Vegas Pro 22 unveiled with raft of new AI features

Vegas Creative Software has announced Vegas Pro 22, the newest version of its legendary NLE. With it comes new AI-enhanced features powered by the Video Engine to tackle the busy work, along with new text-based editing and audio tools.

The team at Vegas Creative Software have stayed busy developing the NLE, releasing significant versions of VEGAS Pro 21, all while working on the release of version 22.

At the core of Vegas Pro 22 are the advancements of the Video Engine, which in turn drives everything. With this new major update, there are some improvements and news features, including: 

• New Welcome Screen: This is pretty cool, because you can quickly access the new-project setup, your previous projects, and materials, helping getting to working on your cut faster.
• Explorer Window Redesign: This new version streamlines the overall user experience, making it more efficient.
• Timeline Selection Improvements: Selecting events is easier by left-clicking on an empty timeline space which starts a selection rectangle.

Vegas Pro has been regarded for its extensive audio tools, and there are new and improved audio features:

• Multicam Audio Sync: Accurately line up multicam events based on the audio from the clips events hold. Select multiple events and quickly synchronize them based on the clips' type of audio.
• Beat Detection: This will analyze an audio file or the audio in a clip for the 'unusual energy' found in low-mid and low-end of audio frequency range. This is important because that energy can correspond to a major 'hit point,' where an edit could happen.
• Tempo Detection: Will analyze the tempo of an audio file or audio in a video clip and set the tempo of the project's properties to the detected tempo.
• Set Project Tempo: Easily set the project's tempo by opening the project audio properties and add the tempo you'd like.

Audio sync in Vegas Pro 22

AI features that really help editors 

The approach that the team at Vegas Creative Software are taking with AI is to carefully select the best features to enhance their experience and handle more mundane and busy tasks. This allows editors to focus on their creativity and the cut. They call it Assistance with Intention.

Some of the AI tools include:

• AI Text-Based Editing: This is by far the coolest AI tool offered by Vegas Pro. You can quickly create a transcript of your edit and remove or copy and paste text and Vegas Pro will perform the actual edit and match everything up. Great for projects involving speakers, dialogue, etc.
• AI Sharpen: This AI tool will analyze the edges of objects in a shot and sharpen to help offer a look that's clear and crisp.
• AI Smoothen: Small details in the footage are softened yet sharp edges are preserved. It can also be adjusted to create a more stylized look (as an effect).
• AI Dehaze: Sometimes you end up with fog, smoke, etc., in your shot. The AI will analyze for those elements and remove them from the frame.
• AI Auto Reframe: As with just about any video project, there's a good chance the final cut will need to be formatted to different devices (think movie screens, TVs, phones, and more). The AI tool will reframe the video to the most important parts of a widescreen shot, so it can be more square for Instagram, for example.

I appreciate the way that Vegas Pro 22 approaches the use of AI, letting it handle the work that takes a lot of time, such as going through dialogue and making cuts (AI Text-Based Editing) or exporting multiple versions that involve different aspect ratios (AI Auto Reframe). I can allow it to work on those things while I worry about the cut.

AI Dehaze in Vegas Pro 22

Pricing and availability 

Vegas Creative Software has made the pricing tiers a lot easier and they include both subscriptions and perpetual licenses (keep in mind there are more options for subscribers):

Vegas Pro

• Vegas Pro 22
• 10GB of cloud storage (20GB available with subscription plan)
• Cloud-based Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text capabilities 
• Vegas Content: 25 royalty-free HD video and/or audio clip downloads per month (50 royalty-free HD video and/or audio clip downloads per month with subscription plan)
• Pricing:
  • $19.99/mo (monthly payments)
  • $95.88/year (one time payment per year)
  • $199 for a new perpetual license*

*Price for version upgrades for perpetual license owners is $149. 

Vegas Pro Suite

• Vegas Pro 22
• Mocha Vegas
• SOUND FORGE Pro
• ACID Pro
• 50GB of cloud storage
• Vegas Content: Unlimited access to royalty-free HD and 4k video and/or audio clip downloads 
•  Speech-to-Text and cloud-based Text-to-Speech  capabilities
• Pricing:
  • $24.99/mo (monthly payments)
  • $119.88/year (one time payment per year)
  • $249 for a new perpetual license*

*Price for version upgrades for perpetual license owners is $199.

Conclusion 

Vegas Pro 22 looks to have all the tools and speed needed for editors, YouTubers, filmmakers, and more. It can handle Shorts and Reels all the way up to a blockbuster feature film. The AI tools are very convenient and able to take away a lot of busy work.

Both Vegas Pro and Vegas Pro Suite are good fits for many users, but Vegas Pro Suite is a better deal, in my opinion, and the price can't be beat. Plus you have the option to purchase a perpetual license.