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55Final Cut Pro User Guide
Import into Final Cut Pro from Photos
When you import photos and video clips from Photos or another photos app into
Final Cut Pro, the media is always copied into the Final Cut Pro library, regardless of your
settings in Import preferences.
This is the only exception to the general rule that the media is imported using the import
settings you defined in Import preferences. See
Import into Final Cut Pro from your Mac or
storage device.
Note: You can’t use Aperture or iPhoto in versions of the Mac operating system after
macOS 10.14. If your photos are in an Aperture library, you can update it to Photos. See
the Apple Support article Migrate your Aperture libraries to Photos or Adobe Lightroom
Classic.
1. In Final Cut Pro, open the Photos and Audio sidebar by doing one of the following:
• Choose Window > Go To > Photos and Audio (or press Shift-Command-1).
• Click the Photos and Audio button in the top-left corner of the Final Cut Pro window.
2. In the Photos and Audio sidebar, click the photos app you want to import from.
If you’re using macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, you may see Photos, iPhoto, or Aperture
in the list of photos apps.
3. Use the pop-up menus at the top of the browser to choose a category and narrow your
search.
4. To use one or more photos or video clips in your project, drag the items from the
browser to the timeline.
To select multiple clips, Command-click them or drag a selection rectangle around
them.
Tip: If you want photos or video clips from a different photo library to appear in the
sidebar, open the other photo library in the Photos app. Then, in the General pane of
Photos preferences, click “Use as System Photo Library.”