iMovie
The first solution to consider for edit a video with Mac è iMovie, the Apple video editing program installed as standard on all devices of the "bitten apple". The software allows you to make video montages by adding movies, images, audio, sound and video effects and much more.
To start editing a video with iMovie, launch the program, click on the item Create new and select the option Footage from the menu that appears to access the software workspace. To import files to iMovie, click the downward-pointing arrow present at the top left, select the files useful for editing and press the button Import selected.
Now, to insert the files into the iMovie timeline, select the ones you are interested in and click the button + present on their preview image, then act on the timeline itself to set the sequence of the movies and the overlay with any audio tracks. You must know that with iMovie you can also add effects, transactions and titles to your projects, by pressing on the items Titles, Wallpapers e Transactions present at the top.
Also, to add video effects or apply changes to audio tracks, click on the file to be edited in the iMovie timeline and press the buttons Color balance, clipping, Stabilisation phase, Speed, Video and audio effects etc. visible at the top right above the player and which allow you to apply rotations, slowdowns and cuts. To learn more, you can read my guides on how to crop a video with iMovie, how to slow down a video with iMovie, and how to rotate a video with iMovie.
Once you've finished editing your video, click on the inside square arrow (top right) and selects the voice Fillet to export the movie to your computer. Then enter the name to give to the video, set the export quality and press the button NEXT to start saving. To learn more about the operation of the program, I leave you to my guide on how to use iMovie.
Avidemux
Avidemux is another good video editing program you can consider. To download it to your Mac, connected to the program's website, select the item Download and click on the option FossHub present under the heading MacOS.
Once the download is complete, double-click the file Avidemux_ [version] .dmg, move the Avidemux icon to the folder Applications macOS and open it. Then right-click on the program icon and, at the first start, select the item open from the menu that appears to avoid macOS restrictions for applications from non-certified developers.
You are now ready to use Avidemux to edit your video. To import the file for use in your project, click the folder at the top left, select the one you are interested in and press the button Open. To make changes to the video, click on the entry Video present in the menu bar at the top and select the option filters from the menu that appears, then select one of the options available from Transform, Interlacing, Colors, Sharpness, Subtitles etc. and double-click the filter to apply to your video to set its duration.
You must know that with Avidemux you can also add new audio tracks to apply to the video. To do this, select the item Audio present in the menu bar at the top and click on the option Select track from the menu that appears, then, in the new open window, put the check mark next to the track to be activated, click on the drop-down menu of the activated track and select the option Add audio track to use an audio file on your Mac.
Once the changes to your movie have been completed, choose the format in which to save it using the drop-down menus located on the left: Video output to choose the codec to use for the video, Audio output to choose the codec to use for audio e Container output to select the container (eg. MKV, MP4 o REVIEWS). Then click on the icon floppy disk present at the top left, enter the name to be assigned to the video in the field Save as and push button on the pulsating Save to start saving. To learn more, I leave you to my guide on how to use Avidemux.
OpenShot
OpenShot is a free video editing program that features a multitrack timeline and allows you to apply effects, trims, rotations and much more to your videos. It offers an intuitive interface in city that makes it easy to use even for less experienced users.
In order to use OpenShot, you must first download and install it on your Mac. Connect, then, to the program's website, click on the item Download present in the top menu and, in the new open page, presses the button Download [version].
Once the download is complete, double-click the file OpenShot- [version] .dmg, drag the icon of OpenShot in the folder Applications macOS and open it, then right-click on the software icon and select the item open (on first launch only) to avoid macOS restrictions for applications from non-certified developers.
To edit a video with OpenShot, press the icon of + present in the top menu and select the files to import in the software workspace, then drag them to the OpenShot timeline to start video editing. To insert a transition between one movie and another, click on the entry Transitions present above the timeline, select the transition of your interest and drag it to the position where you want to apply it. The procedure is almost identical if you want to add an effect: select the voice Effects, choose the one you are interested in (Blur, Negative, Saturation, Brightness and contrast etc.) and drag it over the video to which you want to apply the chosen effect.
You can also apply effects, animations and modifications by right clicking on the movie in the timeline and selecting one of the items in the menu that appears, such as Fade, Wheel, Entrainment , Transform etc.
When you've finished editing your video, click on the round red at the top to export the video: then enter the name of the video in the field File name, indicates the export options using the drop-down menus next to the items Destination (the video format), Video profile e Quality and push button on the pulsating Export video to save the movie on your Mac.
Lightworks
Lightworks is another solution to consider when editing a video with Mac. It is available for free with registration and has a multitrack workspace with the ability to add movies, audio, effects, video transactions and much more.
To download Lightworks on your Mac, connect to the program website, click the button Download now present at the top and presses the button Download dmg to start the software download. Once the download is complete, open the dmg package just downloaded, drag the icon of Lightworks inside the folder Applications macOS and open it, then right-click on the Lightworks icon (one red shark) and select the item open from the menu that appears to start the software and avoid macOS restrictions for applications from non-certified developers (this is necessary only for the first run of the program).
As mentioned above, to use Lightworks you need to create your free account. At the first start, then, select the item Sign Up, enter your data in the fields Email address (required), Full name, Username e Password and click sul pulsating Continue for two turn consecutive.
Now, you are ready to edit your videos with Lightworks. On the main program screen, click on the entry Create a new project, enter its name in the field Name, select one of the available options via the drop-down menu Choose present next to the voice Frame rate to set the playback frequency of the frames that make up your movie (I recommend setting Car) and click on the button Create to create the project.
To import files to include in your video, select the entry Local file present at the top left and select the videos and audio of your interest, then click on the tab Edit placed at the top to display the Lightworks workspace: then drag the files into the program timeline. To edit your video and apply trims, edits etc. right click on the file of your interest directly in the Lightworks timeline.
By clicking on the option instead VFX present at the top, you can change the colors and apply rotations to the videos, while selecting the tab Audio you can manage the audio tracks of the project. Once you've finished editing your video, right-click on the item All present at the bottom left, select the option Export from the menu that appears and choose how to export the movie.
You must know that in the free version of Lightworks you can export the video exclusively online, uploading it to your channel YouTube o Vimeo. To export the movie to your computer in AVI, MOV, WAC etc. you have to buy the version Lightworks Pro starting from 19,99 euros.
Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is one of the most popular and used programs for video editing. It is intended for more experienced users who need to create special effects and use advanced features, to be installed using special plugins. It is available in a free 30-day trial version, after which it costs 329,99 euros.
To download Final Cut Pro, connect to the Apple website and click the button Free trial, enter your data in the fields Your name, Last name e Email address and push button on the pulsating Download the free demo to start the download.
Once the download is complete, open the dmg package just downloaded and double-click the file FinalCutProXTrial.pkg, then click on the Continue twice in a row, click the button Accept e Install and inserted the Password of your user account on macOS to start the installation.
Now, launch Final Cut Pro and click on the entry Import media to import the files into the workspace of the program, then select the item New project below and drag the imported files into the Final Cut Pro timeline to start editing video. To add titles, backgrounds and effects, click on the T present at the top left and choose the one you are interested in, while to apply changes to the files in the timeline right-click on them and select one of the available items from the menu that appears
When finished editing your video, click on the icon of inside square arrow present at the top right, select the option Master file and click on the entry Settings, then select the option computer using the drop-down menu next to the item Size and press the buttons Next e Save to save your video to your computer.
At the end of the free trial period, you can purchase the full version of the program: to activate it, simply start the program, press the icon of the key at the top left and enter the activation code received during the purchase.
Other programs for editing videos on Mac
Did the solutions I proposed in the previous paragraphs not completely satisfy your needs? No problem here is a list of other programs to edit video with Mac that you can take into consideration.
- PhotoStage Slideshow: is a free video editing software that allows you to create movies by adding video, music and photo files and apply edits and effects. It features a multitrack timeline and a minimal and easy-to-use interface.
- Shotcut: is a video editing program that also allows processing of 4K movies. It offers a multitrack timeline, allows you to apply numerous filters and make changes, such as adjusting colors, managing the speed of movies and enhancing audio tracks.
- Videopad: is a paid video editing program intended for less experienced users. It supports numerous video, audio and image formats and allows you to export your project both online to YouTube and locally, choosing the video format among AVI, WMV, 3GP, MP4, MOV and MKV.
- Adobe Premiere Pro: another popular paid software to edit videos at an advanced level. In addition to being able to process 8K movies, it supports videos intended for virtual reality and allows you to install external plugins to further increase its functionality. You can test its operation for 7 days by activating the free trial, after which it costs 24,39 euros / month.
