iMovie Running Slow? Here's How To Fix It!

I show you how to setup your iMovie projects in a way that will help iMovie run faster. This info will also save you precious internal drive space, and help you avoid an iMovie editing disaster!
This is a cut-down version of a live stream.
This video is NOT sponsored.
❤️ If you're finding value in my content, show your support by giving me a Super Thanks!
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - How iMovie Handles Files
02:30 - Make iMovie run better
03:11 - iMovie files demystified
03:36 - Creating a new library
05:04 - Organizing your work
07:31 - Organizing a huge library
11:45 - Recap
* Mac Video Magic is LIVE Sundays @ 1:00 PM ET
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[@ralesandro]

I can’t tell you how helpful this is! Apple is usually so good at making user friendly interfaces, but iMovie has always been the exception! I get so confused with projects, events, etc. You pulled back the curtain and offered such practical solutions. Thank you! 😍

[@Gaditoo]

I was shaking for a whole hour because suddenly all my projects had disappeared... I was just opening the wrong library!! Thank you so much! You truly saved me!!!

[@ColinWetherelt]

I’m an old dog learning new tricks - and you are a great teacher, Michael. Thanks!

[@stevenignelzi9257]

Same...

[@edwarlee]

As so many have said, your iMovie guides are the best on the Internet, hands-down. I wish I could give more but this is just a small token of appreciation for all the amazing work you do.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you so much! Much appreciated.

[@electricalron]

Hi Michael, been following your channel for quite awhile now. This might be one of your most informative videos on the channel. Thanks for the iMovie tips!!

[@weird-history-and-odd-news]

Thanks so much for this, Michael! I'm fairly new to iMovie and find your videos are the easiest for me to follow and understand because you've taken the time to explain as you go along.

[@georgee3401]

Excellent tutorial. Very useful tips. Many thanks!

[@dellymac06]

Wow!! This video is useful. I am seeing iMovie for the first time much better than I thought it is. Thank you kind Sir. Blessings!

[@RiteOn]

Most valuable newbie imovei video . . . thus far...Thanx

[@haraldspies2546]

Thank you so much! Your videos are sooo helpful!

[@ANobodysHerstory]

This is so incredibly helpful! I've been getting so frustrated with iMovie slowing down lately and now this makes sense. Thank you!

[@davidcking7]

You did it again!! Brilliant and helpful video - and very well (as usual) explained for simple brains like mine. Thank you, Sir.

[@beverlyclaridge]

Well done! Clear and concise! Thank you so much!

[@ianpve]

Fantastic advice. Thank you!

[@BroMoi]

Awesome! Thank you so much from The Netherlands. I learned a lot

[@GingerWarriorCyclingClub]

I thought I needed to buy a new Mac. Life saver Michael. Sorted my speed and workflow 🙏

[@ShahramMirkazemi]

Your presentations are amazing. 🙏

[@thatswhatisaidCA]

This was such great instruction. Thank you so much.

[@k.6867]

Very cool, thanks!

[@joshualebowitz]

This was an informative and excellent video. Thank you m

[@UmarKhaleeq]

This is so incredibly helpful! I've been getting so frustrated with iMovie slowing down lately and now this makes sense. Thank you! I have edited 3 new videos for my channel using iMovie now.

[@bulbabulbasaur]

this made my iMovie editing so much smoother! Thank you so much!

[@GustitisLaw]

Doing this today! Thanks, Mike.

[@user-xz4sz9dv6d]

Thanks! Finally I understand what libraries, event and projects really are! I only wished I had seen this a long time ago!

[@stevenignelzi9257]

Sooooo good! Thanks! I used iMovie on my previous iMac, the new version was suddenly inscrutable, navigation, file management was not comprehensible... This is great, thanks so much!

[@PlayNowWorkLater]

This is a game changer! Thank you for sharing this system

[@DNF_finder]

This was sooooooo helpfull. Thanks a lot.

[@markadrianryda-cosmicryda]

You’re knowledge is amazing my brother I can’t thank you enough. You are by far my favourite YT tutor. You’ve helped me so much

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad to hear it

[@idiscoverdestinations]

Great info. This is truly awesome. I'm so happy to know this. I was becoming helpless what the speed of iMovie concerned nut now I'm vback at full speed. Let's do this..! Thanks 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@irwinlive]

Great advice !

[@roccosarli6939]

I have been looking for this type of info since forever! I can’t thank you enough! Thanks!

[@MacVideoMagic]

No problem!

[@TessAbroad]

So incredibly helpful, thank you!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Ajedrez_90]

Very useful, as always! Your videos do make a difference, thanks! :)

[@MacVideoMagic]

Happy to hear that!

[@OwenEDell]

Thanks! This is a game changer. Keep up the good work!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the SuperThanks!

[@iml1945]

Extremely helpful video. You are the best!!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad you think so!

[@SupremeFilmsofficial.]

Thank you so much! I just got the Mac Studio, and iMovie was't working. This video helped a lot! Thank you so much!

[@juliekovich-recordingartist]

Thanks. I can FINALLY get this straightened out. It has been bothering me I have no proper way to organize my projects and I wasn't grasping how this is organized.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad it helped!

[@jenbruni5617]

Thanks! This is exactly what I needed to know

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the Super!

[@exports6979]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@timetravelers9282]

Mike your videos are amazing. You have helped me tremendously on my KZbin journey. Thanks for all this organizing information. This helps soooo much!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Great to hear!

[@brianhudson7058]

I’ve battled for years without this understanding thanks Michael

[@OKeefeMusic1986]

Thanks, this is Extremely helpful

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad it helped!

[@unknownINDIA]

Michael, this is a fantastic video. I encountered exactly the same problem a few days ago. But I moved the entire bloated iMovie Library to a new external drive, in the absence of knowledge you have presented in this video. Your knowledge of iMovie is amazing. Heart-felt thanks!

[@rajendrabiswas]

was it worth moving to external ?

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

Thank you so much! You have an amazing mind.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Wow, thank you!

[@thomasgarner-actingthestor5695]

I cannot even begin to tell you how helpful this was. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad it helped!

[@dodol.pandan]

thank you … this concept change a lot of thing. i refuse to give up i movie because i got apple ecosystem and it’s waste to just ignore imovie. thanks to you i learn and start appreciating what i have ❤❤❤

[@DerGangolf]

Your videos helped me a lot! I'm impressed with your way to make the most out of that very simple video editor. Do you mind asking me if you also work professionally with imovie? If not, which editor do you use for professional work? Greetings from Austria, Wolfgang

[@clarencej]

You’re a lifesaver! Thank you. Thank you. I always wonder why iMovie became so slow.

[@utah62]

Thanks for sharing. I do the same in FC. But you suggest to create the new library on the internal drive, not a external one? What if your internal drive is not big enough?

[@Kevin.S.McCarter_PhD]

Michael, this is SO helpful!! I currently have all of my videos in one project (~ 130 GB), and iMovie has become very sluggish. I've wanted to split my videos into different projects to hopefully speed iMovie back up and also so that I could move the video projects I'm done with to an external drive and free up space on my internal drive, but didn't know how to do it. I'm going to implement what you've shown us in this video and start separating out my videos into different projects asap. Thank you again!

[@MacVideoMagic]

You're welcome!

[@ocyogi]

Brilliant!

[@slingingsteve]

This is outstanding. Kudos to you, Michael, for using your knowledge and experience to offer more thoughtful and productive suggestions for workflow. I'm bookmarking this one to come back to as I begin to disaggregate my iMovie Library as you've suggested. I suspect, however, that I should approach such an effort cautiously and map out in advance how I want to handle a new structure of multiple Libraries (think Projects), Events (think Folders) and Projects (think Timelines). You've done a great service. Also, as someone who's made various attempts to create these kinds of tutorial-ish, screen recording videos, you do a terrific job - always very professional. I recognize how difficult it is. Thanks much.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the kind words. 🙏🏽

[@_Per_Aspera_Ad_Astra_]

❤ thank you 🙏 Question: How to delete Library Photos ?

[@RainbowLane]

Thank you for this very valuable information. It makes so much sense - my iMovie library was causing all sorts of issues on my Mac and so I transferred it to a 2TB external drive where it has now reached 368 GB! My Mac hard drive may have breathed a sigh of relief when I moved that huge library but of course, iMovie still keeps crashing under the strain. And now I know why, thanks to you. I am taking your advice and creating a new library for every video so I’m not dragging this huge bag of GBs around behind every new video. I was so frustrated with the glitches and crashes that it was putting me off making my videos. I am going to do as you suggest and work on the videos on my internal hard drive and then archive them as separate libraries on the external one. And I am going to start breaking up that massive library - I had no idea I was building such a beast with every new video! Once I had watched this video a couple of times, it became very obvious to me why one big library would cause these issues but without this video, I wouldn’t have figured it out. I can’t thank you enough.🙏

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the Super Thanks! Much appreciated! So glad this video helped you! 👍🏽

[@pbasker]

Just a thought. You mentioned you would like iMovie to do vertical video editing. Even though its a free Apple iOS app, Clips. You can create the content in an iOS device then send over the file.

[@Raw_id]

Michael you are the iMovie Guru👌 You've helped immensely as iMovie became sluggish but by using your method it renders much quicker. I salute you, thanks🙏

[@MacVideoMagic]

Happy to help!

[@1MollyJ]

I am probably going to have to watch this again. I previously worked with Final Cut Pro and there are definitely things I miss but I _never_ could figure out what was happening with my media with iMovie and all of that media can be a metastatic monster. And I knew that I wanted my projects on an external drive, but again, never quite sure where my stuff was going. So helpful. I may be able to bring some sanity to my iMovie stuff.

[@FlowByJenny]

Hi Michael, this is fantastic and soooo helpful. I have been creating projects by pulling in my media straight into the project. I have not been using the events. I have also been copying parts of movies from one project to another and also from projects in different libraries. I am working with videos that has raw material that is several hours of video and I have been creating videos for many years. I have many iMovie Libraries on external hard drives. With other words. My iMovie storage is a mess. This video really helped me to start organize my videos and especially my videos going forward but I do have a specific problem and wonder if you have a simple solution. I have videos that I have edited (timelines) that has the source media in other libraries that it can not find. I get black part in my timeline with source video not found. I have to open up all my libraries (hunders of GB) to find the source data and this is time consuming. 1. Do you have a trick in how to find the source data for clips in a project (timeline). 2. When I now organize the files so that 1 library = 1 project, how do I make sure that all the source videos are copied into the new library? Cheers, Jenny

[@RollinD1]

Great stuff. Thank you. Maybe I have a newer version of iMovie (10.3.5) that doesn't show "Events" but rather the file name is the project name. So that's a little easier. Still studying this as the filing system has been a big mystery. Sure appreciate this tutorial to help clear that up.

[@da-AL]

thank you!!! your videos are great!!! a few of questions: 1) is there any way to control how downloaded clips show up in the media pane? 2) is there a way to control the order that clips appear in my computer folders when I'm selecting them to download into iMovie? 3) when I complete editing a section in the timeline, is there a way to lock only some clips & also audio together?

[@pedronavarro8633]

Amazing advice, my iMovie now opens in a few seconds rather than half minute. I will just create a new library per each new project from now on.

[@Diego_Cabrera]

I was literally going to drop like 3k on a new Mac bc my I thought my M1 got slow. You literally saved me so much money man.

[@theguynextdoor4822]

So very helpful. You should suggest Apple to rename Library, Events & Projects

[@invictaland1983]

You're the BEST iMovie teacher! Hands down. Right now I'm struggling to turn a bit of text and a drawing i made in photoshop (cs6!) into a png to put it into a movie. Going to poke around your channel to see if you've made something about that.

[@MacVideoMagic]

This video may help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGjUoK2nrKl0Y5Y

[@gabicreightonbooksetc.]

Mike, I’m so excited to share that I SUCCESSFULLY BROKE DOWN my “giant library” (at 7:33) into individual libraries. YES! 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 I committed myself to creating at least 20 individual libraries from the “giant library” each day over a number of days. This video helped me with the howto. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!🙏🏽👊🏽🌸

[@MacVideoMagic]

Happy you got it all sorted.

[@iml1945]

Thanks!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the Super Thanks, much appreciated!

[@CallMeCraftyAl]

So glad I found this! My iMovie has been running like a sloth and I thought I was gonna have to upgrade my machine. Definitely gonna try this first. :)

[@MacVideoMagic]

Glad I could help! And thank you for the SuperThanks!

[@Sidharth_k]

an useful video❤

[@WasiqBhamla]

This video was very informative, learnt something new today about iMovie. On side note, can you share some info on how to add this rounded cam in the screen sharing video?

[@MacVideoMagic]

That's a feature built into my live-streaming software, Ecamm Live.

[@jenday360]

Great!

[@stpeterscooksriver1873]

We who have a KZbin channel, with 64 videos, thank you for drawing our attention to this problem, and more importantly providing a solution.

[@CharcoalPencilPusher]

Hi, is it necessary to delete projects from within iMovie before you delete them from your hard drive or will deleting them from the hard drive be all that's necessary? Does it make any difference? Thanks, Don

[@grantking174]

Awesome video wish I knew this earlier. Now to fix 345gb library 😮

[@MacVideoMagic]

😬

[@WandererBell]

This is super helpful. I did not know I could do that till I watched your video. I have a question for you about my scenario. I usually create videos for each country I visit. Do you recommend creating a library for each country and then in that country library, I will have about 15 to 20 projects in it or do you recommend creating a library for each video? I appreciate your suggestions.

[@MacVideoMagic]

I would do it per video, or city/region, depending on how you break out each video.

[@CharcoalPencilPusher]

Hello again, I am making dozens of short videos. Is there any reason why I shouldn't put 2 or 3 video projects into one new library (to archive them) rather than making a new library for each one? Thanks, Don

[@kenromero9236]

I watched this video a few months back and it didn’t click with me. However, this week I started experiencing the problems you noted and I was sure Michael Kinney would have the solution and “poof” here we are. Thank you for saving what little mind I have left!

[@MacVideoMagic]

No worries! Glad the info was there when you needed it.

[@englishin10]

I love the pacing of your tutorials! I had a hard time finding the library screens you were showing. Mine opens straight into media or project boxes. I didn't get the "which library would you like to open" screen...so I had to go up to FILE>open library>New (in case anyone else had a hard time finding that screen)

[@MacVideoMagic]

Holding down the option key, then clicking on iMovie icon (with iMovie closed) didn't bring up the Open Library screen?

[@englishin10]

@@MacVideoMagic Oh goodness...yes, it did work. I didn't have iMovie closed. I've been using iMovie for years to edit videos and the files are definitely getting mixed up and confusing. Thanks for helping all of us!!!!

[@CharcoalPencilPusher]

@ 4:40 you say, "when you're finished". Does this mean after you've exported it?

[@Macdashack]

I’m having trouble with my exported video. The whole video works perfectly when playing in iMovie but once it’s exported, it only plays up to 10 minutes and the rest just freezes while time is still running. Any idea on how I can fix this issue?

[@waikeonglock4515]

Thanks, such a helpful video. I am in the process of "untangling" my huge library now. For some unknown reason, I don't seem to able to move or delete one specific Project / Timeline - the option to move is greyed out, and when I delete, nothing happens. I can open the Project / Timeline but all the media links are deleted. Any idea? Where are these Project / Timeline stored? Appreciate your help. Thanks

[@MacVideoMagic]

Is it possible you deleted a project and event that was sharing media with the project you're trying to delete?

[@VGTIMEDBS]

Where do you go for your stock footage?

[@MacVideoMagic]

Storyblocks.

[@JottyHB]

With your help, I’m beginning to understand the structure of iMovie projects. Thank you! To have access to common things like intro, outro etc.: my idea is to create a library only with this stuff. To create a new episode, you then start with a fresh copy of this library. What do you think?

[@MacVideoMagic]

Absolutely! Or, when you create a new episode, you open up that intro/outro library along with your new episode library, copy those elements over, and then close the intro/outro library. You can have more than one library open at a time, which adds great flexibility!

[@JottyHB]

@@MacVideoMagic Ah, ok, good to know! Thanks and have a great weekend!

[@marykayriley]

Hi, I'm following the instructions but this doesn't occur for me, I'm holding down option and clicking iMovie but it opens as usual, no special window. Any idea why this is only happening to me? Computers hate me so I'm not surprised 😃

[@DrDaveAK88]

Mary Kay, I have the same issue myself. I can click "File" then "Library" and then create a new library but the way @MikeKinney describes doesn't seem to work for me either.

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

I just did this and lost my video that I spent 2 hours editing . Can’t seem to locate any of it. I clicked on this video because I had ? Icon in the pics that was trying to load in. Now I am spending time trying to get the old stuff back

[@emiledae]

I hardly have anything in my iMovie library. Both my iMac and MacBook have been updated for a bit as well as iMovie, but suddenly iMovie is glitchy, choppy, will stop responding and forces me to force quit. Both devices are fine with CapCut (I like iMovie better, but I've been forced to use this), but not iMovie and it started happening to both devices yesterday? What do I do?

[@MacVideoMagic]

What changed on your Macs yesterday?

[@DirtySideGetsDown]

I pretty much only work on one thing at a time and once it is finished I don't need it in iMovie anymore. Can I just empty the iMovie library after each project to keep it slimmed down for each use?

[@MacVideoMagic]

Sure, if don't think you'll ever need to go back to it.

[@judydelorenzo7601]

I was thinking the same thing :)

[@GustitisLaw]

Mike: I don't know if it's appropriate for me to ask you a question for help. If it's not, then please disregard. I have created separate libraries for all my iMovie projects as you suggested. All my projects, except two (2), have been successfully moved to their new libraries. However, the other two (2) projects will not move to their new libraries. When I try, it looks like iMovie is moving them, but they don't leave the main iMovie Library project list. When I check their respective new libraries, the projects have not transferred. So now I'm really confused.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thank you for the SuperThanks! Did you try flipping between the libraries in the little menu at the top of the Projects screen? Sometimes the windows need to refresh. Also do the same with the little twirly arrows beside the library names in the left-side panel on the Media or editing screen.

[@GustitisLaw]

@@MacVideoMagic Thanks, Mike. I will try this.

[@itsadrienne2287]

❤❤❤❤

[@rajendrabiswas]

external sdd or hdd is better

[@MacVideoMagic]

Talking about that this week on the livestream.

[@fasteasyqboproadvisorcerti6503]

Hey Michael-- How can I hire you? Neither of your websites seem to be up and running. Sent you a LinkedIn message, too. Thanks!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Connect on Twitter?

[@fasteasyqboproadvisorcerti6503]

@@MacVideoMagic Your Twitter account does not accept DMs. She's going to try and tag you.

[@MacVideoMagic]

@@fasteasyqboproadvisorcerti6503 I'll look out for it.

[@Gentlemans_sport]

Ou yeah wish Apple rename those confusing library-event-project stuff

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

I guess I am the only one who has a problem with this. Everyone I am reading is so thankful. I am trying to locate the video I had in iMovie and can’t

[@SECRETCREEKPROSPECTING1776]

I lost all my old videos because of this. 😭

[@WelIspring]

Brilliant!!!

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

I guess I am the only one who has a problem with this. Everyone I am reading is so thankful. I am trying to locate the video I had in iMovie and can’t

[@MacVideoMagic]

Can you explain what you did?

[@JohannesJunkJournalLife]

I will try! I did option iMovie. Then all events. Went to Johanne’s library Hit the drop down and renamed the date to video clips and hit return I’m really not trying to be antagonistic, there is nothing on the time line, in video clips. Maybe I shouldn’t have done it while I had a movie already there. Idk. The reason why I clicked on to your video was because I wanted to add 3 photos to my video and there where black and white question marks in squares instead of the pics.