FCP 12.3 timeline issue loosing audio feedback on the timeline.

Question

Level 1

8 points

FCP 12.3 timeline issue loosing audio feedback on the timeline.

Is anyone else having final cut pro 12.3 issues with the interface while editing audio / video? I am prioritizing the audio over the video due to the audio content that I want to edit for Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

I place the video clip in the timeline and begin editing. I am taking out breaths, lip smacks from the speaker, etc. and then adding transitions to the video to make it coincide.

Within 2 or three clips, I loose audio and the timeline does not keep up with the video. The inspector is moving the video along, but I loose all audio feedback. If I hover over the audio sources in the inspector I have audio, back to the timeline - nothing. I have to restart FCP. It does preserve the edits I have made, but it is so laborious.

I thought at first it might be a conversion issue because when I started with the update 12.3, I was midstream in a project. So I started a brand new project with FCP 12.3 and I have exactly the same results.

Exports seem to work ok from the completed projects, but as is it is almost untenable.

I did delete and reinstall FCP and I am running on a MacBook Pro M5 Pro.

Thanks in advance.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Jul 5, 2026 1:27 PM

Reply

Answer 1

BenB

Level 6

13,584 points

Jul 5, 2026 5:02 PM in response to AlertSense

Reinstalling won't help with this.

Verify your system drive has at least 15% or more free space.

If editing on an external drive, make sure it's not filled up, and is formatted APFS.

Delete all render files.

What format are the clips you're editing?

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Answer 2

terryb

Level 4

3,608 points

Jul 5, 2026 5:50 PM in response to AlertSense

Try deleting FCP Preferences/Settings. Hold option and command while launching FCP and choose Delete. Set FCP preferences/settings back to the way you like and see if the issue has been fixed.

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Answer 3

terryb

Level 4

3,608 points

Jul 7, 2026 7:50 PM in response to AlertSense

The only potential thing I see is autoupdaters. In the past, Google's keystone autoupdater software was notorious for breaking FCP often requiring a complete uninstall of Chrome and an uninstall and reinstall of FCP. I'm not sure if Google's new updater is still problematic. I do see that MS's Edge autoupdater appears to be identical and the advice here has been to remove Chrome and use something like Edge instead. Hopefully others will chime in on this.

[Loaded] com.google.GoogleUpdater.wake.plist (Google LLC - installed 2026-07-02) Command: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/GoogleUpdater/Current/GoogleUpdater.app/Contents/MacOS/GoogleUpdater --wake-all --enable-logging --vmodule=*/components/update_client/*=2,*/chrome/enterprise_companion/*=2,*/chrome/updater/*=2 [Loaded] com.microsoft.EdgeUpdater.wake.plist (Microsoft Corporation - installed 2026-06-26) Command: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/EdgeUpdater/Current/EdgeUpdater.app/Contents/MacOS/EdgeUpdater --wake-all --enable-logging --vmodule=*/components/update_client/*=2,*/chrome/enterprise_companion/*=2,*/chrome/updater/*=2

Is your footage and/or FCP libraries stored on OneDrive or iCloud Drive (Desktop or Documents folder), not local?

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Answer 4

terryb

Level 4

3,608 points

Jul 5, 2026 8:47 PM in response to AlertSense

How are you monitoring the audio? Through any kind of external interface?

Please post a report from https://etrecheck.com using the "Additional text" button below in your reply. This anonymized report can help us to identify if there are any system related issues.

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Answer 5

Jul 8, 2026 4:58 AM in response to AlertSense

Are you by any chance saving or accessing media to a location that is syncing to onedrive, or icloud?

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Answer 6

AlertSense Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2026 8:41 PM in response to AlertSense

Ok, this is interesting. I just found that once it gets in this state, if I click on the project, it seems to reset until I make another cut (or several cuts)...

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Answer 7

terryb

Level 4

3,608 points

Jul 6, 2026 6:07 PM in response to AlertSense

Did you migrate from another machine? Did you install any "cleaner" software? An etrecheck report would help us to identify potential problems.

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Answer 8

AlertSense Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2026 8:02 PM in response to AlertSense

To follow that up, I just started a brand new new project on a m4a file with the same results. I also deleted my preference setting as recommended by someone else. Same results. My timeline gets way behind now, but I do have use of the selection tool, but no audio as I move the selection forward. I do have sound if I select the Audio Configuration (Dialogue-1) and move across, but the timeline is non-responsive to audio.

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Answer 9

AlertSense Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2026 7:45 PM in response to BenB

Thank you for responding.

I edit to an external Sandisk ssd and it is formated with APFS. There is 2TB of free space. I often copy my libraries to an external 20TB spinning disk to free up space. The specs on my SSD are as follows:

SANDISK 4TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD - Up to 2000MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE81-4T00-G25,Black

I will delete all render files and give that a shot. I am editing mp4 files.

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Answer 10

AlertSense Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2026 7:57 PM in response to terryb

Ok, I just did that and brought in a m4a file and it is still doing the same thing.

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Answer 11

AlertSense Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2026 8:05 PM in response to AlertSense

Additional info. Once FCP gets in this state the timeline advance (space bar), visually does not move, but the inspector shows that it is advancing, just no audio and no movement on the timeline.

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