How to Use Proxies in Premiere Pro

How to Use Proxies in Premiere Pro

Is your timeline playing back slowly in Premiere Pro? Then maybe it’s time to start using proxies. Upgrading your computer to be able to handle high-resolution video files is always an option, but it’s a lot less expensive to use proxies, which is a feature built in to Premiere Pro.

Proxies are essentially lower-resolution and smaller file-size versions of the footage you import into Premiere. Instead of editing off of the original footage, you use the proxies, which should play back better on your device. Then when you go to export, Premiere will use the originals.

Related: Popular Premiere Pro Templates

Watch the video tutorial:

Read more about using proxies for video editing.

Before importing footage into Premiere Pro, you’ll need to go to your project settings and go to Ingest Settings. Click the checkbox on Ingest, then select a preset that works for you. The resolution options will all be low, and you’ll have a variety of formats to choose from. Now when you import footage, Premiere Pro will create proxies for you to use.

enable proxies premiere pro

After the proxies are processed, click on Metadata Display, found in your project panel. You’ll need to turn on Proxy File Name and Proxy File Location to see the proxy information in your project panel.

To enable your timeline to be edited with proxies, simple click the Toggle Proxies button under the program monitor window. If you don’t see this button, click on the plus sign to add more buttons, and find the Toggle Proxy button there. Once toggled on, the original files in your timeline will be switched over to their proxy files.

timeline in premiere pro

Now you’re editing with proxies! This method of editing should eliminate playback lag when editing high-resolution clips on a lower-end computer. It can also be very helpful if you’re editing 4K or 8K video, since it’s unlikely that you’re previewing the footage at full resolution anyway.

And that’s all about using proxies. It’s quite simple really, and you’ll be well on your way to editing your videos faster without having to spend more to upgrade your computer.

If you’re on a tight budget, we recommend this tutorial: How to Build a 4K Video Editing PC on a Budget

Read next: Helpful Audio Editing Tips for Premiere Pro

2 Replies to “How to Use Proxies in Premiere Pro”

  1. THEOGENE says:

    Thanks for ur explanations

  2. Jay says:

    PLEASE….
    To FAST!!!! You skip between Premier and Media Player.
    People are trying to learn….
    Anyway thanks.

Leave a Reply