The media files are the building blocks of the movies you create in Adobe Premiere Elements. You can add different types of media files (audio, video, or images) to Adobe Premiere Elements from different sources.
To know about the supported file types, see Supported file formats.
To know about supported devices, see Supported devices | Adobe Premiere Elements.
You can add media to Adobe Premiere Elements using one of these methods:
- Import recorded files (audio, video, or image)
- Capture live from recording devices
- Record narrations from a microphone (for more information, see Create narrations)
When you add media files in the Quick view, the files are added to the Quick view timeline. In the Expert mode, the files are added to the Project Assets panel. You can select and add the files to the timeline from the Project Assets panel.
Import videos, photos, and audio files from your computer’s hard drive or other storage devices (for example, external hard drive or pen drive).
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Alternately, you can drag files from your operating system's file explorer to the Quick view or Expert view timeline.
If you want to add a sequence of photos as a single clip, use the Add numbered image as a single clip option.
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Make sure that each still‑image filename has the correct filename extension. All filenames in the sequence must contain an equal number of digits before the extension (for example, file000.bmp, file001.bmp, and so on).
Import photos from a camera, mobile phone, or through USB. This option opens the Adobe Photo Downloader window. It also imports media from devices that store video files in Flash memory, or on a disk.
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To save files to the default Adobe folder, leave the location as it appears in the dialog box.
To specify a different location, click Browse (Windows)/Choose (Mac OS) and choose a folder. Alternatively, click New Folder to create a folder and name it.
To create one or more subfolders for grouping files by criteria, click the drop-down next to the Create Subfolder field. Choose one of the options from the drop-down list for naming the subfolder.
To rename the files in the folder consistently, click the drop-down next to the Rename Files field. Choose an option from the drop-down list for renaming the files. The filename defaults to the folder name you enter. When the files are added to the folder and the Project Assets panel, the filenames are in increments of 0001. For example, if you enter summer, the filenames are changed to summer0001.jpg, summer0002.jpg, and so on.
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Select files that you want to add to your timeline.
By default, all files are selected. A check mark below the file’s thumbnail indicates that the file is selected. To remove the check mark and exclude a file, click the respective thumbnail.
You can also select or deselect all files by using the Check All button or the Uncheck All button.
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Click Get Media.
You can click Cancel in the Progress dialog box at any time to stop the process.
If you want to set a default time duration for the imported image, see Set duration for imported still images.
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If you don’t want to use all the files you added, you can delete them from the Project Assets panel. Deleting a file from the panel doesn’t delete it from its original location.
Import video from devices that store video files in Flash memory or on a disk. Such devices include Flip and other compact video cameras, AVCHD, DVD, DSLR and other cameras, and mobile phones. When you import these files, they are copied to the hard drive location you specify. The files are also added to the Project Assets panel.
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On Mac OS, Video Importer does not list external DVD drives. Use internal Superdrive in this case.
You can add clips directly to the Quick view or Expert view timeline without creating a project. When you add a clip to the timeline, Adobe Premiere Elements automatically changes your project settings to match the clip properties.
However, if you add a clip to an existing project whose preset does not match the clip’s preset, a message appears. You can let Adobe Premiere Elements change the project’s settings to use the closest available preset.
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Place the DVD into your computer’s DVD drive.
Connect your card reader such as SD card or memory stick to your computer.
Connect the digital camera, mobile phone, or other device to your computer using the USB port.
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If your device requires any driver to work with your system, install it before you start importing media files. Check your device's manual for more information.
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Select the device from Source drop-down in the Video Importer dialog.
The importable files are displayed in the panel below the Source menu. The number of files, and the size of the content is displayed at the bottom of the panel containing the content.
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Video Importer cannot import media from external hard drives. If you want to import media from an external hard drive, use the Files and folders option.
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Folder Name-Number
If your folder name is Wedding Pics, the clips are assigned the names Wedding Pics-001, Wedding Pics-002, and so on.
Date-File Name
Adds a timestamp to the filename the camcorder assigns. The timestamp is the current date and time - the date and time on which the movies were transferred to your computer.
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To rename files, delete them from the Project Assets panel in the Expert view, and reimport them.
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(Optional) If you want to create an InstantMovie using the selected clips, select Create InstantMovie.
For more information about InstantMovie, see Creating Instant Movies.
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If you don’t want to use all the videos you added, you can delete them from the Project Assets panel. Deleting a video from the panel doesn’t delete it from its original location. This practice is recommended for large VOB files.
Videos captured from mobile devices may have variable frame rate (VFR), which results in issues such as unsynchronized video and audio during playback.
Premiere Elements 2019 detects VFR footage from a video clip’s properties. To see the properties of a clip, choose File > Get Properties for > Selection. Alternatively, right-click the clip in the Project Assets panel and select Properties.

You can capture live video from webcams and WDM devices (Windows only) and copy the video clips to a specified location on your hard drive. This option opens the Capture window.
You can capture the clips directly to the timeline by selecting Capture to Timeline check box.
You can add these clips to Adobe Premiere Elements by following the procedure mentioned in Add media from file and folders.
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For WDM devices, make sure that your device is connected with your system and working properly.