If we are being intellectually honest, Final Cut Pro is the best video editing software in existence. Stop screaming. Look at the math. On an Apple Silicon chip, it is the only NLE that allows you to scrub 8K RAW footage with zero dropped frames, no proxies, and no render bars. It is optimized to the molecular level.

But if you look at the job boards in 2026? crickets. Nobody is hiring FCP editors. Here is the tragedy of Apple’s "Superb Mistake."

1. The "Magnetic" Genius (That Pros Hate)

• The Tech: The Magnetic Timeline is faster than tracks. It just is. It prevents sync drift. It makes "rippling" edits instant.

• The Problem: It scares the old guard.

  • Senior Editors spent 20 years learning "A1, A2, V1, V2." When they see a trackless timeline that moves clips automatically, they panic.

  • Apple built a tool that is better than the standard, but they forgot that the industry hates change more than it loves speed.

2. The "Island" Problem

• The Reality: Post-production is a team sport.

  • Premiere has "Productions." DaVinci has "Blackmagic Cloud." Avid has "Bin Locking."

  • Final Cut Pro has... AirDrop?

  • Apple treats FCP like a "Solo Creator" tool. It is designed for one person sitting at one laptop. In a world where we need to hand off XMLs to colorists and AAFs to sound mixers, FCP is a nightmare of compatibility.

3. The Verdict: The "Freelance" Secret

• The Advice:

  • If you want a job at a studio? Learn Avid/Premiere. You have no choice.

  • If you are a freelancer charging a flat fee? Use Final Cut.

  • Why? Because you can finish the job 3x faster than the Premiere guy. You get paid the same amount, but you finish at 2:00 PM instead of 8:00 PM.

It is the ultimate "Secret Weapon," just don't put it on your resume if you want to work in TV.