Choosing the Best iMovie Export Settings

macmost.com/e-2631 When you export from iMovie you get to choose from several quality and resolution settings. Here's how to make the right choice, a balance between quality and file size.
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00:00 Intro
00:32 Sharing Choices
02:10 Resolution
03:30 Note About 4K
04:31 Quality
06:04 Compress Setting
06:44 How To Choose
07:43 Make a Sample Video
#macmost #imovie

[@craigwalker9197]

Thank you! I watch a half dozen other videos looking for this info. No one shared the tips you gave. Thank you! Thank you!

[@annebeaudoin2002]

Another great video that goes right to the point! Thanks a lot, especially for explaining how to choose the right resolution. Now I know that I should export in ProRes if I'm going to use the film in another project. Thanks again!

[@andrewiansummers]

Another excellent tutorial Gary. Thank you :)

[@maryannemoll]

I’m new to iMovie and this has been so helpful. Thank you so much!

[@TheCaringCorner]

Awesome, clear and succinct content! Love your videos. They help me alot.

[@SVTapatya]

Thanks for being so very clear and explaining so well!

[@IRLVaporwave]

YouR videos are the best for everything Mac. Thank you so much.

[@gamingcalebe328]

Best video on this subject! Thanks for the direct share of info! ❤

[@TheJosa007]

Thank you for the great explanation. I am totally new at editing simple home videos, and your explanations are very, very helpful.

[@joehopper2274]

Your videos are excellent and very informative. Thank you

[@AussieAdventurer]

Great explanation and something I wasn’t sure about how to do and which is best for KZbin. That Pro Res tip was awesome 🤩, goes to show how much we can learn from you 🙏🏼 So thank you for this explanation, now I know 👍😎

[@vulfan]

Is pro res ok for KZbin

[@SamadhiZuluagaSZ]

I found this video so useful. Thank you!

[@kidscovelearning]

Thank you! You are a life saver! I just started my own KZbin channel and these tips really helped!!

[@ItsMeChavez]

Thank you, this was very helpful!

[@robbiileetv]

Great video!! Easiest subscribe ever. Thanks for the info!🙌👍

[@donna27p]

Thank you ... i appreciate that you don't tell us what you had for dinner, but get right to the point ...

[@kateamelia.]

SO helpful! Thank you!!

[@tranquility8171]

Thankyou for the clearly articulated tutoruial

[@loisskiathitis8926]

Thank you, Gary! 👏🏻❤️

[@pocketcruising]

Great video- very helpful!

[@seanfrost2509]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@Trustinjess]

Thank you! Loved this video

[@nowzen4240]

What a fantastic video! Thank You! Great refresher for myself and also answered every question I've been having lately without seeking out the answers individually! Subbed!

[@smallwithdecor7186]

Really great video, thank you.

[@xqp5503]

Thanks as always Gary🤗

[@word67]

Very useful and timely for me. Graduating to final cut pro this year for ski-vidx -- but I Movie is fine for one project I'm hoping to finish before Spring.

[@drorguy3754]

Thanks, good video and informative.

[@GermiesCoasterYard]

Thanks for sharing! Uploading a video for a contest and want the finished product to be as good as it can!

[@Bethsbeautydiary]

Thank you so much for this video! I enters my students in a film festival their video was small… I was able to re size it.

[@ezantunes]

very helpful and easy language to explain these secrets.

[@huntervickers3345]

Thanks, Appreciate it! ❤

[@ScottPrincePhoto1]

Thank You!!!

[@JTgreentalk]

VERY useful!

[@GemmaWestt]

nice one!

[@durianriders]

good clear audio mate.

[@carstenpxi]

I would suggest that you also do a tutorial on how Dolby Vision is handled in iMovie, how KZbin and Face handle it, and also does iMovie provide H265 output or does it require a trip to Compressor or Final Cut Pro.

[@desertpatient]

Thanks bunches

[@SalymahIV]

Thanks

[@purplelegorc2170]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Thanks!

[@ReneaDooserider]

Thank you nice💜🦋💕

[@kendalldever]

Hi Gary, how can I change the export/compression to KZbin from imovie on the iphone?

[@saidnaitsalh3251]

@macmostvideo thank you very much. I'm new to editing videos, and I'm starting with iMovie. Is the prores on iMovie the same as 422? And how do I export a video at 24 fps from iMovie to my Mac? Please help, I'm in a bit of a pickle!

[@RichardMoreno24]

What would you recommend Final Cut Pro or iMovie?

[@MylesDavid]

Hi, Great video tutorials! Super helpful!👍🏼😊 ‘Question’ What about exporting from iMovie from an iPhone 13Pro max? - I just created an iMovie in 1080p @30fps - Saved it to my iPhone Photo Library - Sent it via text message from the photo library. - The person I sent it to opened it and played it and it was super grainy almost like 144p or less. 😢 So what is the best way to export videos from IMovie from our iPhones, and what is the best way to send videos to each other from our iPhones while retaining hi resolution etc? Thanks a super bunch! 😊

[@macmost]

Did you try the exported video? My guess is you exported it correctly, but sending it as a text message compressed it. Sending videos via text message is a bad idea. Many better ways: save to iCloud and share the file, upload to a file sharing service or site, upload to KZbin, etc.

[@SDNTechForum]

Your videos are great help. I have this problem when I export my videos, sometimes some clips are Zoomed in? bb anycnahce have you seen this error?

[@macmost]

Not sure what you mean. So it looks different than while editing it? I haven't seen that.

[@AAGOSHLENS]

Nice video sir but my question is little different. If I import a project which is in HDR but in iMovie it shows like a normal video while doing editing and so the exported file is not in HDR mode too. How to fix it?

[@AlunniArt]

Great video, thanks! I have 24-bit/96k mastered original song under a 4K lyric video and want to preserve the audio on export. I'm seeing that ProRes/Better Quality makes my 3 miunte 40 second video jump to over 13GB. There used to be an option to choose audio quality upon export. What setting would preserve the audio? Would a setting of High/Better Quality preserve the audio? Thanks so much!

[@macmost]

You don't have any audio options like that in iMovie. You'll probably need to use something more pro-level to get that done.

[@lunarcontact]

Thanks for this. Exporting in 1080p and using custom slider to 3.3mps seems to best for me. What are the tags for ? Searching?

[@macmost]

Yes, if you want to use them for organization.

[@jesussavesnyc]

Is there a way I can upload a iMovie video straight to KZbin with out saving it to my camera roll? The youtube app doesn’t appear on my imovie option…I have a iPhone 13 that I use to make my music videos

[@aog8202]

Great video, I have a question for you. If I move a video from my desktop, into iMovie, can I then delete the video from my desktop? Or would deleting the video from my desktop end up deleting the video from my iMovie as well?

[@macmost]

It would import a copy into iMovie. Try it with a sample or duplicate file and see for yourself. But I would never delete the original file. What if you want to use it in something else later?

[@marishu4193]

thanks a lot for the useful tips, I did all the steps and uploaded with option audio and video however I end up with four files mp4 format and when I want to open file I get notification that the file format isn t compatible with quick time player , any idea about this issue , many thanks

[@macmost]

Not sure what you are doing that is giving you 4 files or why it is saying it isn't compatible. Try it again and choose your options carefully and see. If it still does that, call Apple Support.

[@bmuDLuck]

Help please. When I export and use the 1080/better quality and when I go to it in my folders it’s not at the same quality I can not figure it out

[@carlosprovyrivera8522]

Excellent explanation. I particular liked your suggestion to export at ProRes for reusable content. Question: should your should your choice of resolution also be tied to what device the recipient would be viewing it on i.e., iPhone screen vs iPad vs computer vs TV?

[@purplelegorc2170]

I was wondering the same. I get different quality footage on my videos on my channel when I watch them back depending on what device I use. That’s a good question…

[@macmost]

If uploading to KZbin, then no, just give KZbin the highest quality and it will handle it. If you are sending it directly to someone or publishing it yourself, then sure, I would take quality into account. But it is really up to you. I know some people will watch 4K video on an iPhone, but perhaps in most cases 720 or 1080 is fine. Of course, you can't always predict where someone will be watching.

[@saidnaitsalh3251]

@@macmost thank you very much. I'm new to editing videos, and I'm starting with iMovie. Is ProRes on iMovie the same as ProRes 422? And how do I export a video at 24 fps from iMovie to my Mac? Please help, I'm in a bit of a pickle here! Thanks again and I can't wait to learn more from you.

[@macmost]

@@saidnaitsalh3251 Not sure what you mean. You can't export from iMovie in ProRes or 24 fps. Well, maybe if you have clips that are 24 fps, never tried that. But if you are just getting started, why are you even bothering with ProRes and 24 fps? If you want those I suppose you'll need FCP or Premiere or the like.

[@saidnaitsalh3251]

@@macmost thank you very mich, sir. I'll try premiere.

[@EShapiro10994]

Very helpful, Gary. Is there a way to designate the thumbnail that Facebook displays when uploading?

[@macmost]

Possibly. You'd have to look at the Facebook upload interface to see if they have that. It would be up to Facebook.

[@cathalbutler]

If you upload the video to Facebook from a laptop or a computer you will have an option to upload a thumbnail

[@is15land]

im choosin quick time but the sound is missing. not sure if i choose linear pcm ore acc ore why im having trouple with the sound. its fine if i just choose export movie, but quick time has better quality but sound is missing and its not muted. so weird

[@unicornonthecob4302]

Hi Gary! Is it possible to sync my iPhone iMovie app and my MacBook Pro's iMovie app? I see the iCloud option on my iPhone, but I don't see how to turn iCloud on for iMovie on my Mac. I have a new MacBook Pro that's completely up-to-date, my phone is also up-to-date. Thanks!

[@macmost]

No. They actually use slightly different formats anyway.

[@mdex1]

how do you export to mp4 and keep 4k quality ?

[@Goomer]

Gary if you are reviewing your video in iMovie/Fullscreen, is it the same quality it will be when exported, or does it render the video to a higher quality?

[@macmost]

Not the same quality. That would require that it would render the video in real-time, which isn't usually possible.

[@Goomer]

​@@macmost Thanks Gary I was trying to "A-B" 2 cameras to see which was better...and it was just a test, not exporting the video, but they don't look bad at normal size in the app., just fullscreen.

[@hotwirebass5078]

Hey Gary! I wonder if imoviehas a Function where I can export only one part of my project?

[@macmost]

No. You'll need to export the whole thing and then trim it in QuickTime Player. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWixo5-ej86haq8

[@primitivespongebob1178]

Which imovie export settings would you recommend in order for instagram to not overcompress a high quality vid to very low quality?

[@macmost]

You don't have many options. Export at the highest you can so Instagram has the most to work with.

[@user-vj3tj4kb5x]

Does Final Cut Pro not offer a way to Customize your export file size to exactly what you need it to be, like Movie? There are often times where certain websites require a small video teaser, but it can't be bigger than 50mbps. So. I want to get it at 49.9mbps. How can I do this using FCP? It's quite simple using iMovie. thanks!

[@macmost]

You have a few options under File, Share. But you can do almost anything as long as you build a preset using the Compressor app (Mac App Store, from Apple).

[@halliwaxbasementbuilds]

Could you help explain why KZbin keeps compressing my GoPro footage? I use iMovie and when filming with my iPhone and uploading to KZbin everything is fine. If I use my GoPro footage in iMovie and upload it it’s all fuzzy?

[@macmost]

Hard to say. You aren't using the direct export from iMovie to KZbin are you? Export to a file first always, test the file, then always upload to KZbin using their site.

[@moxnix]

hi Gary, I shot a kayaking video in 2.7K using my Hero 10 Black and when I went to export my video using iMovie, 2.7K wasn't an option. I've edited 4K and 1080p videos using iMovie. Is there a way to export 2.7K using iMovie?

[@macmost]

iMovie offers 720, 1080 and 4K export options. Nothing custom like that.

[@mtdouthit1291]

Is ProRes better quality than High? Is it good for KZbin? Thanks!

[@macmost]

ProRes is top quality. But it is meant for editing, not storing or distributing video. The files are huge and would take a long time to upload. Not sure if KZbin accepts them, but they are probably overkill anyway. Use High.

[@jerryx2000]

Any idea how to export a hdr movie?

[@macmost]

See support.apple.com/en-us/102241

[@zfabss_]

Hi Gary, I’m having a big problem with uploading my 4k videos on Instagram. The video get darker & im saving the video at 1080 resolution. The videos are under 1 min. Do you have any suggestion? I watched the video & he explained to lower the mobs.

[@macmost]

Not sure why it would get darker, sorry.

[@angelalingnau7767]

What would cause a video to fail to export? It is a little over 15 minutes and I cant get it to export in to a file

[@craigwalker9197]

Hey Gary, I’m having trouble getting 4K to export. I set my iPhone to shoot in 4K, shot a short 3 minute rest video, edited and exported from iMovie and it worked. Yay! But now I am creating training videos at regular length (10-15 minutes) and iMovie isn’t offering a better resolution than 720P. I click “file”, click “share”, and choose “file” to export. What am I missing? Thanks. I really am grateful for your stuff.

[@macmost]

iMovie sets the project resolution to the first clip you import. So if you want to export as 4K, make sure the first clip you include is 4K.

[@craigwalker9197]

@@macmost If my videos start with a 4K clip, and I have followed the above process (go to “file”, “share,” and “file”), what else could I be missing? Thanks again.

[@macmost]

@@craigwalker9197 By "start" do you mean you created the new project and immediately added the 4K video? You can't take an existing project and simply change it by adding a 4K video or moving it to the beginning or something. Try it with a brand new project. Add only a 4K video. Make sure it is 4K. Then try exporting and you'll see you can do 4K. Then continue to build your project.

[@craigwalker9197]

I think I just found the problem. I do start my video with a clip I shot with my iPhone which is set to 4K@ 24fps. However, I just looked at the video and found it is only 720P. Though I record with my iPhone, I record using “teleprompter” software. I’m betting that is the issue. Thanks again for all your replies.

[@theyoutubejourney]

Perhaps you can go into more depth about 4k vs 1080. Nice video, thank you!

[@ennuied]

4K is 2160 - double of 1080

[@theyoutubejourney]

@@ennuied Right on... thank you for that.

[@deaconarturofernandez-lope8222]

I cannot upload movies from my Mac to KZbin. file seem to be uploading but is frozen around 1% and not uploading at all. Any solution?

[@macmost]

Are you trying to use iMovie's built-in export-to-KZbin function? Don't use that. Just export as a file. Then upload to KZbin using their web interface. You'd need to go there anyway to set up the video properly, so better to upload using it as well.

[@matteverett_]

I have an issue where the video is choppy once it is in imovie even when I export it, but in quicktime it is perfectly fine. Any help please?

[@macmost]

So when you look at the exported video in QuickTime it is fine? Then it is good, as that is all you need to worry about. In iMovie you are viewing a preview of the finished video, composed on the fly which uses a lot of processor power. To do that 1-to-1 (real time playback) iMovie needs to do it roughly. Just worry about the finished video file and how that looks.

[@ChristopherBriscoe]

How about exporting to messaging? Often times I’ll send a short video via message, and some friends receive it looking good and others can barely make it out.

[@electricalron]

I could be wrong but I think the end user getting videos that they "can barely make out" might not be using an iPhone.

[@macmost]

I would export at the lowest settings you can for the smallest file. I'm wondering if those with trouble are using non-iPhones and standard SMS messages or something.

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

Now I’m having trouble getting my 13 plus iPhone transferring or airdropping to my laptop so I can then edit in iMovie. I can’t airdrop 😢😢😢

[@diamondbreak]

My problem is when I use iMovie to clip a video, it turns out to be larger in file size than the original one with the export feature. So I have to reduce the resolution which turns out to be worse quality.

[@JeMone]

i have found that even the highest settings in imovie gives out worse quality. Im going to stop using it. I mean its good enough for some people. But for anyone who wants to produce 4k videos and pro res... no matter what i did... it took quality from my videos.

[@vidbybill]

but can I save as mp4?

[@macmost]

That's just a file extension. It is the format inside the file that is important. Often .mov, .m4v and .mp4 contain the same thing. What is your end-use for the file? Did you try that use with the file that comes out of iMovie, regardless of extension? If the use insists that the extension is .mp4, did you try changing the file extension to .mp4 (same file, just rename it) and did that work?

[@kevinhawkins82]

When I export a movie with iMovie 10.4.1 on my Mac Mini M2 Pro, my Processors are not being pushed more than about one third and the GPU is only about half. Why don't my Processors and GPU max out to make my export time less? Is there a way I can set my computer to decrease export time? It just seems a waste to have processors, GPUs, and Memory running 30% or so during an export. I always shut down all other software when using iMovie. Thank you!

[@macmost]

There's no way to customize it. It is probably using the media encoders on the M2 anyway, the processors aren't doing most of the work.

[@kevinhawkins82]

@@macmost Can you explain the Media Encoders? How fast are they? So how do you speed up iMovie exports? Buying and M4 does that help? What about more memory?

[@macmost]

@@kevinhawkins82 They are processors that are part of the chip that handle encoding audio and video. So specialized processors for just that, whereas the CPUs are general processors for all sorts of things. So chances are the CPUs didn't have much to do, but the Media Encoders were working at 100% while exporting. Each generation of chips get a little faster. Hard to say how much things would improve with a newer processor (there are no M4 Macs yet).

[@bbs32]

thanks. this is helpful. what I don't get is, why my import file is only 200MB, but the export is 500MB with shorten video... any tips?

[@macmost]

It all depends on the format for the original and for your export. iMovie only has limited export options, at pretty decent quality. But if your original clip was highly compressed, then you will get a larger file exporting from iMovie. It isn't built for compression, it is a creative tool.

[@bbs32]

@@macmost thank you

[@honey4xi]

Why Apple makes iMovie export Timeline H265 clips as H264 (Low, Medium, High) or ProRes video on M1 Pro, M2 Pro, or M3 Pro, but no export as H265 video?

[@macmost]

You'd have to ask Apple any "why" questions. I can only speculate. Maybe they wanted iMovie to only use h264 for maximum compatibility with older and non-Apple devices for now.

[@honey4xi]

@@macmost Apple reports that iMovie on M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, or M3 Max let editors to export H265 Timeline project as H265 video, but no any M1 M2 M3 Pro. It's so STRANGE that Apple blocks iMovie on any M1 M2 M3 Pro exporting H265 Timeline project as H265 video.

[@macmost]

@@honey4xi Not strange. Those processors have different video processing capabilities.

[@honey4xi]

@@macmost I edited my H265 10bit clips (Dolby Vision and Cinema) of my iPhone 15 Pro Max on iMovies on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. After editing, I exported as H264 video high quality. I imported H264 video high quality to Davinci Resolve, edited, exported the H264 Timeline as H265 10bit video. The final video looks very beautiful on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro with P3 color space and on my LG C2 55' 4K OLED TV HDR. The difference is that H264 has 8 bit RGB or16 million colors vs. H265 has 10 bit RGB or 1 billion colors.

[@softech4335]

Hi, used to work with iMovie on my iMac like everything is ok. But since I have Catalina couldn’t find a solution to my issue « not enough space … » knowing that I do have large space.. could you please help me please thanks 🙏

[@macmost]

If you are sure you have enough space then it will probably require a firsthand look to get to the bottom of it. Genius Bar.

[@joehopper2274]

Check your iMovie Library and see how much space it’s taking up. A good solution it to get an external SSD and than move those iMovie files off your HD to the SSD. There are lots of YT videos to show you how. Hope that helps

[@softech4335]

@@joehopper2274 Hi, Everything you said I did it. however I still have the same message “ not enough space …“ thanks a lot for the response I appreciate it.

[@Doleary1]

I have found that if you have iMovie open click on ‘iMovie’ then ‘preferences’ then at the bottom you will see ‘Render files’ delete these. I believe these are copies of all media you have imported to iMovie but are not needed as you retain the original copies anyway. This can free up a load of space.

[@rayman20us]

I need a very brief duration video file to be under 20 MB. I still don't know: My options are 540p & medium quality OR 720p and high quality. This video doesn't really give me the answer as to which will look better.

[@macmost]

Well 720p/high would be better than 540p/med, of course. But if you are comparing options, just try them. Export in various ways and see for yourself. After all, "quality" is subjective.

[@Traderhood]

If I load 19mb video clip into the iMovie, do nothing to it, set lowest resolution,lowest quality in the output settings, why does the iMovie mp4 resulting file has 100mb?? Makes no sense to me.

[@macmost]

How long is that 19 MB video clip? iMovie exports only at specific compression amounts. If that original clip was compressed at something even lower to make X seconds fit into 19 MB, then that is simply lower than the lowest setting for iMovie.

[@mehmd1913]

So this is interesting and informative. Now how to you make a DVD from iMovie? Let's say you have 2 hrs. of video, and you want to make a 2 hr. DVD, how do you do it?

[@macmost]

First, are you sure you want to make a DVD in 2022? Not everyone has DVD players, and no new computers come with them. Plus, DVDs use old standard definition video (720x480) as opposed to 1080 or 4K (3840x2160) video that even a standard new iPhone records. So the quality will be far below what you might expect. Better to upload video to KZbin or some other sharing site. If you really want to make a DVD, and have an optical drive to do it, then you can find DVD authoring software in the Mac App Store.

[@mehmd1913]

@@macmost interesting. Come to think of it you are right. Why make a DVD. Just upload all my videos to KZbin and have family and friends subscribe to the channel. However, is it possible to make the channel private and invite only? If so then that would be an awesome option.

[@macmost]

@@mehmd1913 Yes. KZbin allows "unlisted" videos and private ones as well. There are also other alternatives like Vimeo or just sharing as a video in iCloud Photos or iCloud Drive (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc).

[@rabbiyitzchokdovidsmith8127]

Question you don't answer - which of the export options will look best on KZbin?

[@macmost]

Unless you have bandwidth limitations, just go with the best quality you can (limited by the clips you use in the video). KZbin will scale and compress the video for each user according to their settings and bandwidth, so giving KZbin the best quality you can is the best strategy.

[@robotariancod3]

so imovie doesn't support 1440p right?

[@macmost]

I don't think so, no.

[@colinolver314]

When I try to transfer my movie to file it rejects is telling me that I don’t have permission. What am I missing ?

[@macmost]

Which export steps are you doing, exactly? And where are you trying to save it?

[@colinolver314]

thanks for your reply @@macmost

[@colinolver314]

I am new to iMac and am trying to send the video file to family contacts . I have sent them video by email but the quality seems a bit grainy . I am used to using an older version of iMovie from my iPad in the form of a shared album and the seems to work on most lengths of video where I am limited in the email

[@macmost]

@@colinolver314 It is not a good idea to send video over email. The files are just too big. Share using iCloud like you did before, or using another photo/video sharing service. KZbin can be a good option too.

[@reallifelegend4781]

I'm confused. If you save "faster", you lose whatever little bit saving "Better Quality" would have given - especially if you save "faster" several times. So then, saving Better Quality doesn't give make up for what was lost. So why save faster and then better quality?

[@macmost]

One save doesn't affect the others. So you save once with "faster" and say it takes 3 minutes and you review it. Then you make some changes and decide it is ready for the final export and you save "better" and it takes 4 minutes. The quality of the first save and the second save have nothing to do with each other.

[@reallifelegend4781]

@@macmost ah I see. I thought once it was saved, it was that particular quality. In other words, I thought once it is saved, it is saved with all the changes - including the quality - kinda like when we save a Word document, it immediately becomes what we saved it as. But that's different than an export. Okay, good to know. Thank you!!

[@Maserati7200]

It's a shame they got rid of the advanced settings in export via quicktime in iMovie. That was one of the reasons I bought Final Cut Pro. Probably why they removed it

[@stevennewellproductions]

Exporting from iMovie is an absolute nightmare. I can never export and I end up re editing on my phone

[@macmost]

Why? Are you getting an error message? It should be straight-forward.

[@JeMone]

No matter what I do... imovie still seams to lessen the quality slightly of my videos. I exported the highest settings i could and still the videos came out with less sharpness than the originals. and i made NO EDITS to them.. I simply put them in there and exported them in the highest rosolution.. PRO RES... BETTER QUALITY.. 4k... im starting to lose faith in imovie for larger projects. I used divinci and my videos were still sharp... It seemed to change the color of it. But the quality remained. Interesting huh?

[@macmost]

Any time you take compressed video and re-compress it, you will reduce quality, yes. But you say you are starting with ProRES 4K video and then exporting ProRES 4K video? Then it should look very good. But if you are using those settings anyway, why use iMovie and now Final Cut Pro or Premiere? Sounds like you are doing pro work, right?

[@JeMone]

@@macmost doesn't look BAD but i noticed there was significant quality loss no matter what I did exporting it. I didn't lose quality with Davinci Resolve. It came out just as sharp and as nice as when imported it.

[@macmost]

@@JeMone So compare the data. What codec (h.264?), data rate (Mbits/sec), resolution (like 3840x2160) and file size were the: original, the export from iMovie, the export from Resolve?

[@JeMone]

@@macmost I usually do that. But this time I didn’t. Thanks I will. I hope this is something I’m doing wrong lol. I can’t see that it is on my end. But I hope it is.

[@TheEternalOuroboros]

Good video but you didn't mention how sound quality is affected by these options whatsoever.

[@blankplanet]

no extension formats to chose from? what a disgrace!

[@MaskedMarble]

A long video essentially saying "We don't know. Apple doesn't tell us what any of this really means. It's trial and error. Make your best guess." 😆

[@macmost]

In the video I explain the different export options and why you may or may not want to use each one. It is pretty clear what each option "means."

[@MaskedMarble]

@@macmost Not the KZbin / Facebook option. Who knows exactly what compression and bit rate is used, and why its 4k output is smaller than the 4k output of the file export option, and how much of a tradeoff that is in terms of quality? Apple dumbs things down so much our brains leak out. 😁

[@macmost]

@@MaskedMarble Don't use the KZbin & Facebook Share option. Export to a file (High quality, largest dimensions) and upload via their web interfaces. That will give you the full options for the upload, all the details, settings, etc.

[@MaskedMarble]

@@macmost Cool. It just turns a 20GB upload into a 25GB upload is all. Extra hours to upload.

[@roseinthegardenusa]

Thank you, this was very helpful!