When Final Cut Pro shows red “missing” clips, stutters on playback, or starts acting strangely, it’s usually one of a few common causes. Here’s where to start.
Missing media (red clips)
This happens when original files were moved, renamed, or are on a drive that isn’t connected. Reconnect the drive first. If the files moved, select the affected clips and choose File › Relink Files to point Final Cut Pro to their new location.
Choppy or stuttering playback
Render the timeline (Control-R) or let background rendering finish. For heavy footage like 4K or HEVC, create proxy or optimized media and switch playback to proxy in the viewer’s View menu. Also check you have plenty of free space on the drive holding your library.
Final Cut Pro is slow or freezes
Open Background Tasks (Command-9) to see whether it’s busy analyzing or rendering. Close other heavy apps, delete generated library files you no longer need, and keep libraries on a fast drive. If problems persist, resetting Final Cut Pro’s preferences often clears up odd behavior.
It worked yesterday and now it doesn’t
Recent updates to macOS, Final Cut Pro, or third-party plug-ins are frequent culprits. Disable recently installed plug-ins, check that your library is backed up, and test with a new empty project to see whether the problem follows your media or the app.
Get it fixed with someone watching
Some problems are much faster to solve live. Share your screen in a one-to-one Zoom class, and we’ll track down the cause together.
More Final Cut Pro help
Importing & organizing · The timeline · Titles, effects & color · Multicam · Captions & social formats · Keyboard shortcuts · Audio · Exporting · Class FAQ