How to Deliver a Pro Tools-Ready AAF from Adobe Premiere

An exporting guide for editors. producers. creative directors. post supervisors.

What is an AAF, and why does it matter?

An AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) is a single file that holds your audio and its information together.

It keeps clip names, automation, and track layout the same when moving from Premiere to Pro Tools.

That means less cleanup later and faster dialogue prep once it’s on our mix stage.

How is AAF different from OMF?

OMF (Open Media Framework) came first. It still works, but it loses automation and track names.

AAF keeps everything—it’s now the standard for Pro Tools, Media Composer, and Resolve.
Unless you’re using older systems, always send an AAF, not an OMF.

Duplicate your final sequence so you keep the original safe.
Remove all video tracks and unlink anything tied to picture.
Go to File → Export → AAF.
Select the settings shown below
Place the AAF in the same folder as your reference video before you upload.

Setting	Value	Why
Sample Rate	48 kHz	Standard for broadcast and streaming
Bit Depth	24-bit	Keeps audio quality and headroom
Format	Broadcast WAV	Preserves metadata
Breakout to Mono	✔	Prevents routing errors
Render Clip Effects	✔ + copies	Gives both processed and clean versions
Embed Audio	✔	Easier to deliver
Trim Audio	✔	Choose at least 3 second handles

Common export problems—and how to fix them

The fastest way to get a clean AAF from Premiere

Export with Breakout to Mono turned on.

That one setting fixes most of the relink and phase problems we see when opening a session in Pro Tools.

We load dozens of AAFs every month, and the ones made this way always open cleanly.

Nested sequences

Premiere flattens them into stereo mixdowns, which removes clip edits.

Always flatten before export. If it’s already nested, rebuild the sequence from the original timelines.

Merged or multicam clips

These can drift out of sync when exported. Use a flattened, synced timeline built from the original WAVs.

Linked video

Pro Tools doesn’t need picture inside the AAF. Including it can cause hangs.

**Export a separate DNxHD/HR or ProRes video with guide audio instead, and keep the AAF audio-only.**

Should you embed or separate the audio?

For most projects, embed the audio—it travels as one file and rarely breaks.
Use separate audio only when you need field-recorder matching or detailed metadata.

In about 90% of mixes, embedded AAFs are faster and safer.

Why “Breakout to Mono” matters

Premiere’s default stereo pairs don’t line up with how Pro Tools organizes tracks.

If you skip Breakout to Mono, your dialogue stems might import incorrectly.
Turning it on guarantees correct routing and a clean layout every time.

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