Export from FCP for Youtube vs Logic Pro

Question

Export from FCP for Youtube vs Logic Pro

I have been using Logic Pro for the simple task of adding audio to a QuickTime file - nothing happens to the file on the way in or out which is a bonus. Can this be achieved in FCP? I am a novice FCP user but am attracted by the basic editing I have been able to achieve (which of course cannot be done in Logic Pro). On 'sharing' I am presented with a range of options all of which 'change' the video file in some way. Some folk suggest that Apple ProRes 422 is the best option for exporting for YouTube but this changes a QuickTime file from say 150 MB into 2.5 GB - a huge file to upload - if I can avoid this and simply add the audio to the QuickTime and save, as Logic Pro appears to do, then that would be way more preferable. How do I do this?

Posted on Nov 5, 2024 4:50 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 5, 2024 9:19 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Good advice of course - although the H264 option compresses the audio to AAC (logic does not of course), and increases the file size by a factor of 4 (ish). It's more about efficiency for me - so round tripping through FCP, plus the increased upload times currently encourages me to use Logic Pro. I know it all gets ruined by YouTube anyway - but it does seem odd that FCP can't do such a simple thing (or at least I don't know how...)

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Answer 2

BenB

Level 6

12,643 points

Nov 5, 2024 12:46 PM in response to thirdspacemusic

I do this often. Logic can in fact do AAC compression (which is standard for H.264). It won't matter which you export from, file sizes will be very close, if not the same, but FCP will be a faster workflow.

Another workflow is simply do it in QuickTime player.

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Answer 3

Nov 8, 2024 4:47 PM in response to BenB

I agree, using Quicktime Player would be BY FAR the most efficient workflow possible, faster than Logic.

Open video in Quicktime
Drag audio clip onto movie.
Save As...
Profit.

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Answer 4

Nov 5, 2024 5:10 AM in response to thirdspacemusic

Don’t overthink this.

You can export File from FCP using H264 and it will be fine. Besides, whatever you upload to YouTube will be reencoded on their end, anyway, and nobody will notice or care.

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