Starting Lightworks

Applies to 2022.3 onwards

Free
Create
Pro

Start the Application

Windows: Double-click the Lightworks desktop icon.

Linux and Mac: Single left-click on the Lightworks desktop icon.

 

Once the application starts the Video/Audio plugins installed on the system will be scanned and any failures will be acknowledged. This is a one-time only operation and may take some minutes to complete depending on the amount of plugins installed on the system but subsequent starts will be much faster. 

 

 

Registering an Account

Note: In order to use Lightworks you MUST have registered an account with us.

1

Start Lightworks

2

The startup wizard will appear.

A create an account window
3

Select ‘I’d like to make a new account’ Click Next

A create an account window
4

Type in all the details required. Please make sure to read the tooltips for each field available

5

Click ‘Create’

6

The application will connect to our activation server create the account and return a Free license automatically (Internet connection required)

7

An account can be registered on our website

Access our website here: https://app.lwks.com/sign-up

Signing Into Lightworks

If you have already registered an account with us then you just need to sign in with your registered credentials:

1

Start Lightworks

2

The startup wizard will appear

3

Select ‘I already have an account’ Click Next

4

Type your Lightworks Username/Email and account password into the relevant fields and then click Sign In.

If you experience an issue with “Invalid credentials” please click the ‘eye’ icon next to the Password field to reveal the text characters. Further help can be obtained by clicking the ‘Help!’ link.

5

The application will connect to our activation server and return a Free license automatically (Internet connection required)

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If you have purchased a Lightworks Create, Pro or AVID DNxHD license these will appear ready for activation.

Each available license will have an ‘Activate’ button, clicking this will activate the license on the system. Click Next

6

Choose the language you wish to use throughout the application (default is English) Click Next

7

Choose the keyboard layout that is most familiar to you. If you are not familiar with other editing applications, please select ‘Lightworks (Default)’ and click Next

8

Choose the project layout that best suits how you wish to work. We strongly recommend new users to Lightworks start with the ‘Fixed layout’ Click Next

9

Before clicking Start, we strongly recommend pressing the Play icon to watch the ‘Quick Start Guide’ video to help bring you up to speed with the basics of Lightworks

10

The Lightworks application opens in the Project Browser view.

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The first time you start Lightworks, the Project Browser displays a grid of blank tiles

Project Browser 2023
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Existing Lightworks projects display as tiles with a title in the tile header and a thumbnail of a media item from the project

Signing Out of Lightworks

By default, your credentials are saved within the system and the next time you run the Lightworks application the license details will be read, and the system licensed. You may need to sign out of the application for various reasons, this removes the license file from the system and clears any saved credentials ready for the next user. 

1

Click the dropdown arrow next to the avatar image (top right-hand corner, next to System Settings)

image9
2

Click ‘Sign out’

3

The license file will be deleted, and any saved credentials cleared taking you back to the startup wizard

Activating a License

Once the system is active with a Free license it is possible to activate a purchased license (Create, Pro or AVID DNxHD).

1

Click the dropdown arrow next to the avatar image (top right-hand corner, next to System Settings)

2

Click ‘Activate license(s)’

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3

On the panel that opens click ‘Authenticate.’ The panel will be auto-filled with the saved credentials

4

All licenses available under your account will then appear, including showing what license is active on the system and what license is available for activation

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5

Click the ‘Activate’ button for each license you wish to activate on the system

6

Once all licenses have been activated, the panel can be closed