How many video and audio tracks does iMovie support?

It looks like our replies crossed each other!

I have used Shotcut and it is extremely good as I outlined in my reply to the other Richard.

I don't think you would have to use any workarounds again if you were using it.

It is pretty much as capable as FCP X though its GUI looks a bit dated compared with iMovie and FCP X. Having said that, many editors prefer the older, more traditional type of setup.

One thing it can do that FCP X can't is allow you to reposition the various windows.

Thanks for the confirmation Rich.

Incidentally, I don't know whether you or other iMovie users know that there are a number of FREE video editors available with far more pro features than iMovie.

As far as I can see they are based on the older paradigm (pre-magnetic timeline) that many people prefer and are loaded with pro features meaning that they don't need workarounds. Very similar to legacy Final Cut Pro and Premiere.

OpenShot is consumer oriented. https://www.openshot.org

ShotCut is more pro. https://shotcut.org

Then of course there is the free version of DaVinci Resolve.

They all permit unlimited numbers of tracks together with many other features missing in iMovie.

They all give you full control over advanced features and everything you do unlike iMovie which uses automated processes to make it easier to achieve a limited number of basic operations.

Thanks for the update Richard.

I have just checked the latest version of OpenShot and can confirm that the playback is jittery and the green screen does not work.

Shotcut on the other hand works smoothly on my old 2012 Mac mini including the chromakey and has pretty much everything you can find on FCP X plus countless export options etc. The transitions are a bit limited but you shouldn't really be using a lot of them unless you want your films to look extremely amateurish. Look at any pro or Hollywood film and you will rarely see any transitions other than straight cuts.

There are numerous online tutorials for anyone interested in using Shotcut. A couple of good ones are these:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9pzmzXj03A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCMcyYAtRzw

The first one gives you a quick 10 minute overview of Shotcut's capabilities whilst the second is a 35 minute in-depth tutorial to get you started.

I must admit that I have not used Shotcut extensively and then it was on my 2017 iMac. So today I started pushing it a bit on my Mac mini and quickly saw its drawbacks. The moment I started adding effects, titles or another track and the playback stuttered awfully. I could still edit but it was unpleasant! My iMac won't affected the same but it was nowhere near the performance of Apple's apps.

Using proxy media improved things a little one the mini but the difference between it and iMovie/FCPX was an enormous gulf.

In iMovie I can play 5 tracks of PIP native 4K smoothly but Shotcut was only able to play a single track haltingly.

Obviously iMovie/FCPX are optimised for Macs but I am shocked at the difference.

So Shotcut is not very good for regular editing but will come into its own on the rare occasion an iMovie user can't find a workaround.

My 2012 Mac mini is running Mojave 10.14.6

Can you use it with USB webcams? I didn't know that!

As far as I can see the webcam support is similar to using QT Player but a bit more complicated so I don't think I will be using it.