These Mac video editing tools solved my 10 biggest challenges [Real-life solutions]

If you need to find any file on my Mac, I bet it will take forever. Since I am involved in filming and editing content, all my laptop memory is full of videos, and my working day is either shooting from morning till evening or continuous editing until late at night. 

I'm Alina Shevchenko, and I've been working as a video maker for the last 8 years. My main project is Slay Show on YouTube, where I both film and edit. I also make documentaries, collaborate with big brands on advertising and other formats. You have no idea how much effort I used to put into mundane things like finding and downloading YouTube videos, making a screen recording, reducing file size, or cleaning up my Mac's memory.

A couple of years ago, I tried Setapp. Now, whenever I need an app for a task, Setapp finds it instantly with its AI assistant. 

I've cut my video workflow (especially editing!) almost in half. And I'll share ten apps that have solved the biggest challenges in my work routine. 

Video maker challenges VS Easy solutions

Disclaimer: no one will do your work for you, and no magic tool will edit an episode in a minute. However, Setapp apps let me speed up every step of my job. 

In a nutshell, here are the apps that solve my challenges as a video maker.

What I faced	App	What I get
Hours wasted downloading YouTube clips	PullTube	2-3 hours → 5 minutes
Messy tutorial recordings	CleanShot X	Clean screen capture, no distractions
Phone-to-desktop subtitle hassle	VidCap	Desktop subtitles in one click
Overnight render anxiety	Lungo	Auto-shutdown after rendering
Project timeline chaos	Dato	All project meetings at a glance
Storage always full	CleanMyMac	Fast file cleanup, more space
Challenges in managing meetings	In Your Face	Full-screen meeting alerts
Time-consuming file management and navigation	Supercharge	Custom shortcuts and enhanced file operations
System slowdowns during intensive editing	Quitall	One-click resource optimization
Mac battery health was declining	AlDente	Ability to set battery charging limits

Now, I'll share how I use these apps and why I consider them my personal assistants. 

PullTube: Instantly download YouTube videos

Challenge: Wasting hours struggling with unreliable YouTube download services

My editor often sends me YouTube clips that I need to include in my video. You may think, “Is it a big deal to add a clip? Alina, you got a link –– just save it” But only video editors will understand my pain. Uploading from YouTube is not easy: free services have limited capabilities –– some videos wouldn't download, and others have quality issues. What should take minutes stretched into hours, killing my productivity and creative flow.

Solution: PullTube instantly downloads high-quality videos from 1000+ platforms 

I found PullTube on Setapp and what previously took me 2 hours is now 5 minutes! I can easily upload videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, and 1000+ other services. Furthermore, I also choose what quality I want to upload them in, as well as trim my video and audio.

CleanMyMac: Keep a Mac clean and fast for video editing

Challenge: Time-consuming manual clean-up of my Mac

When you work with video files daily, your Mac gets cluttered fast. You may not believe me, but there are times in my work life when I must clean my laptop daily! My projects and documentaries eat up space like crazy, leaving cache files scattered everywhere. To avoid those annoying “Storage Full” notifications, I regularly took the time to search and delete files manually. 

Solution: Saving gigabytes of space with CleanMyMac

With CleanMyMac, I finally got control over my storage. Every few days, I run a quick scan that finds all those hidden cache files from my editing software, old renders I forgot about, and other space-hoggers. I don't have to look for where these files are, as the app collects everything for me. 

Plus, it keeps my Mac running smoothly even with heavy editing software. Before, finding and clearing space took hours of manual work. This 5-minute job saves me gigabytes of space.

VidCap: The easiest way to add subtitles to your desktop 

Challenge: Challenges in creating subtitles from a laptop

Here's what video editors won't tell you: iOS has many more apps for adding and editing subtitles than Mac does. And I (like many colleagues) have experienced this headache: creating subtitles on my phone, transferring the file to my laptop, and spending hours piecing everything together. This led to even more time being wasted on workarounds and extra steps when clients requested specific subtitle styles and formats.

Solution: Creating subtitles on Mac takes minutes with VidCap

VidCap changed this completely. Now, I create subtitles right on my Mac, exactly how I want them. When I'm working on multiple projects, that's especially helpful - it saves me hours of phone tapping and allows me to accomplish the same thing in a few minutes. I can quickly adjust timing, change styles, and export in different formats.  As a result, the subtitles look professional and clean, without the typical mobile app limitations.

CleanShot X: Record the screen without mess

Challenge: Screen recording with notifications looked messy

It started with a client project - creating color grading tutorials. As an editor, I received screenshots and screen recordings from the author of the course, but I couldn't add them - pop-ups and open tabs got into the recording, and sometimes it was just a screenshot with a long text explanation. I wasted hours trying to figure out what they were trying to show. 

I’m thinking about creating my own YouTube channel about video editing, but recording the screen in this way didn't work for me. So, I was looking for a better way to create clear, professional-looking tutorial content. 

Solution: Distraction-free recordings with CleanShot X

After discovering CleanShot X, my screenshot editing is no longer torture. Communication with clients became easier – I could quickly add arrows, text, and highlights to show exactly what I meant. I can hide desktop icons and notifications with one click, keeping recordings clean and distraction-free. For my upcoming YouTube tutorial channel, this means I can focus on teaching rather than worrying about what's showing up on my screen. 

Read also: 

• How to download YouTube videos on a Mac
• Tools to speed up your video production
• The best screen recording options for your Mac
• Make a video or a GIF into a live photo

Lungo: Control Mac for overnight renders

Challenge: Overnight renders required manual Terminal commands or staying up late to shut down Mac

When I’m rendering a big project overnight, I don't want to leave my Mac running until morning. Previously, I had to manually type commands in Terminal to schedule my Mac's shutdown, which was complicated. I always forgot what to type, and had to google the instructions. Sometimes, I stayed up late to manually turn off my Mac or even worse, leave it running all night, wasting energy. I needed a simpler way to handle those late-night renders. 

Solution: Automatic shutdown after rendering with Lungo

Now, when I'm setting up an overnight render, I simply tell Lungo how long to keep my Mac awake. Once the render is done, my computer shuts down automatically – no coding required, no wasted energy, no stress. 

Dato: Advanced calendar management

Challenge: Schedule confusion with juggling multiple video projects

My schedule mixes shooting days, editing deadlines, client meetings, and more. The default calendar is not okay for me, as I need to monitor all my projects at the same time and have them in a visible place.  When you're filming on location and editing at home, a cluttered calendar isn't just annoying - it's a recipe for missed deadlines.

Solution: Instant visibility of all events and deadlines in one clean view with Dato 

Searching for the right solution for my time management, I came across Dato, and now it's my favorite! I see all my events, deadlines, and time zones in one clean view right from my menu bar.  Dato's customizable menu bar preview calendar lets me see what's coming up today and tomorrow. I don't have to worry about forgetting a meeting or deadline – everything is right there!

In Your Face: Never miss another meeting

Challenge: Challenges in controlling meeting times in the flow of work

When I am fully engaged in my work, nothing can distract me from it. Sometimes I even forget to eat, not to mention answering someone! Meeting reminder pop-ups don't work for me, so I shut them down automatically. As a result, I could miss important meetings with clients. 

Solution: In Your Face blocks screen when it is time to go to the meeting

In Your Face transformed my meeting attendance with its impossible-to-miss full-screen alerts. No matter how focused I am, my screen demands attention when a video call starts. Whenever I'm running late, I can join video calls with one click right from the alert.

Supercharge: Improve Mac workflow with powerful shortcuts

Challenge: Losing time on repetitive actions on Mac

Throughout the day, I would find myself doing the same repetitive tasks - moving files between projects, searching for minimized windows, organizing footage, etc. Every week, these small interruptions totaled hours lost editing. A professional video workflow requires a lot more than the standard Mac shortcuts, so I needed a better way to manage files.

Solution: Enhanced apps switching and multitasking with Supercharge

With Supercharge, I can instantly execute common actions that previously required multiple steps. The ability to use Windows-style cut and paste (Command + X) for moving files between project folders alone has saved me countless hours when organizing footage and exports.

QuitAll: Speed up Mac by quitting all apps

Challenge: Dozens of open tabs on my laptop slow it down

Having to handle dozens of applications open at once is a nightmare for my Mac. I would get clogged up with preview renders, After Effects compositions, and reference browsers. Hunting down and closing each app individually wasted precious time, and I couldn't easily identify which programs were the biggest resource hogs. When working with 4K footage or complex effects, every bit of system performance matters.

Solution: Ability to manage tabs and close unnecessary ones with QuitAll

Once I discovered QuitAll, I can see exactly which apps are consuming my system resources and selectively close the ones I don't need. Before rendering a complex timeline, I quickly free up RAM and processing power without interrupting my creative flow.

AlDente Pro: Set battery charging limits

Challenge: Concerns with Mac battery health

I kept my laptop plugged in for hours during long editing sessions, degrading its battery unknowingly. Due to my battery capacity declining, I was always worried about running out of power on shoot days. With expensive equipment and limited time on location, the last thing I need is battery issues interrupting a critical filming session.

Solution: Managing Mac charging with AlDente Pro

To take care of the health of my Mac’s battery and avoid the cost of replacing it, I use AlDente Pro. All I need to do is to set a charging limit that automatically stops at my preferred level to maximize battery longevity. When preparing for location shoots, I use the Top Up feature to temporarily charge to 100% only when I know I'll need maximum capacity.

Wrap up

Setapp has greatly improved my workflow with video editing. It has become my assistant not only in the production itself but I have also found tools to take care of my Mac, control my schedule, and get a lot more done.

When colleagues ask in chat about any application for work, I suggest trying Setapp. Because whatever their demand, I've already seen a tool for it there (or I'm sure it can be found via AI assistant)! My work routine has become more comfortable, and I can finally focus on creativity and productive work, rather than monotonous things that can be streamlined.