How To Loop Video in iMovie – Complete Tutorial

If you are a creator, then the chances are that you may need to create seamless video loops. Most of the stock videos you can purchase are just not seamlessly looped, so you may have to do it yourself. Luckily, thanks to the improved technology in this day and age, you can now loop videos quite easily. iMovie introduced the ‘loop video’ feature that will help you loop any video.

How to Loop Video in iMovie

  1. Launch iMovie and then open the video you’d like to loop.
  2. Click on the ‘View’ button and then choose Loop Playback.
  3. Once the video begins playing, it will go on looping infinitely until you manually stop it.

In this article, we will discuss how to loop a video in iMovie on various Apple devices. So, if this interests you in any way, sit back, relax, and read on to get enlightened. This will certainly be an intriguing read for you!

Please note that if you export the video from iMovie and play it in a video playback application like QuickTime, the video will not loop. It will only loop while playing in iMovie. You can duplicate the clip you want to loop multiple times to create a similar effect.

If you want the video clip to loop X amount of times, you need to duplicate the clip in the project timeline, which we will show you how to do in this tutorial.

Looking for help working with audio files in iMovie? Check out our Complete Tutorial on Working with Audio in iMovie

How To Loop Video in iMovie for MacOS

Follow these simple steps:

  1. Open up iMovie
  2. Create a new project and add the video clip you want to loop or open an existing project with the video clip you want to loop
a video project in iMovie for MacOS
a video project in iMovie for MacOS

Once you have your project open in iMovie, select the clip you want to loop in iMovie by clicking on it.

  1. Go to “View” and then select “Loop Playback” from the available menu options
Selecting Loop Playback in iMovie for MacOS
Selecting Loop Playback in iMovie for MacOS

After you select the video clip, in the main menu, go to “View -> Loop Playback“. Alternately, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command-L.

  1. Click the “Play” button
Click "Play" button to play looping video in iMovie for MacOS
Click “Play” button to play looping video in iMovie for MacOS

Next, click the “Play” button as shown in the screenshot above to play your video.

  1. Your video will now loop infinitely while playing inside iMovie
Product Name
Elgato Stream Deck XL – Advanced Studio Controller, 32 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 – Studio Controller, 15 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Elgato Stream Deck Classic – Discontinued and No Longer Supported by ELGATO
Image
Elgato Stream Deck XL – Advanced Studio Controller, 32 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 – Studio Controller, 15 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Elgato Stream Deck Classic – Discontinued and No Longer Supported by ELGATO
Number of Buttons
32
15
15
Are Batteries Included?
No
No
No
Are Batteries Required?
No
No
Yes
Connectivity
USB
USB
USB
Dimensions
1.34 x 7.17 x 4.41 inches
3.31 x 4.65 x 0.98 inches
4.65 x 0.83 x 3.31 inches
Weight
0.90 lbs
‎5.1 ounces
190 Grams
Available via Prime
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
Product Name
Elgato Stream Deck XL – Advanced Studio Controller, 32 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Image
Elgato Stream Deck XL – Advanced Studio Controller, 32 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Number of Buttons
32
Are Batteries Included?
No
Are Batteries Required?
No
Connectivity
USB
Dimensions
1.34 x 7.17 x 4.41 inches
Weight
0.90 lbs
Available via Prime
Amazon Prime
Learn More
Product Name
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 – Studio Controller, 15 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Image
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 – Studio Controller, 15 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
Number of Buttons
15
Are Batteries Included?
No
Are Batteries Required?
No
Connectivity
USB
Dimensions
3.31 x 4.65 x 0.98 inches
Weight
‎5.1 ounces
Available via Prime
Amazon Prime
Learn More
Product Name
Elgato Stream Deck Classic – Discontinued and No Longer Supported by ELGATO
Image
Elgato Stream Deck Classic – Discontinued and No Longer Supported by ELGATO
Number of Buttons
15
Are Batteries Included?
No
Are Batteries Required?
Yes
Connectivity
USB
Dimensions
4.65 x 0.83 x 3.31 inches
Weight
190 Grams
Available via Prime
Amazon Prime
Learn More

How to Create a Looping Video in iMovie for iPhone

  1. Open iMovie and select your project then press the “Edit” button
Press the Edit button
Press the Edit button

First, open up iMovie and select your project. Press the “Edit” button to open up the project containing the video you want to loop as shown above.

  1. Press on the clip you want to loop and press “Duplicate
Select clip to duplicate and press the "duplicate" button
Select clip to duplicate and press the “duplicate” button

Next, select the video clip you want to loop by pressing on it. It should now have a yellow outline as shown in the screenshot above. Once the clip is selected, press the “Duplicate” button to make a copy of the clip.

  1. Once your clip is duplicated, press the “Done” button
Once you see duplicated clip, press "Done" to exit editing mode
Once you see duplicated clip, press “Done” to exit editing mode

You should now see a duplicate clip appearing after the original clip. Repeat this step as many times as you want the video to loop. Once done duplicating clips, press the “Done” button to exit editing mode in iMovie.

  1. Press the “Share” button
Press the "Share" button to bring up the export options
Press the “Share” button to bring up the export options

Now, we want to export the video from iMovie. To do this, press the “Share” button, which will bring up the sharing options in iMovie.

  1. Select the “Save Video” option by pressing on it from the Sharing menu.
Press the "Save Video" button to export your iMovie project on iPhone
Press the “Save Video” button to export your iMovie project on iPhone

There are a ton of options for sharing your video but for exporting it, the best option is the “Save Video” option. This will export the iMovie project as a video file and save it to your Photos library.

To export your video from iMovie for iPhone, press the “Save Video” button.

iMovie for iPhone exporting a video file
iMovie for iPhone exporting a video file

Your video will export as shown above.

Once iMovie is finished exporting the video, you will see a message like the one above stating that the video was exported to your Photo library.

Struggling with glitchy or choppy video in iMovie? You must read our Ultimate Guide to Fixing and Avoiding Glitches in iMovie.

How to Create a Looping Video in iMovie for iPad

Nowadays, looping videos have become popular so much so that it is now quite easy to loop clips on just about any device. It’s possible to loop a video on your iPad, and one of the easiest yet most powerful tools you can use for this is iMovie. So, with that said, how do you loop a video in iMovie for iPad?

Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Open iMovie to the project containing the video to loop and press the “Edit” button
Open iMovie to the project containing video to loop and press "Edit"
Open iMovie to the project containing video to loop and press “Edit”

First, open up iMovie to the project that contains the video you want to loop. Press the “Edit” button to put the iMovie project in edit mode.

  1. Select clip to duplicate by pressing on it and press the “Duplicate” button
Select clip to duplicate by pressing on it and press the "Duplicate" button
Select clip to duplicate by pressing on it and press the “Duplicate” button

We need to duplicate the clip that we want to loop. Press on the clip you want to loop. You should see a yellow outline on the clip as shown in the screenshot above.

Next, press the “Duplicate” button to create a copy of the clip. Repeat this step for each time you want the video to loop.

  1. Press the “Done” button
Press the "Done" button to exit edit mode in iMovie for iPad
Press the “Done” button to exit edit mode in iMovie for iPad

Once you have the clip duplicated the number of times you want it to loop, press the “Done” button to exit the editing mode in iMovie.

  1. Press the “Share” Button
Press the "Share" button to bring up the Sharing options in iMovie for iPad
Press the “Share” button to bring up the Sharing options in iMovie for iPad

We need to export the video out of iMovie. To do this, press on the “Share” button as shown in the screenshot above.

  1. Press “Save Video”
Press "Save Video" to export iMovie project to Photos Library on iPad
Press “Save Video” to export iMovie project to Photos Library on iPad

You should now see the Sharing menu. Press the “Save Video” option to export your iMovie project as a video file that will be saved in your Photos library.

iMovie exporting project to video file
iMovie exporting project to video file

You should see iMovie exporting the video as shown above.

iMovie exporting project to video file is complete
iMovie exporting project to video file is complete

Once iMovie has finished exporting your video, you will see the dialog box shown above indicating that iMovie has successfully exported your video to your Photos Library.

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For more information on the Canon M50, check it out here.

How to Loop Video X amount of times in iMovie

  1. Open iMovie to the project you want to loop video in
video project in iMovie for MacOS
video project in iMovie for MacOS

Open up iMovie to the project that contains the video clip you want to loop. If you don’t have a project already set up, you can create a new project and drag the video clip into the project timeline as shown above.

  1. Select the video clip you want to edit by clicking on it and then right-click and select “Copy” from the menu or simply use the Command-C keyboard shortcut
Copying a video clip in iMovie for MacOS

We want to duplicate a video clip multiple times so we need to copy the clip. To copy the video clip:

  • select the clip by clicking on it
  • right-click on the clip and select “Copy” from the menu as shown in the screenshot above
    • alternately, use keyboard shortcut Command-C

This will copy the video clip to your clipboard in iMovie.

  1. Next, go to File -> Paste to paste the copied clip into your project timeline
Select Paste option in iMovie for MacOS
Select Paste option in iMovie for MacOS

Either go to “Edit -> Paste” in the main menu or use the Command-V keyboard shortcut.

Pasting a video clip into project timeline in iMovie for MacOS
Pasting a video clip into project timeline in iMovie for MacOS

Paste your copied video clip into your timeline by either:

  • Going to Edit -> Paste in the main menu or
  • Using the Command-V keyboard shortcut
  1. Repeat the above steps as many times as you want the video to loop
  2. To export the iMovie project, click the “Share” button and select the export option you want
Select "Export File" to export iMovie project
Select “Export File” to export iMovie project

Now we need to export the iMovie project containing our loop. There are four export options in iMovie:

  • Email
  • YouTube & Facebook
  • Save Current Frame
  • Export File

Depending on where you want to put your video, choose the best option for you. I recommend that you use the “Export File” option as it gives you a file that you can do whatever you want with.

Give your exported video a name and click “Next”

You will be presented with the dialog box shown above. Give your video a name by double-clicking where it says “My Movie” and typing in your title. Configure the settings you want for the video shown above and click the “Next” button.

You should now have a looping video that you can play anywhere.

Are There Any Other Apps That Can Loop Videos for Apple Devices?

Apart from iMovie, there are other apps that you can use to edit videos and loop them across all your Apple devices. Some of these apps include:

  • Looper – This is a fun and easy-to-use app. You can choose the video you want to loop from your gallery, local videos, or iCloud Drive and then select the times you’d like the video to repeat and play.
  • Kapwing – This is a simple to use loop maker that works well on any mobile or desktop browser.
  • Clideo – This is an excellent online video loop tool that is easy to use, fast, and secure.
  • Loopideo Pro – This is a feature-filled app that allows you to make videos loop unlimited times.

All in all, editing your videos using iMovie is quite easy for all iOS devices. If you especially want to make a loop video, iMovie is easy to use across all platforms, and the good thing is that the procedure is somewhat similar across all platforms.

Looking to find and add music to your iMovie projects? We got you covered with our Guide to Music in iMovie.

If you are looking to learn more about video editing, you should really check out SkillShare. Skillshare is an online learning platform with courses on pretty much anything you want to learn.

There is an amazing iMovie course, The Complete Guide to iMovie from Beginner to Expert that I recommend you check out.

To learn more about Skillshare and its vast library of courses and get 30% off, click the link below:

SkillShare – Online Learning Platform

Sources

https://videoconverter.wondershare.com/imovie/loop-video-in-imovie.html

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-it-possible-to-loop-a-video-on-an-ipad.917318/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/799105