How to Add Music to Final Cut Pro

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Final Cut Pro is Apple's leading video editing and movie making program. This program allows you to import video and audio files to create your own movie, and even add music to the final product.

Steps

1. 1
   Open the movie file in which you want to add music to on Final Cut Pro from your Mac or PC.

   
   
2. 2
   Select the "File" menu at the top left hand side of the program.
3. 3
   Scroll down to and select "Import" from the "File" menu. This will open a secondary menu named "Files;" select the "Files" option. This will then open a window in which you choose the music file you wish to import to your movie on Final Cut Pro.
4. 4
   Select the file of music you wish to add to your movie in Final Cut Pro. This added music file you have selected will then appear as an icon in its own window within the Final Cut Pro program screen.
5. 5
   Click on and hold the music file's icon to drag it down to the audio track area for your movie.
6. 6
   Move the music file horizontally to line it up with the correct portion of the movie you want that specific music file.
7. 7
   Click the "Clip Overlays Control" button located at the bottom left hand corner of the Final Cut Pro program window. This button is designated by a symbol containing a jagged line with 2 dots along the line, 1 at the line's peak, the other at its valley. Enabling this button will allow you to control and adjust the volume levels of the music you have added to your movie.
   • The horizontal red line across the music file controls the volume in order for you to adjust accordingly to suit your movie. Pull the line up to increase the volume and down to lower the volume.
8. 8
   Fade your music file in and out using the "Pen" tool located at the very bottom of the Final Cut Pro toolbar on the right hand side of the program's screen.
   • To create a fade, place the pen tool on top of the red volume control line. Draw a diagonal line where you want the music to fade in, and another where you want the music to fade out. The direction of the diagonal line will coincide with the way the music file will fade in/out.
   • For example, to fade music in, the red volume line will start at the bottom of the music file and diagonally slope upward towards the desired volume level of your music. To fade out, begin the diagonal line where the red volume level is set, then drag it downward towards the bottom of the music file to fade completely out.

Tips

• If you need to move the video footage around, be sure to have the "Lock" button enabled next to the audio files that you want to lock onto those specifics portions of the video. If not, the audio will not move along with the video and you will have to realign.

Warnings

• If the file appears red once you have dragged it into the Final Cut Pro tracking area, you will have to change the music's file type. To do so, right click on the music file you want to use and open it in 1 of your computer's music players. Click "File" at the upper left hand side of the screen then click on "Export." Select the AIFF file type and then type in the destination you want the file to show up at then click "OK." Your file will then convert into an AIFF file and be usable in Final Cut Pro. If you do not have a music player on your computer that will convert the file to an AIFF, you can either download a program that will convert the file for you, or you can copy the file to a CD. You then insert the CD into the CD drive of your computer, open the CD file and click and drag the music file you want off the CD window and onto your desktop. This will copy the file as a WAV or AIFF onto your desktop so it will remain in your computer and in the Final Cut Pro program even when the CD is ejected.

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