Is Apple Abandoning the Pro Video Market?

Screenlight by Chris Potter

We've all wondered about it. Is Apple going to exit the pro video market? Has it already started to? Should it? Just what is the pro market anyway?

Here is a look at where I think Apple's video strategy is going.

What the Heck Is the Pro Video Market?

To really talk about Apple exiting the pro-video market, we have to have some sort of definition of what a video pro is.

While I think that anyone who earns a living working with video is a pro, there is a huge range to this market. It runs the gamut from viral video creators like Freddy Wong and freelance video editors, to editors working for broadcasters and large post facilities.

The Pro market is far from homogeneous. As a result, different companies focus their products on different segments. Avid's stronghold is at the top-end of the market where the real pot of gold is in professional services and helping large clients with complex workflows. Apple was solidly entrenched in the middle of the market and was nipping at Avid's heels with Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Server. Adobe was strongest at the lower-end of the market.

In the last year or so, we have seen both Apple and Adobe shift their target markets. Adobe has set its sights on the customers that were Apple's core user base. It's now setting its sights on Avid's stronghold with Adobe Anywhere. Apple by contrast tried to expand its market by dropping the price of Final Cut Pro X to $300 and shifting the editing paradigm to make it faster and easier than ever to make professional looking video. The bet is that by doing so, total revenue will be higher by expanding the market and selling at a lower price than selling fewer copies at a high price. read more...