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Gelman Library will be closed May 17 - August 17, 2025, for a significant HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system maintenance project. During this time, library services and resources will be available. Visit the Summer Closure 2025 webpage for information on how to access materials and services.

Free & Available Software for Multimedia Projects

Below are suggestions for software applications recommended for some of the most popular types of multimedia projects. All software applications listed on this page are supported by CREATE.

The instructional technologists at CREATE are available to walk thorough the pros and cons of each application before you get started or to provide assistance if you get stuck along the way. 

Make an appointment for a CREATE consultation

 

Photo Editing

Photo editing software is often used to retouch or fix flaws in photographs, remove unwanted objects, change backgrounds, or combine multiple photos.

Free to Download or Use Online

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe Photoshop
Graphic Design or Illustration

Software to create web or print graphics, flyers, posters, logos, etc. 

Free to Download or Use Online

  • Inkscape (free and open source)
  • Adobe Express Premium (Express has multiple templates for flyers, posters, and social media posts, but it will not size to create a standard research poster)

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe Illustrator
Video Editing

Create or edit video from your own or found footage.

Free to Download or Use Online

  • DaVinci Resolve (Professional (paid) version is also available. It does not generate captions.)
  • Adobe Premiere Rush (Included as part of GW's Adobe Express Premium package, Rush is an easy, non-professional version of Premiere Pro. It is good for short or social media videos. It does not generate captions.)

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe Premiere Pro*
  • Final Cut Pro (Mac only)

 

*Provides captioning. See Creating Auto-Generated Captions In Adobe Premiere Pro 2022 for instructions.

Audio Editing and Podcasting

Create a podcast or edit, mix, record, and restore audio.

Free to Download

Included on all Mac Computers

  • Garageband

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe Audition
Layout Design and Desktop Publishing

Free to Download

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe InDesign

 

**While Scribus can serve some functions, it is highly recommended that users come to CREATE to use InDesign for most projects. 

Video Effects and Motion Graphics

Used in video post-production to create animation or visual effects.

CREATE does not recommend any free motion graphics software at this time. 

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe After Effects
  • Apple Motion (Mac only, part of the Final Cut Pro package)
Experience Design and Prototyping

Create prototypes of web or mobile applications that look real to test and refine user experiences.

CREATE does not recommend any free experience design or prototyping software at this time. 

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe XD
Convert Media Files to Other Types of Files

Software used to provide media content for the web and other sources. It allows you to change media in many different ways, including altering the format, compressing media files, and reducing their size.

Free to Download

Available Only on CREATE or Library Computers

  • Adobe Media Encoder
Screen Recording and Live Streaming

Software used to live stream and/or record from multiple feeds including your computer screen and camera. It allows you to overlay these feeds and switch between different arrangements on the fly. Perfect for pre-recording lectures and integrates with Zoom for live presentations.

Free to Download

Game Design and Interactive Experience Engine

Create interactive video games, 3-D, and virtual reality experiences.

Free to Download

  • Unity (free to use for individuals or organizations with less that $100k of revenue)
  • Unreal (free to use until a game has over $1 million in revenue)

Adobe Creative Cloud 

You can access all of the Adobe Creative Cloud Applications, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and more on CREATE digital studio and library computers.

For GW community members that have a consistent ongoing academic, research, or business related need for premier applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, an individual Adobe Creative Cloud License will be provided and require an annual renewal. Requests for individual Adobe licenses can be submitted at go.gwu.edu/requestadobecc.

Adobe Express Premium

All GW students, faculty, and staff have access to Adobe Express Premium on their university-owned or personal device. Adobe Express Premium is a web and mobile app offering several of the capabilities that were previously only available in the other creative cloud applications. Express is an easy-to-use solution for:

  • easily creating posters, flyers, social media content, and more
  • creating transparent PNGs by cutting something out of an existing photo
  • generating QR cods
  • making and publishing attractive web pages using Pages
  • generating images or stylized text using text prompts (AI)

Included with Adobe Express Premium

  • Adobe Express app (web and mobile)
  • Premiere Rush (desktop and mobile)
  • Photoshop Express (mobile)
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