Apple bundles pro creative apps in new AI Studio deal

Apple has launched Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription bundle that groups its professional creative applications and adds new AI features and premium content across several productivity apps.

The subscription includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad. It also includes Motion, Compressor and MainStage on Mac. Subscribers also receive intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages and Numbers across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Freeform benefits will be added to the subscription later in the year, the company said.

Australian pricing is set at AUD $19.99 a month including GST or AUD $199 a year including GST, with a one-month free trial. An education rate for university students and educators is priced at AUD $4.99 a month including GST or AUD $49 a year including GST.

The company will continue to sell one-time-purchase Mac versions of several included apps. Prices are AUD $499.99 including GST for Final Cut Pro, AUD $299.99 including GST for Logic Pro, and AUD $79.99 including GST each for Pixelmator Pro, Motion and Compressor. MainStage is priced at AUD $49.99 including GST.

"Apple Creator Studio is a great value that enables creators of all types to pursue their craft and grow their skills by providing easy access to the most powerful and intuitive tools for video editing, music making, creative imaging, and visual productivity - all levelled up with advanced intelligent tools to augment and accelerate workflows," said Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Apple.

Video tools

Final Cut Pro on Mac and iPad adds new tools and on-device intelligent features focused on workflow efficiency for complex editing projects, Apple said.

Transcript Search is being added on both platforms, allowing users to find sections of dialogue by typing phrases. The feature targets long-form footage such as interviews and video podcasts.

Visual Search is also being introduced, enabling users to search for an object or action across footage and add results directly to the timeline.

Beat Detection has been added to Final Cut Pro on Mac and iPad. The feature displays beats, bars and song parts in the timeline, using an AI model from Logic Pro to analyse any music track and generate a Beat Grid.

On iPad, Final Cut Pro adds Montage Maker. The feature analyses footage and assembles an edit automatically. Users can change pacing and match cuts to a music track. Montage Maker can also reframe horizontal video to vertical using Auto Crop.

The Creator Studio bundle includes Motion, which features Magnetic Mask for isolating and tracking people and objects without a green screen. Compressor is also included and integrates with Final Cut Pro and Motion for export settings.

Music creation

Logic Pro on Mac and iPad gains new intelligent features, including Synth Player and Chord ID.

Synth Player is part of the AI Session Player line-up and generates electronic music performances with chordal and bass parts. Users can adjust complexity and intensity through controls and unlock additional parameters for performance changes.

Chord ID analyses audio or MIDI and generates a chord progression. The tool can populate the chord track in Logic Pro from a recording.

Logic Pro for Mac also receives a new Sound Library, which includes Apple-designed packs and Producer Packs with royalty-free loops, samples and instrument patches.

On iPad, Logic Pro adds Quick Swipe Comping, natural language search in the Sound Browser for finding loops, and a way to search using a recording.

MainStage is also included in the subscription, turning a Mac into an instrument, voice processor or guitar rig for live performance use.

Pixelmator on iPad

Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad for the first time through Apple Creator Studio. The iPad version includes a touch-optimised workspace and full Apple Pencil support, with projects able to move between iPad and Mac.

Pixelmator Pro on iPad supports layers for images, shapes, text and video. The app includes smart selection tools, along with bitmap and vector masks. Super Resolution, Deband and Auto Crop use on-device AI models.

Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad also adds a new Warp tool for Apple Creator Studio subscribers, along with Warp-powered product mockups.

Productivity apps

The subscription adds premium content and intelligent features to Keynote, Pages and Numbers. A new Content Hub provides curated photos, graphics and illustrations, alongside premium templates and themes.

The suite includes image creation and editing tools that allow users to create images from text or transform existing images. These features use generative models from OpenAI.

Keynote will include beta features for subscribers, such as generating a first draft of a presentation from a text outline and creating presenter notes from existing slides. Subscribers can also clean up slides by fixing layout and object placement.

Numbers will include formula generation and table filling based on pattern recognition through Magic Fill.

Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform will remain free for all users for creation, editing and collaboration, with ongoing updates across Apple platforms.

Apple Creator Studio will be available through the App Store as a universal purchase. Up to six family members can share the apps and content through Family Sharing.