This is really obscure, but really easy.

It turns out that the full iMovie 9 app is included with the freely available iMovie 9.0.9 'update'...it just takes a little know-how and elbow grease to liberate it.

Here's what you do:

I couldn't get iMovie 10 from the App Store, so I settled for iMovie 9. Getting the download straight from Apple is very easy (the iMovie 9.0.9 'update'; actually contains the full app), but installing it is a little more involved than a double click. Open iMovie and ensure you have the latest version (9.0.9) by selecting “About iMovie” from the “iMovie” menu. If you do not have the latest version of the software, you should update your software by selecting “Software.

1. Download iMovie 9.0.9 Update
2. Double click iMovie9.0.9Update.dmg to mount it
   • open ~/Downloads/iMovie9.0.9Update.dmg
3. Use Terminal.app to expand (not execute) the pkg archive
   • pkgutil --expand /Volumes/iMovie 9.0.9/iMovie9.0.9Update.pkg ~/Downloads/iMovie/
4. Rename Payload to Payload.zip
   • mv ~/Downloads/iMovie/iMovie9.0.9Update.pkg/Payload ~/Downloads/iMovie/iMovie9.0.9Update.pkg/Payload.zip
5. Unpack Payload.zip (to Payload 2)
   • open ~/Downloads/iMovie/iMovie9.0.9Update.pkg/Payload.zip
6. Move iMovie to the Applications folder
   • mv ~/Downloads/iMovie/iMovie9.0.9Update.pkg/Payload 2/Applications/iMovie.app /Applications/iMovie 9.0.9.app

Tada!

Enjoy!

You have to do some of these steps from the command line, so you might as well do all of them from the command line to make it faster and less error prone:

Make sure you unplug any cameras or phones from your computer before opening iMovie for the first time,otherwise it'll take a while to catalog everything before you can begin to use it.

This should work, in 2020, on all of the MacOS releases:

• 10.12 Sierra
• 10.13 High Sierra
• 10.14 Mojave
• 10.15 Catalina

If you have an older version of OS X, you may just need to download an older version of iMovie 9:

As long as the file size is about 1 GB, it probably contains the full version,meaning that a slight modification of the process outlined above will likely work.

If you try to get iMovie 10 from the App Store and you don't have the absolute latest version of macOSyou might get a warning like this:

Would could not complete your purchase

iMovie can't be installed on 'Macintosh HD' becausemacOS version 10.14.6 or later is required.

HOWEVER, if you first install iMovie 9 with the method shown above,when you next visit the App Store you will find that you now have the 'Upgrade' option.

Neat!

• See Get iMovie 9 On Mac OS Sierra! (Works As Of 2020!)

Imovie 9.0.9

By AJ ONeal

Did I make your day?

(you can learn about the bigger picture I'm working towards on my patreon page )

Imovie 9.0.9 Picture In Picture

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