How to open a DaVinci Resolve project in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro cannot open a DaVinci Resolve project — not the .drp export, and not the project library. But the timeline inside it travels fine: convert the .drp to FCP7 XML, and Premiere imports it with tracks, cuts, clip names, and media paths intact. The whole path takes about two minutes: convert the .drp to XML, then File → Import in Premiere. This guide walks the exact steps, what survives the trip, and the fallbacks when you have more than a .drp.

Why Premiere can't open it directly

A .drp is a dump of Resolve's internal project database — a format Blackmagic doesn't document and no other NLE reads (here's what a .drp actually contains). Adobe and Blackmagic share no project format in either direction; the bridge between them has always been interchange files: FCP7 XML (XMEML), AAF, or EDL. FCP7 XML is the richest of the three that Premiere imports, so that's the target.

Step by step: .drp → Premiere Pro

1. Get the .drp. In Resolve that's File → Export Project; more likely someone sent it to you — which is the point: you don't need Resolve for any of this.
2. Convert it to XML. Drop the file on the DRP to XML converter. It unpacks the project archive in the browser, shows you each timeline with its track and clip counts, and writes an .xml (FCP7 XML) per project. Timelines keep their start timecode — Resolve's standard 01:00:00:00 comes through, so nothing drifts.
3. Import into Premiere. File → Import (Cmd/Ctrl+I), select the converted .xml. Premiere rebuilds the sequence with its video and audio tracks and all cuts in place.
4. Relink the media. The XML carries the original file paths. If you have the media in the same structure, Premiere links automatically; otherwise right-click the offline clips → Link Media and point at your copies. A .drp never contains media, so this step always depends on having the source files.

What survives, honestly

Carried over: timelines, video and audio tracks, every clip's position and duration, source in/out points, clip names, media file paths, timeline start timecode, frame rate.

Not carried over: color grades (Resolve grades have no Premiere equivalent), Fusion compositions, transitions, retimes/speed changes, titles, and subtitle tracks. This is a conform workflow — the cut travels, the treatment doesn't. That's true of every route between these two apps, including Resolve's own XML export.

If you have more than a .drp

• The sender still has Resolve open? Ask for File → Export → Timeline → FCPXML or AAF directly — one less conversion.
• You need the grade too? There's no clean path; render the graded timeline as media and cut with that, or finish in Resolve.
• You only need the cut on paper? Convert the timeline to EDL or CSV instead for a shot list.

FAQ

Can Premiere Pro open a DaVinci Resolve project? Not directly — Premiere doesn't read .drp files or Resolve's project library. Convert the .drp to FCP7 XML first; Premiere imports that with tracks, cuts, and clip names intact.

Does converting a .drp to Premiere keep my edits? Yes — every clip's position, duration, and source in/out survives, along with track layout and timeline start timecode. Grades, transitions, effects, and Fusion work do not; no Resolve-to-Premiere route carries those.

Do I need DaVinci Resolve installed for this? No. The converter reads the .drp export itself in the browser. That's the point — this is the route for opening a Resolve timeline when you don't have Resolve.

Why is everything offline after importing the XML? The .drp and the XML carry file paths, not media. Relink the clips to your copies of the source files (Link Media in Premiere) and the timeline comes alive.

What about going the other way — Premiere to Resolve? That direction has two routes: convert the .prproj to a native Resolve .drp, or convert it to FCP7 XML and import the XML into Resolve. The full walkthrough is in the Premiere to Resolve guide.

Is FCP7 XML the same as FCPXML? No — FCP7 XML (XMEML) is the older interchange format Premiere imports directly; FCPXML is the newer Final Cut Pro X format, which Premiere does not read. The converter writes FCP7 XML precisely because it's the one Premiere accepts.