Managing hundreds of video files used to be my greatest productivity killer. Between raw footage, exports, client revisions, and project assets, my Mac was drowning in digital chaos. I'd waste entire mornings hunting for specific clips or trying to remember which folder contained the latest version of a project.

My research into various file organization software for Mac revealed that the Setapp app collection has everything I need. This means you don't have to pay for each tool separately — the $9.99 + tax subscription price includes over 250 apps. It's super handy cause now my videos sort themselves, duplicates disappear automatically, and I can locate any file in seconds. 

Here's the exact workflow that transformed my video editing business.

Why do I need file optimization apps: video editor’s pain

I am obsessed with automating my work routine. My rule is that if AI or any application can do a task faster, I will use it. I wasn't happy with constantly searching for misplaced files, spending 30 minutes every day manually moving clips between folders, or deleting obvious duplicates. Add to that the time spent compressing files for client delivery. In total, it took up to 2 hours of unproductive work.

I know I'm not the only one. Reddit users often discuss similar issues and try to find solutions. 

Here is a comment from one of them:  “I have tons of files in different folders. The download folder includes multiple duplicates mostly transferred to the documents folder either as is or after some modificaiton. There are lots of downloaded files and filled or empty PDF forms. Is there any AI or other tool that could be used to confidently crawl content, name, tag, add keywords, categorize, compare folders, delete duplicates and move files to desired locations more and less automatically?”

I found the solution in the Setapp app collection. Spoiler: it's not just one tool but several that solve a much wider range of problems than just sorting files.

Workspaces: Best app for file organization by project

Workspaces is one of my favorite apps for file organization on Mac. It creates dedicated environments for each client or project that automatically gather related files. For each new project, I create a separate workspace, adding raw footage from my camera imports, audio files from the designated folder, graphics and titles from my assets library, client feedback documents, and export versions. This way, I no longer get confused with projects and don't waste time figuring out which file belongs to which video.

CleanMyMac: Must-have optimization app for video editors

As a video editor, I hated the moment when the message “Your storage is full” popped up and I had to interrupt my work to manually delete video files. With CleanMyMac, decluttering my Mac has become much easier. The app automatically cleans caches, removes unnecessary files, and optimizes storage space. The tools for finding and removing duplicates are particularly helpful, saving me hundreds of gigabytes over time.

I also set “Smart Cleanup” to run maintenance automatically when my Mac is idle, which saves a lot of time and ensures my Mac stays fast and responsive.

“With CleanMyMac, I finally took control of my storage. Every few days, I run a quick scan, and it digs up hidden cache files from my editing tools, old renders I’ve forgotten, and other space-wasters. There's no need to hunt them down myself — the app gathers everything in one place”, shares Alina Shevchenko, video editor, director of photography. 

Gemini: Duplicate file finder app with AI detection

Searching for duplicates on Mac is a real headache, but with Gemini, I eliminated this issue. This app, available in Setapp, uses AI to find and remove duplicate video files across your entire system. Gemini's smart algorithm recognizes identical files with different names, similar footage at different resolutions, and backup copies I forgot about. As a result, I save up to an hour a week and always have free storage space. 

Read more:

• Organize all the photos on your Mac
• Create a file on Mac
• 5 best duplicate file finders

Commander One: File manager app for Mac with dual-pane interface

I often use Commander One to transfer large video projects or media assets between my drive and external storage, saving me from tedious drag-and-drop. This app provides a dual-pane file manager for rapid file operations, reducing file transfer time by 50% compared to Finder.

Commander One is perfect for moving completed projects to archive storage, transferring raw footage from camera cards, or organizing assets between internal and external drives. 

One Reddit user says, it’s “an awesome dual-panel file manager,” and I can’t agree more. 

Clop: Video compression app for client file sharing

Another challenge video editors face is transferring large files to clients for approval. I tried everything — uploading them to file-sharing sites, reducing the quality to make the file size smaller, and so on. However, these options don't work for professionals. I didn't want to lose quality, so now I use Clop. It intelligently compresses large video files while maintaining quality. 

How does it work? I just drag any video to the Clop icon and it automatically chooses optimal compression settings, reduces file size, maintains broadcast quality, and prepares files for email or messaging apps.

Dropzone: File automation app with drag-and-drop actions

File organization becomes even more streamlined when repetitive tasks can be automated. Before discovering Dropzone, I was constantly performing the same actions: moving completed projects to archive folders, uploading files to cloud storage, and organizing assets into specific directories. These tasks took up valuable time that I could have spent on creative work.

Dropzone creates custom drag-and-drop actions for repetitive file tasks. I simply drag files to designated zones, and the app handles the rest automatically.

BetterZip: Archive app for video file compression and extraction

Long-term storage and file security became crucial as my client base grew. I needed a reliable way to compress completed projects for archiving while ensuring I could easily access specific files when needed. Standard Mac compression often resulted in compatibility issues or didn't provide the security features required for sensitive client work.

BetterZip handles compression and extraction with preview capabilities, making it perfect for professional video file management.

How I use it:

• Creating password-protected archives for sensitive client work
• Compressing completed projects for long-term storage 
• Extracting asset packages from clients or stock libraries
• Previewing archive contents before extraction to avoid unnecessary downloads

Final thoughts on file automation apps

Automating my video file organization allowed me to focus on the creative aspects of my work. The Setapp collection of apps is a great fit for video editors, photographers, bloggers, and anyone who works with large amounts of files and needs to organize them.

You don't need to learn complex scripting or invest in expensive enterprise solutions. With Workspaces, you can create a separate space with files for each project, and CleanMyMac will make sure you have enough memory on your laptop. With Gemini, your Mac won't turn into a warehouse of duplicates, while Commander One is perfect for transferring large video projects or media assets between my drive and external storage.

Need to transfer a file to a client without losing its quality? Use Clop! It's a must-have for file compression. With Dropzone, you can automate routine file actions through custom drag-and-drop triggers, and BetterZip is the go-to tool for video compression and extraction.

If you're spending more than an hour daily on file management, you need this system. Your creativity (and your sanity) will thank you.