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Transfer videos from iMovie to Photos app

how do you transfer videos files from iMovie to the photos app? I have historically used both aperture and iMovie to store video files. I recently upgraded to a new imac and am using the Photos App now. Photos stores everything (photos and videos) in iCloud. I don't believe iMovie backs up to icloud. I want to have ALL my videos stored in one location (photos app and iCloud). I only intend to use iMovie going forward for video editing. I will no longer use it as a video file repository. I plan to use Photos as my file repository for both photos and videos. Please help!

Thanks

Posted on Jan 24, 2016 7:17 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jan 26, 2016 7:45 AM

Hi dmstrozier,

As a general answer to your question, you can import most video files into the Photos application on your Mac using Finder. If you drag the file from Finder to the Photos app on the Dock, the video will be imported into the Photos Library, and you can see it in the Videos album.

My personal workflow when working with iMovie is to always export a "master" high-quality movie when I'm finished with a project. I usually place it in my Movies folder.

To create a full quality movie from your project, you would click on the Share button in the toolbar User uploaded file, and then click File. Set the resolution to the highest available depending on the source footage (unavailable resolutions appear dimmed), and the Quality to Best (Pro Res). Change compression to Better Quality. This will create a Quicktime .mov file in the location you chose (Movies folder). Please note that when changing the Quality to Best (Pro Res) the resulting file size will increase exponentially when compared to the High setting.


Then I drag these master files to Photos as described below.

Import photos and video from storage media

Import photos and video from storage media

If you have photos or video saved on a hard disk or other storage device, you can import them into Photos.

Import from a hard disk, optical disc, or flash drive

You can import photos or video files from a storage device (such as a hard disk), a CD or DVD (if you have an optical drive), or a flash drive.

  1. Connect the device to your Mac.

  2. Do any of the following:

    • Drag files or folders from the Finder to the Photos window.

    • Drag files or folders from the Finder to the Photos icon in the Dock.

    • In Photos, choose File > Import. Select the photos or videos you want and click Review for Import. If you selected multiple photos or videos, select the ones you want to import and click Import [number] Selected or Import All New Photos.

      Important: Don’t eject a disc or drive while the photos are being imported.

Imported photos appear in the Last Import album in Albums view.


iCloud Photo Library FAQ

How many photos and videos can I store in my iCloud Photo Library?

The number of photos and videos you can store depends on your available iCloud storage. When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5 GB of free storage, and several iCloud storage plans are available from 50 GB for $0.99 up to 1 TB.

Can I use iCloud Photo Library to save space on my device?

iCloud Photo Library automatically keeps all your photos and videos in the original, high-resolution version. Follow these steps to choose how you store your photos and videos on your device:

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap Settings > iCloud > Photos or Settings > Photos & Camera, then select a storage setting.
  • On your Mac, click Photos > Preferences > iCloud, then select a storage setting.

If you turn on Optimize [device] Storage, iCloud Photo Library will automatically manage the size of your library on your device, so you can make the most of your device's storage and access more photos than ever. All of your original, full-resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud while device-size versions are kept on your device. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them.

If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photo Library will keep your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device. Download Originals is the default setting for iOS devices with the free 5 GB storage plan and for all Mac devices.

You need an Internet connection to access an original photo or video that’s stored only in iCloud.

Is my iCloud Photo Library still included in iCloud backup?

No. After you enable iCloud Photo Library, your photos and videos are automatically uploaded and stored in iCloud. They won't be duplicated in your iCloud backup.

Do I need a Backup?

iCloud Photo Library stores all of your original photos and videos in iCloud, but we always recommend you keep back up copies of your Library. You can download your photos and videos from iCloud to your computer and store them as a separate library, transfer them to your computer with iTunes, or store them on a separate drive.

Last Modified: Sep 16, 2015



Hope that helps ...

3 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jan 26, 2016 7:45 AM in response to dmstrozier

Hi dmstrozier,

As a general answer to your question, you can import most video files into the Photos application on your Mac using Finder. If you drag the file from Finder to the Photos app on the Dock, the video will be imported into the Photos Library, and you can see it in the Videos album.

My personal workflow when working with iMovie is to always export a "master" high-quality movie when I'm finished with a project. I usually place it in my Movies folder.

To create a full quality movie from your project, you would click on the Share button in the toolbar User uploaded file, and then click File. Set the resolution to the highest available depending on the source footage (unavailable resolutions appear dimmed), and the Quality to Best (Pro Res). Change compression to Better Quality. This will create a Quicktime .mov file in the location you chose (Movies folder). Please note that when changing the Quality to Best (Pro Res) the resulting file size will increase exponentially when compared to the High setting.


Then I drag these master files to Photos as described below.

Import photos and video from storage media

Import photos and video from storage media

If you have photos or video saved on a hard disk or other storage device, you can import them into Photos.

Import from a hard disk, optical disc, or flash drive

You can import photos or video files from a storage device (such as a hard disk), a CD or DVD (if you have an optical drive), or a flash drive.

  1. Connect the device to your Mac.

  2. Do any of the following:

    • Drag files or folders from the Finder to the Photos window.

    • Drag files or folders from the Finder to the Photos icon in the Dock.

    • In Photos, choose File > Import. Select the photos or videos you want and click Review for Import. If you selected multiple photos or videos, select the ones you want to import and click Import [number] Selected or Import All New Photos.

      Important: Don’t eject a disc or drive while the photos are being imported.

Imported photos appear in the Last Import album in Albums view.


iCloud Photo Library FAQ

How many photos and videos can I store in my iCloud Photo Library?

The number of photos and videos you can store depends on your available iCloud storage. When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5 GB of free storage, and several iCloud storage plans are available from 50 GB for $0.99 up to 1 TB.

Can I use iCloud Photo Library to save space on my device?

iCloud Photo Library automatically keeps all your photos and videos in the original, high-resolution version. Follow these steps to choose how you store your photos and videos on your device:

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap Settings > iCloud > Photos or Settings > Photos & Camera, then select a storage setting.
  • On your Mac, click Photos > Preferences > iCloud, then select a storage setting.

If you turn on Optimize [device] Storage, iCloud Photo Library will automatically manage the size of your library on your device, so you can make the most of your device's storage and access more photos than ever. All of your original, full-resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud while device-size versions are kept on your device. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them.

If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photo Library will keep your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device. Download Originals is the default setting for iOS devices with the free 5 GB storage plan and for all Mac devices.

You need an Internet connection to access an original photo or video that’s stored only in iCloud.

Is my iCloud Photo Library still included in iCloud backup?

No. After you enable iCloud Photo Library, your photos and videos are automatically uploaded and stored in iCloud. They won't be duplicated in your iCloud backup.

Do I need a Backup?

iCloud Photo Library stores all of your original photos and videos in iCloud, but we always recommend you keep back up copies of your Library. You can download your photos and videos from iCloud to your computer and store them as a separate library, transfer them to your computer with iTunes, or store them on a separate drive.

Last Modified: Sep 16, 2015



Hope that helps ...

Dec 28, 2017 9:06 AM in response to bdk414

If you use "Share > File" in iMovie, the exported video will be a new file with a new creation date, and no embedded capture date. But it is worth it to use iMovie first to stabilize and trim my video clips.

When I export the video file, I simply write the capture time into the comment field and into the filename, to be able to look it up in Photos.

In Photos I use "Image > Adjust Date & Time" to set the correct capture date.

Transfer videos from iMovie to Photos app

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