With Media Composer | First, Avid expects to grab the attention of aspiring filmmakers, editors, or anyone who has a story to tell. It’s a free NLE that hopes to atract users to the complete line of Avid products.

In a market where DaVinci Resolve seems to have taken the lead, a new free NLE is announced. It comes from a name many would not expect to see offering a free product, but the truth is that free or “fremium” products seems to be the way to market products these days. There is a growing collection of free or almost free solutions available to choose from, and next June Avid’s Media Composer | First will be available to those who want to try it.

Media Composer | First, which is being showcased at NAB 2017, is a brand new, fully featured video editing solution that provides aspiring creative professionals, students, and those just starting their professional careers with free access to the same creative tools used by the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers and television program creators in the world. It is not the complete program, offering “only” four video tracks and eight audio tracks,  but newcomers to the Avid brand might not need more. Avid guarantees the program will enable users to quickly cut together layers of video, dialog, music, and sound effects to enhance their story “and publish engaging, high-quality videos. With all of the eye-catching visual effects, color enhancement, and titling of a professional production. All for free!”

“It can be really difficult for up-and-coming filmmakers, television program creators and digital media producers to get access to the right tools to tell their stories in a compelling way. Consumer applications are fun to play with but will only take you so far,” said Dana Ruzicka, chief product officer, Avid. “With Media Composer | First, we’re giving any aspiring creative pros access to the same tools used by top industry professionals—for free! And with access to the Avid Artist Community, First users can connect with other aspiring creatives and media professionals, collaborate and get their work out there for others to see.”

Media Composer | First provides users with a comprehensive yet simple-to-use editing toolset with many of the same features and functionality that award-winning Media Composer editors rely on, in a new powerful, streamlined interface. With four video tracks, eight audio tracks, and a host of built-in visual effects, transitions, color correction presets and titling templates, users can quickly cut together layers of video, dialog, music and sound effects to produce captivating, professional-quality video content. Media Composer | First also allows easy sharing, with easy publishing to popular social media channels including YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook.

“I’ve worked with other tools, but Avid’s model is the most efficient by far,” said Emmy Award-winning editor, Stuart Bass, ACE (The Office, Arrested Development, Pushing Daisies). “Learning Avid’s industry-standard tools has been essential in making me the successful editor that I am today.”

Avid’s vibrant Artist Community, an online community designed to foster creative connections and professional opportunities, together with Media Composer | First and Pro Tools | First, enables emerging creative and media talent to more easily connect, fostering creative and professional growth and opportunities.

Avid Media Composer | First will be available in June 2017 as a free software download through the Avid website.