73+ Must Know iMovie Shortcuts

iMovie is a popular video editing software for Mac and iOS devices. The program includes many keyboard shortcuts that course creators can use to perform various tasks quickly.

According to Apple, iMovie users can edit up to four times faster with keyboard shortcuts. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most commonly used iMovie shortcuts to help you edit your videos more efficiently.

Learning How To Use Shortcuts

Using shortcuts in iMovie can significantly increase your productivity and efficiency when editing videos throughout the creation of your course.

To use iMovie shortcuts, you must first have the program open, and a project loaded and open. You can then begin using shortcuts to perform various tasks. These can be input by selecting the correct buttons on the keyboard that are associated with the shortcut.

To Manage Projects

There are several iMovie shortcuts to help users manage their projects more efficiently. Here are a few examples:

Command + N: Create a new project

Command + O: Open an existing project
Command + S: Save the current project
Command + Shift + S: Save the current project as a new version

Command + W: Close the current project
Command + Q: Quit iMovie
Command + Shift + N: Create a new library

Command + Shift + O: Open an existing library

Using these shortcuts can help you to create and manage your iMovie projects more efficiently, saving you time and allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of video editing.

Navigate the iMovie Window

iMovie includes shortcuts to help users navigate the program’s window and interface. These include:

Command + 1: Open the Project Library sidebar
Command + 2: Open the Event Library sidebar
Command + 3: Open the Audio sidebar

Command + 4: Open the Transitions sidebar
Command + 5: Open the Titles sidebar
Command + 6: Open the Maps sidebar

Command + 7: Open the Video Effects sidebar
Command + 8: Open the Share sidebar
Command + 9: Open the Theatres sidebar

Command + 0: Close all sidebars

Additionally, iMovie provides multiple shortcuts to help users navigate the timeline and clips in the program’s main window.

To Manage Events

There are multiple shortcuts to help users manage events in the iMovie program. Here are a few examples:

Command + Shift + N: Create a new event
Command + Shift + O: Open an existing event
Command + Shift + S: Save the current event as a new version

Command + D: Duplicate the selected event
Command + R: Reveal the selected event in the Finder
Command + I: Show the info for the selected event

Command + Delete: Delete the selected event

You can use the shortcut “Command + 2” to open the Event Library sidebar and then use the up and down arrows to navigate through your events.

Play and Control Your Movie

iMovie affords users shortcuts to play and control their movies while editing:

Left Arrow: Retreat one frame back
Spacebar: Play/Pause the movie
Right Arrow: Move forward one frame

Command + Left Arrow: Go to the beginning of the movie
Shift + Left Arrow: Rewind one second
Shift + Right Arrow: Fast forward one second

Command + Right Arrow: Go to the end of the movie
Command + A: Select all clips
Command + Shift + A: Deselect all clips

Command + I: Show the info for the selected clip
Command + D: Duplicate the selected clip

iMovie also incorporates shortcuts for adjusting the volume, adding markers, and working with the timeline.

Exit Full Screen: Escape

To navigate and control the program, including the ability to exit full-screen mode, iMovie offers users numerous options.

One way to exit full-screen mode in iMovie is by using the “Escape” key on your keyboard. Pressing the “Escape” key immediately exits full-screen mode and returns you to the standard iMovie interface.

Along with the escape key, you can click on the “X” button on the top-left corner of the screen or use the shortcut “Control + Command + F” to exit full-screen mode.

Select and Edit Video

To help users select and edit videos in the program, Apple includes the following shortcuts:

Command + A: Select all clips
Command + Shift + A: Deselect all clips

Command + I: Show the info for the selected clip
Command + D: Duplicate the selected clip
Command + Delete: Delete the selected clip

Command + Control + C: Copy the selected clip
Command + Control + V: Paste the copied clip
Command + Control + X: Cut the selected clip

Command + Control + Z: Undo the last action
Command + Shift + Z: Redo the last undone action

You can also use the shortcut “T” to open the Trim tool and then use the left and right arrows to make precise adjustments to the start and end points of the clip.

Control the Audio

iMovie provides several shortcuts to help users control the audio in their videos. Here are a few options:

Shift + Command + Up arrow: Increase the volume of the selected audio clip
Shift + Command + Down arrow: Decrease the volume of the selected audio clip

Shift + Command + Right arrow: Increase the duration of the selected audio clip
Shift + Command + Left arrow: Decrease the duration of the selected audio clip
Shift + Command + Delete: Delete the selected audio clip

Command + Shift + A: Deselect all clips
Command + T: Open the Audio Adjustments menu
Command + Shift + T: Open the Detach Audio menu

Command + Shift + B: Add background music to the selected clip
Command + Shift + L: Add sound effects to the selected clip

iMovie also allows users to quickly adjust their video’s audio levels and balance using the audio adjustment tools.

Edit Text

When it comes to editing text throughout a video, these iMovie shortcuts apply:

Shift + Command + T: Add a title
Command + T: Show or hide the Titles browser

Command + 4: Show or hide the Text inspector
Command + Shift + T: Apply the formatting of the selected text to other text
Command + Shift + D: Apply the formatting of the selected text to other text and detach

Command + Shift + E: Open the Edit Title dialog box
Command + Shift + [: Decrease the font size of the selected text
Command + Shift + ]: Increase the font size of the selected text

Additionally, you can use the shortcut “Command + 4” to open the text inspector sidebar and then use the up and down arrows to adjust the text formatting.

Import and Export

There are various iMovie options to help users import and export videos in the program, including:

Command + Shift + I: Import media

Command + E: Export a movie
Command + Shift + E: Export a movie using the current settings
Command + Shift + S: Share a movie using the current settings

Command + Shift + H: Share a movie using the current settings and then hide it
Command + Shift + Y: Upload a movie using the current settings
Command + Shift + R: Share a movie using the current settings, then hide it and upload

Command + Shift + O: Share a movie using the current settings, then hide it and upload, and then open it in the viewer
Command + Shift + P: Share a movie using the current settings, then hide it and upload, and then open it in the viewer, and then show the progress

As a user, you can also quickly import and export videos using the media library sidebar.

Other Cool Shortcuts

Here are a few cool iMovie shortcuts that can help you quickly and efficiently edit your videos:

Command + Z: Undo your last action
Command + Shift + Z: Redo your last action

Command + Option + Z: Step backward through your undo history
Command + Shift + Option + Z: Step forward through your undo history
Command + Option + V: Paste the contents of the clipboard into a new video clip

Command + Option + A: Paste the contents of the clipboard into a new audio clip
Command + Option + T: Paste the contents of the clipboard into a new title clip

Using these shortcuts can streamline your video editing process and work more efficiently throughout the creation of your course.