How to Edit GoPro Videos on Mac

How to Edit GoPro Videos on Mac

The options for editing GoPro videos on mac are between the iMovie app, the in-built app on iOS, the GoPro camera support app, and third-party apps. The iMovie app and other third-party apps used for editing GoPro videos on Macbooks have their unique interfaces, and the use of any of these apps is mostly down to preference. Here is how to edit GoPro video on Mac using the iMovie app.

How to Edit GoPro Videos with iMovie

This video editing app is built for all iOS devices, including the MacBook. The major advantage of using this app, apart from being built for MacBooks, is that it is free. Many video apps that will give the same value as the iMovie have paid or pro versions.  Other advantages to using the iMovie app include

• An easy-to-use interface: The interface is simpler than most video editing softwares, making it suitable for beginners and intermediate skill levels. 
• Image Stabilization: Although GoPro cameras have image stabilization (necessary for action cameras), iMovie users can still count on the app, providing them with additional image stabilization. 
• 4K editing: This feature might seem cliche, but it is a fact that 4K videos need better than average algorithms to edit, and many video editing apps simply cannot handle it. The iMovie app can accommodate 4K videos, although the processing power and RAM of the laptop are also important.

While the video editing options on the iMovie are limited, there are still many editing options to explore before rendering the final footage. Here is a guide to using the general editing functions on the iMovie to edit GoPro videos. 

• Step 1: Connect the GoPro camera to the MacBook, then start the iMovie app.
• Step 2: Create a new project in the movie mode.
• Step 3: Look for the “import media” icon and select to access the GoPro files. 
• Step 4: Move the picture or video files from the GoPro camera by dragging them into the editing timeline. Rearrange the videos or pictures to satisfaction by dragging them to order.
• Step 5: Right-click on a clip of your choice and use the options to choose an action that will be performed on the clip. 
• Step 6: For advanced editing tools, access the taskbar at the top of the screen and use it for edits such as cropping, filters, color grading and correction, video stabilization, video speed, background volume, and music. 
• Step 7: Now open the title icon panel, drag a title in the desired front over the target clip, and then input a message of choice. 
• Step 8: Now it’s time to add transitions between the individual clips or scenes. Simply open the transition panel and drag one of the transitions to the space between two clips.
• Step 9: Preview your work, then render the edits on the video. Select the “export” button to move the new video from iMovie to the Mac. 

Users can perform advanced edits such as timelapse and hyper-lapse with the iMovie software. 

Note: It is sometimes easier to convert the GoPro video files(1) to formats that the iMovie app can easily edit. This conversion is usually done with a third-party app. In addition, the edited video file will be saved in an MP4 or MOV format. 

How to Edit GoPro Videos on Macbook Using the GoPro Quik App

GoPro took their craft one step further by creating an app dedicated to their camera. Many apps can be used as a GoPro editor for Mac. Still, only a few apps can truly satisfy the user’s individual needs and cater to the special needs of GoPro camera videos. The GoPro Quik is one app that checks both boxes and has proven over time to help edit videos seamlessly.  

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GoPro videos are captured in file formats that may not be compatible with some video editors for Mac. So, make sure to check the specifications of the GoPro video editors, or convert the video files to specific editor-friendly formats.

Another advantage of using this video editor is that it is free for MacBooks and PC users. This app can accommodate high-resolution videos only if the videos are strictly taken with the GoPro camera. You can also use this app to update the GoPro camera software. 

Without much ado, the following guide is how to edit GoPro videos on Mac using the GoPro Quik software. 

• Step 1: The first thing is to launch the app. 
• Step 2: Import the videos from the GoPro camera to the app by either uploading the files to the mac and then importing it from there or sending the files wirelessly between the Quik app and the GoPro.
• Step 3: Select media in the home interface and click on all the clips you want to edit. 
• Step 4: Now select the ‘create’ mode in the bar at the top of the screen.
• Step 5: Select the clips uploaded to the media so they can be added to the timeline. Now rearrange the video clips by dragging them to the preferred sequence. 
• Step 6: Select ‘change music” to access the GoPro Quik music library. Next, select the ‘playback’ option to listen to the music, then click on the ‘add to video’ icon for background music edit.
• Step 7: Select the pencil icon to access video edits such as cropping, trimming, color profiles, background music volume e.t.c.
• Step 8: The last clip on the timeline will automatically generate an outro by GoPro Quik. You can choose to use the outro or ignore it.
• Step 9: Now click the save button, then name the video. The next line of action is to choose a file format for the video and the playback frame rate.
• Step 10: Export the newly edited video to the MacBook.  

How to edit GoPro Videos on Mac Using Third-party Apps

If, for some reason, some individuals don’t have access to the iMovie and GoPro Quik softwares, some great third-party applications can save the day. Most of the time, users may need to pay a fee to access the professional and outstanding features, but it is usually worth it. 

A top-tier third-party app used as a GoPro editor for Mac is the Adobe Premiere pro. This software is one of the high-end softwares in the video editing world, and it takes a certain level of editing expertise to appreciate the features fully. However, the following guidelines are straightforward instructions on editing GoPro videos on mac using the Adobe Premiere pro. 

• Step 1: Launch the Adobe Premiere Pro software on the MacBook and upload videos to the editing timeline. To upload the videos, connect the GoPro to the Mac, open the GoPro folder, select the video files you want to be edited and drag them to the editing timeline. 
• Step 2: The next step is to cut the unwanted parts of the video. Cutting the video is necessary because it eventually reduces the render time, which can be massive, depending on the size of the video. 
• Step 3: Select the ‘edit’ button at the top of the screen to perform functions like cropping and cutting the video file, e.t.c. 
• Step 4: To add audio or manipulate the audio from the video, select audio from the taskbar at the top of the screen. The audio options include volume control, audio speed, e.t.c.
• Step 5: Stabilizing the video is the next step, as most GoPro videos need to be stabilized. To do this, select ‘effects’ from the menu at the top of the screen, look for ‘warp stabilizer,’ or simply access the dedicated stabilizer for GoPro videos by going through ‘effects’ to ‘presets’ to ‘GoPro folder.’
• Step 6: Select ‘color’ from the menu at the top of the screen for color correction. A panel will appear on the right side of the screen. Use the options to color grade the video clips. 
• Step 7: To add texts and transitions to the video clips, select ‘graphics’ from the menu at the top of the screen. There are some preset transitions that you can use. Transitions can also be downloaded from the web. 
• Step 8: Check for errors in the edited video by reviewing it through playback. If the edited video is satisfactory, select ‘files’ then ‘export,’ then ‘media.’ The window that opens up shows the export setting options like the file format, frame rates(2), video and audio export e.t.c.
• Step 9: Rename the edited video and select the ‘export’ option at the bottom of the screen, then wait while the software renders the video.