-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 SHut6cCDyMMtPIwYSowsmFHFzM21T6IAyqI9cZAVGuYyjoYdKrX2QcdTRZMe1IFr
 875paiMJwZNnOEQ4g6ayQA==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001203923-03-000004.txt : 20030507
<SEC-HEADER>0001203923-03-000004.hdr.sgml : 20030507
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030507131514
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001203923-03-000004
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030505
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030507

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			AVID TECHNOLOGY INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000896841
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES [3861]
		IRS NUMBER:				042977748
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		METROPOLITAN TECHNOLOGY PARK
		STREET 2:		ONE PARK WEST
		CITY:			TEWKSBURY
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01876
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9786406789

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		METROPOLITAN TECHNOLOGY PARK
		STREET 2:		ONE PARK WEST
		CITY:			TEWKSBURY
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01876

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			SMITH CHARLES L
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001203923

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	000-21174
		FILM NUMBER:		03685749

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		AVID TECHNOLOGY INC
		STREET 2:		ONE PARK WEST
		CITY:			TEWKSBURY
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01876
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
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    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

<documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-05</periodOfReport>
<issuer><issuerCik>0000896841</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AVID TECHNOLOGY INC</issuerName>
<issuerTradingSymbol>AVID</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId><rptOwnerCik>0001203923</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SMITH CHARLES L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
<reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>VP Worldwide Sales</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-05</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4471</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>9.96</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>4471</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></o
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ectOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-05</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1700</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>27.01</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1734</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value
>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-05</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1734</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>27</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>9.96</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-
05</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4471</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>9.96</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2002-02-28</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-08-30</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>4471</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnershi
p></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Incentive Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>9.96</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-05</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>3863</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>9.96</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2002-02-28</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-08-30</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>3863</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmount
s><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>11666</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Twenty-five percent of the option becomes exercisable on the date listed in the &amp;quot;Date Exercisable&amp;quot; column; the remaining seventy-five percent becomes exercisable in forty-two monthly installments thereafter.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Charles L. Smith</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-05-06</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----