If you’ve been asking yourself “what is iMovie?” — it's Apple’s answer to a video editing program for amateurs and enthusiasts alike. There's no need to even download iMovie for Mac, as it’s already included, for free. A companion iMovie app is also available for iPhones and iPads, and makes it easy to edit on the go.
For all of us who have hours of video clips from birthday parties, travel adventures, and other special life events, being able to create memorable movies out of them to cherish is priceless. And you don’t need anything but iMovie to turn iPhone-recorded video notes into a true attention-grabbing blockbuster.
So with your iMovie download in hand, go through this iMovie tutorial to learn how to use iMovie like a pro. Plus, additional tips and tricks, which never hurt.
Like Avidemux, ZS4 video editor is another open-source free iMovie alternative that runs on Mac, which allows you to edit and composite videos easily. Besides Mac, it is also available for Windows and Linux. Another manual way to delete iMovie apps from your Mac is using the Launchpad. Here’s how it works: Click Launchpad icon in your Mac’s Dock. Find the iMovie that you want to delete. Click and hold the iMovie icon’s until it starts shaking. Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon. Click Delete. Method 2: Delete MAC apps with CleanMyMac X. Apr 23, 2014 This app is a course tutorial for iMovie! Check out all the fun and features and get a glimpse of all the new editing power Apple has built into this easy-to-use, yet full-featured iLife app! Apple’s iMovie is filled with lots of new features and enhancements. Create effects like picture-in-picture or split screen and play them back instantly. Clips is a free iOS app for making and sharing fun videos with text, effects, graphics and more. IPad and iPod touch. Downloading apps requires an Apple ID. IMovie for Mac requires OS X El Capitan or later, 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended), an OpenCL. Dec 12, 2019 iMovie 10.1.14 - Edit personal videos and share them. Download the latest versions of the best Mac apps at safe and trusted MacUpdate. Jul 31, 2019 Filmora Video Editor for Mac (Filmora Video Editor for Windows) is the best iMovie alternative for Mac and Windows system. It allows users to edit videos, audio tracks, and even pictures with simple clicks and drag-n-drops.
Before you can start with the iMovie app, you need to make sure you actually have it on your Mac and know how to launch it:
Aug 19, 2019 There's no need to even download iMovie for Mac, as it’s already included, for free. A companion iMovie app is also available for iPhones and iPads, and makes it easy to edit on the go. For all of us who have hours of video clips from birthday parties, travel adventures,.
Click on the iMovie icon from your Dock or Applications folder (in case your don’t see the iMovie app there, search for it in the App Store and redownload)
In iMovie, choose one of the libraries (Photos for media files in that app, All Events for files from your Mac, or All Projects for the past iMovie work)
So with all your iPhone video clips ready to go, let’s create your new movie. To get started with a blank timeline for a new project:
Open iMovie and click Create New
Select Movie
The new Apple iMovie project will open. By default, there’s no predefined theme. To add a name to your movie:
Click to go back to Projects
Enter the project name
Click OK
Then double-click on your movie project to get back in
It goes without saying that to play and edit your movie, you first need to include video clips it will eventually consist of! You can also use the picture in picture iMovie feature that’s useful when you want two clips to play at the same time (e.g. when you’re creating an iMovie tutorial). One clip will then appear in a smaller frame within the larger clip.
So to add a clip to your timeline:
Select a file from your Libraries in the sidebar
Drag the entire file onto the project timeline
If you want to reduce the duration of the clip you’ve just added because it’s too long for what you’re trying to do, you can easily cut it at either end:
Select the clip on the timeline and simply drag its corner inwards
When done, click somewhere else to save the cut. Your changes remain adjustable until you click them off (you can still use the undo command though).
In the process of making a movie, quite often you’d find yourself needing to split a clip into multiple sections (e.g. when creating a timelapse). Luckily, it’s very easy to do:
Hold the cursor in the place you’d the clip to split
Click ⌘ + B or right-click and choose Split Clip
iMovie makes combining two separate clips into one for editing and seamless playback effortless. Just drag the clips onto the timeline and make sure they are positioned back to back.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that no movie just plainly changes its scenes — there’s always a smooth transition in place. How is it done?
In your iMovie app, choose Transitions in the top menu
Preview a few options by clicking on them
When you find the right one, drag it to position just between the clips
If you’re about to make your own iMovie tutorial, you need to know how to add text to iMovie project, such as titles or subtitles. Luckily, it’s much more simple than it sounds:
While in your project, select Titles in the top bar
Go through all that are available, watch previews, and pick the best one
Edit the title if such option is presented
Drag it onto your timeline and place in the right spot
Background music helps set the mood, define a character, mark a climax, or introduce a transition. No wonder the days of silent movies are long gone. Let’s see how to add music to iMovie to liven your project up:
With iMovie open, click Audio at the top of the app
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All your tracks from iTunes will be listed there. If you don’t have any music on iTunes, just upload some audio from your Mac there first. Alternatively, switch to Sound Effects in the sidebar if you’re looking for something more ambient.
Drag the audio file you like right onto the timeline and put it where you’d want the tune to start
Adding images to the background of your iMovie project is a breeze:
Switch to Backgrounds page in the top toolbar
Go through the previews of all samples
When you see the perfect one, just drag it onto the project’s timeline
Saving progress as you go is easily the most important thing you can do. As movie projects are often quite heavy and demand lots of processing power, you’re always a glitch away from losing everything you didn’t save in time. Make sure to know how to save iMovie projects:
In the iMovie window, click Share
Choose File
Customize the default video information
Click Next
Select the destination folder ➙ Save
To share your iMovie projects on the internet, you can export them to Youtube, iTunes, Facebook, Vimeo, or email with a simple share feature:
Click the Share icon in the top-right corner of iMovie
Choose where you’d like to export your movie
If you just want to save your movie to Mac, choose File and follow the process from the section above
While iMovie is an ok video-editing app to start with, since it comes right with your Mac, there are much better options out there, which can perform more customized and advanced functions for video recording and editing. For example, Capto and CameraBag Pro.
Capto allows you to easily record the screen of your Mac to make tutorials or videos that include voiceovers and annotations. The app handles features like crop, cut, fade in and fade out of audio tracks, and many more without breaking a sweat. Plus, you can edit your screenshots too! To start with Capto:
Choose whether you’re editing an image or video at the top-left corner
Select one of the tools in the sidebar to activate it
CameraBag Pro is similar to Capto, but supercharged with even more advanced features. It has recently become #2 in the Mac App of the Year according to Apple and is basically the best photo and film-editing tool around that boasts:
Award-winning intuitive interface
A library of over 200 filters created by professional photographers
Non-destructive edits for both photos and videos
The ability to batch changes and save hours of doing micro-adjustments
Best of all, both Capto and CameraBag Pro are available to you for a free 7-day trial through Setapp, a platform with more than 150 Mac apps that inspire creativity and help you get your work done faster and better. Now that you know how to use iMovie for Mac and some other options to explore, making your first movie is going to be a no-brainer!
- Is there a Windows, Andorid or iOS version of iMovie?
- What is a good alternative to iMovie?
- Is iMovie free for Windows?
- ..
Although iMovie is pretty good at video editing, especially for a beginner, but still lots of people want to find some iMovie alternatives for different purposes. Thus, you can find many similar questions as the above on the Internet, and if you're also one of them, Here is the right lace for you.
Actually, there are many iMovie alternatives you can choose from on the Internet, but it is not an easy task to pick up a proper one. In facts, almost all alternative tools to iMovie can offer the same editing features, even more easy-to-use and powerful functions to their users. But it could be time-consuming to take a free trial on these video editing software one by one.
So, in this article, I have picked up 12 best iMovie alternatives from 4 main aspects: functions, compatible systems, price and customer feedback. If you're going to find a iMovie alterantive for Windows, Mac, or even mobile devices (Android or iPhone), you'll love this post because it will help you greatly narrow your choice and save your time.
[Attention] If you only wish to find the iMovie alternative for Windows, you can read another post to get more options.
Now, let's get started.
Filmora Video Editor for Mac (Filmora Video Editor for Windows) is the best iMovie alternative for Mac and Windows system. It allows users to edit videos, audio tracks, and even pictures with simple clicks and drag-n-drops. It's interface is far more clean than that of iMovie and offers users almost anything that you need for making a great video: basic or advanced editing tools, special effects, and free music library, etc.
Key Features of Filmora Video Editor
Please be noted that Filmora Video Editor provide users with the same functions and processors on Windows and Mac system.
Here, I'll only guide you to edit a video on Mac in the simplest way. If you want to create an amazing video effects, you need to learn the detailed tutorial - How to edit a video completely.
Step 1. Download, install and launch the program on your Mac computer. Then, directly enter the mode of 'Create New Movie'.
Step 2. Click 'Import Media' to load the video you wish to edit into the media library. Then click '+' or directly drag and drop the video into the Timeline for editing.
Step 3. Now, you can use the listed tools like split, trim, rotate, edit, etc. to customize the video as you like. You can also choose 'Title', 'Filter', 'Transition', 'Overlay', etc. option to apply effects on your target video.
Step 4. When the video is editied, you can click 'Export' button to choose an output format and save the edtied videos easily.
For more detailed instructions about how to edit videos on Mac with Filmora Video Editor for Mac, you can read the user guide.
Hardcore users must know about Adobe's multimedia tools, which in the case of video edition features Premiere Pro as part of their suite. If you are looking for the most complete option iMovie alternative on the market to work with various types of multimedia files, it should be a no-brainer to choose Adobe's solutions for you at a professional level. However, with the departure of Creative Suite, now you have to subscribe to the Creative Cloud program to enjoy the goodies of their software.
Keep in mind that part of the whole productivity point is that their solutions compliment and work flawlessly within themselves, so if what you are looking for is a standalone application that you can use at a personal or even professional level, you should give it some thought before acquiring any of their products. Remember you can also try Adobe Premiere Elements in case you are looking for a much simpler tool.
You may have heard already about the VideoLAN projects for their most known product, the VLC Player which is a cross platform application that was first intended to play video files over local area network connections. Their hard work on this project and others have led to one of the most stable and complete media players to use anywhere, even on mobile devices, and now they are on to create a video editing tool as open and complete, under the name of VideoLAN Movie Creator, or VLMC for short.
Despite it is still on the works, VLMC is expected to support as many multimedia formats as the VLC Player does, in a similar and lightweight application. If you are curious already and want to give it a try, there are some early versions available.
Another well known alternative to iMovie for professional users is Final Cut Pro X, which has been completely rewired to become Final Cut Pro X, now developed by Apple itself, ensuring an optimal performance on Mac machines, specially their Mac Pro. After its release, some of the changes in the application may have not thrilled all of its fans, but Apple continues working on its flaws and making it the ultimate video management and edition software on the market.
That being said, you should not be surprised when checking at its price tag. As one of the best applications available even at an enterprise level, and considering it is a standalone application, this solution will be at your disposal staring at $299.99. Yes, an expensive option, but probably the most advanced on the list, so remember you can always give it a try first.
On almost every situation where you need applications for a specific task, you can be sure you will find great free iMovie alternative. Video edition and management is not the exception, and for this, we have Jahshaka. Using open libraries, Jahshaka comes as one of the few applications that is available on every desktop OS: Mac, Windows and the Linux family.
Mostly aimed at post-production, you can create animations, add or edit audio and tweak your video, among other utilities. Like its proprietary counterparts, Jahshaka includes support for a non-linear editing environment, allowing you to share your work and resources with your teamwork in real-time.
Now, if you are looking for a iMovie alternative that you can use across devices no matter what OS you use, VideoPad Video Editor is your best shot. It has versions for both Mac and PC and also for all three major tablets: the iPad, Android tablets and the Amazon Kindle Fire. One may argue the unavailability of an app for phones is a drag, but do you really get to do much of video editing on a small phone screen? In most cases you will find yourself working on video edition on your computer or even a tablet, so this makes VideoPad Video Editor a great basic option.
About VideoPad Video Editor price, you also get several options: the desktop versions of the software include 'free' versions for personal use only and also paid versions; on the tablet applications you will find free and paid versions as well. Well, nothing in life really comes for free, does it? While the free versions of the software is freeware, it offers in-app purchases along with advertisement through its interface.
While other developers decide to simply make their products available through the internet with some online storage features, charge a monthly fee, brand them 'cloud services' and call it a day, WeVideo is an actual online video editing service. It is no wonder why Google has partnered with them to add their service in YouTube and Google Drive and make it easier for users to create and modify their videos without downloading any additional software. Their service allows you to have quick access to most features traditional basic software has to offer on your desktop.
All you need to enjoy WeVideo is your web browser and an internet connection. But it does not stop there, they have also stepped in the mobile market with apps for iOS and Android, so you can easily work on your phone or tablet.
It is important that you keep in mind that a cloud service for video editing sounds great, but you should also estimate upload and download times along with the limitations that the service itself imposes. You can start using WeVideo for free with these limitations and from there they also offer several subscription options for personal use going up to $199 per month for a small team of users. In the end, WeVideo might be just the right solution for the guy that is always on-the-go, switching devices and working online.
If you are looking for a basic yet complete free iMovie alternative for Windows PC in video capturing and editing, VirtualDub might come at handy. While it may not have fancy exporting options or many utilities for editing your videos, VirtualDub is everything you can ask for when it comes to making a quick fix.
You can trim your video, delete scenes, reorder it and get it all ready to look just as you need it. Then you can export the video to continue working on any other software, if you still need to. Since it is made to work exclusively on Windows machines, you can rely on VirtualDub's performance, and the best part is it does not cost anything.
In most of the cases, you may only need some basic features for video edition and a couple special tools. If that is the case, one of the best options around is Pinnacle Studio, in which you will find anything a home-user may need with even some professional features. Depending on what you need, you can choose from options that range between $59.95 and $129.95, making Pinnacle Studio in which you may find your ideal match.
One of the most outstanding achievements of Pinnacle Studio is that it has also a mobile version on iOS for iPad and now also for iPhone at $9.99. Of course the mobile version differs greatly from the desktop applications available for Windows, but it is important to remark on how the mobile version is very complete, even outperforming the mobile versions of iMovie.
So there you have, a great tool from which you can select the version that better suits you on your PC, or an app for your iPad/iPhone that is fairly complete, above the competition.
Another great video editing software alternative to iMovie by Corel is their VideoStudio. Raising the bet a little higher than Pinnacle Studio, Corel VideoStudio offers a few options that will make it much useful, just do not expect it to be at the level of other professional tools we have reviewed so far. You can consider VideoStudio a great personal video editor with some professional features, while Pinnacle may be considered an entry-level application.
VideoStudio is an iMovie alternative for Windows PCs, and it will prove being more than sufficient for most users, in two different versions: Ultimate for $99,99 and Pro for $79,99. Before choosing, remember you can always have a free trial first.
PowerDirector is one of the solutions that has also stood for a long time in the video edition game. The CyberLink software hangs somewhere between regular and professional users, with great tools that may come at handy. Several options for the software are available, range from $99,99 up to $299,99. However, like other developers, CyberLink has also adopted a cloud-based model for you to enjoy their software starting at a $49,99 subscription for three months that will also allow you to enjoy several goodies that are not available in the classic versions.
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Have checked out the top 11 alternatives to iMovie, still don't know which one to choose? Choose the one that's right for you. Take a look at the comparison below.
Software | Platform | Video capture/edition | Video formats supported | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Filmora Video Editor | Mac and Windows | Yes/Yes | AVI, MP4, MPG, 3GP, WMV, MOV, FLV, M4V, MKV, MOD, MTS. | $39.99/year, $59.99/Lifetime |
VirtualDub | Windows | Yes/Yes | AVI, FireWire | Free |
Adobe Premiere Pro | Mac and Windows | Yes/Yes | 3GP, ASF, AVI, DV, F4V, GIF, M2TS, M4V, MOV, MP4, MPG, MTS, VOB, WMV. | Starting $19.99 per month as part of Creative Cloud |
VideoLAN Movie Creator | Mac, Windows and Linux | ---/Yes | Expected 3GP, ASF, AVI, DV, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, VOB, WMV. | Free |
Final Cut Pro X | Mac | Yes/Yes | 3GP, AVCHD, AVI, DV, MP4, MPEG, MOV MTS. | Starting $299.99 |
Pinnacle Studio | Windows and iPad | No/Yes | MVC, AVCHD, DV, AVI, WMV, 3GP, MPG, FLV, MKV, MOV. | Starting $59.99 |
Jahshaka | Mac, Windows and Linux | No/Yes | WMV, AVI, FLV, MPG, MOV. | Free |
Corel VideoStudio | Windows | No/Yes | AVI, MPG, AVCHD, DV, MOV, WMV, MOD, 3GP. | Starting $79.99 |
VideoPad Video Editor | Mac, Windows, iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets | Yes/Yes | AVI, MPG, WMV, MP4, MOV, 3GP, FLV. | Starting $39.95 |
CyberLink Power | Windows | No/Yes | 3GP, AVI, FLV, MPG, MOD, MOV, MP4, MTS, WMV. | Starting $99.99 |
WeVideo | Mac, PC, Linux, Chrome OS, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets | No/Yes | 3GP, AVI, DV, FLV, MP4, MPG, MTS, WEBM, WMV. | Starting for free up to $199 monthly subscription. |