Music and Photos marked in red in iMovie timeline

Hi,

In iMovie, a red stripe or red bar in the timeline typically indicates one of two issues: missing or broken media links or audio clipping. 

• Missing Media: If video or audio clips turn red, the connection between the timeline and the original file has been broken, often due to library corruption or moving files without updating the library. Users report that re-importing the media or creating a new library and copying the timeline over can resolve this. 

• Audio Clipping: A red line in the audio waveform indicates that the audio level is too strong (peaking), which causes distortion. This requires decreasing the volume of the clip or adjusting the audio gain.

• Rejected Clips: In older versions, a red horizontal line at the top of a clip in the Events window signifies that the clip has been rejected and is not part of the project. 

• Used Footage: An orange line at the bottom of a clip indicates the portion of the footage that has been used in the current project, which is a normal status indicator and not an error. 

To fix broken red clips, try consolidating library media via File > Consolidate Library Media, or delete iMovie preferences by holding Option and Command keys while launching the app.