does final cut pro support .cube luts?

yes, natively. final cut pro reads .cube files through the custom lut effect — no plugin required.

how do i add a lut in final cut pro?

open the effects browser with command + 5, search for custom lut, and drag the effect onto your clip. then in the inspector click choose custom lut… and pick your .cube file. the mix slider in the inspector controls how strongly it applies — 100% is full strength.

how do i apply a lut to several clips at once?

final cut has no true adjustment layer, so the usual workaround is to select one graded clip, copy it, then select the rest and use paste attributes to push the custom lut effect onto all of them. a compound clip works too if you want a single effect over a whole sequence.

how do luts work with apple log footage?

apple log from iphone and the m-series cameras needs converting to rec.709 before a creative lut will look right. apply the conversion first, then stack the look on top — same ordering rule as sony s-log or canon c-log.

can i create a custom lut for final cut pro?

yes. grade a frame in the luttie editor in your browser and export it as .cube, then load it with the custom lut effect. nothing needs installing to build it.

April 25, 2026·dom @ luttie

how to use luts in final cut pro + free .cube luts

apply .cube luts in final cut pro with the custom lut effect — log footage, adjustment layers, and export. includes free luts that work in fcp.

how to use luts in final cut profinal cut pro lutcolor grading final cut prohow to apply a lutlut for final cut procustom lut final cut pro

final cut pro supports .cube lut files natively through the custom lut effect. the workflow is clean and fast — and if you're shooting log footage on a sony, canon, or blackmagic camera, luts are the quickest way to get a polished color grade out of fcp.

need a lut first? grab free .cube luts or a pro lut pack. want your own look instead? build it in the luttie editor and save it as a .cube (grading is free, lut export needs pro).

the custom lut effect

final cut pro applies luts through a dedicated video effect called custom lut, found in the effects browser. unlike davinci resolve's node-based approach, fcp applies luts as a single effect — straightforward, but worth understanding how to layer it correctly.

importing a lut into final cut pro

you don't install luts by hand in fcp. the first time you pick a file through the custom lut effect (choose custom lut in the lut pop-up menu, steps below), final cut copies it into its own library and keeps it in that menu for every later project. you can select a whole folder of luts at once, and it appears as a submenu.

the copies live in /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/ProApps/Custom LUTs/. the pop-up menu's reveal in finder option opens that folder if you want to tidy it. more in how to install luts so they stay in the menu.

applying a lut to a clip

open the effects browser (command + 5)
search for "custom lut"
drag the custom lut effect onto your clip in the timeline
in the inspector panel (on the right), find the custom lut effect
click choose custom lut... → navigate to your .cube file → open
the lut is now applied to that clip

to adjust the intensity, use the mix slider in the inspector — 100% is full strength, lower values blend the lut with the original image.

applying a lut to multiple clips (adjustment layer workaround)

final cut pro doesn't have native adjustment layers, but you can replicate the workflow:

create a new generator → custom → drag it above your clips on the timeline
apply the custom lut effect to the generator clip
set the generator's blend mode to normal at 0% opacity — the lut will still process the clips below

alternatively, apply the custom lut to a compound clip: select all the clips you want to grade → file → new compound clip → apply the lut to the compound clip.

correct order for log footage

if you're shooting in a log color profile (sony s-log2/3, canon log, braw), you need two lut passes:

pass	effect	lut type
1st	custom lut effect (bottom)	technical — converts log to rec.709
2nd	custom lut effect (top)	creative — applies the cinematic look

in the fcp inspector, effects are applied bottom-up, so place the conversion lut effect below the creative one.

using apple log with luts (m-series cameras)

if you're shooting apple log on an iphone 15 pro or later, or a vision pro, fcp handles the color space conversion automatically when you enable hdr or apple log in your project settings. you can then apply a creative .cube lut on top without needing a separate conversion lut.

limitations compared to davinci resolve

final cut pro's lut workflow is simpler but less flexible:

no node graph — can't chain multiple lut passes as cleanly as resolve
no lut export — fcp can't export a .cube file from your grade
no lut preview browser — you have to apply the effect before previewing

for a more advanced color grading workflow, most fcp users round-trip to davinci resolve for grading, then back to fcp for editing.

creating a lut for final cut pro

since fcp doesn't export lut files, if you want to save your grade as a reusable .cube file — to use on other projects or share with your team — your best option is to build it in the luttie editor. adjust your curves, hsl, and color wheels, then save the look as a .cube file ready to load via the custom lut effect. grading is free, lut export needs luttie pro.

summary

apply luts in final cut pro via the custom lut effect in the effects browser
pick a .cube file once with choose custom lut and fcp keeps it in the menu (stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ProApps/Custom LUTs/)
use two custom lut effects in sequence for log footage: conversion first, creative second
fcp applies effects bottom-up, so order them accordingly in the inspector
to make your own lut, grade a frame in the luttie editor and save it as a .cube (lut export needs pro)
for ready-made looks, grab free .cube luts or a pro lut pack