Fix Final Cut Pro export errors with 3 easy techniques

Export errors in Final Cut Pro can be frustrating, especially if you’re up against a deadline. Take a deep breath! You haven’t lost any of your work. There are several issues that could cause Final Cut Pro crashes when exporting and other export errors. If you work through all the likely problems, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to fix everything in less than 10 minutes.

Below, Motion Array has covered the most common reasons that Final Cut Pro export errors happen — and outlined the troubleshooting steps you can take to fix them. You’re sure to find the right solution here.

Part 1: Why your Final Cut Pro export failed

When Final Cut Pro crashes when exporting, this typically indicates a problem with the software or your system. There are several possible reasons for this issue:

1. Insufficient system resources: Your computer may need more RAM or processing power to handle the export. Here’s an example of specs for editing on a laptop.
2. Corrupt media files: One or more of the files in your project might be damaged or incompatible.
3. Plugin conflicts: Third-party plugins or effects may be causing conflicts during export.
4. Software bugs: There could be a bug in the version of Final Cut Pro you’re using.
5. Outdated software: Your Final Cut Pro or macOS version might need updating.
6. Disk space issues: Your hard drive may need more free space for the exported file.
7. Incompatible export settings: The chosen export settings might not be compatible with your project or system capabilities.

Before discussing the common fixes for if your Final Cut Pro export failed, let’s explore some of these situations in more depth. Understanding what’s happening behind the scenes can help you diagnose the problem and prevent it from recurring.

Incorrect selection 

First, if you’re trying to export your project, make sure that you’ve got your timeline selected and not a clip in the browser. Otherwise, you may find that you’re exporting the wrong thing or that Final Cut Pro has turned off the export function. To do this, all you have to do is click anywhere in the timeline and navigate to File > Share. 

Corrupted frames or media 

Another common reason Final Cut Pro crashes when exporting is corrupted frames or media in your project. If you get an error that says ‘Bad Frame’, you’ll need to locate this frame in your project and try reloading it into the timeline from the browser. If that doesn’t work, you may need to remove that particular frame from your project entirely. You might also want to check if the error is only with the preview, not the actual export.

Corrupted render files

Render files are video clips Final Cut Pro creates in the background to help you preview your project quickly. They’re handy, but they can also be corrupted. Deleting render files won’t cause you to lose anything except time, and can sometimes fix your problem. You can find out more about rendering in Final Cut Pro if you’d like.

Corrupted video files 

Corrupted video files can also cause problems when it’s time to export. If you identify one of the video clips you’ve included in your project as corrupted, you might need to consider swapping it out for another clip or re-importing it from the source.

Program needs updating

Lastly, remember those updates! Updating Final Cut Pro is an editing best practice and ensures the program is ready to work whenever you are.

Part 2: How to fix Final Cut Pro crashes when exporting

Below are a few quick fixes you can try once you’ve identified what’s causing your export error. If one doesn’t work, you can always combine them and use multiple techniques to troubleshoot the issue.

Delete your render files

If you’ve encountered ‘Video Rendering Error: -50’ specifically, you can try the below method for deleting (and recreating) your render files. 

1. In the browser, select your project. 
2. Navigate on the top menu to File > Delete Generated Project Files.
3. Tick the box that says Delete Render Files.
4. Hit OK.

Once that’s done, try sharing your project again. It might take longer to export since Final Cut Pro will need to recreate the render files from scratch. This technique also greatly reduces the amount of disk space the program takes up on your hard drive, another common reason Final Cut Pro exports fail. You can go through your previous projects, events, or even libraries and delete the generated files to clear up space.

Replace your bad frames

If you get an error message specifying a specific frame, you’ll need to find it in your project and reload it. Note the frame number so you can find it later.

1. On the top menu, navigate to Final Cut Pro > Preferences > General > Time Display.
2. Set it to Frames to find the specific frame from your error message. 
3. In the Timeline, scroll forward and pay attention to the frame number below the viewer (where the timecode used to be.)
4. Keep scrolling until you find the exact frame from the error message. 
5. If there are any effects applied to this clip, select it and press Cmd+C to copy them.
6. Select the clip at that location and press Shift+F to locate the original clip in the Browser. 
7. Drag the clip from the Browser into the Timeline where the current clip is. A pop-up should appear with several options. Select Replace from Start.
8. If you copied your clip’s effects earlier, select your newly replaced clip and then navigate to Edit > Paste Effects.

Did that work? If so, return to the Preferences window and reset the Time Display to the original time code. If your Final Cut Pro export failed again, follow the steps in the previous section to delete your render files before trying again.

Create a new library

If none of these tips have resolved your issue so far, you can try creating a new library and copying all of your content into it.

1. On the top menu navigate to File > New > Library.
2. Select a location and name, and then click Save.
3. Your new library should appear in the Browser next to the old one.
4. Select the Project and drag it into the new Library. 
5. A pop-up should appear for copying your Event. Make sure to choose Media and select Original Media, but deselect the other options.

Did your video finally export? If you haven’t tried this already, one final trick is to export a Master File version of your project from the Share settings. You can then convert or compress this Master File to whichever format you need.

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Now you should feel much more confident about what to do if your Final Cut Pro crashes when exporting. You might also want to check out the other Final Cut Pro resources available at Motion Array for your next project. There are tons of Final Cut Pro downloads to upgrade your editing tool kit, and stock video and royalty-free music to jazz up your next project!