Premiere Pro ↔ DaVinci Resolve: the timeline roundtrip

Moving a timeline from Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve (or back) comes down to one choice: which interchange format carries the cut. FCP7 XML is the default answer for a Premiere→Resolve edit handoff, AAF wins when audio work or Avid is involved, and EDL is the bulletproof fallback when everything else chokes. This guide gives the exact clicks for each direction, what survives the trip (and what never does), and the escape hatch when you don't have a working Premiere at all.

Premiere → Resolve: the XML route (default)

1. In Premiere, select the sequence in the Project panel and choose File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML. (Despite the name, this writes FCP7 XML — the lingua franca of timeline interchange, not modern FCPXML.)
2. In Resolve, choose File > Import > Timeline and select the .xml.
3. Check the import options (frame rate must match the sequence), then let Resolve relink clips to the media by file path, or fix stragglers with Relink Media.

No working Premiere — expired license, a client sent only the project file, version mismatch? Convert the .prproj directly with the Premiere project to XML converter and import the result the same way. The full walkthrough is in the prproj to XML guide.

Resolve → Premiere: the same road in reverse

1. In Resolve, right-click the timeline in the Media Pool and choose Timelines > Export > Final Cut Pro 7 XML.
2. In Premiere, File > Import, select the .xml, and relink media when prompted.

This is the standard finish for a "grade in Resolve, deliver from Premiere" workflow — though most colorists render finished clips from Resolve and send back a conformed timeline referencing the graded media, rather than expecting Premiere to reproduce the grade.

When to use AAF or EDL instead

• AAF — the audio-post and Avid road. Premiere and Resolve both export AAF; use it when the destination is Pro Tools or Media Composer, or when your XML import mangles the audio track layout. Premiere: File > Export > AAF. Resolve: the same Timelines > Export menu.
• EDL — one video track, cuts and dissolves only, and virtually indestructible. When XML/AAF imports fail on a gnarly timeline, a CMX3600 EDL almost always survives. Exact steps for all three NLEs are in the EDL export guide, and the EDL vs XML vs AAF comparison covers the decision in depth.

What survives the roundtrip — and what doesn't

Interchange formats carry the cut, not the look. Plan around this table:

• Survives: sequences, video/audio track layout, every clip's position and duration, source in/out timecode, clip names, media paths, basic cross dissolves (XML/AAF).
• Partially survives: audio levels and simple pans (AAF does better than XML), basic speed changes (verify every one).
• Never survives: Lumetri color, effects and plugins, titles/graphics (Premiere Essential Graphics and Resolve Text+ are mutually untranslatable), multicam nesting, captions tracks.

The professional workflow accepts this: send the cut, rebuild the creative layer where it's needed, and keep captions/subtitles as separate files — convert them to whatever the destination wants (SRT into Resolve, SRT to FCPXML).

Pre-flight checklist (saves a re-export)

1. Flatten what you can — nested sequences and multicam are the #1 import-mangler. Duplicate the sequence and flatten before exporting.
2. Match frame rates exactly — a 29.97 sequence imported as 30 shifts every cut. Auto-detect helps, but verify.
3. Consolidate media names — Resolve relinks by path first, then filename; duplicate filenames across folders cause silent mislinks.
4. Spot-check the tail — open the last few cuts after import; drift and offset errors show up at the end first.

FAQ

How do I move a Premiere Pro timeline into DaVinci Resolve? Export FCP7 XML from Premiere (File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML) and import it in Resolve via File > Import > Timeline. If you don't have a working Premiere, convert the .prproj directly with the Premiere project to XML converter — same import on the Resolve side.

XML, AAF, or EDL — which should I use? XML for a Premiere↔Resolve edit handoff; AAF when audio fidelity or Avid/Pro Tools is involved; EDL when the others fail or the recipient asks for it — it's one video track and cuts only, but it never breaks.

Will my color grade / effects / titles transfer? No — no interchange format translates Lumetri, plugins, or title systems between NLEs. The cut transfers; the creative layer gets rebuilt (or rendered into the media before the handoff).

Why did my clips import at the wrong times? Almost always a frame-rate mismatch (29.97 vs 30 is the classic) or a timeline start-timecode difference. Match the sequence settings to the source exactly and re-import.

Do captions survive the roundtrip? Caption tracks don't translate reliably between Premiere and Resolve. Export subtitles as SRT and re-import them on the destination side — both apps import SRT natively.

Can Resolve open a .prproj directly? No — Resolve imports timelines via XML, AAF, EDL, and its own formats, not .prproj. Convert the project to FCP7 XML first (in Premiere, or with the direct converter if Premiere isn't available).