How to export your data from Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro doesn't have a single 'export my account data' button; instead you export each project's timeline as an interchange file (EDL, Final Cut Pro XML, or AAF) so the edit, clip names, and timecode can be recreated in another editor, plus separate exports for captions and XMP metadata.

Formats: EDL (CMX 3600), Final Cut Pro XML, AAF, OMF (audio), SCC/MCC/XML/STL/SRT (captions)Plan: Any Premiere Pro plan (Individual, Business, or Enterprise) with desktop app accessRole: Whoever owns/edits the local project file (no admin or workspace role concept in Premiere Pro)

✓ Verified against Adobe Premiere Pro's official documentation, October 2026

Step by step

1Open the project you want to export and click inside the Timelines panel to activate it.
2For an EDL: go to File > Export > EDL, choose video/audio tracks and the 32-character names option in the EDL Export Settings (CMX 3600) dialog, click OK, then set a location/filename and click Save.
3For Final Cut Pro XML: make sure the project is saved and media is linked, then go to File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML, choose a location and filename in the Save Converted Sequence As dialog, and click Save.
4For AAF: go to File > Export > AAF, configure the AAF Export Settings dialog (video mixdown, audio handling, embedded vs. separate audio), then save.
5Check the FCP Translation Results log (for XML) for any conversion warnings after export.
6If you need captions, export sidecar caption files separately in .scc, .mcc, .xml, .stl, or .srt depending on your subtitle track type.
7If you need per-file descriptive data, create an export template that writes XMP metadata (creation date, markers, contact/rights info) into the exported media.

What the export includes

✓Sequence/timeline structure, clip order, in/out points, and timecode (EDL, XML, AAF)
✓Clip and tape/reel names, shown as source or timeline name (EDL)
✓Track selections, transitions (within limits), frame holds, and speed changes (EDL)
✓Metadata and media references for exchange with other NLEs (AAF)
✓Sidecar caption/subtitle text in industry formats (SCC, MCC, XML, STL, SRT)
✓XMP metadata such as creation date, file format, and timeline markers via export templates

What it doesn't include

✗Linked media files themselves — EDL/XML/AAF only reference footage, they don't bundle it
✗Most Premiere-specific effects and features when exporting to Final Cut Pro XML (only a few transfer)
✗Nested sequences, more than one video track, or more than two stereo audio tracks in a reliable EDL
✗Merged clips in AAF export (must be unmerged first)
✗Automatic relinking to source footage in Avid after AAF import (must use Batch Import)
✗Embedded audio over 2 GB in AAF exports on Windows (export separate audio instead)

Before you start

⚠EDLs work best with simple timelines: one video track, two stereo audio tracks, no nested sequences.
⚠Special/accented characters (/, >, <, ®, ü) in clip or sequence names can break XML parsing on export.
⚠AAF files from Premiere are only confirmed compatible with Avid Media Composer and Avid Pro Tools; other AAF importers are untested.
⚠On Windows (Intel and Arm), embedded AAF files over 2 GB fail to export — use separate audio instead.
⚠Transitions in AAF must sit fully between two clips; each clip must be at least as long as the transition(s) touching it.
⚠Final Cut Pro XML export is for FCP 7/compatible tools — a separate conversion tool is needed for FCP X's .fcpxml format.

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a Adobe Premiere Pro export. See all Adobe Premiere Pro alternatives →

DaVinci Resolve

Alternatives Adobe Premiere Pro vs DaVinci Resolve

In Resolve, use File > Import Timeline > Import AAF, EDL, XML and select the file exported from Premiere; relink media afterward if paths don't resolve automatically.

Shotcut

Shotcut doesn't natively read AAF/EDL; convert via an intermediate tool or re-link media manually, then rebuild the timeline using the exported XML/EDL as a reference.

Kdenlive

Kdenlive has limited AAF/XML interchange support; treat the Premiere export mainly as a clip-order and timecode reference while you rebuild the timeline in Kdenlive's native project format.

Exporting from Adobe Premiere Pro: common questions

Can I export my entire Premiere Pro project in one file that another editor can fully reopen?+

No single format preserves everything. EDL, XML, and AAF each carry timeline/clip data but not the linked media itself, and each has format-specific limits on tracks, transitions, and effects.

Which export format should I use to move to DaVinci Resolve?+

AAF generally carries the most editing detail (clips, transitions, some metadata) for Resolve's File > Import Timeline feature; XML and EDL are fallbacks for simpler timelines.

Will my effects and color grades transfer when I export XML or AAF?+

Only partially. Adobe's own documentation notes only a few Premiere effects and features transfer to Final Cut Pro via XML, and merged clips aren't supported in AAF at all.

Do I need a paid Premiere Pro plan to export these files?+

No special plan is required — EDL, XML, AAF, caption, and metadata export are standard desktop app features available to any Premiere Pro user.

Why did my AAF export fail?+

A common cause on Windows is an embedded AAF file exceeding 2 GB; export with separate audio instead of embedded audio to avoid the failure.

How do I bring my captions/subtitles to another tool?+

Export them separately as sidecar files — Premiere supports SCC, MCC, XML (W3C/SMPTE/EBU), STL, or SRT depending on the active subtitle track type.

Sources

This guide was written from Adobe Premiere Pro's own documentation and checked against it in October 2026. If a step has changed, the official page wins.