Apple have announced the upcoming release of Apple Creator Studio, a new all-in-one subscription bundle that brings their collection of creative applications together in a single, convenient package. The collection will include Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage, and will also introduce some new intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and eventually Freeform for iPhone.
What's New?
While many will already be familiar with the included software, the release aims to do a little more than combine them into a bundle, with some of the applications gaining some new features based on technology from others, and the existing line-up of productivity tools — Keynote, Pages and Numbers — offering some additional creative-focused features and integration with the new package. We spoke to Apple ahead of the platform’s upcoming launch, and they were kind enough to offer some insight into how Apple Creator Studio came to fruition, what it has to offer, and who it’s aimed at.
“First and foremost, serving creators and being inspired by them is something that's been part of Apple from the very beginning,” says Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple’s Senior Director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps, “A core tenet of our creative apps — but also all of our products — is really about empowering users to explore their artistic expression and share it with the world. And we have a great history across so many different applications and hundreds of millions of users.”
Apple say that with more and more of today’s creatives now becoming multidisciplinary, they felt that a package bringing together all of the essential tools for every step of the creative process would be a tempting prospect for many users. “That's why we're so excited with Apple Creator Studio coming to market,” Brent continues, “Because it gives us this incredible collection of apps with new premium features and capabilities all wrapped up in a single subscription at a compelling price point.” John Danty of Apple’s Apps Product Marketing team adds: “The apps in Apple Creator Studio mirror the creative process themselves. So fundamentally, they complement each other, but they play to their strengths as well. They deliver this creative experience that's the greater than the sum of its parts — the line that we often hear.”
Of course, the software subscription model is a divisive topic to say the least, so those who may be concerned about the move will be pleased to hear that Apple Creator Studio will be offered alongside perpetual licenses for the included applications, and is not intended to replace that option. “We believe that community matters, and we also know that some of the choices they make, and how they purchase, are meaningful to them. So that's why we are keeping the purchasing model on the Mac. If you are dedicated to Logic on a daily basis and nothing else, great! You can continue with just that,” says Brett.
So, those who don’t require an all-round solution can continue working as they are unaffected. But one particular example of where Apple believe the new platform will come into its own is with those just beginning their creative journeys. “If you think about the decision of someone that's new in making a choice for a given piece of software, there are price points to consider, and if there are multiple things you need, you might need to consider multiple pieces of software.” Brett explains, “In this case, we're trying to make both the price point and the fact that you're going to consider other pieces of software as you grow as a broader creator, a single decision so that you don't have to spend as much time deciding and you can spend more time actually learning your craft, perfecting your craft and continuing to push things forward.”
Logic Enhancements
New developments for music users include Synth Player, the latest addition to Logic Pro’s AI Session Player line-up, which as its name suggests, kits the DAW out with a virtual synthesist. Developed in-house by Apple’s team of expert sound designers, the new arrival promises to deliver incredible realism and fidelity fuelled by the vast array of software synthesizers and samplers in Logic Pro. As with the other AI Session Player offerings, creators can influence the complexity and intensity of generated parts, with additional parameters offering more in-depth tweaking for those looking to fine-tune the results. Synth Player can also access any third-party AU plug-ins, or even control an external hardware synthesizer.
Synth Player becomes the latest AI session musician to join the Logic Pro line-up.
Chord ID then acts as a personal music theory expert by turning any audio or MIDI recording into a ready-to-use chord progression, eliminating tedious manual transcription and helping to bring ideas to life quickly and easily. Designed to help everyone get the most out of the Session Player experience, Chord ID is capable of analysing complex harmonic content from just about any recording and automatically populating the chord track in Logic Pro with the results. As the AI Session Player is ‘driven’ by the chord track, the system also makes it easy to quickly audition different players, styles and genres.
The new Sound Library in Logic Pro for Mac includes Apple-designed packs and Producer Packs containing hundreds of royalty-free loops, samples, instrument patches, drum sounds and more. Additionally, Logic Pro for iPad users will have access to the industry-leading Quick Swipe Comping feature from Logic Pro for Mac. Logic Pro for iPad will also gain Music Understanding features with natural language search in the Sound Browser, allowing users to describe a loop or find similar loops without the need for tags, filters or guesswork. AI-based awareness of the extensive collection of loops in Logic Pro promises to make it easy to search either through natural language or a recording to find a similar or complementary loop or sound.
“The challenge for every songwriter is going from an initial idea to that ‘wow' moment when you have a final track — and that’s what makes the new Logic Pro in Apple Creator Studio so mind-blowing. In mere moments, I can turn my ideas on instrumentation and vocals into a fully produced song. I couldn’t be more excited to release an example of that later this month as my next single, called ‘Faked It All the Time.’” - Allie Sherlock, Singer, Songwriter & Guitarist
Other Apps
Final Cut Pro will be treated to some new features, too, including a Transcript Search that allows users to search for video clips by typing phrases into the search bar, with the software responding by presenting clips with exact or similar phrases in their audio tracks; Visual Search, meanwhile, will make it possible to search for an object or action. Beat Detection then uses a Logic Pro-derived AI model to analyse music tracks and present users with a Beat Grid interface designed to simplify and speed up visually aligning picture cuts with music.
The bundle also includes MainStage (Apple’s live performance software) Pixelmator Pro (an award-winning image editor), Motion (a 2D and 3D graphics tool) and Compressor (a tool for, you guessed it, data compression!).
In addition to the creative software, the new bundle also integrates Apple’s Pages, Numbers and Keynotes productivity applications. A new Content Hub will provide users with access to curated, high-quality photos, graphics, and illustrations. A subscription also unlocks new premium templates and themes in all three applications.
Use of AI
Another controversial topic is the use of AI in the creative industries, and Apple are keen to make their stance on the tools they’re developing clear. “The intelligence features in Apple Creator Studio are designed with this comprehensive approach and really clear philosophy: that they should amplify, and not replace, human artistic pursuits and creativity,” says John Danty. As well as keeping human creators at the forefront of what they do, the company also offered some reassurance regarding the content created with their software. “A really key thing in all that John highlighted around AI, and I don't want it to be overlooked, is that in NO situation, is user content ever used for model training. When people are using Apple Creator Studio, it's private, and this stuff is never used for model training,” states Brett Chiu-Watson.
“Apple Creator Studio is a great value platform that enables creators of all types to pursue their craft and grow their skills by providing easy access to the most powerful and intuitive tools for video editing, music making, creative imaging and visual productivity — all levelled up with advanced intelligent tools to augment and accelerate workflows. There’s never been a more flexible and accessible way to get started with such a powerful collection of creative apps for professionals, emerging artists, entrepreneurs, students and educators to do their best work and explore their creative interests from start to finish.” - Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Apple
Pricing & Availability
- Apple Creator Studio will be available on 28 January 2026, priced at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. All new subscribers will enjoy a one-month free trial of Apple Creator Studio, and with the purchase of a new Mac or qualifying iPad, customers can receive three months of Apple Creator Studio for free.
- Education savings are available for college students and educators for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
- Apple Creator Studio will be available to download on the App Store as a universal purchase.
- Up to six family members can share all of the apps and content included in Apple Creator Studio with Family Sharing.
- One-time-purchase versions of Final Cut Pro ($299.99), Logic Pro ($199.99), Pixelmator Pro ($49.99), Motion ($49.99), Compressor ($49.99), and MainStage ($29.99) are available on the Mac App Store.
- Free versions of Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform continue to be available and are included with every new iPhone, Mac, and iPad.
