Are you a Mac user and trying to figure out how to use iMovie? In this guide, find out the answer to the question, how do you use iMovie on a Mac?
iMovie is one of Apple’s free applications for macOS and iOS users. Being free of charge, however, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have much to offer.
It’s easy to use and you don’t even have to invest anything to start using it, making it perfect for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can start creating cooler videos using advanced options. It’s a tool you can use for most of your video editing needs; you might not even need another app.
You have to start somewhere, though, and if you’re asking, “How do you use iMovie on a Mac,” we’ll teach you how iMovie works. Now, launch the app on your Mac, and let’s get down to it.
1. Add a Project
First, let’s create a new project. Look for the “Projects” tab; it should be at the top of the window, in the middle of the “Media” and “Theater” tabs.
Click on it and select “Create New” at the top-left side of the window. It’s a big button with a big “+” in the middle, so you can’t miss it.
Upon clicking, you’ll have to choose between “Movie” and “Trailer” in the pop-up. Choose “Movie.” This creates a new movie project called “My Movie 1” by default if this is your first saved project. If you want to replace it, click the “Projects” button at the top-left corner and enter the name you want.
From here on, you can find go back to your project in this tab any time.
2. How Do You Use iMovie on Mac? You Need to Add Video Clips
To add video clips to your project, you must already have them on your computer. You can also import videos from your iPhone or an SD card, but you must plug it into the Mac first.
To start importing, click the “Import Media” button (symbolized by a down arrow) at the top-left section. A new window will appear in which you have to find the file(s) you want to import.
You can import multiple files at once by holding the Shift key and selecting every clip you want to add. Once you’re done, click the “Import Selected” button.
This will add the videos into your Media panel, but note that these clips aren’t in your movie yet. To add them, drag a file into the Timeline panel to start creating a movie. You can drag the other files in either the front of the first or in the back.
Select multiple files or all them if you want to drag them all to the timeline. It’s quite easy to rearrange them once they’re all in there.
For photos, the steps are pretty much the same.
3. Edit a Clip
Now, you need to edit the clips in your timeline. You most likely don’t need every second of every video you put in there, so we’ll teach you how to trim them first.
First, click the clip on the timeline you want to edit — click the beginning or end part of the box and drag the slider towards the part you don’t want to delete out of the video.
What if you want to cut a scene in the middle? Then you’ll have to split it first.
Drag the vertical playhead into anywhere in the middle of the clip. Then, choose “Modify” > “Split” or press Command + B on your keyboard; this will split the clip into two.
Repeat this process to split the video into smaller parts or to single out the part you want out.
To delete a clip, select it and then press the Delete key. You may also use the process above to delete a part in the beginning or end of the new clip.
4. Add Transitions
Splitting the videos gives you another benefit. It enables you to add transitions in the middle of the original clip. Remember that you can only add these effects between clips, where there is a gap.
To add one, click on the “Transitions” tab at the top, which will show you a bunch of transition effects. You can preview each one to see which will work best on your videos by clicking it.
When you’ve chosen a transition, drag it to the timeline, between the clips.
To see it in action, place the vertical playhead somewhere before the transition effect and press the spacebar to play.
5. Add Audio to Your Video
Your videos might already come with audio, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. You can add background music, audio effects, or other types of audio.
To do this, click on the “Audio” tab right beside the “Media” tab. You’ll be able to use tracks from your iTunes library or GarageBand if you have it installed. It also comes pre-installed with sounds in Sound Effects.
If the audio file you want to use isn’t in these locations, you’ll need to import it using the same way of importing a video or photo.
In either case, you only need to drag the file from the library into the timeline.
6. Save and Export
How does iMovie work? Figuring that out is only the beginning — you have yet to learn how to save your video and publish it.
Look for the Share icon at the top-right section of the window and select “File” in the drop-down menu. You may also choose the other options, like YouTube and Facebook, to upload to these sites directly.
After choosing “File,” window will pop-up that allows you to edit the description, tags, format, resolution, and such. Once you’re happy with the settings, click “Next…,” edit the name if you want, choose a save location, and then press “Save.”
What’s Next?
This is about everything you should know about the basics of using iMovie on a Mac. But that’s not everything you can learn about this app.
You can explore further and learn how to make more creative videos or you can learn other things to do on Mac, like how to watermark photos.
Learn More iMovie Tips
After this lesson, instead of asking, “How do you use iMovie?,” you can now ask more advanced questions like, “How to use iMovie like a pro?”
Not sure where to go to get advanced tips and tricks? We’re here to help. Read more of our posts right here for other tips to level up your skill in video editing.
