Wondering what is iMovie and how to use it on your Mac? iMovie is Apple’s free video editing software that comes built-in for macOS, with companion apps available on iOS and iPadOS. The app has a simple user interface that won’t scare away beginners and has enough features to keep professionals hooked. However, the app is exclusive to Apple devices. If you’ve got videos, clips, and images from a recent wedding/birthday/tour, you can create an amazing video on-the-go using iMovie. In this article, I’ll show you how to use iMovie on Mac. Let’s dive right in!
3 Ways to launch iMovie on MacHow to create a new iMovie projectAdd video clips to your movie on MacHow to trim a clip in iMovieHow to split a clip in iMovie on MacCombine multiple clips Add transitions between clips in iMovie Change the length of transitions Change the speed of clips in iMovieHow to add text to iMovie on MacHow to add background music to a video in iMovieAdd a background image to your movie on MacUse iMovie effects in a video clip on MacHow to zoom in a clip zoom in on iMovieRotate a video in iMovieHow to save the iMovie projectHow to export iMovie
3 ways to launch iMovie on Mac
There are a couple of ways to launch the iMovie app on your Mac. As I mentioned earlier, the app comes pre-installed on macOS, so you should be able to find it in Applications. Here’s how to launch iMovie. Method 1: Click Finder from the Dock > select Applications from the sidebar and look for iMovie. (or press command + space bar to launch spotlight search, type iMovie, and launch it). Method 2: You can also use the pinch-in with five fingers gesture on the Macbook’s trackpad to view the launchpad. Look for the iMovie app and launch it. Method 3: Usually, iMovie is also available directly from the Dock. Simply click it to open the app. That’s about it. You’re now ready to create your first iMovie project.
How to create a new iMovie project
Add video clips to your movie on Mac
It’s super easy to add video clips to your movie, and there are a couple of ways to do this. When you choose the Movie option from the Create New page, you’ll be greeted with the My Movie interface. This is where you add the video clips, cut clips, add audio, titles, backgrounds, transitions, and make all the edits. It’s a simple user interface with all the basic tools and a timeline to make a good movie.
How to trim a clip in iMovie
If the added video files are too long or have content that you don’t want others to see, you can trim the clip. Here’s how to do it.
How to split a clip in iMovie on Mac
Your video clips will have bits that won’t look great in the resultant movie. Therefore, it is necessary to make cuts of slips in the clips. It’s simple to do, and here’s how you go about it in iMovie.
Combine multiple clips
Your movie may consist of several video clips, which means that you’re going to combine them in the Project timeline. Here’s how to do this.
Add transitions between clips in iMovie
You can add transitions between clips to make the movie interesting to watch. There are plenty of simple transitions on iMovie. Here’s how to add transitions. Note: You can add transitions at the beginning, between, and the end of a video clip or photo.
Change the length of transitions
Double click the transition that you dragged to the Project Time. You will be presented with a duration option that lets you change the length of transitions.
Change the speed of clips in iMovie
You can change the speed of clips and make them slower or faster. There are a couple of ways to do this. Follow the steps below. Alternatively,
How to add text to iMovie on Mac
Adding text, title, subtitles, etc., are pretty easy on iMovie. You may need to do this when you want to share additional information in the video.
How to add background music to a video in iMovie
To liven up your movie, here’s how you can add background music or any audio track.
Add a background image to your movie on Mac
Use iMovie effects in a video clip on Mac
Although iMovie is pretty basic for effects and animations, you do get a few options. For example, you can add filters to your video, speed up a clip, add slow motion, and more. Here’s how to add color filters and audio effects. Note: You can also find options for Color balance, correction, cropping, stabilization, and more.
How to zoom in a clip on iMovie
You can add a zoom-in effect on your video clip in iMovie by using the Ken Burns option.
Rotate a video in iMovie
If the video orientation is wrong, you can rotate it to fit your movie better. Note: You can also use the Fit or Crop to Fill options to adjust a video clip.
How to save the iMovie project
After you’ve completed all the edits to your project, you can either save it for editing later or export it. First, let’s see how you can save it.
How to export iMovie
To render the finished product, and share it with others, follow the below steps on iMovie. You’ll see the progress next to the Share button at the top right corner of iMovie. Once completed, you can view the movie and share it with others.
Q. Is iMovie free on a Mac?
Yes, iMovie is available for free on a Mac and comes pre-installed.
Q. Is iMovie a good video editor?
iMovie is indeed a good video editor that features basic to intermediate tools, a simple user interface, and can be used for 4K clips. iMovie in the hands of a professional videographer can deliver some great results but will limit the user.
Q. Can you use iMovie on a PC?
No, iMovie is an Apple-only application. However, you do get companion apps on both iOS and iPadOS.
Q. What’s better than iMovie for Mac?
For Mac, Apple’s own Final Cut Pro is a much better and advanced tool for video editing. This is used by professionals, movie makers, YouTubers, and more. Other apps such as Adobe’s Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve are also better than iMovie and available for Mac.
Q. How much RAM do I need for iMovie?
You will need at least 8GB of RAM for iMovie to work flawlessly. The more, the merrier. You can get by with only 4GB RAM if you’re editing 720p videos. However, I’d suggest that you at least have 8GB RAM on your Mac. Read more:
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