Why Davinci Resolve Is The Best Editing Software

I have been using Davinci Resolve since version 10 when basic editing was first included. This was around 2013 and it aligned with me getting their first camera the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. We got a dongle license with the camera so it was a must try. At that moment, the software wasn't really a great editing option because it didn't have many features beyond the color grading it was known for. At that time the weakness was with the audio (like what limits Final Cut Pro X IMO as well). They would update very quickly acquiring companies to bolster certain sections of the software over the years making it a top contender by version 18. Blackmagic is a unique company in a sense that they make hardware, software, and systems in the whole production chain from acquisition, transmission / connectivity, post production, and workflow. The insight into the whole process leads to greater integration. Let's take a look at some notable features.

Free version. I think this is a big one for many people as free is great. An Adobe subscription can get expensive and Final Cut Pro X isn't a complete editing suite as I think the color grading and audio editing is weaker than the competition. If you get one of Blackmagic the cameras or control surfaces, you can get a Studio license included. The studio version gets you a few more features such as > 4K UHD resolution support, full GPU acceleration, more codec support, noise reduction, more FX, collaboration tools, and more HDR support to name a few.

Control surfaces. If you want to speed up your editing, there are a few options which specialize in the task that you want. e.g. Editing with the Speed Editor panel, Multi-cam with Replay Editor panel, Color grading with the Micro, Mini, or Advanced Panels, and there are a few panels for Fairlight audio.

Fairlight for more robust audio editing was added in version 14. The built in ADR feature is great for narrative and documentaries.

Fusion for compositing was added in version 15. So those wanting to do motion graphics don't need to roundtrip to other programs anymore.

AI features and Cut page were added in Version 16. AI powered transcriptions and subtitling is quite useful as is AI noise reduction to make spoke word cleaner are something I use often. There are a lot of other AI powered tools which are quite useful.

Cloud workflow and iPad version were added in version 18. Doing group projects became more feasible now.