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Free up storage in iMovie by deleting some media files

I've let my iMovie accumulate 500GB of media files. I understand that the best way to solve this is to keep media files on a separate drive available.


Is there any way to keep some media files I use over and over locally so I can still travel with my Mac and access just some of the media?


Thanks!

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jun 1, 2023 4:31 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 1, 2023 8:41 PM

Removing files from your iMovie library likely will disable many if not most of your projects.


Instead, you can move your 500 GB iMovie library to a separate drive that is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. First, select the library's name in the iMovie side bar, and do a File/Consolidate library media. Then when you transfer the library all of the media in the library will go with it and off of your internal drive.


Then create a new iMovie library on your internal drive. Populate it with whatever media that you want, or store the media in a finder folder on your internal drive, or on an external drive, for later import into iMovie. You can also access any media that you have stored in the Photos app library by selecting the Photos item in the iMovie sidebar.


-- Rich

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 1, 2023 8:41 PM in response to DadMaster

Removing files from your iMovie library likely will disable many if not most of your projects.


Instead, you can move your 500 GB iMovie library to a separate drive that is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. First, select the library's name in the iMovie side bar, and do a File/Consolidate library media. Then when you transfer the library all of the media in the library will go with it and off of your internal drive.


Then create a new iMovie library on your internal drive. Populate it with whatever media that you want, or store the media in a finder folder on your internal drive, or on an external drive, for later import into iMovie. You can also access any media that you have stored in the Photos app library by selecting the Photos item in the iMovie sidebar.


-- Rich

Free up storage in iMovie by deleting some media files

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