Create low-resolution clips for offline editing

Last updated on Apr 2, 2026

Learn how to create low-resolution clips for offline editing, which you can replace with high-resolution clips for online editing in Adobe Premiere.

Online editing means working with full quality video, which needs a strong computer. Offline editing uses lower quality copies so editing runs faster, then switches back to the original high quality clips for the final video. Many editors start with offline editing and finish with online editing.

Capture or import assets into the Project panel at full resolution.

In the Project panel, select the New Bin button, and name a bin for your low-resolution clips.

Launch Adobe Media Encoder and add all the clips for your project to the Adobe Media Encoder Queue.

In Adobe Media Encoder, select Settings.

Change the format and other settings to the format and settings for a lower-resolution format.

Select the filename in the Output Name field and browse to the folder you created for your low-resolution clips.

Select OK and then Start Queue.

Adobe Media Encoder encodes clips in the low-resolution format, and, by default, retains the filename of the original clips in the filenames of the encoded clips.

Note

When creating low-resolution clips for offline editing with Adobe Media Encoder, clips with two audio channels are created even if you have four or more audio channels on your footage. This problem is a limitation of Adobe Media Encoder, so use an alternate tool if the other audio channels are to be preserved.

In the Premiere Project panel, open the bin you created for low-resolution clips. Import the low-resolution clips into this bin.

Edit the project using the low-resolution clips.

Replace low-resolution clips with high-resolution clips for online editing

You can replace low-resolution copies of assets with the original high-resolution so that you can render a project at full resolution.

Select Clip > Replace Footage. Browse to the original high-resolution clip that has the same filename as the low-resolution clip you selected and select it.

Edit the project using the low-resolution clips.

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Creating clips for offline editing

Edit video using the Properties panel

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