How to export your data from Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro doesn't have an 'export my account data' feature like a cloud SaaS tool — what you export is your project/timeline itself, as an AAF, EDL (CMX3600), or Final Cut Pro XML file, so the edit (clip order, in/out points, transitions) can be rebuilt in another editor. Media files are referenced, not embedded, unless you choose a mixdown option.

Formats: AAF, EDL (CMX3600), XML (Final Cut Pro XML)Plan: Any Premiere Pro plan — export is a desktop app feature, not account/billing-gatedRole: None — local desktop export, no account roles involved

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

Step by step

1AAF (for Avid Media Composer / Pro Tools, also widely read by other NLEs): Open your sequence, then choose File > Export > AAF.
2In the AAF Export Settings dialog, choose your settings (e.g. whether to include a rendered 'Mixdown video' — this renders all video tracks into a single MXF clip using DNxHD or DNxHR) and click OK, then Save.
3EDL (universal edit decision list): Open the project you want to export and click anywhere in the Timelines panel to activate it.
4Go to File > Export > EDL. In the EDL export settings (CMX3600), enable the '32 character names' checkbox if you need long tape/clip names, then click OK.
5Final Cut Pro XML: Before exporting, make sure the project is saved and all media is linked.
6Open the project, then choose File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML, pick a location/filename in the Save Converted Sequence As dialog, and click Save.
7After an XML export, check the FCP Translation Results log file saved alongside the XML for any conversion issues.

What the export includes

✓Timeline structure: clip order, in/out points, track layout
✓Clip names and (for EDL) reel numbers/timecode references
✓Some transitions, frame holds, and clip speed changes (EDL)
✓Sequence as an editable project/timeline file your new editor can open or import

What it doesn't include

✗Source media itself — AAF/EDL/XML reference external media files by path/reel, they don't bundle the footage (AAF can optionally bundle a rendered mixdown video)
✗Most Premiere-specific effects, titles, and color grades — only a few effects transfer to Final Cut Pro via XML
✗Nested sequences, multiple video tracks, or more than two stereo audio tracks reliably via EDL
✗Merged clips (not supported in AAF export)

Before you start

⚠EDL (CMX3600) works best with projects that have no more than one video track, two stereo audio tracks, and no nested sequences
⚠Clip names longer than 8 characters get truncated in EDL unless you enable the 32-character names option
⚠AAF export: avoid special/accented characters and characters like / > < ® ü in clip and sequence names — they can break the XML-based parsing
⚠Transitions in AAF export must be placed between two clips (not at a clip's start/end), and each clip must be at least as long as the transition(s) touching it
⚠AAF files imported into Avid Media Composer do not auto-relink to source footage — you need to batch-import to relink
⚠Export is per-sequence, not a whole-project bulk export — repeat the steps for each timeline you need

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

Use File > Import > Timeline and point it at the exported AAF, XML, or EDL file to rebuild the sequence, then relink media.

Shotcut

Shotcut uses MLT-based project files and has limited/no native AAF or Premiere XML import — treat the EDL as a reference for manually rebuilding the cut rather than a direct import.

Kdenlive

Kdenlive also uses its own MLT-based project format with limited AAF/XML interchange support — best used to recreate the edit from the EDL/XML as a reference, not a one-click import.

Exporting from Adobe Premiere Pro: common questions

Can I export my whole Premiere Pro project in one click?+

No. Export is done per sequence/timeline (File > Export > AAF, EDL, or Final Cut Pro XML), not as a single bulk project export.

Does the export include my raw footage?+

No, by default AAF, EDL, and XML exports reference your media files rather than copying them. AAF has an optional 'Mixdown video' setting that renders tracks into a single MXF file.

Which format should I use to move to another editor?+

AAF for Avid-based workflows, Final Cut Pro XML for Final Cut Pro/Resolve-style workflows, and EDL as a simple, widely-supported fallback for basic single-track cuts.

Will my effects and color grading come across?+

Largely no. Final Cut Pro XML export only translates a limited set of Premiere effects, and AAF/EDL don't carry proprietary Premiere effects, titles, or Lumetri grades at all.

Why did some clip names get cut off in my EDL?+

Standard CMX3600 EDLs truncate clip/tape names longer than 8 characters. Enable the '32 character names' option in the EDL export settings if you need longer names.

My AAF import into Avid doesn't link to footage — why?+

AAF files exported from Premiere Pro don't automatically relink to source footage in Avid Media Composer; you need to use Avid's Batch Import option to relink.

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.