Choose files in the Mac import sheet
- Choose File → Import media (
⌘I). - Click Browse Media Files… and choose videos, images, or sound files. You can also drop supported file URLs into the import sheet.
- Check Copy into project. With it enabled, originals are copied into
ManagedMediabeside the project. With it off, Meridian references originals in their current locations. - Click Import media to start the batch.
The copy choice is remembered by Settings → Import. Changing that preference does not move already imported footage. Save the project in a stable folder first. For touch Photos/Files controls, use import on iOS.
Inspect sources before using them
Use the Video, Images, and Audio filters to narrow the browser, then open a source in the Source viewer. Check its picture, duration, and audio at a representative interval. A thumbnail is a browsing aid; it does not establish that the entire source decodes correctly.
An extension such as .mov describes a container, not every codec it can hold. Read the specific file's error if it is rejected. Keep source originals while creating a converted alternative, and check the alternative's timing and sound before using it as a replacement.
Handle a partial import
Open Window → Background Tasks for counts and per-file results. Successful items remain imported when another file fails. Cancel stops remaining work; it does not erase successful imports. Retry failed items after resolving the stated access, storage, or format issue.
A disconnected external drive or a cloud placeholder can make a source unavailable. Restore access or finish downloading it before retrying. Do not start another copy of the same batch merely to hide a failure.
Keep media identity intact
A library source can be used by several timeline clips. Moving a linked original outside Meridian can break those uses; relink the expected original through media management. Reimporting an accidental second copy does not automatically redirect existing clips.
Use notes, names, and keywords to organize the library, and manage proxies through their own attached representation workflow. Before moving the edit, collect a portable project and check it at the destination.