[Mac & iPhone & iPad] How to Combine Videos on iMovie

"I have two video clips that I wish to join together. Is there a quick way how to combine videos on iMovie?"

Among the many benefits you gain from your smartphone, is video capturing. Better still, you can edit your videos by cropping or adding other basic corrections. Nonetheless, you can combine your videos to make a movie. Well! That’s what this article is all about.  Check out how to combine 2 videos in iMovie.

Part 1. How to Combine Videos on iMovie [Mac]

iMovie is a non-linear video editing app. It means that you can capture your videos via your smartphone and then import them to the program for editing. It lets you cut, rearrange, shorten, blend, or put multiple videos onto the screen.

A step-by-step guide to combining videos on iMovie (Mac)

You have to install the iMovie app on your macOS device and then proceed with these steps:

Step 1. Launch iMovie

Open iMovie and then click on the “Create New” button to begin a new project.

Step 2. Select and import videos

Next, import the video clips you want to combine into the event browser. You can import more clips. Just go to the “Menu” bar, click on the “File” menu, and hit the “Import Media” option. 

Step 3. Drag and drop your videos

Drag your video clips into the timeline. Once in the timeline, they are ready to be merged into a single movie.

Step 4. Combine videos

To combine your videos, hold down the “Shift” button and click on the two or more clips that you wish to join. Then click the “Modify” option, and finally hit the “Join Clips” option to combine your videos into one movie.

Merge audio and video on iMovie

Launch the iMovie app on your computer then follow these steps:

Step 1. Add audio

First, bring in the audio clip. Just drag and drop the clip into the timeline.

Step 2. Turn on the audio waveform

You can make several adjustments to the audio. Click the button in the bottom right to see how the audio waveform moves.

Step 3. Manual clip alignment

Before you start recording your video, do a manual clip alignment. Clap 2 or 3 times to make it easy to find the audio peaks. This will help you to correctly match your audio to the video content.

Step 4. Align audio and video

Next, bring the audio clip and align it up with the video clip’s audio spikes. Follow the audio waveform to guide you when it starts to move.

iMovie combines two videos side by side

iMovie lets you merge two-screen recordings into one movie. With this option, each video will take only half of the screen but will only use one of the videos. The result will be two videos joined into one on a split-screen.

Step 1.  Turn on the “Advanced” tools.

Turn on the “Advanced” tools feature.

Step 2. Add videos

Add your two clips to the timeline by dragging them into the project. Ensure one video is above another in the timeline.

Step 3. Select the split-screen option

For two videos to combine side by side, you have to click the “Overlay Settings” icon. Then select the “Split Screen” option.

Step 4. Videos cropped into side-by-side

The two videos will automatically be cropped. You can see that in the “Viewer” window.  You can also adjust the duration of your videos.

How to blend two clips in iMovie

You can sometimes get creative with iMovie and try out new adventures. Follow these steps to blend two clips.

Step 1. Launch iMovie

Download, install, and launch iMovie on your computer. Then click on the ‘File’ option > ‘New Project’ to launch a new project.

Step 2. Import video clips

Then import the two video clips. Click the ‘Import’ option > ‘File’ menu. Check the displayed pop-up window and select the two video clips that you wish to blend. They’ll be visible in the ‘Event’ window.

Step 3. Blend video clips

Once your two videos are loaded up, drag them to the timeline. iMovie has a feature that you can use to re-arrange your video clip sequence. When you preview your project, you should see that they are played as a whole video without any gap. This means your two videos have blended.

Step 4. Export and share the video

You can now export and share your blended video. Go to the ‘File’ > ‘Share’ option to set the export format. Next, save and feel free to share your video.

Put multiple videos on one screen iMovie

For this, you can use the Picture-In-Picture feature in iMovie or you can add the videos one after the other.

Step 1. Launch iMovie

Start the iMovie app on your computer then open a new project. Just click the ‘File’ option, choose ‘New   Project’ then enter the name of your project.

Step 2. Import your videos

It’s now time to import your videos. Start with the video that you will display on the full screen. Drag it to the timeline. Next, drag and insert your second video in the ‘Inset’ window to the timeline.

Step 3. Apply PIP to videos

The ‘Picture in Picture’ feature comes in handy at this time. Click on the second video that you added in the ‘Inset’ Window then select the ‘Picture in Picture’ to apply the overlay effect to the video.

Step 4. Position your files

Once the attached clip appears in the ‘Insert’ window, drag it to position it at a preferred spot of the main project. Continue to add other videos in the same manner as you position them. Then trim the clips directly to the screen by grabbing the edges.

Step 5. Preview and save

Use the ‘Preview’ feature to view what the finished product will look like. Then save your project and share it if you wish to.

Part 2. How to Merge Videos on iMovie [iPhone & iPad]

Apple offers its users iMovie app for free. Let’s see how to merge videos on iMovie with iPhone or iPad.

Step 1. Download and launch iMovie

Download and install the app on your device then launch it. You’ll be directed to the ‘Projects’ screen. Tap the ‘+’ sign to start a new project. Click on ‘Movie’ when prompted.

Step 2. Add videos

Select the videos that you wish to merge. Tap ‘Media’ > ‘Video’ and select all the videos you wish to add. Drag the edges of the selected videos to trim the clips directly to your iDevice screen.

Step 3. Create movie

Once you have selected your videos, click the ‘Create Movie’ at the bottom of the screen. The videos will be placed on the video timeline. You can reposition and trim them for a fine look.

Step 4. Save and export your movie

Finally, click the ‘Done’ button in the top-left corner. Save your project and click the ‘Play’ button for a preview. If it’s good enough, tap the ‘Share’ button to export it. You can export it to any platform or directly to your ‘Photos’

Part 3. The Best iMovie Alternative to Combine Videos

Even though how to combine videos on iMovie is simple, it requires a high level of hard disk space, rendering the platform slow. It may not support very many video formats, and the end product isn’t the original product. This may prompt you to look for an alternative to iMovie. The best alternative is Wondershare DemoCreator. It comes with over 1000 built-in editing resources to make your video creation steps easier. With DemoCreator, you can record multiple screens and even draw in the real-time screen. Choose to record with a camera or microphone, and add other transitions like evaporation, fading, and flashing, among others. More so, the end product will be without quality loss. Check out how to combine videos in DemoCreator.

Step 1. Download and launch DemoCreator

DemoCreator is available for both Windows and macOS systems. Head to the website and download your computer’s version. Next, launch the app on your computer and start importing videos.

Free Download

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Free Download

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Step 2. Import videos

Click the ‘Import’ button to add in the videos you wish to combine. Then drag and drop them into the timeline.

Step 3. Combine videos

Drag and drop your first video to the timeline. Then, add the subsequent video and select which region of the first video to add it to.  Choose whether you want to add it to the ‘Beginning of the video,’ ‘Add to the frame of Playhead’, or ‘Add it to the end of the video.’

Your videos will merge. You can also add transitions and other video effects before you export it.

Step 4. Export the combined videos

Lastly, preview your videos. Click the ‘Play’ button to play it in preview mode. Then click the ‘Export’ button and change other parameters like the output format and video resolution. When all the settings are correct, click the ‘Export’ button at the right-bottom corner of the screen to export the merged video to your computer.

Part 4. How to Choose between iMovie and DemoCreator

FAQ: Why is the iMovie "Join Clips" option greyed out?

The “greyed out” option means the option isn’t enabled. So, you can’t combine clips in iMovie using the ‘Join Clips’ feature. “Join Clips” in iMovie can only be used to rejoin video clips that have been split using iMovie. But it can’t be used to combine two or more independent video clips.

Conclusion:

We have highlighted how to merge videos on iMovie. The steps are easy to follow, making the process easy. However, your final product won’t be as clear as the original content. That’s why the best alternative – DemoCreator – comes in handy. DemoCreator lets you combine clips from two or more independent movies. You can also add transitions to make your video exemplary.