Mac storage basics · Photos, music and video
Why do video projects fill up my Mac so quickly?
Short answer: Editing multiplies footage into imported copies, render and proxy files, caches and multiple exports. Work from an external SSD and clear generated files from finished projects.
Video is big by nature, and editing multiplies it: the original footage, imported copies, render files, proxy and optimised media, exports in several versions, and cache files from the editing app.
Ways to keep it under control:
- Store footage and libraries on a fast external SSD while you work.
- Clear generated or render files from finished projects.
- Delete intermediate exports once you have the final one.
- Archive completed projects to a separate drive.
Storage Studio is designed for exactly this shuffle — moving big project folders to an external drive and back with links left behind. See moving folders.