Apple Brings Final Cut Pro And Logic Pro To iPad

As promised, Apple has released its Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro apps for iPad only a couple of weeks after revealing plans to bring them to the mobile device. The move is yet another small step toward addressing the very valid complaints about the iPad Pro's apparent lack of purpose, in that it packs the same Apple Silicon found in the Mac, yet is consistently held back by its poor multitasking capabilities and sparsity of professional software tools.

The decision to bring Final Cut Pro — a popular video editing application — to iPad comes only a few months after Blackmagic released a version of its mostly-free and massively popular DaVinci Resolve video editor for the tablet. Logic Pro, meanwhile, is a music production app that arguably lacks a true peer on the iPad. As expected, the ports for the iPad require more than just compatibility with its hardware. Users should anticipate some big changes to the UI, enabling them to manage their projects using an ordinary keyboard and mouse combo, as well as touch and the Apple Pencil.

As with DaVinci Resolve, the iPad versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro aren't as robust and feature-dense as their Mac counterparts. Whether that's a bad thing depends entirely on how you use the applications. If you need the software for relatively minor projects, such as editing YouTube videos, you may be able to ditch your laptop or desktop entirely in favor of the iPad. Everyone else, however, may find that while the iPad versions are a great option for those times you're away from your desk, they're not able to completely replace your workstation.

Regardless, the iPad version does bring some unique UI elements into the mix — if you have an iPad Pro model that supports the feature, for example, you can quickly scrub through a Final Cut Pro project timeline by hovering the Apple Pencil over it. Likewise, Apple has included support for its Magic Keyboard, which should help give the apps a more professional feel, as you can utilize keyboard shortcuts as part of your workflow.

As mobile device owners have come to expect, these apps are available with a subscription plan, meaning they have a low financial barrier to entry, but you'll either need to pay $4.99 per month each or $49.99 per year to use them. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad can be found on the App Store.