Booth Library offers multiple Adobe programs on their computers on the fourth floor for students to use.
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If you're a visual artist of any kind, it's a good bet that you've used one or more of the software tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud. If you're a working artist, you might even use them every day. Many creators take these platforms for granted, but Adobe has evolved its software by leaps and bounds with each new update, to the point that even everyday users might not be seeing their full potential.
The 2023 All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Course Bundle is a great way for new users to get up to speed - and for established creatives to take their work to the next level.
What you get in the bundle is 10 courses that focus on Adobe's most powerful creative tools. As you go through each one, you'll get time-saving tricks and technical advice from an all-star team of certified Adobe instructors and established artists, entrepreneurs, and videographers.
Beginner walkthroughs on Photoshop and Illustrator will show you how to turn your laptop into a high-powered studio, and budding game designers can learn to use Adobe Animate to bring their characters to life. Photographers will find career-building tips in Lightroom and After Effects, and web designers can work smarter with a crash course on Adobe XD.
For videographers, there are no less than four courses on Adobe Premiere, including an intensive course that will show you how to edit videos directly on your phone with Premiere Rush. Best of all, completion of many of these courses comes with a certification of completion that can help you turn your art into a career.
The full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Course Bundle includes 73 hours of instruction in all, and BleepingComputer readers can get access to it all for $29.99, more than 80% off the total MSRP for all courses.
Prices subject to change.
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As cloud computing became popular in the early 2010s, technology giants such as Microsoft and IBM began to launch their cloud services. In 2013, Adobe followed suit and ported over to a cloud-based software delivery system. Thus Adobe Creative Cloud was born, replacing its predecessor, the Adobe Creative Suite. Most people are very familiar with the way that this type of as-a-Service system works by now; subscribers pay a monthly (or yearly) fee to access and get their software through the internet, while in turn the vendors keep regular updates to the software flowing.
It is, of course, not just this industry that has transitioned to cloud-based workflows and the subscription model. Pretty much anything that runs on software has a cloud flavour available for it nowadays, but the impact with video has been dramatic.
Today, Creative Cloud is used by Oscar-winning productions such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Top Gun: Maverick. However, when it was initially announced, the reception was mixed. Many users were wary of cloud computing software, with security a very real issue, and the subscription pricing model was looked at with suspicion. It was a tough decision for Adobe to make the leap, even a brave one at the time, and it’s one that still gets push back from some quarters. But Creative Cloud has allowed the company to stay both competitive and profitable. Since its launch in 2013, Adobe’s annual revenue has grown from approximately $4 billion per year to $17.6 billion in 2022; $16.4 billion of which came from subscription revenue.
So, where are we a decade into the cloud offering? The Creative Cloud plan offers over 20+ applications. This includes popular software such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Illustrator, and more. Additionally, it allows access to Acrobat Pro, used to open and crucially edit PDFs, which comes in useful in a lot of areas.
The key is that it allows users to construct a complete end to end workflow for many different creative industries. For video editing for instance, users can create end-do-end connected cloud collaborative workflows that sees them ingest media with C2C, share media remotely with Frame.io cloud media sharing and storage, edit in Premiere Pro remotely and collaboratively with Team Projects, and finally share for review with colleagues around the world using Frame.io.
All this is governed by the Creative Cloud app, which is the main portal to all Adobe software. This app provides an overview of all the installed software, their versions, and any updates available. Beta and prerelease versions are also available for get and testing. Users will also have access to the Adobe marketplace, where they can purchase stock assets, plug-ins, fonts, and more.
A cloud-based software service essentially allows users to enjoy active updates without paying for new versions of the software. These updates can be manually or automatically downloaded and installed when a new patch is released by Adobe, with an active report system and updates to allow engineers to quickly squash any bugs reported by their users. Adobe’s Creative Cloud app also has quick links to find tutorials and ask questions in an active support community.
The company is constantly innovating, recently with its suite of Sensei AI tools integrated into Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator, and even more recently with its generative AI, Adobe Firefly, which it is rolling out across more and more products as the year goes on (Adobe Express being the latest beneficiary this week).
One of the most underlooked features of Adobe Creative Cloud is the Dynamic Link feature, allowing users to jump between different applications with the click of a button. This feature is often used by editors to work across Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and After Effects. Seamlessly transitioning between these applications massively improves workflow. It also removes the tedious process of exporting, organizing, and uploading clips between applications.
In 2021, Adobe also acquired the popular video review and collaboration software Frame.io. Last year, it integrated Frame.io’s review and comment tools directly into Premiere Pro and After Effects. This allows editors to quickly share and receive feedback on their edits without exporting. The Frame.io integration also includes its Camera to Cloud technology, allowing filmmakers to directly upload their camera footage to Premiere Pro or After Effects bins.
Subscribing to the Creative Cloud plan also unlocks various ancillary applications within the Adobe product suite. This includes:
There are a variety of pricing and bundle options available for purchase. However, the Creative Cloud plan includes all the features discussed above. This plan offers the best value for individual users, costing $54.99/mo. If purchased separately, many applications cost approximately $20/mo.
Students and teachers can save big if they sign up with a school or university-issued email address. This plan costs only $19.99/mo and includes all the above mentioned features.
The Creative Cloud plan offers 100GB of cloud storage. File-syncing software allows subscribers to collaborate with others and work from anywhere. Users can upload a maximum of 350,000 files and 150,000 folders. All the files uploaded can be managed and viewed on the Creative Cloud app, which will also detail how much storage has been used.
If users exceed their storage capacity of 100GB, they can upgrade to an improved plan when necessary.
Finally, Adobe also offers separate plans for businesses, costing $84.99/mo per license. Other exclusive features include 24x7 tech support, a higher storage limit of 1TB, and integration with popular apps such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Change is hard, and Adobe was met with a lot of criticism when it decided to transition to a cloud-based software model in 2013. However, in the following decade, it has grown considerably, both financially and in its product offerings. Today, subscribers can effectively experience a one-stop shop for all their content creation needs, and the cloud-based system can also help Strengthen their workflow. If it was a slight gamble in 2013, it has proven to be a successful one 10 years later.
Tags: Cloud
Adobe, a name synonymous with pioneering design software, has once again made headlines. After several months in beta testing, the company has integrated its Firefly generative AI model into Adobe Express, further transforming the platform into an advanced, AI-powered design tool.
For those unfamiliar, Adobe Express, previously named Adobe Spark, serves as a cloud-based comprehensive design platform, somewhat mirroring other design tools like Canva and Microsoft Designer. Its primary appeal lies in its user-friendly interface, allowing individuals without in-depth design expertise to effortlessly craft social graphics, edit videos, embellish PDFs, and more.
The recent upgrade means users can now access the latest version of Express via desktop web at no cost, with promises of a mobile update arriving shortly. Catering to a broader audience, the Adobe Express Premium plan is priced at $9.99 per month, extending more advanced features and assets. However, existing Creative Cloud members can enjoy this premium experience at no added expense. There's also an enterprise tier tailored for larger teams, emphasizing collaborative endeavors.
A noteworthy introduction to Adobe Express is its capability to auto-generate custom text and image effects. This is especially handy for users designing marketing materials, enabling them to add a touch of personalization while also accessing the application's vast asset library. The feature to develop unique images and text effects, driven by text prompts, now supports over 100 languages, thus expanding its global outreach.
The application, available since 2021, embarked on its AI journey earlier this June. Alongside the generative features, the latest version comes equipped with time-saving tools such as automatic background removal and audio-driven simple character animations. Adobe's official website provides an exhaustive list of these new additions.
Adobe Express's upgrade introduces a plethora of features tailored to enhance the user experience and streamline design processes. Let's unpack what's in store:
This robust set of features signifies Adobe Express's commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and convenience, making it an indispensable tool for designers and content creators.
It's intriguing to juxtapose Adobe Express's recent advancements with Canva, a heavyweight in the simplified design software realm. Since 2019, Canva has been ahead of the curve, leveraging AI features like its automatic background removal tool. This, coupled with its intuitive interface, often positions it as a preferred alternative to more intricate image editors, including Adobe Photoshop.
While Adobe Express's generative features showcase finesse and innovation, some critics argue they haven't yet matched the sophistication of other Firefly-driven tools, such as Photoshop's Generative Fill. However, where Adobe gains a competitive edge is in its assurance of Firefly's commercial safety. Given that Firefly's training is rooted exclusively in Adobe-owned content, businesses might find this commitment to security an enticing reason to opt for Express.
The world of design software is continually evolving, with AI playing an increasingly pivotal role. Adobe Express's leap into the AI realm with Firefly underscores the industry's trajectory towards more intuitive, smart, and secure design tools. While the road might have a few competitors, Adobe's legacy combined with its commitment to innovation and security suggests a promising future for all its ventures.
The best Adobe Audition alternatives offer top-quality audio editing software whatever your budget and experience.
From the best video editing software to the best photo editor, it can sometimes feel like Adobe is the only player in the creative apps space. And that can make it difficult to uncover apps that genuinely offer an alternative to Adobe Audition.
Featuring a comprehensive digital audio workstation (DAW), the company’s best audio editor lets everyone from professionals to beginners edit, mix, and record sound for podcasts, soundtracks, and even restorations.
But despite widespread use, the tool has its drawbacks and critics. Some find it lacks advanced music production features. Others dislike Adobe’s subscription-only pricing model, with Audition available through Creative Cloud, which offers better value for power-users.
Whether you’re creating large audio productions or snippets for social media, the best alternatives to Adobe Audition deliver slick and simple interfaces, powerful tools, and professional results. With pricing and plans that fits your budget.
We’ve tested, reviewed, and rated the best Adobe Audition alternatives for content creators, audio engineers, and audiophiles.
If you want to make the switch, you're not alone. Others are already jumping to the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives and the best alternatives to Adobe Premiere Pro, too.
Audacity is an open-source audio editor that’s available to get for free for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It’s been around since 2000, and its basic interface hasn’t changed substantially in that time, so it can look a little outdated and simplistic.
But that means it’s easy to get to grips with and start using its solid array of recording and editing tools. Since Audacity has a big community built up around it, there’s a huge number of plug-ins that you can find to Strengthen its capabilities, such as Gsnap, which enables you to add autotune effects.
Audacity is a good free audio editor for beginners, and professionals can often find themselves returning to it for simpler jobs. It might not be the best choice for creative music production or a film soundtrack, but it’s ideal for when you need to quickly put together a podcast, for example.
Read our full Audacity review
Avid Pro Tools, developed by Avid Technology for Windows and Mac, is the audio workstation software that you’re most likely to find in a professional recording studio or audio post-production facility.
It has a deep array of features that enable you to record, mix, and master high-quality music tracks, as well as options tailored to mixing audio alongside a video. In fact, it’s often used to craft the soundtracks for films and TV series. You can have up to 768 audio tracks, and there are useful cloud collaboration features.
But its complex, high-end nature means it can be daunting. This, combined with the high price—a subscription of $299 a year, $29.99 a month—means that it’s not for beginners or those only working on simple projects. However, there is a more basic version, called Pro Tools First, available for free.
Read our full Avid Pro Tools review
Logic Pro is Apple’s digital audio workstation, and like most Apple software, it is designed to maximize creativity. Besides having a robust and intuitive interface, it has several rather innovative options that can enhance music production.
For example, recently added features include Live Loops, a way of adding samples into a grid of cells that encourages you to experiment with different combinations; Step Sequencer, which enables you to quickly build drum beats and melodic patterns; and Logic Remote, with which you can control features via an iPhone or iPad.
Logic Pro is useful for music production and can also be helpful for other audio-related tasks. It costs a one-off fee of $199.99. While this seems high, this can work out cheaper over time than the subscription models of Pro Tools and Audition, and any future updates are included.
Read our full Apple Logic Pro review
Ableton Live is an ideal Adobe Audition alternative for professionals. It’s a fully featured DAW and, having tested this one, it’s easy to see why it holds such a strong reputation in the industry.
It’s a smart cookie - and kudos to the developers for enhancing even basic audio editor functions with the innovative presentations found in Session and Arrangement Views. However, you’ll need to adjust to Live’s Global Launch Quantisation, bringing all inputs into play on the first count of a new bar.
The toolkit is brimming. Warping and Tempo Follow are worth a look, but they’re far from the only ones. Live is constantly getting updates - we’re on Ableton Live 11 now, improving and adding a raft of features, including MPE support and Macro Snapshots for streamlining your workflow.
Ableton Live 11 has a 90-day free trial. Pricing-wise, you can choose between three plans, starting from $99-all lifetime licenses, no Creative Cloud-style subscriptions here (another plus for those looking for a subscription-free alternative to Audition). Each tier adds more advanced extras to fit your role and project.
Read our full Ableton Live 11 review
CyberLink AudioDirector is a great alternative to Adobe Audition, in the same way that its video editor PowerDirector stacks up against Adobe Premiere Pro. The tool is great, offering many of the same features although there’s a bit of a learning curve here. AudioDirector even includes some pretty powerful AI tools to take your sound production to the next level. Unlike Adobe’s tools, though, CyberLink AudioDirector is PC-only.
You’ll be right at home if you have experience of editing software. The audio editor is ready-made for recording, editing, and mixing. Correction tools like Spectral Recovery are present and accounted for, and they largely do a flawless job. However, we found results worked best using a combination of artificial intelligence and hand-made fine-tuning.
AudioDirector is available on a monthly/annual subscription, or with a one-time-buy lifetime license. The audio editor is also bundled with PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and more in the subscription-based Director Suite. It’s all very reminiscent of Adobe's Creative Cloud All Apps plan. For a free alternative, there’s CyberLink’s free online audio editor - the magic happens in your browser - for tweaking sound and music on the fly.
Read our full CyberLink AudioDirector review
If you’re a Mac user looking for an audio editor that’s simpler and cheaper than Logic Pro, then Apple GarageBand may be the choice for you. It comes free with every Mac and is designed to make it easy to record and mix music.
With a sleek interface that looks like a simpler version of Logic Pro, it’s simple to get started and learn as you go. You can record into GarageBand with an instrument or microphone or draw from the vast sound library included. While it lacks the more advanced features of some other software, you can export projects from GarageBand to Logic Pro when you’re ready to step up.
Though it could be used for projects like podcasts, it’s specifically designed for music creation, so it’s ideal for those who want to get started creating music on their Mac without having to learn the complexities of fully professional software.
Read our full Apple GarageBand review
WavePad, from NCH Software, absolutely excels at streamlining audio editing processes. The interface is relaxed and accessible, but could be further refined. There’s a good selection of tutorials for beginners. File management is easy.
But don’t be fooled. WavePad is a legitimate DAW, built for professional sound engineers. And It packs in all the tools and features you’d expect from that, including lossless conversions, Spectral Analysis, and batch editing. It supports a wide variety of formats, making it a good sound converter. It even works with MP4 files, for those working across video, too.
One of the biggest issues with Audition is it’s desktop-only. There’s no mobile app for editing on the go. This makes WavePad a strong alternative: you can get it on Windows, Mac, iPad, iOS, Android, and Kindle.
WavePad can be downloaded free for personal use. There are also lifetime licenses and subscription plans, so there’s some flexibility here.
Read our full WavePad review
If you’re looking for something on a similar level to Pro Tools and Audition but without the cost, Reaper is a worthwhile option. It costs a one-off fee of $225 for businesses earning over $20,000/year and $60 for everyone else.
Available for Windows and macOS, this is a comprehensive audio production suite packed with features that enable you to record, edit, mix and master audio. The only major downside is that the interface can be tricky to work with, as it lacks the intuitiveness of Logic Pro and Pro Tools.
It takes time to learn your way around and can seem fiddly and inflexible. But there’s plenty of support from the developers and online community, and it’s highly customizable, with thousands of plug-ins available.
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
When selecting the Adobe Audition alternative that's best for you, choose based on your experience with the tools, your budget, and how you'll use it.
Price is important when you're investing in an alternative to Audition. Especially since Adobe's audio editor is subscription-only. You'll find premium, budget, and free alternatives available that fit a wide range of budgets.
Not all replacements and substitutions are equal. Some are more advanced than others, designed for professional audio productions; others are simple (but often very powerful) tools accessible to everyone.
Finally, choose the program that best fits your own unique, creative workflow.
When we test software to find the best Adobe Audition alternatives, we look at what matters to users. This includes interface and experience, features. price, performance, and platform availability.
Users rightly expect good value for money, easy-to-use tools. No-one likes obtuse software, and even the most complex DAW should be accessible to those with the relevant experience.
We assess features on a case-by-case basis - the best alternatives to Adobe Audition don't need to match Adobe's toolset, but they should offer the tools its users actually need. Content marketing teams posting clips to social media won't necessarily need the features professional audio technicians will.
We've featured the best audio PCs and best laptops for music production.
Written by Kirstie McDermott
Generative AI has the potential to automate between 60% to 70% of the work that most of us engage in every day. But for many knowledge workers, generative AI tools are likely to help take back time spent on administrative tasks, freeing up their days for more creative or deep work. Read more!
There’s no doubt that the last few years have represented a turbulent period for employees. The pandemic turned the working lives of many knowledge and tech workers upside down to begin with, then swiftly followed by tens of thousands of global job cuts across big tech and financial institutions.
A further reset for many happened this year in terms of return to the office mandates, some of which are being zealously enforced. Last week, some Amazon staff got an email warning them that their in-office attendance was not in line with corporate policy.
Big Brother-style surveillance isn’t generally warmly received by workers. With burnout from workplace stress at an all-time high, what’s making things even more tense is the rise of AI anxiety thanks to the breakout success of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
AI anxiety is a term coined by marketing agency Day One, and the company says it is “unease about the overarching ramifications of AI on human creativity and ingenuity”, along with “the sense of foreboding as to whether or not what you’re seeing is being created by man or machine.”
One of the biggest fears workers have when they think about generative AI is around their job security. In fact, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 found that 23% of jobs globally will change in the next five years.
While it expects 69 million new jobs to be created, 83 million will be eliminated, which will result in a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2% of current employment.
Other jobs will change radically. According to a new report by McKinsey, generative AI has the potential to automate between 60% to 70% of the work that most of us engage in every day. This is particularly with regards to the work done by those in sales and marketing, customer service, software engineering and research and development.
But it isn’t all bad news. For many knowledge workers, generative AI tools are likely to help take back time spent on administrative tasks, freeing up their days for more creative or deep work.
A McKinsey report has found that jobs across multiple sectors could benefit from getting up to 30% of their time back thanks to use of generative AI, with the report’s authors stating that “…we see generative AI enhancing the way STEM, creative, and business and legal professionals work rather than eliminating a significant number of jobs outright.”
Among those who could be impacted positively are computer engineers, business and financial specialists and account managers.
For example, one study found that software developers using Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot (an AI pair programmer that helps users write code faster and with less work) completed tasks 56% faster than those not using the tool.
Right now represents a great time to embrace change. By upskilling and looking to develop ways of working with generative AI tools, workers can help to deliver business success. In fact, McKinsey says that generative AI has the potential to generate $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in value across industries.
So, if you’d like to make a switch to a company where you can showcase new skills or be in an environment where you’re encouraged to develop them, the TechRepublic Job Board is the perfect place to start your search. It features thousands of jobs, like the three below.
Adobe is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer/Firefly to collaborate closely with multiple product teams. You’ll be conducting experiments to continually Strengthen the technology and drive business outcomes, manage and operate large-scale machine learning pipelines and write high-quality, product level code that is easy to maintain and test following best practices.
To succeed, four years’ proficiency in Python and SQL as well as three years’ experience in one or more data science tools such as Pandas, Numpy, Octave, R is required. See more details.
As a Senior Software Engineer you will play a pivotal role in designing, implementing and maintaining robust, scalable and secure peer-to-peer payment systems. You will scope, build and scale products, systems and services that have an immediate impact on customers and collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyze and understand technical requirements, translating them into technical specifications and designs.
To apply, you’ll need five years’ of professional experience in software development and a solid understanding of distributed systems, network protocols and data structures. Get more information.
As a Cloud Computing Application Architect you’ll serve as a critical contributor on a team that designs, manages and integrates cloud applications and resources in support of a modern enterprise data platform. You will manage and streamline infrastructure and cloud resources, including containerized applications, to meet the needs of the organization and the platform’s end users.
You’ll need seven years’ of experience working with software development teams and five years’ with AWS or Azure. Interested? Apply now.
Booth Library offers multiple Adobe programs on their computers on the fourth floor for students to use.
All Eastern students and and employees will have access to the programs.
According to an email from the University, Eastern was able to secure the Creative Cloud through a partnership with all Illinois public higher education institutions.
After three years, students will need to re-apply for access annually.
Adobe products for students can be a luxury to have and some production classes at Eastern require some use of the Adobe products.
In the past, Adobe products were not easily accessible for students in production classes and many students needed better access to Adobe.
The students in production classes sometimes used to spend hours on production work at the library. Now, they can spend the time at home working on their projects.
“I had to use Adobe for my major as a TV video production major, it’s very expensive,” said Bailey Annan, a senior TV and video production major said. “So, it was hard just to like, get my assignments done because it’s like, I had to make time to go to the library.”
A lot of students learned how to use Adobe in the classroom and now it is more beneficial for the students to access the product.
“I know how Adobe works,” said TV and video production major Ethan Lozada .”It is like you are taught how to use Adobe because it is offered on campus.”
It can also be helpful for students in audio production classes and students who prefer Adobe over other free products.
“So, I’m in all sorts of production classes, whether for video, audio, voice or music,” theatre student Mitch Cox said. “So, when it comes to the Adobe products, they offer a lot of quality with their software, where other software’s don’t have the accessibility and ease that Adobe products have.”
Since students can access Adobe Creative Cloud anywhere on their personal computers now some wonder why the university could not have made the product available sooner.
“I don’t need the Adobe software anymore because I’m done with those courses that need it, but like, if I had it, it would have been so much easier to do all of my courses.” Annan said.
The product subscription was made free for students and employees thanks to a new contract and a lower price for the product.
“A few things happened that made it possible for EIU to offer Adobe to all students at no additional cost to the student,” Director for Information Technology Service Ryan Gibson said. “First, through a partnership with other public 4-year Illinois universities, EIU obtained a lower price point than was previously possible.”
Also, the decision was made by Eastern so the university can better enhance support for curriculum and address the digital divide that many students were facing.
For the students of communication and journalism majors who use the product a lot this has become an easier way to access the adobe product.
Chandler Smith can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].