Quick Guide to Join/Combine Clips in iMovie

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Quick Guide to Join/Combine Clips in iMovie

Last Updated: 2024. 02. 21

How do you join video clips in iMovie?

How do you join two split clips in iMovie?

Can you join independent clips together on iMovie?

Questions like these are everywhere on Quora, a platform for discussion. As the inborn video editor for Mac and iOS, iMovie offers a wide range of editing features to empower users in unleashing their creativity. Among its extensive toolkit, one of the most popular functions is Join Clip, which allows people to merge two video clips easily on iMovie. If you're curious about how to join clips in iMovie, continue reading this blog to delve deeper into its functionality and explore the process further.

Part 1. How to Join Clips into One in iMovie

How to Join Clips Using iMovie on Mac How to Join Clips Clips in iMovie on iPad/iPhone

Part 2. Why Can't I Join Clips in iMovie?

Part 3: An Easier Way to Join Clips with iMovie Best Alternative - FlexClip

Part 4: FAQs

Part 1. How to Join Clips into One in iMovie

Join Clips in iMovie is a feature that lets people rejoin the same video clips after the splitting process. If you accidentally split video clips on iMovie, apply this tool to stitch clip together. Below is how it works:

How to Join Clips Using iMovie on Mac

Step 1

Open up iMovie, create a new project and import the video you want to join together in the event browser.

iMovie Join Clips: Import Video to iMovie on Mac

Step 2

Drag the video to the timeline. Here you can split and edit the video with ease.

iMovie Join Clips: Drag Video to Timeline and Split

Step 3

After splitting the clips, hold down Shift and select all the clips you want to join together. Make sure all of them are highlighted.

Step 4

Head to Modify and choose the Join Clips option from the drop-down menu, then you'll see the clips are merged as one video.

iMovie Join Clips: Drag Video to Timeline and Split

However, sometimes you might find the Join Clips option grayed out. That's because Join Clip feature is just for rejoining two clips that are split in iMovie, which are not used to combine independent clips together on iMovie. Don't worry, we'll talk about the solutions later.

How to Join Clips Clips in iMovie on iPad/iPhone

Unfortunately, iMovie for iOS doesn't include the Join function, which means you can't merge videos directly. But you can still combine several clips in iMovie by following steps below.

Step 1

Launch iMovie and Create a New Project

Run iMovie on your device, click the File icon on the menu and choose "New Project" to create a new project. You can name the project and change the aspect ratio as you like.

Step 2

Load Video Clips to iMovie

Tap the Add Media button in the upper-right corner to load your videos. You can trim the clip before you add it by tapping the clip and dragging the yellow trim handles to select just the portion of the clip you want to add.

iMovie Join Clips: Load the Video to iMovie on iPad

Step 3

Join the Video

Once all the clips are loaded, drag and drop each clip in the order you want. After that, simply click on Done to export the whole clips to combine them into one video.

iMovie Join Clips: Combine the Video Clips

Note

Apart from the basic way to join two video clips, you could also combine video clips side by side, or picture in picture.

Part 2. Why Can't I Join Clips in iMovie?

This is a frequently encountered challenge in iMovie. The "Join Clips" option in iMovie often appears greyed out because it's specifically designed for rejoining clips that have been split within the application. It isn't intended for combining two or more independent video clips.

If you would like to import two separate video files to combine in iMovie, you must follow the above how-to guide.

Click on the Share icon in the top right corner, then click on the option File and export all the clips as a single video file. After the share is successful, you may then re-import it into the project.

Combine Videos by Exporting iMovie Videos on Mac

Users should be aware that iMovie supports the following formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVCHD, HDV1080i, and DV. It's essential to ensure that the files you are attempting to import match these supported types.

Additional Merging Options in iMovie

In addition to merging clips within iMovie, the software offers the capability to blend two separate clips by presenting them as split screens. This technique is commonly employed to craft before-and-after videos with captivating effects.

Merging Two Video Clip in iMovie with Split-Screen Feature

Alternatively, users can utilize the Picture-in-Picture feature to showcase one video within another, creating dynamic visual contrasts. Moreover, they can adjust the size of the inset video by simply dragging and dropping it to the desired position on the screen.

Merging Two Video Clip in iMovie with Picture-in-Picture Feature

Part 3: An Easier Way to Join Clips with iMovie Best Alternative - FlexClip

When iMovie not fits your needs or iMovie fails to combine the clips as you want, you can consider its best alternative - FlexClip. With FlexClip, you can edit videos as below:

It helps you join different types of video clips into a new file seamlessly for free.

Combine multiple videos in one frame to create a video collage in different shapes.

FlexClip is compatible with Mac and Windows computer running Chrome browser.

Apart from combining videos, you can trim, compress and convert without quality loss.

Loads of editing tools including transitions, GIFs, overlays, filters and music to level up your videos.

Various AI tools like Text-to-speech, auto subtitle generator to facilitate

Multiple video templates to sparkle your creativity like split-screen videos, multi-screen videos and more

Preview

Use This Template

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How to Combine Video Clips in FlexClip

Depending on the effects you want to reach, the method of combining video clips in FlexClip varies. Here is how to stitch videos one by one.

Step 1

Import the Video Files

Click on Media icon to import all the videos you want to join together. After that, drag them to the timeline and rearrange the order as you need.

iMovie Join Clips: Upload Video to FlexClip

Edit it Now

View Templates

Step 2

Cut out Useless Clips

Preview your video clips and move the yellow sidebar to cut off unnecessary content.

iMovie Join Clips: Cut out Unnecessary Parts

Step 3

Edit Video Clips (Optional)

Supposing you want to make personal editing, you can move to the left sidebar to add music, text, overlay and more.

iMovie Join Clips: Edit the Video

Step 4

Combine the Clips

When everything is ready, you finally click the Export button to combine videos.

iMovie Join Clips: Combine the Video

How to Merge Multiple Videos in One Frame on FlexClip

Combining multiple video clips on the same screen can add depth and interest to your videos. Whether it’s split screen video, side by side video or video collage, FlexClip offers a user-friendly interface to accomplish this task effortlessly. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1

Go to FlexClip’s editor page and upload your video clips from your PC, mobile device, Google Drive, Dropbox, or other storage options.

Step 2

(Optional) Choose a video background from your personal footage or select from FlexClip’s extensive library of royalty-free media.

Choose a Video Background for the Further Video

Step 3

Add each video clip as a layer. Customize each clip by resizing, repositioning, applying filters, adjusting speed, and changing opacity to ensure a harmonious composition.

Add Multiple Videos to One Frame

For added creativity, crop videos into unique shapes and apply animation effects to captivate your audience.

Add Creativity by Cropping and Animation

Step 4

Enhance your video by adding background music, overlay effects, and eye-catching text to convey your message effectively.

Perfect Videos with Music and Effects

Step 5

Once satisfied with your creation, click on the Export icon to download the video or share it directly on your preferred social media platforms.

Alternatively, you can streamline the process by selecting a ready-made template from FlexClip and replacing the placeholders with your own video clips.

FlexClip offers a variety of templates to suit different styles and themes, providing you with a quick and convenient way to create visually stunning videos. Explore FlexClip’s templates to find the perfect starting point for your project.

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Use This Template

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Use This Template

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Use This Template

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Golden Christmas Light Happy New Year Tree Photo Collage Slideshow Greeting

Use This Template

FAQs

What Format can iMovie Support to Import and Combine?

iMovie mainly-supported video formats include MP4, MOV, MPEG, AVCHD, HDV1080i, and DV.

Why I Failed to Re-join Clips that Were Once the Same Clip?

You can only rejoin the clips if you haven’t done other edits in the meantime, such as trimming out dead space. If you share out the split clips that will merge the segments, and then you can import the merged segments back into iMovie. You can create an auxiliary project for the purpose.

Bella /

Full of vitality, curiosity and hope, Bella is an energetic copywriter at FlexClip. She mainly concentrates on video creation and troublesome issues related to video editing, providing users with practical solutions and tricks. Personally, Bella loves novels, sci-fi movies, cooking and travel. And, she believes that all her life is the best arrangement from God.