I make my purchased. Do you know if they only offer download version?
Thanks,
Tetay
Hi Tetay,
I just went to the site and tried to walk through the purchase process and what appears to happen is that once you sign in you go to the shopping cart.
At that point you enter your existing licence key.
Next the update product comes up with a choice to get a DVD back up BUT!
I don’t actually know if that is also a download (an ISO file) or a physical disc!!!
My advice would be to go to VegasCreative and submit a question to their Help section to clarify all this.
I upgraded my Movie Studio Platinum 12 Suite to the Vegas 14 version in March 2017. I opted to get the ‘backup DVD’, which cost an extra £4.99. The DVD arrived about a week later by post, in a box including brief instructions for installation and a card with an Activation Key.
However, the Activation Key was only supplied in the box with the DVD, and not on line at the time I purchased the upgrade. Consequently I could not download and run the software immediately after purchasing the upgrade. In effect Magix were selling installation rather than ‘backup’ media.
At the time I wrote to Magix pointing out that their ordering page was unclear on this point and that it would help if it made clear that one could purchase EITHER the ‘instant download’ OR the installation DVD. They replied saying they would pass on this feedback to the web team, but it sounds from your experience that things haven’t improved since!
And now we are both confused!
It’s good software but they really do have trouble communicating sometimes!
Hi,
I’m currently running the trial version of Vegas movie studio suite and Video Deluxe Premium.
I’ve also created short 3-d intro with the Viddyoze website (MP4 file with PNG codec).
My problem is that I can integrate it in Magix Video Deluxe Premium but not with Vegas.
Do you have any idea why it is not possible on Vegas because even if I prefer Vegas for me that will a deal breaker….
Hi Mawaschi,
The probelm here is that many of the 3-d platforms are using proprietary codecs and system to create the 3-d assests.
It appears that Magix can handle the ones you have made but Vegas can not.
At the moment broad compatibility as far as import, editing, and output goes is not quite there yet.
For now you should probably go with the one that works rather than going in circles trying to debug the one that doesn’t.
Thank you very much, I’ll go with your advise!
Thanks very much for your feedback Lance. Much appreciated.
Thanks for the review Lance. I’m testing a trial version of Vegas Movie Studio 14 Platinum and Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus. Haven’t yet decided which to purchase. Any thoughts on the comparison? Thanks
Hi Kal,
Both are good choices and I’ll repeat what I say all over the site, “Please download the trials first and take them for a spin before you commit to a long term relationship.
At the end of the day both of them have pretty much the same feature set except that Vegas gets you there manually and Movie Edit gets you there with presets and plugins.
To me the real question is where do you want to finish?
If you are going to keep it relatively simple then Movie Edit Pro, if you want to really get into editing as a serious hobby or even move towards pro, Vegas Movie Studio.
Hello,
Thank you for this article. I’ve had Movie Studio Platinum 13 for about 2 years now and I love it.I have yet to do anything complicated such as making animations or adding special effects, as the videos I make don’t really require anything of that nature. My question is, do you think that there is a large enough feature improvement to spend the money to upgrade? I got platinum 13 off of Amazon for about $60.
Hi Zack OK so apparently as a marketer I am supposed to make up some kind of story here that backs my recommendation for you to upgrade regardless of the situation.
Unfortunately for me I suck at marketing.
Given the fact that you are happy with the current version, are working within in its capabilities and have no need for any more fancy bells and whistles then I would stay with what you have.
What I would recommend is keeping an eye out for the next update and going for that one automatically.
The main reason I say this is because it keeps you in touch with the cheap upgrade path and makes sure that changes in computer configurations and video file formats don’t start crashing your computer or giving you problems.
Hello. I read this article with great interest. I had been a Pinnacle user since forever, but after Version 12 I decided to try Sony Vegas. They actually released bug fixes! Pinnacle seemed to carry the same bugs from one version to another. I currently have version 11 of Vegas Movie Studio HD platinum suite. Is the update to 13 worth the cost? Has Pinnacle finally figured out how to release software that won’t kill you from frustration due to the bugs? What would you suggest? I loved using Pinnacle Studio and would consider switching back if they have fixed the issues I mentioned.
Hi David,
Yes Pinnacle has certainly has its fair share of “moments” throughout its history!
Probably around the time you ditched it, it was bought by Avid and they made some inroads into getting it stable… but!
Given that they are a software company used to only working at the pro end of the market I think they realized they has bitten off a little more than they could chew.
Possibly by the time they were surrounded by enraged villagers with pitchforks and lit torches they made the decision to sell Pinnacle to Corel.
Corel spent probably about versions 16 and 17 just trying to tame the beast and get it to behave which they did quite well.
Versions 19 and 20 have been good solid updates and hopefully the instability issues are behind them now.
As far as Vegas goes, Sony sold it to Magix last years so the entire Vegas range has moved over there.
Magix have released a new version of Vegas Pro and a new version of Vegas Movie Studio is in the works right now and should be due for release pretty soon.
I think you should wait until that release and then take a look at updating to the new version.
Magix have undertaken to respect the upgrade pricing paths that people agreed to when they originally bought the software from Sony.
Hi there, I’ve read the review on this as well as on pinnacle studio and I am in a real dilemma as to which one to choose. They both seem to be very powerful and professional editing softwares, have been around for a while and both do the job of allowing you to create high quality content. I am fairly new to editing, but am looking to invest in a software to develop my editing further. I also like how there are different types, eg with song Vegas you have the simple edition, followed by the platinum one and then suite and the same is for pinnacle studio too, again making it difficult to differentiate them! Please could you help in pointing me in a direction. I am slightly gravitating more towards Sony Vegas as I read one part where you said it is capable of doing anything you can think of. But then again, how you said the one thing that stands out about pinnacle studio is its control, also sounds really good. I would also like to add that this review website is the best I have seen and it has helped me narrow down my choice of softwares. It’s very concise, detailed and straight to the point, so thank you for providing us with this information.
Hi Sam,
Well congratulations!
You actually did the work and got it down to two… genius!
So let’s clear up one point.
They are both NOT “very powerful professional programs.” Yup! You read that right.
They are both very powerful consumer levels programs that can do what the pro level programs of five years ago could do.
They definitely are at the top end of what you as a relatively new user, will need for some time yet.
At this point in time there is almost nothing separating them feature wise or performance wise so the good news is that you can’t go wrong here!
The bad news is that you still have to decide!
I am thinking that you feel more comfortable with Vegas Movie Studio so here’s another bonus.
Once you get to the top of the range with Pinnacle you are done.
Once you get to the top of the range with Vegas Movie Studio you can then (at a discount!) keep going higher to their fully professional editor Vegas Pro.
That’s about all that is separating them really!
I just upgraded from Sony Vegas Pro 13 to Vegas Pro 14. It is a nightmare. The installation base on Windows 10 has increased 8 fold (VP-13 was 110MB, VP-14 is a whopping 990MB). The software itself is extremely buggy, it constantly throws Exceptions, crashed a few times in the first 30 minutes after installation and once it crashed my system entirely. The app shows low memory errors, fails to load projects with just 4 or 5 files and throws exceptions after every 5 or 10 operations. IT felt like Magix has taken Sony’s Vegas Pro and transferred all their bloatware into it and released the product without adequate testing or quality control.
I have uninstalled Vegas Pro 14 and my system is back to normal. Luckily I had not uninstalled Vegas Pro 13 which, is still working fine.
I have reported all the errors with screen-shots to Magix and have asked for my money back. Keeping fingers crossed.
Stay away from Vegas Pro 14.
First of all for anyone reading this let’s be clear here.
This is the review page for VegasCreative Movie Studio NOT Vegas Pro 13 or 14 so your observations are not relevant to this page.
You are talking about a completely different product.
However, I am not surprised that this latest update has been problematic.
The sheer logistics of Magix taking over the entire Vegas and Movie Studio range must have been enormous.
The idea that Magix would spend a bucketload of money on getting these products and then carelessly screw them up is just silly.
Clearly your individual experience has not been pleasant but I have just been to their user forum and have seen nothing like this being reported anywhere there.
In fact I specifically went there to see if YOU had reported it in an effort to resolve your problems. I guess I must have missed it.
I found your article as I have used version 11 for a number of years. I love it, but it crashes and stuggles with long video clips. So I thought I should look at upgrading and had no idea what this meant. Your article has given me a lot of encouragement. I absolutely agree about heir tutorials to help get started. I originally used Adobe premier elelments – they lost in in one of their upgrades everything changed so much, I did not have a clue what I was doing so ditched it and found Vegas 11. Thank you for your article, well written and honest.
This looks like the last version (13). So new users should consider whether getting to grips with it is worthwhile. Other software, PD etc will probably continue to be developed.
I have version 13 and like you I put off getting it for a very long time, got ver 13, fabulous, powerful program. A bit of a learning curve definitely, can’t say I would ever know all of it, but enough to get by. I’d really never use anything else after using svp.
Hi John,
I am not sure why you seem to think this is the final version of Sony Movie Studio.
I haven’t seen or heard of anything like that.
The end of Sony development of svp.
https://www.cinema5d.com/magix-has-acquired-sony-vegas/
Not at all John.
Yes it has been purchased by Magix but they certainly did not buy it to let it slowly die!
That’s just bad business.
Magix have made pretty good products for a while now but have found it difficult to break out of the European market which is their traditional base.
By acquiring the Sony stable they are most likely looking to keep the brand intact and continue development to maintain that market.
This looks promising … http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?messageid=945352
That’s pretty much the type of scenario I was expecting John.
I remember when Corel bought Pinnacle there was endless gnashing of teeth and moaning but the reality is why would a software buy a piece of software and then not continue to develop it?
Especially ones like those in the Creative stable with a huge, existing and very loyal user base.
Magix don’t actually need the software, they have great products already.
What they want is the customer base and the brand so I am sure they will do everything they can to please that customer base.
In the case of Pinnacle, Corel have actually built that software back up from the buggy piece of crap it was to the point where I am thinking about putting it on this site as a recommended product!
Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write!
I didn’t like it for the first hour or two of the trial software (Platinum Suite 13) – the lists and so on put you off. So I downloaded a trial of PowerDirector. Instantly liked that. After a couple of days of playing around I much preferred the Sony – it is very versatile, it’s clever, and once you’ve got the hang of it it is incredibly quick and easy to use. Went off PowerDirector. The only thing I wish is that some of PD special effects were in the Sony package! One thing I really like – when you upload a video, whatever frame rate it is at, the Sony one will ask if you want a custom frame rate to match it, and then set it for you. Clever. Also if you want to edit quickly, you can drag fades on very quickly and easily without wading through a load of transitions. It also handled a Quicktime video much better than Powerdirector. I like both, but after using them for a few days I preferred the Sony, even though PD looks slicker (initially).
Hi Hazel,
Thanks for dropping by and giving us a rundown on your experience ans conclusions. It is much appreciated.
Had 11 upgraded to 12 (current) never invested quality time to learn the features, functions and benefits – got the job done taking more time than necessary and was about to change to another manufacturer til I read your article which basically described me. Will probably upgrade to v13 and pay more attention and learn how to maximize Sony’s efforts to make me look good or at least look like I know how to create excellent productions. Thanks for reminding me of that old adage: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush…”
Perfect post at right timing. Thanks for the post. It was very helpful!!