Editing 4K Footage with a MacBook Air - Is it Possible?
Tips from one videographer on how 4K editing on a baseline MacBook Air actually works.
![MacBook Air 4K Editing](https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/macbook-air-4k-editing.jpg?id=34071055&width=1245&height=700&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Just because something is possible, doesn’t mean you have to do it. Yet, here we have video proof that not only can a 15.6mm thin MacBook Air edit 4K footage, but one Youtube videographer actually prefers it! (Here's No Film School's coverage on Apple's new Macbook Air and the rest of Apple's new line.)
Let’s look at Kraig Adams‘ crazy experiment and see how you too can push the limits of just how high of quality footage you can work with on the thinnest of laptops.
Base Model MacBook Air 2018
13.3” Retina display
1.6GHz processor
8GBs memory
120GB SSD
2.75 pound
15.6mm thin
Price: $1,199.00
External SSD
Adams also points out that the one non-base model addition to his workflow is an external 1TB SSD as the Air’s 120GB SSD is hardly enough for most 4K video footage and assets. He uses a SanDisk 1TB SSD, which is a very solid and durable option, but you can use your best option as well. (Here’s a great article on getting the most out of your external drives.)
Render and Export Times
Watch and Decide
While this is definitely a great case study, it really comes down to your own personal workflow needs and preferences. It’s good to know that it is, in fact, possible to edit 4K footage on a base model MacBook Air 2018, but the real questions will always be why? And do you really have to?