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Whether you’re a producer, writer, podcaster, filmmaker, or creative newbie, you’ve probably used or considered using digital creation tools. Available right at your fingertips, they can not only facilitate content creation but also help any content creator get organized, increase productivity, and communicate more efficiently with their team.
But when it comes to the amazing world of content creation tools, there seem to be almost too many options.
That’s why we selected a few of our favorites across multiple categories for you to add to your content creator toolkit and make your day-to-day a little easier.
Let’s dig in.
Organization is one of the first steps to creation. Even the most chaotic creators have a system, and sometimes a little goes a long way when paired with the best tools for content creation.
With up to 15GB of free storage, Google Drive is a great organizational tool for anyone to use. Call sheets, receipts, scripts, documents, pictures, spreadsheets, or any other type of file can securely be uploaded all in one place, with sharing and editing options available for your team to access even offline. Google Drive is so easy to use that it makes it one of the best tools for content creators in the business.
Dropbox is another no-fuss, quick, and secure way to store and share files with anyone, including people who aren’t Dropbox users. Just provide them with the login info for easy access to your shared folders. Dropbox is free for up to 2GB and can also sync up with all your devices, letting you organize and retrieve your files from your computer or your phone whenever you need them. Many coordinators and office PAs rely on Dropbox to organize their files from P.O. logs and receipts to their pre-pro book.
While not technically content creation made easy, Trello is a visual organization tool that makes collaboration and content creation easier. Flexible and free, this platform is designed as a content development tool: the message board format lets you gather and sort information and manage your tasks or projects all at once. Teamwork and productivity can be taken to a whole new level. And if your system needs to be shared beyond your team, Trello’s got your back too, as it is compatible and exportable across most other content creation apps.
The biggest secret to content creation is organization and Airtable is an Organizational Guru. Airtable is a cloud-based spreadsheet allowing you to create different views so you can collaborate more efficiently on any project. The platform offers many solutions to organize your content, smooth out your workflow, and conduct your business like a boss. This software can be used as a content creation tool because it helps you save time while increasing productivity.
Hootsuite is a social media marketing and management dashboard. It's a big helper when paired with other content creation tools for social media. It offers a wide variety of features designed to help you grow and manage all your social media platforms. Aside from saving time by scheduling and organizing your posts and content, find out what works for your audience and how to better connect with them. Hootsuite also offers marketing and management courses through their platform to take your skills to the next level.
Content-made-easy might sound like an infomercial but it really isn’t an impossible goal. With the right processes in place, content creators can stop worrying about ops and focus on what they do best---create helpful and compelling content.
Aside from organization, smooth and streamlined content creation is often made possible with a heavy dose of good communication.
Here is a selection of some of the best tools for communication when creating content.
Most companies have turned to Slack for straightforward communication. It typically functions as a professional instant messaging for internal teams but is also used to connect to others from different companies.It is faster, more organized, and more secure than emails and functions as a system of channels that can easily be searched, joined, or created. Slack has added a video and screen recording feature enabling content creators to collaborate even more efficiently. Whether you are a producer or a small business owner, Slack can be used alongside your other favorite content creation tools.
Wipster is a collaboration tool designed to streamline the video review and approval processes. Upload your project and get the whole creative team involved. Quickly get on the same page when making suggestions or comments, giving notes, or approvals. Wipster is different from other content creation apps because all feedback can be pinned frame-by-frame, allowing you to be ultra-specific with your editor and save you countless hours of back-and-forth.
This audio and video conferencing app has made its way into our everyday vocabulary, only energized by a global pandemic.
Its most obvious use is helping professionals run meetings and collaborate. But with its recording features and file-sharing capabilities, it's become an invaluable asset for content creators.
Being able to record interviews for podcasts, documentary subjects, (or even SNL skits) also makes Zoom a great content creation tool and could also fall under our next category...
The design of the best content creation tools keeps the filmmaker and artist in mind.
Organization, collaboration, and communication are vital to getting content out the door, but what about the tools that help you do the actual “creation” part? Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the best tools for content creation in the visual world.
Content creation apps like Biteable let you make videos for free. Once you sign up, you have access to 1.8 million images, clips, and templates to create the perfect video, live or animated. Whether you’re making videos for your social media or Youtube channel, upgrading a deck at your production company, or just making something special for your friend’s birthday, Biteable is simply easy content creation accessible to anyone.
For content creation made easy, you can check out Adobe Creative suite.
This monthly subscription platform gives you access to so many digital creation tools, from video editing to graphic design to sound design or even web development. And on top of granting access to one of the best content creation software in the world, the Adobe Creative Suite offers users a myriad of resources like templates, fonts, and tutorials – all designed to get you moving faster and smarter.
When it comes to content creation, we go beyond the written word and into make believe lands of imaginative story worlds and galaxies far, far away. Some software have become staples. Maya is a 3D computer graphics program that’s used to create worlds, characters, and any other asset for animated films, shows, interactive 3D apps, or visual effects. It enables content creators tp bring their ideas to life.
Blender is a free content creation tool for 3D animation. Its open-source software makes it a true blessing for fans of digital creation tools all over the world. It offers a wide range of features (rendering, modeling, sculpting, and animating, to name a few) that will satisfy novice and advanced users alike.
With a steep learning curve, Blender isn’t exactly content creation made easy for beginners, but its power, accessibility, and supportive community make it one of the best content creation tools for 3D in the business. If you’re curious about 3D modeling but don’t really know where to start, you can try your hand at making a 3D donut!
There are ample software of this nature---some other mentions are Cinema 4D, Krita, and Unity just to name a few.
Mental Canvas is an animation tool that is doing something incredibly unique. Their technology fills the gap between 2D drawings and 3D models. Definitely check out their site to see this technology in action. Mental Canvas is sure to blast off soon as they’re building partnerships with major media firms, advertising agencies and design companies.
Content isn’t produced in Backlot, but it is planned there---making this an incredibly effective and innovative content planning platform that aids in the filmmaking process. We’re keeping it under the video production section of this post, but it, theoretically, could exist under the communication or organization sections above. Because more specifically, Backlot is a pre-visualization tool used in the pre-production stage of filmmaking.
A collaborative design tool, Backlot enables teams of filmmakers to not only visualize but iterate and plan out each shot within a 3D environment, allowing filmmakers to navigate creative well in advance with more precision than ever before. Pre-viz programs like these enable faster and more intentional content creation.
Speaking of filmmaking, have you checked out our post on the best filmmaking podcasts?
And speaking of podcasts, lend us your ears for this selection of audio content creation tools.
Audacity is one of the most popular recording programs for podcasts because it is free, open-source, and easy-to-use. Beginners and seasoned producers alike can use Audacity to record, edit, mix, and export their new podcast, making it one of the best content creation software available to everyone.
If you are new to podcasting and looking for content creation tools for beginners, Anchor is a good option. It offers flexible recording and uploading features, as well as intuitive and easy-to-visualize episode building that will save you loads of time editing. Get all the deets on how your content is doing by checking the data and analytics dashboard feature, which includes features to help you monetize your content.
Podcast editing on easy mode. That’s Alitu’s sales pitch. But this software doesn’t just cater to beginners; it is a great content creation tool for anyone who wants to save time on editing.
What makes this content creation tool even easier to use? Alitu lets you publish your podcast directly from their platform to top hosting companies, saving you the hassle of uploading or creating an account on your own. Now, that’s what we call easy content creation!
If writing is more your jam, the following apps might be worth adding to your content creator toolkit, as they can certainly aid you in the process of making content, whether you’re writing the next Academy-Awards nominated script or a Twitter post.
Grammarly is a fierce ally when writing anything down. This writing assistant will grammar-check and spell-check your emails, messages, documents, projects, and even your social media posts. Grammarly can be used along with Slack, Google Docs, or Twitter, and the premium upgrade even works to improve clarity and tone, helping you make better, more professional-looking content.
Other honorable mentions here - Writer.com and ProWriting Aid.
Final Draft is the standard screenwriting software for studios and production companies around the world. Write, edit, and collaborate like the pros. It offers attractive features to professionals in the field, like beat boards, story maps, real-time collaboration, outline editors, and formatting options to meet industry standards. Final Draft is amongst the best content creation tools available for screenwriters and, while a tad on the expensive side, its one-time fee only makes it a safe investment if you’re planning to write scripts long-term.
Other honorable mention: Fade In.
Scrivener is one of the best tools for content creators on a budget. It’s a free and easy way to get the writing started. Scrivener’s straightforward outliner system makes it an easy and practical content development tool for authors of all kinds. Scrivener is designed to help writers in their creative process as it can organize information from notes to concepts to scenes to even long documents used for research. Think of it as a really good seamstress who can stitch all the beautiful images of your mind into a flawless quilt.
This cloud-based content creation app is perfect for writers who aren’t the lonely type. If you have a writing partner, Writerduet is one of the content development tools you’ll want to check out, as it is built specifically for collaboration. Video-chat or text in-app with your co-writers to effortlessly organize your beat sheets, treatments, outlines, revisions and feedback within Writerduet’s intuitive system.
There are hundreds of writing tools and software. Again, this is not an exhaustive list. To some, Google Docs might be the perfect tool.
Now that you’ve created and collaborated on cool projects using all the best content creation tools, it’s time to pay people! It’s these tools that enable you to continuously create content over and over again.
Quickbooks is a reliable and trusted source for your payroll and accounting needs. It’s super simple to set up though some features are not available on the lowest tiered plan.
Gusto has set itself up to be one of the more reliable standard payroll companies out there. It’s a good value for payroll runs allowed. Though, next-day direct deposit is only available on the higher plans.
If you’re a content creator in the entertainment world---Wrapbook is likely for you. Wrapbook is specifically designed for producers and filmmakers to pay cast and crew faster and compliantly.
Providing producers the right tools to onboard crew and process payments helps them put routine work on auto-pilot and wrap faster. It auto-calculates overtime rates, dual rates and even union calculations. If you use Quickbooks for accounting, Wrapbook also provides a seamless Quickbooks Online Integration as well as integrations with tools like Hot Budget and Point Zero software.
Creating good content matters. Getting that content out there consistently and seamlessly is often a result of many of these content creation tools. And while we recognize we missed a lot on this list, the tools above are all designed to make your life easier by helping you focus on what matters most---creating compelling content over and over again.
For more on content creation, check out our next post on the best filmmaking tools available now.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
The Wrapbook Team consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators. We’re a team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions. You can find us across the U.S. and Canada.
