A Substantial Upgrade To Final Cut Studio

French site HardMac reported today the next version of Final Cut Studio would debut sometime this Spring. Apple has been testing two version of the video editing Software in Beta form: one version for Snow Leopard and another for Lion. The later version will harness Quicktime components not currently found in Snow Leopard. However, features that professionals would come to expect in Final Cut Pro won’t be present, a concern as Apple was rumored to target a more mainstream audience with the next version of Final Cut.

What Does It Mean For Prosumers?

Final Cut Studio is overdue for an upgrade but the next version has been the subject of some controversy. A rumor leaked that Apple would position the next version of Final Cut Pro towards consumers which would alienate the professionals that use the video editing suite. While Jobs addressed concerns and promised the next version of Final Cut would be “awesome”, there are still questions about the future of Apple’s role in professional Hardware and Software, especially after its announcement to discontinue the Xserve.

Apple is set to announce the next version of Final Cut Studio and we’ll have to wait and see who the target audience will be (prosumers or consumers) and how it integrates with OS X Lion.

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Apple announced today that Final Cut Server, a software solution for media asset management and workflow automation, is now shipping. Final Cut Server is a scaleable server application that automatically catalgs large collections of assets, allowing searching across multiple disks and SAN volumes. It enables viewing, annotation and approval of contnet from anywhere using a Mac or PC.

“Whether producing a 30-second spot, the nightly news or a major motion picture, Final Cut Studio is the choice of editors around the world,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “With the introduction of Final Cut Server, collaboration just got a whole lot easier for millions of editors, producers and clients who work with Final Cut Studio.”

For more information check out Apple’s Official Press Release.