Keep Your Mac Awake While Running Final Cut Pro

Why your Mac sleeps while running Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro exports and renders can take hours, especially for 4K and ProRes. While it's exporting, you're probably not touching the mouse, so the idle timer counts down.

macOS tracks idle time based on mouse and keyboard input, not CPU or app activity. If you're not actively moving the mouse while Final Cut Pro does its thing, the idle timer counts down and your Mac sleeps.

Keep your Mac awake with Shake It On

Shake It On moves your mouse slightly at regular intervals, resetting the idle timer. It only runs when your conditions are met, so it activates when Final Cut Pro is working and stops when you're done.

Best condition for Final Cut Pro: Only Shake If CPU is above 25% (catches exports and renders)

Quick setup

1. Install Shake It On and grant Accessibility permission
2. Open Settings from the menu bar icon
3. Under "Only Shake If," enable the condition: Only Shake If CPU is above 25% (catches exports and renders)
4. Under "Paused When," enable "On battery" to save power when unplugged
5. For long overnight operations, enable "Allow display to sleep" in the General section so the screen turns off but the system stays awake