Apple Launching New Final Cut Pro X Marketing Push to Win Back Professionals

Back in June 2011, Apple launched Final Cut Pro X, a complete reworking of the company's video editing software aimed at professional users, but the new software was met with significant criticism over missing features. Professional users in particular were upset over what seemed to be a "dumbing down" of Final Cut Pro in order to reach more mainstream users.

Apple responded to the controversy by offering refunds to dissatisfied customers and promising updates to improve Final Cut Pro X, and a number of those updates have been delivered over the past 21 months.

final_cut_pro_x_macbook_pro
The Los Angeles Times now reports that Apple is launching a new marketing campaign today intended to try to win back some of the professional users who may have abandoned the platform.

Now, after updating the software seven times since its release in 2011, Apple is launching a campaign Thursday aimed at winning back skeptical professional users.

That campaign, timed to coincide with the National Assn. of Broadcasters convention that starts April 6 in Las Vegas, will feature users like Julian Liurette, who followed the firestorm from his video editing desk in Toronto at the Globe and Mail newspaper.

After waiting a year as Apple gradually released updates, Liurette finally gave it a try and was surprised. So Liurette began moving the newspaper's video operations from the old version to Final Cut Pro X.

The campaign will also feature Hong Kong cinema icon Tsui Hark and Mexican television conglomerate TV Azteca.

The report notes that Apple has won points for its FAQ posted soon after launch outlining the company's improvement plans, as well as for a free trial offer for Final Pro X, but that many users remain skeptical of Apple's commitment to professional customers. But with professionals becoming increasingly uneasy about the future of Apple's main competitor Avid and concerned over how long Final Cut Pro 7 will remain supported, Apple is hoping that they will take a fresh look at Final Cut Pro X.

Update 11:42 AM: Apple's new features on Tsui Hark and The Globe and Mail have gone live on Apple's "In Action" page, but we haven't yet spotted a feature on TV Azteca.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...

Top Rated Comments

PBP Avatar
163 months ago
Update your Mac Pro's for your pro customers :mad:
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
juanm Avatar
163 months ago
Pros don't want marketing. They want features and reliabilty.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
calisurfboy Avatar
163 months ago
Next they will release a campaign to win back iWork users, then a campaign to win back Mac pro users, and then a campaign to.... wait... would it not be easier for Apple to keep their software and hardware updated, customers informed, and progress forward continuously with features to maintain their customers then try to explain why they should come back when they lose them out of pure neglect and ignorance?
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vmachiel Avatar
163 months ago
Don't be mad guys this is fantastic news. The fact that they want the pro's and "prosumor" back makes it more likely that they will in fact, release a new mac pro.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MultiMediaWill Avatar
163 months ago
All hope was lost when they first released it. I see no worth in trying to win back the 'professionals'. We have already moved on.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mjsanders5uk Avatar
163 months ago
All hope was lost when they first released it. I see no worth in trying to win back the 'professionals'. We have already moved on.

I take it by that you mean to other platforms? Whist it may be true for some professionals it isn't true for all people - indeed some have stayed where there are and just watching.

There are a significant number of foolish people who have jumped to FCP X and discovered it to be a powerful beast for them. At least one BBC Network show is being cut weekly on X.

Let's not forget FCP X has had one of the most rapid release cycles for any product. Less than an year after the release we are on .0.7 with two of those releases bringing significant updates.

If you haven't tried it since day one you should revisit it as it is much more powerful.

The timing of this campaign is of course very significant, NAB starts next week and it will be a year since X was released. There are strong hints that the next major release will coincide with NAB and some of the new features have been regularly touted.

Keep it coming I say. I'm working faster and better in X - my clients pay me the same, get a better product and I spend more time with the kids. Almost a win win situation.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)