Transfer files

Explore the different ways of transferring assets from file-based media and other computers.

Note:

Starting December 11, 2023, new users and organizations will not be entitled to Creative Cloud Synced files. Starting February 1, 2024, Creative Cloud Synced files will be discontinued for personal accounts that existed before December 11, 2023 (learn more here). Starting October 1, 2024, Creative Cloud Synced files will be discontinued for business accounts associated with organizations that existed before December 11, 2023 (learn more here).

When you transfer a file, Premiere Pro duplicates the source file and creates a copy in a specified location.

Transfer projects from one computer to another

To transfer projects from one computer to another, do the following:

  1. Select File > Project Manager. The Project Manager dialog appears.

    Project Manager
    Project Manager

  2. Under Sequence, select the sequences you want to copy.

  3. Under Resulting Project, choose one of the following:

    • Collect Files and Copy to New Location: Creates a copy in the new location.
    • Consolidate and Transcode: Transcodes the source media using a single codec, so they are all converted to the same format. Then copied everything to a new location.
  4. Under Destination Path, click Browse to open the File Explore(Windows) or Finder(macOS). Choose a location.

  5. Under Options, select the options that you prefer.

  6. Click Calculate to calculate the disk space that the copied file occupies.

  7. When you have selected your preferences, click Run to create a copy of the source file in a new location.

While transferring project files from one computer to another, keep the following things in mind:

  • Transfer all the assets associated with the project files.
  • Keep the project files and their associated assets, on the destination computer, in folders that have names and folder structures identical with files on the computer of their origin.

Transfer assets from file-based media

It is possible to edit assets residing on file-based media, such as P2 cards, XDCAM cartridges, SxS cards, or DVDs. For best performance:

  1. Transfer files from their file-based media to a local hard disk. 
  2. Using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS), transfer files from file-based acquisition media. 
  3. Import the files on the hard disk into Premiere Pro projects.

While transferring assets from file-based media, keep the following things in mind:

  • Transfer the folder containing all related files and its subfolders. 
  • Keep the folder structure intact. 
Note:

Transfer video files from file-based media into the same folder you specify for captured video with the project scratch disk settings.

Edit While Ingest

The Premiere Pro Media Browser panel allows you to ingest media automatically in the background while you begin editing. To toggle the automatic ingest behavior setting to on/off in the Media Browser, use the ingest check box. The settings icon next to it opens the Project Settings dialog, where you can adjust the ingest settings. 

A similar ingest check box in the Project Settings dialog is kept in sync with the Media Browser panel’s setting. When toggled on, users can choose one of four following operations to kick off automatically when files get imported into the project. You can continue to edit while the ingest process completes in the background.

Ingest Settings
Ingest Settings

Choose one of the following ingest settings:

  • Copy - You can copy the media to a new location. Copying typically transfers camera footage from removable media onto your local hard drive. The Primary Destination option available in the Settings transfer path is the same as the Primary Destination option available in Settings. After the media has finished copying, the clips in the project point to these copies of the files.
  • Transcode - You can transcode the media to a new format in a new location. Transcoding can be used to transcode original camera footage to a specific format used within a post-production facility. The filename path is the same as the Primary Destination option available in Settings, and the format specifies the chosen preset. After the media gets transcoded, the clips in the project point to these transcoded copies of the files.
  • Create Proxies - You can use this option to create and attach proxies to the media. It creates lower-resolution clips for increased performance during editing, which can be switched back to the original full-resolution files for final output. The filename path where the proxies are generated is the same as the Proxy Destination option in the settings. The format is specified by the chosen preset and frame size. After the proxies get generated, they are automatically attached to the clips in the project.
  • Copy and Create Proxies - As covered in the earlier steps, you can use this option to copy media and create proxies.

All four options come with a set of default presets, which have the file destinations set to 'Same as Project'. Alternatively, you can also choose a custom destination or your Creative Cloud Files folder, which syncs the files automatically to the cloud. Use Adobe Media Encoder to create your own 'Ingest' presets.

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