Can you disable the "Library" in iMovie?

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Can you disable the "Library" in iMovie?

I'm willing to bet money the answer is no, but just in case I'm wrong, I'll ask anyway?

Is there a way I can disable the black-hole-esque Library feature in iMovie? A feature well suited for music and photos, but very poorly suited for video editing?

The way old school iMovie worked, each project was its own project file. That file was actually a package containing all of the media and rendered effect etc for that specific project, only. You could move these individual files around. It was a much better setup.

I would love to go back to this.

Or even better, I'd love if the project file DID NOT import a copy of media you added. I'd love it even more if I could just store my media in a folder, have iMovie link to it, so the project file would just be a couple of MB, I'll managed my projects assets myself, and export out great content!

Are either of the second two options available somehow on iMovie?

I did see you can create separate libraries and switch between them. So I tried to make a new library for this one specific project where I'm going to be pumping out videos every week. But it doesn't let you create or open libraries that are stored on network volumes. So theres goes that plan. It's like they do everything possible to make using iMovie as difficult as they can.

Mac mini, macOS 10.13

Posted on Jul 3, 2022 03:07 AM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Jul 3, 2022 02:53 PM in response to l008com

No, the iMovie library architecture is built into the app and can't be disabled. Anything imported into iMovie is stored in the Original Media folder (a Finder folder) in the iMovie library. What is stored will be a duplicate original of the original source media that may be located elsewhere. No option to change that.

Your idea of creating a separate library for each project is feasible. It would to some extent replicate the old iMovie 6 system where each project was independently stored in a separate project package, as you mentioned. The project-dedicated library would act as the independent package. You must store the library on an external drive formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. A network drive is not recommended. Before moving a library or a project it is good practice first to do a File/Consolidate Media in the case of a library, and a File/Consolidate Project Media in the case of a project. That ensures that all media used is carried over and preserved in the respective library or project. Each Library/Project will then be an intact unit containing all of the necessary assets. Note that, as with all libraries, if you open them with a newer version of iMovie than was used to create them, then the library will update and you won't be able to open it in the old iMovie version.

Further to your question, it would be a bit risky if iMovie could store and access project media located elsewhere than in the iMovie library. If you moved, altered, renamed or edited (outside of iMovie) any of the media stored outside of iMovie you would disable all projects that refer to that media. You might find yourself 3 years from now in the unenviable position of being unable to open a project because you had moved or reorganized the media and cannot remember the original location. You want to be totally free to organize and use your media files outside of iMovie without worrying whether you will be disabling an iMovie project. In the Photos app, for example, there is an option to save photos outside of the Photos library, and that can cause problems with the Photos library losing its links to the externally stored media.

-- Rich

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Can you disable the "Library" in iMovie?

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