Some years back, a friend of mine chose to become a video editor and he started by browsing the web for a Vegas Pro 18 crack since the licensed version was too expensive for him. I’m not going to share his name since I don’t want to damage the reputation he has built over the years, but I’d still like to tell his story to warn other people who might be thinking about pirating premium software like Vegas Pro 18 or one of the newer versions.
His goal was to access all the features Vegas Pro 18 has to offer without spending money he didn’t have at the time, as he was thinking this was a risk-free affair. However, his experience has proven that this route is a lot more complicated and troublesome than he initially imagined.
My friend told me that he found a Sony Vegas 18 Pro crack download link that was supposed to provide unrestricted access to the software’s full feature set without requiring a license key. This sounded like the ideal way to launch his video editing career and once he installed the program, everything seemed to function properly at the start.
In reality, after just a couple of days, he started suffering from different problems. Some features of this PC video editing software would start freezing and the rendering took a lot longer than he initially estimated. His worst experience came when he was creating a wedding video for the first customer he ever got.
The software abruptly crashed and he lost almost all the progress he made during the day because the autosave feature didn’t work as intended. As a result, he missed the deadline, and that almost destroyed the relationship he had with the client.
About a month later, my friend got an email from Sony Creative Software, the developer of Vegas Pro 18, asking him to remove the cracked copy of their product from his device. The email also offered him to take advantage of the official 1-month trial version as well as a selection of discounts and budget-friendly subscription plans.
That email caused my friend a lot of stress. He was afraid of potential fines and the damage his reputation would take if his clients learned about his illegal activity. He wasn’t ready to have his video editing career end before it even properly began.
Knowing what’s at risk, my friend chose to stop using the Vegas Pro for free and got an official subscription instead. That decision also made his work a lot easier since the licensed edition offered better performance and superior rendering speeds. He also learned that the newest version of Vegas Pro comes with several important tools like advanced color grading and motion tracking that were entirely missing from his cracked Vegas Pro 18 copy.
In addition to benefiting from new features, my friend also started praising the constant stream of updates that kept expanding the software’s functionality and improving its performance. He also liked the customer support provided by Sony whenever he encountered various issues. In addition to streamlining my friend’s workflow, the licensed version also helped him finally relax since he wasn’t doing anything unethical or illegal anymore.
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File name:
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vegas_pro_2018_win_x32.exe (download)
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File size:
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92MB
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vegas_pro_2018_win_x64.exe (download)
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File size:
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99MB
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File name:
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vegas_pro_2018_luts.zip (download)
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File size:
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54.3KB
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File name:
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vegas_pro_2018_luts.zip (download)
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File size:
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61.2KB
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File name:
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vegas_pro_2018_luts.zip (download)
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File size:
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52.8KB
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#1 Free access to paid features
My friend hoped he’d be able to leverage all premium tools of Vegas Pro 18 without paying a single cent by just downloading a crack from the web.
❌Cracked versions tend to have broken or missing tools, meaning the software’s functionality is incomplete.
#2 Risk-free cost saving
He believed that getting a Sony Vegas Pro 18 crack from a random site was safe since plenty of other users claimed they didn’t have any problems after doing it.
❌Downloading cracked software is against the law and can lead to large fines and even legal consequences.
#3 Smooth editing workflow
My friend wanted the pirated edition to provide stable, optimized performance and high rendering speeds.
❌He ended up dealing with frequent lagging, crashes, and slow rendering speeds, which made his user experience very clunky.
#4 Identical to the licensed version
He expected the cracked edition to match the feature set of the official software, enabling him to produce pro-grade videos.
❌Several crucial features, including advanced color grading and motion tracking, were either completely missing or not working properly.
#5 Doesn’t put the PC/laptop at risk
My friend thought that using a cracked version of Vegas Pro 18 was safe for his PC provided he followed the guide included in the pirate site.
❌The cracked files included malware, hurting the performance of his PC and putting his private data at risk.
#6 Doesn’t require updates
He hoped that getting a Vegas Pro 18 crack meant he’ll never have to update the software since that version already had all the features unlocked.
❌Pirated software can’t receive updates and is incompatible with official Sony Vegas plugins, meaning he was stuck with a dated, buggy version of the software.
#7 Guaranteed privacy
My buddy hoped that no one would ever learn he downloaded a crack, meaning he would be able to use Vegas Pro 18 without any consequences.
❌The developers detected his illegal copy and sent a warning email, which led to a lot of stress and embarrassment.
#8 Convenient collaboration with clients
He expected the pirated version to allow him to easily satisfy the needs of his clients without any disruptions.
❌In reality, frequent bugs and crashes made him lose progress on his video editing projects, making him race against time to meet important deadlines.
#9 Anonymity when leveraging cracked software
My friend hoped his illegal activity would never be discovered.
❌However, Sony detected his Vegas Pro 18 crack and sent a warning, potentially threatening him with financial and legal consequences as well as a huge hit to his reputation.
If you can’t afford to get a subscription for the licensed version, multiple free video editing solutions can act as dependable Vegas Pro alternatives with expansive toolsets.
DaVinci Resolve is a terrific alternative, particularly if you’re interested in an option that offers comparable color grading functionality. Even though Vegas Pro 18 offers a more user-friendly timeline UI, DaVinci Resolve will impress you with its Fusion mode that allows creating motion graphics and VFX. You can use its free version before eventually investing in the premium edition that will provide even more video editing features.
If you pit FXhome by Artlist vs Vegas Pro, you’ll notice that the former prioritizes professional editing workflows, while the latter combines video editing with integrated VFX tools. It’s perfect for beginners who are working on effects-heavy videos. Even though several advanced tools are locked behind a paywall, the free edition already includes a large selection of features that should satisfy any simple project.
Kdenlive is a terrific open-source option if you’re limited in funds. Even though Vegas Pro 18 can boast having a streamlined UI and a wide range of features, this software offers a pleasantly robust editing workflow, providing multitrack editing, adjustable layouts, and keyframe animation. It’s particularly appealing to users interested in a lightweight solution that is available on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Shotcut is the optimal alternative if you want an intuitive, user-friendly option. It doesn’t have as many features as you’ll find in Vegas Pro 18, especially when it comes to 3D content and color grading, but its simplicity and wide range of supported formats more than make up for it if you don’t need to perform any complex manipulations.
If you’d still like to leverage Vegas Pro 18’s paid tools, I recommend checking out Sony’s free trial or taking advantage of seasonal sales (for example, Black Friday or Cyber Monday). The company also offers special discounts for students, which make this software even cheaper while allowing you to avoid breaking the law.
