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How to Edit Videos on Mac
Need to know how to edit videos on Mac quickly? The fastest way is with QuickTime Player, which comes pre-installed on every Mac. It handles basic trimming and cutting without any extra downloads or subscriptions.
Editing video on a Mac might sound intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but it’s actually very straightforward. QuickTime Player is built for simple edits, and you can finish most basic tasks in just a few minutes.
To open QuickTime, click its icon in the Applications folder, search for it with Spotlight or Launchpad, or double-click any video file (QuickTime is the default video player on Mac). Once it’s running, follow these steps.
Editing Videos on Mac with QuickTime
Step 1. Open Your Video File
In QuickTime Player, go to File > Open File. Browse your Mac for the video you want to edit and select it. The video opens in a QuickTime window, ready to go.
If you have multiple clips to work with, open each one in a separate QuickTime window. You can then copy sections from one clip and paste them into another, which is useful for combining footage from different takes.
Step 2. Trim Your Video
Click “Edit” in the menu bar and select “Trim.” Your video switches to editing mode with a yellow trim bar overlaid on the timeline.
We also cover how to edit videos on Windows in a separate article worth checking out.
Drag the left and right handles of the yellow bar to select the portion you want to keep. Everything outside those handles gets removed when you apply the trim.
Take your time adjusting the handles to get the exact segment you need. Once you’re satisfied, click “Trim.” QuickTime will show you the result, and you can preview it with the playback controls before saving.
A useful keyboard shortcut: press Command + T to open the trim editor directly instead of navigating through the menu. This saves time when you’re doing multiple edits in a row.
Step 3. Split and Rearrange Clips
QuickTime also lets you split a video into separate segments. Move the playhead to the point where you want to make a cut, then go to Edit > Split Clip. The video breaks into two pieces at that point.
You can drag these pieces around in the timeline to rearrange them. This is helpful when you want to move a section of your video from one spot to another, or when you need to remove a chunk from the middle of a long recording.
To delete an unwanted segment after splitting, select it in the timeline and press the Delete key. QuickTime will remove that section and close the gap.
Step 4. Add Clips Together
If you have multiple video files you want to combine, QuickTime can handle that too. Open your main clip, then drag additional video files directly onto the QuickTime window. They’ll be added to the end of the timeline.
You can also use Edit > Add Clip to End to append another video file. Once all your clips are in the timeline, rearrange them by dragging, then save the final version.
This method works best when all your clips share the same resolution and frame rate. Mixing different resolutions can cause QuickTime to scale clips in unexpected ways, so try to keep your source footage consistent.
Step 5. Save or Export Your Edit
Save the edited video by going to File > Save. If you want a different resolution or format, use File > Export As and pick your preferred option.
Here are the available export choices:
- File > Save: .mov file at original resolution
- File > Export As > 1080p: .mov file at 1728×1080 pixels
- File > Export As > 720p: .mov file at 1152×720 pixels
- File > Export As > 480p: .mov file at 640×400 pixels
You can also export directly for Apple devices if you need a smaller, mobile-friendly file.
If you are still exploring options, our free video editing software guide is a solid next read.
For most purposes, the 720p export gives a good balance between quality and file size. It’s a smart idea to test your export settings on a short clip before processing a longer video.
Beyond QuickTime: Other Free Mac Editors
QuickTime is fine for quick trims, but if you need more control, your Mac has other free options worth checking out.
iMovie comes free with every Mac and offers a full timeline editor with transitions, titles, effects, and audio editing. It’s the natural next step up from QuickTime and handles most personal and semi-professional projects well.
iMovie in 2026 supports 4K editing, background noise reduction, and color correction tools that rival some paid software. If you’re creating YouTube videos, social media clips, or family highlight reels, iMovie has everything you need without spending a dollar.
DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade editor available on Mac at no cost. It includes advanced color grading, a full audio workstation, visual effects tools, and support for 4K and 8K editing. If you’re serious about video editing, this is the free tool that can grow with you.
DaVinci Resolve’s learning curve is steeper than iMovie, but the payoff is huge. Hollywood studios use the same software for color grading feature films. The free version includes nearly everything the paid Studio version offers, and for most creators, the free tier is more than enough.
Both are worth exploring if QuickTime’s simple trim tool doesn’t cover what you need.
Choosing the Right Editor for Your Project
Here’s a simple way to decide which tool to use. If you just need to cut the beginning or end off a clip, QuickTime does the job in under a minute. If you want to add music, transitions, or titles, switch to iMovie. And if you’re working with multiple camera angles, need color grading, or want professional-level control, DaVinci Resolve is the way to go.
Your choice also depends on your Mac’s hardware. QuickTime runs smoothly on any Mac because it’s lightweight. iMovie needs a bit more processing power but works on most machines from the last five to six years. DaVinci Resolve runs best on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 or later), where it takes advantage of the hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding.
Tips Before You Start
Restart your Mac before starting a long editing session. This frees up memory and closes background processes that could slow things down.
Always make a backup copy of your original video before editing. QuickTime’s trim feature modifies the file directly rather than creating a separate version. Keep the original stored safely in case you need to go back to it.
Organize your footage before you start editing. Create a folder for each project and keep all related clips, audio files, and images in one place. This saves time searching for files later and keeps your workflow clean.
If you’re editing longer videos (over 10 minutes), make sure your Mac has enough free storage space. Video files are large, and your Mac needs room for temporary files during the export process. A good rule of thumb: keep at least 20 GB free on your startup drive before starting a big project.
Finally, learn the keyboard shortcuts for whichever editor you choose. Even knowing five or six shortcuts, like play, pause, split, undo, and save, can cut your editing time in half compared to clicking through menus. Editing is repetitive work, and shortcuts add up fast over a long session.
