Twin Clips: Find and Remove Duplicate Video Files

The Video Storage Problem

Video files are by far the largest files on most Macs:

• 4K videos - 300-400 MB per minute
• 1080p videos - 100-200 MB per minute
• Screen recordings - 50-150 MB per minute

Duplicate videos can waste tens of gigabytes without you realizing it.

How Duplicate Videos Happen

Common Sources

Imports and Backups

• Same video imported multiple times
• Backup copies in different folders
• Videos copied from devices repeatedly

Downloads

• Re-downloading the same video
• Multiple quality versions
• Failed downloads restarted

Editing Workflow

• Original and edited versions
• Export attempts
• Render outputs

Screen Recordings

• Multiple takes of the same recording
• Test recordings never deleted
• Duplicate captures

DiskCleanKit's Twin Clips Feature

Our video duplicate finder identifies identical video files across your system.

How It Works

1. Content analysis - Compares actual video content

2. Hash matching - Identifies byte-for-byte identical files

3. Smart grouping - Groups all copies together

What We Find

• Exact duplicate videos
• Same video in multiple locations
• Videos with different names but same content
• Copies across internal and external drives

Using Twin Clips

Running a Scan

1. Open DiskCleanKit

2. Go to Twin Clips

3. Select locations to scan:

• Movies folder
• Downloads
• Desktop
• External drives

4. Click Find Twin Clips

5. Wait for analysis (may take time for large collections)

Reviewing Results

Results show:

• Video thumbnail for easy identification
• File size of each duplicate
• Location of each copy
• Total wasted space per group

Selecting Videos to Remove

For Each Duplicate Group

Choose which copy to keep:

• Keep in primary location - Movies folder usually
• Keep newest - Most recently modified
• Keep on fastest drive - SSD over HDD

Bulk Selection

For faster cleanup:

• Auto-select all duplicates to remove
• Keep one copy of each video
• Review before confirming

Special Considerations

Video Projects

Be careful with:

• Final Cut Pro source files
• Adobe Premiere project media
• Active project footage

These may look like duplicates but are needed by your editing software.

Different Formats

Not duplicates:

• Same video in different codecs (H.264 vs HEVC)
• Different resolution versions
• Compressed vs original

DiskCleanKit only flags truly identical files.

External Drive Videos

Consider:

• Is this an intentional backup?
• Do you need copies on multiple drives?
• Is the external drive your archive?

Scanning Large Collections

Performance Tips

For large video libraries:

• Scan during off-hours
• Start with specific folders
• Use SSD for faster scanning

Scan Time Expectations

• 100 videos - 1-2 minutes
• 500 videos - 5-10 minutes
• 1000+ videos - 15-30 minutes

After Cleaning

Verify Important Videos

After removing duplicates:

1. Check that kept videos play correctly

2. Verify your video editing projects still work

3. Confirm backups are intact if intended

Organize Remaining Videos

With duplicates gone:

• Create a logical folder structure
• Move videos to appropriate locations
• Consider external archive for old videos

Results to Expect

Typical space savings:

• 10-50 GB for casual users
• 50-200 GB for video enthusiasts
• 200+ GB for videographers

Video duplicates are often the biggest storage waste. Twin Clips helps you reclaim that space!