As content creators, we’re always looking for tools that make our workflow more seamless. Because let’s be honest – content creation, whether it’s Youtube videos, vlogs, or ads, is no cakewalk. There’s so much involved in the whole process, from shooting to post-processing and editing. But even after you’re done editing and ready for delivery, there’s one primary step that remains – exporting your video!
Exporting a finished video with Premiere Pro is an important, unmissable step. But many of us are intimidated by this process, as all you can see on screen are so many options, settings, and features. Getting confused about exporting a video in this seemingly complex setting is pretty justified.
However, if you take a close look, you’d realize that exporting videos in Premiere Pro is not that difficult! So, to make it easier for you, we’ve come up with a guide to help you learn and master exporting videos from Adobe Premiere Pro. So let’s get started already!
Things to Consider (Before You Begin Exporting Your Video)
Before you start exporting the video, you first need to ascertain where your video will be delivered and how it will be viewed. Different platforms have different format requirements – being sure of where your video will ultimately be uploaded helps you choose the formats better.
Is your video lengthy? Will it be uploaded on Youtube? Do you need a high-quality export for archive or stock footage websites? Or will the video be sent within an email? Will you need a compressed version of the video? Or will you require the highest quality version? These are some of the aspects you need to define.
Adobe Premiere Pro offers different formats and presets, and once you’re sure of the exact purpose of your video, you can then process to choose the best export option. The top four formats to export your video from Premiere Pro are H.264, AVI, TIFF sequence, and Quicktime MOV.
Now that we’re all clear with the pre-export stage, let’s get started with the steps to export a video in Premiere Pro.
Step 1: Navigate to the Export Window
For starters, open the export window in Premiere Pro using this pathway – File>Export>Media. If you’re using a PC for the exporting process, you can also opt for the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+M. If you’re using a Mac, you need to use the shortcut Cmd+M.
You’ll see a new window that pops up, and on this window, you’ll have multiple settings and other options. The menu here allows you to tweak different aspects of the video – right from the portion of the sequence you want to export to the codec settings in the finished file.
Premiere Pro is pretty flexible in these settings, so you can adjust the video and then send it to the Media Encoder for exporting.
Step 2: Select What to Export
You need to select the video part you want to render before beginning the export process. Select the portion of the video you wish to export (if you’re looking to export the entire sequence, you can skip this step). It’s always good to scan through the video once to ensure that only the parts you want the world out there to see are exported.
To select the video, you need to adjust the handles right below the preview; drag them to accommodate the parts of the video you want to use. The left handle indicates the starting point, whereas the right displays the endpoint of your video.
After you’ve copied the video as required, you can access the Source settings at the upper left corner of the window. Here, you can draw a window on the part of the canvas you would like to export – a square for Instagram or any other dimensions according to the platform you’d be exporting the video to. Again, if you don’t require to crop your resolution, you can leave the setting.
Setup 3: Adjust Your Sequence Settings
You’ve already decided on the delivery destination of your video even before we began the exporting process. Premiere Pro offers a range of already installed presets, which you can quickly choose for your exported file.
If you’re looking for a quicker option than the custom settings, you can always switch to the Match Sequence Settings option. However, match Settings Sequence would alter your export settings to exactly match your sequence settings. Preferably, try not to use this option, as most delivery destinations require specific codecs other than your intermediate codec or standard editing.
Step 4: Choose the Platform You’ll be Exporting For
Premiere Pro helps export your video in the best-recommended settings, depending on which platform you’ll be exporting to. You can either go with the best-recommended settings or choose the custom settings. The latter is always a better option!
Step 5: Select the Format and Codec
While we’ve specified four of the best formats, keep in mind that you’d be using the H.264 format for almost 85-90% of your exports. It is the best setting for web playback and is also the most common codec for video exports through Premiere Pro.
The H.264 format is compatible with many devices and services, and it is typically an excellent choice for most videos. Also, it does a great job of compressing your video file without affecting its quality. Further, you can select a preset that matches the desired output and sequence.
There would be times when you wouldn’t be exporting a video for online uploads – for example, if your video was directly played on a screen from the digital file, you wouldn’t be required to export it in the H.264 format. In such cases, when you have specific format requirements, you can always choose other formats from the dropdown menu.
For example, if you’re looking only to export the audio, you must select the MP3 option. On the other hand, select GIF settings if you wish to create something unique for social media platforms.
Step 6: Adjust Your Bitrate and Other Fine Settings
Before clicking the Export option, ensure you have specified an output name for the exported video file. Once you have named the file correctly, ensure you have checked both Export Video and Export Audio options so that the exported file contains both video and audio elements.
If you are open to customizing your video, you can do that in this window as you have access to changing settings. For example, you can select the Render at Maximum Depth option to export your video in the best possible way. Of course, selecting this option increases the render time, but ultimately, you have the best quality export file – the time taken is worth it once you see the outcome!
The bitrate of the file determines its size, so you need to lower your bitrate to the least size for smaller-sized files. However, for the best export copy, a higher bitrate is suggested.
Step 7: Export The Video
Premiere Pro offers two export options – Queue or Export. If you select Queue, you’ll be directed to the Media Encoder. Here, the sequence will be added to the queue. After this, you can click the green play button at the top to start the export process. Queuing allows you to export multiple sequences at the same time, which is particularly useful if you are exporting multiple short clips such as stock footage clips for example.
As the Media Encoder continues the export process in the background, you can simultaneously use Premiere Pro for other tasks. Queuing is an efficient, time-saving way to export videos and is preferred by most videographers.
If you don’t opt for the Queue option, you can directly select the Export option – which allows you to export the sequence directly from the window. The only drawback of direct exporting is that you wouldn’t be able to use Premiere Pro for other tasks during the export.
Once the Export process is complete, your new video file will be created. It’s now ready to share with the world!
Quick Tip: Save Your Export Settings
If you intend to use the same export process for all your videos, you can also consider saving the export settings. This saves you the time and effort to do it all over again. You will find the Save Preset option in the preset dropdown menu in the export window. Click on the option, after which you would be directed to name the preset. You can use this saved preset any time in the future – all you have to do is choose the name from the dropdown menu.
Summing Up
You can export videos in whichever file formats you prefer with these simple steps. Of course, the settings may vary for different file formats, but otherwise, the whole process stays the same. Some tweaks here and there, and you can easily export videos with the help of Premiere Pro.
The best part about Premiere Pro is that it is super easy to use, flexible, and customizable. It is built to make your workflow easier – so you can use this platform for everything. Exporting just got easier with Premiere Pro (and the tips we’ve shared) – so go ahead, try exporting those videos yourself (and thank us later)!
