Is MacBook Air Good for 4K Video Editing in 2022?

As we enter into a new era of digital video production, it is more important than ever to make sure that your video editing system can keep up with the pace.

Apple has been making strides in this area over the years and the new MacBook Air with Retina Display is no exception.

A MacBook air has become a go-to for many when it comes to video editing. Some people prefer the desktop’s simplicity and power at the expense of mobility, but many also like to be able to take their work with them on the go.

In this article, we will discuss if the MacBook Air M2 is good enough for 4K video editing in 2022.

Is MacBook Air Good Enough For Video Editing?

If you’re a professional video editor, chances are you use powerful desktop machines for work. The desktop is the best choice because they give you more features and power, while still being cheaper than a laptop.

If you routinely work while traveling or know that you’ll be handling complex video editing while working, then a laptop like MacBook Pro would be the best option for you. It’s more expensive but it can handle heavy software needed for video editing with ease.

Though the MacBook Air is a good option for amateur and intermediate photo and video editors. The port selection on the Air is not that great, since creative professionals typically require more of them as it’s not always convenient to travel with an adapter.

Here are a few considerations to take into account when deciding if the MacBook Air is sufficient for your video editing needs:

1. Video editing is a time-consuming process, and you’ll need a laptop that can keep up. MacBook Pro has a powerful processor with extra cores and is designed with professionals in mind. As for Air, it may only be sufficient for more than basic video editing needs.
2. Basic video editing on the MacBook Air can be done quite well, but 4K video requires additional resources. If you are a content creator who posts often on YouTube or an amateur video editor, then the base variant of MacBook Air might be sufficient for your computing power needs.
3. If you’re considering a MacBook Air for video editing, then it all comes down to the video resolution you prefer. MacBook Air can easily handle complex 1080p video editing projects but will start to lag with 4k projects, especially in rendering and exporting.
4. You may also want to factor in how long does the MacBook Air last? Macbooks have some of the best battery life in any laptop. With over 10 hours of screentime, you can easily last two days without plugging in.

Pros And Cons Of The MacBook Air

When it comes to video editing, the MacBook Air has some pros and cons that you should consider before making your purchase.

On the plus side, the MacBook Air is incredibly lightweight and portable, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. It also has a long battery life, so you can keep working even when there’s no outlet to be found.

However, there are some downsides to the MacBook Air as well. One is that it doesn’t have an internal fan for regulating CPU temperatures, so the CPU may throttle and complex video editing tasks may take longer than they would on a Macbook Pro.

Additionally, the MacBook Air’s screen is on the smaller side, so you may need to connect it to an external monitor for optimal viewing while you edit.

Overall, the MacBook Air is a decent option for 1080p video editing if you’re looking for something lightweight and portable. However, if you need a more powerful machine for complex 4k editing or want a larger screen, you might want to consider Macbook Pro.

How Well Does MacBook Air Run Video Editing Software?

Even though the MacBook Air is not the right tool for editing 4K videos, let’s take a look at how it stacks up against other popular video editors for 1080P footage.

Adobe Premiere Pro

The MacBook Air is good enough to handle some basic video editing, but the more CPU-heavy tasks will take longer.

Adobe Premiere Pro doesn’t work as smoothly on the Air as it does on the MacBook Pro. Keep in mind that the card slot in the new laptops could come in handy for people who use software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Lightroom.

iMovie

If you need an app that is free and easy to use, then iMovie is probably perfect for you. I’ve used iMovie for general video editing and it’s a great program.

The large screen on the MacBook Pro models displays video beautifully with apps such as iMovie. It also makes the colors bright and clear when you edit with these apps—which is quite important.

Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro X, on the MacBook Air, is great for amateur filmmakers and YouTube content creators looking for professional-looking editing tools. It has a feature called proxy footage. This allows you to smoothly edit larger videos by creating proxy files.

For basic video editing, the base version of the MacBook Air is more than sufficient. The M2 chip improves performance, which means more lightning-fast load times and less disk usage.

Unless your work poses an extreme challenge to your Macbook’s processing power, like running two or more demanding apps at the same time, the basic version will serve you just fine.

OpenShot

OpenShot is cross-platform video editing software and it’s free. OpenShot gets regular updates every year and has a long list of impressive features.

User forums are often plagued with problems like malware popups and lagging or hanging issues. You may want to try OpenShot, but be prepared to eventually pay for more stable apps like Final Cut Pro X.

Which Is Better for Video editing: Apple’s MacBook Pro or MacBook Air?

When it comes to video editing, creators are considering the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Which one is better? Regardless of which laptop you end up choosing, both are compatible with industry standards.

The difference lies in the performance – because of technology upgrades like the M2 processor or 16GB RAM, the MacBook Pro is better equipped to handle high-performance tasks like video editing. Plus, because it has a 16-inch display, you’ll be able to see all the details that are crucial in video editing.

When two models of MacBook are put head-to-head based on their price, the MacBook Air has a lot more going for it. Not only is it smaller and lighter, but it’s also less expensive than the higher-end model. This makes the MacBook Air a top choice among video editors, and content creators.

The MacBook Air does not have a large storage capacity, but it’s still capable of handling 4K videos. That being said, for those who don’t store videos in the cloud, this might be an issue. Both models are capable of running Final Cut Pro and have NVME solid-state drives, so they will perform similarly in everyday video editing.

There is one big difference between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. And that difference becomes apparent when exporting 4K videos. The MacBook Pro can export 4K videos much more quickly than the MacBook Air can!