In surprising news, Apple officially introduces its newest subscription service for all aspiring and pro creators alike: Apple Creator Studio. You could think of this as Apple’s take on Adobe Creative Cloud. The biggest news for today comes after Apple’s major acquisition of Pixelmator back in October 2024, and it looks like Apple is moving forward with expanding Pixelmator’s greatest apps.
For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is coming to the iPad, and it’s designed from the ground up to work with both touch inputs and the Apple Pencil in mind. Along with Pixelmator Pro, this premium service of its suite of creativity/productivity apps also bundles Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and, later, Freeform. Soon, Final Cut Pro for iPad will have a new feature called Montage Maker, which uses AI to dynamically compile/edit clips into a video that you can easily share across social media. For Logic Pro users, the Mac version is going to get a revamped Sound Library with more Apple-designed packs with various royalty-free sound samples, and iPad users will be able to access the same Quick Swipe Comping feature from the Mac version, perfect for creating studio-quality performances on the go, even when you’re away from the studio.
Apple’s suite of productivity apps has been around for about 20 years, and Apple is raising the bar again by bringing premium features to Keynote, Pages, and Numbers for the first time, including several AI-powered features. These include new premium templates and themes across all three apps and features that are in beta. Subscribers will be able to quickly generate a presentation in Keynote with just either an outline or existing presenter notes and neatly organize any layouts and objects in their presentations. Subscribers using Numbers can also generate formulas and dynamically fill in cells based on the magic of pattern recognition that Magic Fill uses. All three productivity apps will remain available for free for both new and existing users with the option to access premium features through Apple Creator Studio, and these apps will always be included in every iPhone, iPad, and Mac model.
Pricing-wise (in USD), Apple Creator Studio will launch on Wednesday, January 28, and it will be priced at just $12.99 per month or $129 per year. New subscribers will be eligible for a one-month free trial, and even better, those who purchase either a new Mac or a qualifying iPad can redeem three months of Apple Creator Studio at no charge. But that doesn’t stop there; if you’re either a college student or an educator, you may get this premium suite service for just $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. This is arguably such a better deal if you’re heavily invested in using creativity apps, whether you’re a pro or not.
Depending on which iPad or Mac model you have, you may have access to some features that Apple Creator Studio will offer. In summary, to have full access to all the apps and features, you will need either an iPad or a Mac model with an A16, A17 Pro, or an M1 chip or later. This is quite noticeable since Apple’s latest base iPad features the A16 chip, and since it can now support Final Cut Pro, this iPad will also have access to the entire suite of Apple Creator Studio, making this iPad an even more killer value than before.
For a quick rundown of the requirements, you’ll need to have any of these products to run these programs. *Note that some features will require more modern hardware:
- Final Cut Pro for Mac (Apple Creator Studio version): Mac models (Intel or Apple Silicon) running macOS 15.6 or later.
- Final Cut Pro for iPad: iPad models with the A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later running iPadOS 18.6 or later
- Pixelmator Pro for iPad: A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later running iPadOS 26 or later
- Pixelmator Pro for Mac (Apple Creator Studio version): macOS 26
- Logic Pro for Mac (Apple Creator Studio version): Mac models with Apple Silicon running macOS 15.6 or later
- Logic Pro for iPad: iPad models with an A12 Bionic chip or later running iPadOS 26 or later
- Keynote, Pages, and Numbers (Apple Creator Studio versions): iOS 18.0 or later, iPadOS 18.0 or later, or macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later.
The Mac versions of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage will continue to be offered as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. Now, there won’t be a one-time purchase of Apple’s entire Creator Studio suite for iPad users, so they’ll have to choose either a monthly or yearly subscription to pay for those apps. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since Apple generates a majority of its revenue (besides the iPhone) from its own services, and for as low as $2.99 per month (if you’re a college student), it’s such a no-brainer deal.
If you want to dive into more details, you can head to Apple’s press release article here. Are you excited for Apple’s newest Creator Studio? What do you think about Apple’s approach towards a premium suite of creativity apps? Sound off in the comments below, and follow us on X to stay updated for more Apple-related news.
