Shotcut, a free and open-source video editor, has once again raised the bar with the release of its 24.02 update, introducing Ambisonic audio support. Known for its spatial (spherical) qualities, it encapsulates listeners in a sound environment that mirrors the real world.
Shotcut’s new update facilitates the integration of Ambisonic audio with 360° videos and introduces an affordable and straightforward method for recording and converting Ambisonic audio to 5.1 surround sound.
This benefits users with equipment like the GoPro MAX or Zoom H3-VR, providing a seamless workflow from recording to editing.
The update is timely, considering platforms like YouTube now support 5.1 surround sound across various devices, including smart TVs, streaming boxes, and game consoles.
Furthermore, thanks to Sonic technology, Windows users can enjoy surround sound through headphones. Shotcut’s Ambisonic Decoder audio filter leverages these advancements, allowing users to convert Ambisonic audio to binaural, stereo, quad, or 5.1 surround formats.
This versatility ensures that whether editing for headphones or home theater systems, creators can produce content with rich, immersive audio.
Additional enhancements include introducing settings for audio channels tailored to quad/Ambisonics, Ambisonic metadata support for equirectangular tracks, and improved integration with 360 video filters.
However, it’s worth noting that Shotcut currently supports only first-order Ambisonics, a detail that underscores the software’s ongoing commitment to expanding its capabilities.
Beyond audio innovations, Shotcut 24.02 brings many new features and improvements. Among these are support for AMD’s AV1 hardware encoder on Windows and Linux, automatic vertical scrolling on the Timeline, and enhanced image clip manipulation.
This update also addresses several issues from previous versions, enhancing user experience with fixes for audio/video clip grouping, selection behavior in the timeline, and speed adjustment with ripple editing enabled. Notably, the update fixes problems related to audio filters, tone-mapping for HDR content, and distortion caused by the Mixdown audio filter, among others.
You can refer to the release announcement on the project’s GitHub page for detailed information about all changes in the Shotcut 24.02 video editor.
You can download the application in the universal AppImage format, ready for use on any Linux distribution. Additionally, installation files for Windows and macOS are also available.
