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How to merge video clips on a Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To merge video clips on a Mac, select them in Finder in the order you want, hold the right Option key and run FileDial's Combine › Join clips. It makes one new video in selection order. In QuickTime Player, open the first clip and use Edit > Add Clip to End.
Join clips with FileDial
Combine › Join clips takes your selection and produces one new video in selection order, so the order you pick is the order you get. Your source clips stay where they are.
- In Finder, select the clips in the order you want them to play.
- Hold the right Option key to open the dial, or right-click and choose Open in FileDial.
- Choose Combine › Join clips.
- Play the new combined video from the same folder.
Prepare clips so they join cleanly
Clips from the same camera at the same settings join without surprises. Mixing a vertical phone clip with a widescreen one, or footage at different frame rates, can give odd results such as black bars or a shift in smoothness. Check the resolution and frame rate of each clip first.
If the clips differ, bring them to one shape before joining. Frame tools such as Frame › Fit for YouTube (16:9) and Adjust › Change frame rate… make a copy that matches the others. Rotating a sideways clip first with Frame › Rotate 90° right avoids a rotated section in the middle.
The QuickTime Player route
Apple's guide describes adding a movie to another. Open the first movie in QuickTime Player and choose View > Show Clips. With nothing selected, choose Edit > Add Clip to End, pick the next movie and click Choose media, then click Done. To place a clip in the middle, select a clip and choose Edit > Insert Clip After Selection.
This is a fine option for two or three clips. For a long list, selecting everything in Finder and running one tool is quicker.
Joining clips from a phone
Phone clips are the usual input: several short takes from one event. They normally share the same resolution and frame rate, so they join cleanly. The exception is a clip recorded in a different mode, such as slow motion or a front camera, which can differ in size and frame rate from the rest.
If one clip looks different after joining, run it through the matching tool first and join again. The first join is cheap to repeat because your source clips are never changed.
Size after joining
A merged video is as big as the clips together, so a dozen 4K takes make a very large file. Use the compression tools afterwards, or run Compress › Compress to 1080p on the joined result. For uploads with limits, Cut › Split into parts under N MB… cuts the long video again into parts without re-encoding.
If your goal is a quick highlight reel, trim each clip first so the final video holds only what you want. It is easier to trim short clips than a long merged one.
Settings and mistakes to avoid
The main settings decision is what the combined video should look like. Join clips takes your clips and produces one video in selection order, so the clips should share a resolution and frame rate for the cleanest result. If you mix a 4K clip with a 1080p clip, expect the output to settle on one size, so check that the smaller clip does not look stretched.
The commonest mistake is selecting in the wrong order. Finder selection order matters, so click the first clip first, then add the others with Command. Check the result against your plan before deleting anything. A second mistake is joining before fixing orientation: a sideways clip in the middle of a video is annoying to repair afterwards. A third is forgetting that audio levels differ between clips, so a loud clip after a quiet one jars. Audio tools such as Audio › Loudness for streaming (−14 LUFS) can even out the final result, and note that their notes say the picture is copied while the sound is re-encoded.
QuickTime Player is the honest choice for two or three clips, and its Add Clip to End command is easy. FileDial is the better tool for a long list. Neither is a substitute for an editor if you want transitions, titles or fine control of each cut.
Trim first, join second
If each clip has dead time at the start or end, trim before joining with Cut › Trim…, so the final video has no awkward pauses. After merging, a long video may be large. Compress it with the tools in the compress-video guide, or split it again later with Cut › Split every N minutes… if you need parts for an upload limit.
Merging happens on your Mac and nothing is uploaded, unlike online mergers that need your clips sent to a server.
Questions
How do I merge videos in QuickTime Player?
Open the first movie, choose View > Show Clips, then Edit > Add Clip to End, pick the next movie and click Choose media, then Done. Apple documents these steps. Export or save the result. Apple lists the steps on its QuickTime Player support pages, including how to insert a clip in the middle of a movie.
Does FileDial join clips in the order I choose?
Yes. Combine › Join clips produces one new video in selection order, so select the clips in Finder in the order you want them to play. Pick the files in Finder in the order you want to see them, because the result follows your selection order.
Can I join clips with different sizes?
You can try, but results may include bars or shifts. Match the clips first, for instance with Frame › Fit tools or Adjust › Change frame rate…, so the joined video looks consistent. Matching the clips first avoids bars and jumps, for instance with the Frame fit tools or the frame rate tool.
Do I lose my original clips?
No. The combined video is a new file and your source clips remain unchanged, and every FileDial result has Undo. If the joined video looks wrong, fix or replace one clip and run Join clips again from the same sources. Delete nothing until you have played the combined file to the end.