It has become known that Adobe is acquiring Frame.io, a popular platform for interaction between the editor and the customer. The deal is valued at $1.275 billion. At the moment, the deal still requires regulatory approval and will close in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Since its founding in 2014, Frame.io has become a key player in the post-production market, providing a cloud-based collaboration and review platform for video production.
Frame.io, created in-house at Katabatic Digial, quickly attracted investment from venture capital firms, starting with Accel in 2015.
The platform has now grown to more than a million users, including Vice, Netflix, Buzzfeed and Adobe itself, which has “long used” it in creating videos for its Web site, social media and events.
CEO Emery Wells describes Frame.io as “a product built with a deep respect for the needs of video professionals and based on our own experience.”
In addition to Frame.io’s own qualities – it is described by Adobe as “secure and elegant” – Wells attributes the platform’s success in part to the “explosive growth” of video.
“The barrier to entry has dropped dramatically while demand for video has skyrocketed,” he wrote.
“Those working on blockbusters are struggling to cope with the insatiable demand for streaming content, meanwhile new companies are using video as a method whose purpose is to inspire audiences and share information.”
If completed, the acquisition is expected to lead to tighter integration of Frame.io with Adobe Creative Cloud tools, including Premiere Pro, After Effects and Photoshop.
According to Wells, the goal is to make Premiere Pro “the most versatile video editing platform in the world.”
In the long term, Wells said, Frame.io will continue to “invest in integrations with other partners,” including for applications that compete with Adobe’s own software.
Frame.io currently provides integration with a wide range of creative and collaboration tools, including Final Cut Pro, Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve.
As a cloud-based service, Frame.io is available from supported web browsers including Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Not all of its features work with mobile browsers.
The platform is subscription-based with free accounts giving two users access to a maximum of two projects.
Paid subscriptions support more users and unlimited projects, as well as more advanced features with Pro plans costing $15 per user per month and Team plans costing $25 per user per month.
