Tutorial: How to Convert GoPro HD footage for editing in iMovie (iMovie 11)

A quick-start tutorial for converting GoPro MP4 to iMovie most compatible codecs so that you can import and edit GoPro HD Hero4/Hero 3/Hero 2 camera files in iMovie (iMovie 11) smoothly.

The GoPro HD series(Hero4, Hero3, Hero2) is an affordable high performance wearable camera to record sporting and other activities. Some people including you may be confused: iMovie says it supports MP4, but why I can't import GoPro MP4 footage to iMovie? Is there an easy workaround to get iMovie work with GoPro HD footage perfectly? If you're confused about this, read on to get the quick answer.


The GoPro HD records in MPEG-4 and outputs its files as .MP4 files (the container). Files are compressed using the h.264 codec (as opposed to AAC or Xvid and DivX usually found in .AVI containers). So the files you are getting out of GoPro HD are suited to be delivered as is, which is usually not what you want. The GoPro HD being an "always-on" type of camera worn on your helmet, attached to your bike, surfboard or other, you usually end up with long sequences of footage you then need to edit down.

Since the MP4 codec is a final delivery codec it is not one you want to use for editing. Therefore you first need to convert it to a more editing-friendly format, such a iMovie's Apple InterMediate Codec.

First you need to download Brorsoft Video Converter for Mac, a powerful high-quality video converter, player and editor. If you are editing GoPro HD footage with iMovie 11, iMovie 09 or iMovie 08, chances are you already installed this great utility. If not, download it from here.

The GoPro to iMovie converter supports converting all GoPro camera MP4 files to AIC (Apple InterMediate Codec) MOV with fast encoding speed and without quality loss. With it, you can effortlessly import and edit your GoPro HD MP4 footage within iMovie'11, iMovie'9 and iMovie 08. This will help you import the file correctly and saving the rendering time and other issues. Just download it and follow the step-by-step guide to transcode GoPro MP4 files for editing in iMovie smoothly.

Step 1: Install and launch Brorsoft Video Converter on your Mac, and then click "Add Files" button to import your GoPro MP4 files to the software. If you wanna combine GoPro MP4 files into one file, you can click the "Merge into one" box.



Step 2: Hit the "Format" bar and select iMovie and Final Cut Express > Apple InterMediate Codec(*.mov) as output format on the drop-down menu.



Step 3: Adjust the video and audio parameters, including the Bitrate of Video & Audio, Video Size, Sample Rate, Frame Rate, Audio Channels, etc., by clicking the Settings button on the main interface for getting the best quality.

Step 4: Click the arrow button to start converting GoPro HD MP4 to iMovie AIC MOV.

Once the process completed, click "Open" button to find the generated videos, and then you can transfer the converted GoPro MP4 files to iMovie 11 easily and quickly.