Which format for which editor
Timeline export lives under Export, then the Timeline tab. Descript says it produces a folder with copies of your media, your edits and the source timecode, and that original files are preserved. It is available on Creator, Business and Enterprise plans; on 30 October 2026 Creator was listed at $24 or $35 a person a month depending on billing. [1][3]
| Destination | Format to choose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere Pro | Premiere (XML) | Captions are not carried over; frame rate conversion is |
| Premiere Pro, multicam | Premiere (.prproj), Beta | Not on every account yet; each camera layer in a supported multicam sequence becomes a multi-camera clip |
| DaVinci Resolve | DaVinci Resolve (XML) | Captions carried over |
| Final Cut Pro | Final Cut Pro (FCPXML) | Captions carried over; Create track for each file is not available |
| Reaper | Reaper (EDL) | Studio Sound only at 0% or 100% |
| Audition | Audition (SESX) | Comment markers keep their time range |
| Pro Tools or Logic | Pro Tools/Logic (AAF) | Some Pro Tools editions cannot import AAF; stereo files split into two mono tracks |
What survives the round trip
Descript publishes a compatibility chart for its three video formats. The pattern is simple: the edit decisions travel, the decoration does not. [1]
- Studio Sound arrives as two files, the source audio and the Studio Sound version, with volume matched to the intensity you set. [1]
- Images, titles and transitions do not survive, so anything built from them in Descript has to be rebuilt in the receiving editor. Budget that time before promising a deadline.
| Element | Final Cut Pro | Premiere (XML) | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clip trimming, video clips, audio clips | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Markers, and comments as markers when enabled | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ignored script | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Studio Sound | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Captions | Yes | No | Yes |
| Frame rate conversion | No | Yes | No |
| Titles, transitions, video effects, shapes, images | No | No | No |
| Clip speed, animation, loops | No | No | No |
| Audio effects, audio keyframes, automatic microfades, room tone | No | No | No |
| Scenes, sequences, highlights, HDR tone mapping | No | No | No |
Export options that change the result
- Include media files in export: copies all audio and video in the composition into the export folder. Turn it on whenever the receiving editor does not already have the source files. [1]
- Include comments as markers: off by default. Unresolved comments become markers with the author's name; resolved comments, and comments whose linked text was deleted, do not export. [1]
- Create track for each file: puts each file on its own track. Not available for Final Cut Pro. [1]
- Logic Pro compatibility (AAF only): removes fades and crossfades, separates overlapping clips and strips spaces from filenames. Leave it off for Pro Tools if you want to keep fades. [1]
- Frame rate (Premiere and Resolve only): snap to a standard broadcast rate or keep the source frame rate. [1]
- Sample rate: the export uses the highest sample rate found in the project and upsamples lower-rate files. [1]
Captions: send them separately when in doubt
Because Premiere XML does not carry captions, export subtitles from Descript as a separate .srt or .vtt file. Its subtitle export has settings for speaker labels, maximum characters per line and maximum lines per card, so agree those with the receiving editor first. [2][1]
Descript lists a known Premiere problem where subtitles disappear, often because a subtitle card contains only periods; the fix is to delete those lines from the exported SRT and import it again. [1] If the other editor wants a written script as well, transcripts export as .html, .md, .docx, .txt or .rtf with optional timecodes and speaker labels. [5]
Known import problems and fixes
All rows are from Descript's timeline export help page. [1] In Final Cut Pro, import the file with File, Import, XML, or by double-clicking it in Finder; Final Cut Pro then builds the clips, events, projects and library the XML describes. Apple notes that FCPXML 1.10 and later is saved as an .fcpxmld bundle. [4]
| Symptom | Likely cause per Descript | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid edit with no respective media | Clips with mismatched frame rates | Re-export the files at matching rates, then use Replace file in Descript and export again |
| Premiere HDR footage looks too red or bright | Sequence color space | Set Sequence Settings to Rec. 2100 HLG |
| Final Cut Pro layers in reverse order | Layer import order | Move the layers above the main storyline |
| Final Cut Pro timecode is wrong on Sony footage | Sony XAVC timecode is ignored | Note source timecode separately if the edit depends on it |
| Pro Tools cannot find media | Characters such as * | " : < > ? / \ in filenames | Rename files, then use Manually Find and Relink |
| Reaper loses partial Studio Sound | EDL supports only 0% or 100% | Set 0% or 100%, or export a custom mix and use Replace file |
Worked example: a two-camera interview going to Premiere
Say you cut a 20-minute two-camera interview in Descript, with a lower-third title, two crossfades, captions and Studio Sound at 70%, and a freelance editor will finish it in Premiere.
If the Premiere (.prproj) Beta is on your account, it is the better choice for multicam: Descript says cuts, gaps, selected angles, linked edits, audio trims, gain and fades carry over, while layer position, scale and crop do not. Otherwise use Premiere (XML). Either way the title and crossfades must be rebuilt, captions should go as an SRT, and the editor receives both the original audio and a Studio Sound file at matched volume to blend. [1]
Handoff checklist
- Confirm the receiving app and version, then pick the matching format from the table above.
- Turn on Include media files unless the editor already has every source file.
- Decide on comments as markers; resolve the comments you do not want exported.
- Export captions as SRT or VTT with agreed line settings. [2]
- Export a reference render so the editor can see your intended titles, transitions and effects that will not transfer.
- List what must be rebuilt: titles, transitions, effects, speed changes, images, animation, room tone. [1]
- State the frame rate and whether you snapped to a broadcast rate. [1]
- Keep filenames free of special characters if anyone downstream uses Pro Tools. [1]
Questions before you decide
Which Descript plans include timeline export?
Descript says timeline export is available on Creator, Business and Enterprise plans. The Premiere .prproj format is a Beta that is not on every account yet.
Do captions survive Descript's export to Premiere?
Not in the Premiere XML format; Descript's chart lists captions as supported for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve only. Export an SRT or VTT subtitle file separately for Premiere.
Do titles and transitions transfer from Descript to other editors?
No. Descript's compatibility chart lists titles, transitions, video effects, images, shapes, clip speed and animation as unsupported in its Final Cut Pro, Premiere and Resolve exports.
How does Studio Sound come across in a timeline export?
Descript exports the source audio and the Studio Sound file separately, with volume matched to the intensity setting. Reaper exports only 0% or 100%.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Descript Help: Timeline exports Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Descript Help: Exporting subtitles Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Descript: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Apple Support: Use XML to transfer projects in Final Cut Pro for Mac Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Descript Help: Export a transcript Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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