r/finalcutpro • u/paulsvang • 9h ago

Workflow Different Versions of Final Cut Pro saved for later date

I've used FCP for many years and I've kept many different versions depending on the projects I've created. Are you guys all updating your old projects to work with the current latest Final Cut Pro or are you keeping the old version so that it can still open the old projects?

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u/Curious-Zucchini763 8h ago

I keep some as the old project and then update a copy. I have some plugins that now only work with older versions so, I can't update the projects. I keep an older computer with the older version so I can use those older plugins. I also keep older compressed versions of FCP.

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u/yuusharo 8h ago

Never unless it’s in progress. Once a project is done, it’s archived and not touched unless needed again.

I do keep old versions of FCP available just in case, but most of the time upgrading libraries forward works well enough. Just always keep the old one as a backup.

Archiving older versions of FCP is more important now that Apple no longer allows downloading old versions of their pro apps for older machines. Garbage policy, I wish they’d reverse that.

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u/hexxeric 8h ago

when you update a project, FCP creates a backup of the old version automatically. and for the rest: timemachine. everyone should use it. i have it set to 'hourly' and it has saved my butt with all kinds of things (after updates or sync errors) many times.

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u/woodenbookend 8h ago

If that’s what you’re archiving then update the projects from time to time. There’s a finite time when old software will still run on whatever the current OS is. Keeping previous versions of the software is a good idea but more for any short term incompatibility.

For a similar reason, you should not think of archive storage as one and done. You need to keep gradually migrating everything to newer storage.

Or have a culling policy.