What are XML and FCPXML in video editing?
XML and FCPXML files describe an editing timeline: which media segments go in, in what order, on which tracks and at what point in each original file. The .xml format is read by Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve; .fcpxml is Final Cut Pro's format. The media does not travel with it, only the edit.
Also called: FCP7 XML, Final Cut Pro XML, timeline XML
What goes in the file and what does not
The XML is the recipe for the edit. When you open it, the editor asks you to relink the media already on your computer.
| In the XML | Not in the XML |
|---|---|
| Order of the segments | The video files themselves |
| In and out of each segment | Third-party plugins and effects |
| Video and audio tracks | Cache and renders |
| File names and paths | Settings the other editor does not know |
Why XML saves days
It moves an edit from one app to another without redoing the cuts: from editorial to color in DaVinci, from the assistant to the lead editor, or from a logging tool straight into the timeline.
The catch is knowing what does not make it across: titles, complex transitions and each editor's own effects are often lost. Cuts, tracks and timing arrive.
XML and FCPXML in FilmScribe
On Studio and Agency, you pick lines in the transcript (favorites, script, selections or clips) and download the cut timeline: .xml for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve and .fcpxml for Final Cut Pro, with every segment at the exact timing of the raw media. You can also upload your synced timeline and get the cut on top of it.
On every plan, captions also come as FCPXML for Final Cut, alongside the SRT.
Export to editors Your text-based paper edit, already cut, in Premiere, DaVinci or Final Cut, on Studio and Agency. See the export →Moving timelines by XML without losing work
- 01
Keep the media paths stable
The XML points to file names and folders. Copy the media with the same structure and names to the other machine, and relinking finds everything in one go.
- 02
Test a short section first
Before sending a full project, export a short sequence with every kind of clip you used and open it on the other side. You learn what breaks in minutes, not after a day of work.
- 03
Send a reference video
Include a low-resolution render of the timeline with burned-in timecode. The receiving editor lays it over the imported sequence to spot any clip that moved, changed speed or went missing.
- 04
Check the sequence settings
After import, confirm the frame rate and resolution of the new sequence. If the receiving app guesses wrong, edits can land a frame off or the framing changes.
Related terms
See all terms →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between XML and FCPXML?
The .xml format (in the Final Cut 7 flavor) became the exchange standard between Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. The .fcpxml format is the current Final Cut Pro format, with a different structure. Both describe the timeline, but one editor will not open the other's format without conversion.
How do I import an XML into Premiere?
Choose File > Import and pick the .xml. The sequence appears in the project panel. If the media shows as offline, relink it to the original file.
Does the XML include the media?
No. It only carries the edit and points to the files. That is why the file is small and the editor asks you to relink the media.
Captions, clips and paper edits. All in one place.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word with its timing, and you take the result to social media or to your editor.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.