iMovie Won't Import MP4 Files

This is really old, but in case anyone has the same problem now, all I did to add it in was change the ".mp4" to ".MOV" and imported it. I don't think it really changed anything, and it looks nice, so I'm happy with it!

This topic has been dealt with before, without result. And here we are again.

The point is, we shouldn't even be having this conversation. If Apple wants to force us working along with their format and codecs, at least it should provide their users access to those formats or at least provide us with clear workarounds and instructions.

I tried adding two .mp4 files to an iMovie project, but it wouldn't even recognise the files I wanted to work with. Then I had Quicktime 'convert' the mp4-files to mov-files (it actually more of a containing process, I read somewhere). After Quicktime was done, iMovie did recognise the files and it even showed a preview of the clips. I still wasn't able to import them into an iMovie project though. Oddly enough, no error message was displayed as to what the reason might be (I'm starting to miss my Windows PC). I also tried opening the movie clips from Finder--to no avail. Quicktime and iMovie are both Apple applications, so one might expect them to work with similar codecs.

Not so. It's just too counter-intuitive.

Technically, iMovie does import MP4 video. However, iMovie only import MP4 files that are encoded with MPEG4/AAC or H.264/AAC data. And yet, MP4 is a video container format that may contain various audio and video codec (and sometimes even subtitle streams included). If the MP4 file is not encoded with iMovie support codec, iMovie will refuse to import this kind of MP4 video.

To solve can't import MP4 to iMovie, you may try the following method https://www.idealshare.net/mp4-imovie-solution.html

"I wonder if something is wrong with my version of OS X or perhaps iLife..."

Hey drew879,

For what it's worth, the problem may not be your OSX or iLife. The problem may just be iMovie itself. I am running iMovie 09. I can't import any video from my hard drive into iMovie either. Maybe someone can help. For now, I will probably finish my project using Final Cut Pro. Good luck.

I was having the same trouble with my Gopro files. If you let iphoto import the file first that should solve your problem.

Hope it works for you.

Hex

Technically, iMovie does import MP4 video. However, iMovie only import MP4 files that are encoded with MPEG4/AAC or H.264/AAC data. And yet, MP4 is a video container format that may contain various audio and video codec (and sometimes even subtitle streams included). If the MP4 file is not encoded with iMovie support codec, iMovie will refuse to import this kind of MP4 video.

In order to successfully import all kinds of MP4 files to iMovie, a recommended solution is to convert iMovie unrecognized MP4 to iMovie supported video format.

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According Apple official website, iMovie (including iMovie '11/'09/'08) can only import DV, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MOV and M4V. Though the MP4 file format defines the storage of MPEG-4 audio, scenes and multimedia content using the ISO Base Media File Format, the MP4 file may also contain any number of audio, video, and even subtitle streams. So it is impossible for the MP4 file to determine the type of streams in an MPEG-4 file based on its filename extension alone. To enjoy MP4 file in iMovie freely, it is a quite wise choice to change MP4 file format to imovie support MP4 file format.

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I agreed, what you need to do is find a good video converting software to recorde the .mp4 video to iMovie supports formats such as MOV formats in this case, as fas as I know there are several freeware supports to converting videos of nearly any formats on Mac, FFmepg and Handbrake are all great, completely free and no other cost. Handbrake has both windows and Mac version. I have been using Handbrake to converting video for years.

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Faasoft's great "Video Converter" is probably one of the best commercial choices though to convert mp4 to imovie compatible formats. I've been using it for a while now.

I have the same problem with iMovie 11. I convert a MOV file through handbrake - set on H.264 and all that - and after 4 hours of importing a 600meg file there is nothing. Another file, converted the same way, imports with no problem. One tried to have may daughter convert on her windows machine, and that worked. Go figure.

I have two video cameras

Oregon ATC9k and Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD

I have used these for years successfully, I used them in January and February 2015 successfully and imported the movies from iphoto to imovie so that I could prepare a movie for loading to youtube and Vimeo. Worked fine.

Last night I tried to add more video to imovie so that I could modify the contents of the project file with extra video minutes.

I went round in circles but failed to get imovie to load the video.

Somebody at Apple has modified OSX latest version 10.10.3 and caused this function not to work!

When I first bought an imac in 2008 it was precisely because the imac would import Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD video files!!

I had a similar problem but I seem to have found a workaround. I downloaded some videos from youtube using a third-part downloader that only offers MP4 as an output format. I just imported the downloaded videos into itunes, then from itunes to imovie. Worked just fine that way.

Who at Apple thought this was a good idea? Or is it just to force people to purchase Final Cut so they have a usable software for video on their Mac?

I had a similar problem today, the GoPro MP4 file I made today wouldn't load into iMovie 09. The reason was because I had changed the name of the file without including .MP4 in the new name. After renaming the file again ending with .MP4 it imported with no problem.