How to Convert AVI to iMovie on Mac (Mountain Lion)

When you want to import AVI to iMovie, it's a big problem without the converter because AVI is not a format that is compatible with iMovie. Apple has mentioned that iMovie only supports DV and MPEG-4. To add and edit AVI files in iMovie (iMovie 11), you need to convert AVI to iMovie friendly format first and then import the converted files to iMovie.

Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac can be of great help in this task. It will help you convert AVI video to iMovie highly compatible MP4 files without losing any video quality on Mac OS X (Mountain Lion included). Besides, this software can even convert other formats like MOV, MP4, ASF, AVI, VOB, FLV, M2TS, WMV, etc. to iMovie supported video formats. Click the Download button below to get the program and check out the easy steps to convert and import AVI to iMovie without any troubles.

Download Mac Video Converter:

How to convert and import AVI files to iMovie

1Import videos

After downloading, install and run the app in your Mac. Then you can either click File > Add Video Files to browse and add the AVI files you want to convert or simply drag and drop the files to the item bar. 

2Select iMovie as output format

Video preset for iMovie is provided. Simply click the format list at the bottom and go to Editing to select iMovie as the output format. The preset has optimized all the video settings for iMovie. As you can see, you can also convert video to iDVD, Final Cut Pro, iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.

3Convert your AVI video to iMovie supports formats

In the end, click the Convert button to start the conversion. Then wait for the conversion to be done. The program will show you how much time is needed to finish the conversion. Generally, it won't take a long time.

4Import video files to iMovie

After that, get the converted videos and add them to iMovie in the following steps:

1. Open iMovie and from the toolbar, click on File – Import – Movies. Browse to the file that you want to upload into the software.

2. If the file you're using is an HD file, a dialog box will appear. Select Large or Full from your choices.

3. Choose the location where you want the output file to be saved.

4. Determine how you want to add the video in the Event Library.

5. Select Optimize Video on the next dialog box if you are importing HD videos.

6. Decide what iMovie will do to the original file. Select either Copy or Move.

7. Click import.

The video file will then be uploaded on iMovie and after successfully processing it, it will be available in the software's user interface for manipulating.

About iMovie and its compatible video formats

iMovie is a video editing software released by Apple for Mac computers and iOS devices. As such, it can be installed as a program for desktop and laptop computers and as an app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Simply put, it is Apple's version of the Windows Movie Maker.

iMovie supports many video formats for editing. It can work with files such as DV, DV widescreen, HDV 1080i, HDV 720p, MPEG-4 Simple Profile, and iSight. When using videos stored in the hard drive, MP4 and MOV files are supported. However, MPG and WMV files are not. Not all AVI files are accepted either. It will depend on what codec was used in making the clip. If the same thing happens with MOV files, then the issue lies with the codecs.

MPEG-4 Simple Format is mainly supported by iMovie because of its efficiency and error resiliency. It is also the file output of choice of many network cameras, surveillance devices, and video servers. A lot of commercially available video cameras create output files in this format as well.