While there’s no dearth of the best photo editing apps for Android, the same can’t be said about professional video editing software. But the arrival of LumaFusion for Android and ChromeOS has changed things significantly. The popular app's conversion from iOS faced significant delays, but customers were treated to an early access beta late last year. Now, it seems the app has been made good enough for the company to let everyone give it a try through the Google Play Store.
LumaFusion has continually topped the App Store charts for media editing, even winning iPad App of the Year in 2021. It's all for good reason: the app provides all the essential tools and features a visual storyteller could ask for. So, it was no surprise that some users would be bugging its publisher, LumaTouch, for an Android version. In a post on the ChromeOS developer blog, company co-founder Chris Demiris details a lengthy process and multiple challenges in getting a multi-track media editor working on Android, but says in the end that he looks forward to seeing students with Chromebooks try their hands at video editing with LumaFusion.
Customers who were part of the Android open access last year have been upgraded stable release at no cost — those users only had to pay $20 for the app’s license. New customers to LumaFusion on Android and ChromeOS will now have to pay $30, the same price for Apple customers. For a limited time, though, Google is offering Chromebook users 25% off the cost of the app through ChromeOS's official perks page.
In the past, any sort of decent video editing software has been hard to come by on ChromeOS. Google Photos carried out a welcome revamp to its video editor last year, even allowing for multi-clip projects albeit on a single-track. But with the introduction of LumaFusion, owners of some of the best Chromebooks as well as many Android phones and tablets will now be able to perform professional video editing on devices once thought to be glorified netbooks.
Users will be able to stack up to twelve tracks (six for video) in their timelines and apply effects for clip playback speed as well as keys for green screen, luma, and chroma. Exports can be processed with framerates ranging from 18 fps to 240 fps and aspect ratios going from the filmic twos (whether it's .35 or .39 is your business) to portrait style for social media.
The app also offers StoryBlocks integration by default, although it requires a separate paid subscription for access to a vast library of stock audio, video, and photo assets and templates to get you started. LumaFusion will continue to be available from the Samsung Galaxy Store, where the app made its Android debut last year, along with its new perch at the Play Store.