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Learn Final Cut Pro

Edit fast on the Mac with the magnetic timeline, keywords and connected clips.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Final Cut Pro is Apple's professional video editor for the Mac, with a separate version for the iPad. Its signature is the magnetic timeline: clips snap together on a primary storyline and close gaps automatically, while titles, B-roll and music attach as connected clips that move with the shot beneath them. Media lives in libraries, sorted into events with keywords and ratings. Learnr builds a personalized Final Cut Pro course from one prompt, teaching the app's way of thinking so the edit flows instead of fighting the timeline.

How to learn Final Cut Pro, step by step

Understand libraries, events and projects. A library holds events, an event holds clips, and a project is the timeline you edit. Decide whether media is copied into the library or left in place on import, and keep each job in its own library.
Log footage with keywords and ratings. Skim clips, mark the useful parts as favorites with F and reject unusable parts with Delete. Add keywords like interview or B-roll so smart collections gather shots for you later. Good logging is where Final Cut saves the most time.
Build the story on the primary storyline. Append your main shots, often the interview or narration, to the primary storyline with E. Because the timeline is magnetic, deleting a clip closes the gap, so you can rearrange freely without breaking sync.
Attach B-roll, titles and music as connected clips. Press Q to connect a clip above the storyline so it moves with the shot it belongs to. Use B for the blade and P for the position tool when you need gaps or overwrites, and group sections into compound clips.
Correct color and assign audio roles. Use the color wheels or color board with video scopes to balance shots, then match them to each other. Assign roles such as dialogue, music and effects so you can see, mix and export audio stems by type.
Share and review the finished cut. Use Share to export a master file or a preset for a destination, and watch it fully before publishing. Learnr lessons on pacing and editing theory between projects help you go beyond the mechanics of the app.

What you'll learn

Organize footage into libraries, events, keywords and favorites
Build a primary storyline and attach connected clips
Trim with the blade, ripple and roll edits and the position tool
Balance color and mix audio using roles
Share finished projects with the right export settings

What's inside your Final Cut Pro course

A sample path Learnr builds for Final Cut Pro. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Libraries, events and projects
2. Importing, keywords and ratings
3. The magnetic timeline and primary storyline
4. Connected clips, compound clips and trimming
5. Color correction, titles and effects
6. Audio roles, mixing and sharing

How long does it take to learn Final Cut Pro?

Most people make simple edits within a few days, once the magnetic timeline clicks. Efficient logging, roles, color and trimming typically take 1 to 3 months of regular projects. Beginners coming from track-based editors often need a week or two to adjust.

What you need before you start

A Mac that meets Apple's requirements and Final Cut Pro from the Mac App Store, which offers a free trial; an iPad version also exists. No editing background needed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Fighting the magnetic timeline by trying to edit as in a track-based editor. Learn the primary storyline and connected clips instead of working around them.
Skipping keywords and ratings and scrubbing through raw footage repeatedly. Logging once at the start saves hours across the edit.
Storing all projects in one huge library on a nearly full drive. Use one library per job and manage where media and render files live.

How Learnr builds your course

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Tell Learnr you want to learn Final Cut Pro, or get as specific as you like.

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Learnr instantly builds a full Final Cut Pro course tailored to your goal and skill level.

Learn and level up

Move through bite-sized lessons and interactive practice, earning XP and keeping your streak.

Final Cut Pro questions, answered

Is Final Cut Pro only for Mac?

Yes. Final Cut Pro runs on macOS, with a separate Final Cut Pro for iPad. There is no Windows version, so Windows users typically learn Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve instead.

Should I learn iMovie before Final Cut Pro?

It is not necessary. iMovie shares some ideas, like a clip-based timeline, so it can be a gentle introduction, but you can start directly with Final Cut Pro.

What is the magnetic timeline?

It is Final Cut Pro's trackless timeline, where clips snap together and gaps close automatically, while connected clips stay attached to the shots they relate to.