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# How to edit a video in Premiere Pro: a first project from import to export
- URL: https://premiereproclub.com/edit-video-premiere-pro/
- Published: 2026-11-06T16:39:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-06T16:39:13.000Z
- Description: Keep footage organized and finish a short desktop edit from import to MP4. Set the picture timing first, then finish sound and color before adding a title.
- Author: Jack Sullivan
- Tags: Getting started

To edit your first video in Adobe Premiere (formerly Premiere Pro), import the footage and arrange it in a sequence. Make the cuts first, then finish the sound and color before adding a title and exporting an MP4\. I'd keep that order because a later cut can change where the music and title need to begin and end.

This guide uses the desktop app on Windows or macOS. Start with a few local clips for one short video, preferably with the same orientation and frame rate. Keep the exercise small.

## Put the footage somewhere you can keep it

Choose a working folder that will stay available while you edit. Keep your footage there, choose a place for the saved project, and reserve a folder for exports. Give the project a name you'll recognize when you return to it.

These files do different jobs. Adobe explains that the [project file records your edits](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/organize-media/create-projects/start-projects.html?ref=premiereproclub.com); exporting encodes a new video file.

| Item          | What it does                                                            |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Source media  | The original video, recorded sound and other files you use in the edit. |
| Saved project | Records your sequences, asset information and editing decisions.        |
| Exported MP4  | A new video file containing the finished edit.                          |

Keep the source files accessible at their working locations. Premiere has a [locate and link missing media](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/organize-media/file-organization/locate-and-link-offline-files.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) workflow for broken file links. A saved project alone does not replace the footage it uses.

## Create the project and its first sequence

1. On the home screen, choose **New Project**. Enter the project name and choose where to save it.
2. Leave **Skip import mode** unchecked for this route. Once ticked, it stays selected for future projects, so clear the box if an earlier project left it on. Select **Create** to open Import mode.

[![New Project dialog with project name, location, Template and an unchecked Skip import mode checkbox](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-c876d38636ce-v2-new-project.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-c876d38636ce-v2-new-project.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

Name the project and choose its folder. In this dialog, Create opens Import mode when Skip import mode is unchecked. [Open the full-size New Project controls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-c876d38636ce-v2-new-project.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com).

1. In Import mode, choose your main video clip first, then select the other footage. The selected items collect in the **Selection Tray**.
2. Under **Import Settings**, use **Organize Media** if you want a named bin for these clips. A bin organizes items in the project; this option does not copy their files to a new disk location. **Copy media** is a separate option for temporary sources such as camera cards.
3. Turn on **Create new sequence**, then choose **Create**.

The first clip matters: Premiere bases this sequence's resolution and frame rate on the [first asset selected](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/organize-media/create-projects/create-new-project.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Choose the video that represents the footage you want to edit. With **Create new sequence** switched off, the imported media goes to the Project panel instead.

A [sequence can contain several video and audio tracks](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/change-clip-sequence/create-a-sequence.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). That sequence is the arrangement you build on the timeline. One project can hold more than one sequence, each with its own settings; for this first edit, work in the one you just created.

Before cutting, open **Sequence > [Sequence Settings](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/change-clip-sequence/change-sequence-settings.html?ref=premiereproclub.com)** and check the frame size and timebase against your intended video. Start with matching footage so the first exercise stays simple. If the sequence has the wrong shape or frame rate, resolve that now, before building the cut around it.

## Find your clips and watch the sequence

The panel names tell you what you are looking at. In particular, Adobe's [Source and Program monitors](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/get-started/source-and-program-monitor-adjustments/about-source-monitor-and-program-monitor.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) show different things: an individual clip and the active sequence.

| Panel           | Use it for                                                       |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Project         | Find imported media, bins and sequences.                         |
| Source Monitor  | Preview an individual clip. Double-click a clip to open it here. |
| Timeline        | Arrange clips on video and audio tracks and make your cuts.      |
| Program Monitor | Watch the sequence you are assembling.                           |

If your layout has become confusing, choose **Window > Workspaces > Editing**. To restore the selected workspace's saved panel arrangement, choose **Window > Workspaces > [Reset to Saved Layout](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/get-started/tour-the-workspace/change-create-reset-workspaces.html?ref=premiereproclub.com)**.

You can also [open panels from the Window menu](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/get-started/tour-the-workspace/navigate-the-panels.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). If Properties is hidden later, open it there and select the clip or title you want to change. Its [controls depend on the selected item](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/stylize-text/about-properties-panel.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

## Cut the shots into order

First put the shots in an order that makes sense. Select and drag clips on the timeline to reposition them. To add a missing shot, drag it from the Project panel into the sequence. Double-click an unfamiliar source clip if you want to preview it on its own before deciding where it belongs.

Adobe documents how to [trim, cut and reposition clips](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/intro-to-editing/edit-video-in-premiere.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) without altering the original media. Use trimming for an unwanted beginning or end; use two cuts to isolate something in the middle.

### Trim the beginning or end

Choose the **Selection tool**, select a timeline clip and drag its left or right edge inward. Play across the new boundary. Check whether the action begins too late, the shot ends too early, or the sound is cut halfway through a word.

For a trim that also closes the adjacent gap, use the **Ripple Edit tool** (**B** by default) on the clip edge. Keep watching the clips beside the edit so the change leaves the timing you intended.

### Remove a section from the middle

1. Choose the **Razor tool**. Click the clip where the unwanted section begins, then click where it ends.
2. Return to the **Selection tool**. Select the unwanted piece. If it has linked recorded audio, confirm that both picture and sound are highlighted before choosing **Edit > Clear**. With **Linked Selection** on (its button sits at the top left of the Timeline), [selecting a linked clip selects its audio and video](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/change-clip-sequence/select-clips.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) together.
3. If an empty gap remains, select the gap and delete it. The default Clear key is **Delete** on Windows and **Forward Delete** on macOS.
4. Start playback before the cut and continue into the next shot. Watch the movement and listen to the sound through the join.

The useful default keys here are **V** for Selection, **C** for Razor and **Spacebar** to play or pause. For a wrong change, choose **Edit > Undo**, or press **Ctrl+Z** on Windows or **Command+Z** on macOS. Adobe's [default keyboard shortcuts](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/get-started/keyboard-shortcuts/default-keyboard-shortcuts.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) can be changed, so use the named tool or menu command if your keys behave differently.

[![Razor tool beside video on V1 and its recorded audio on A1, split at the same edit point](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-5ace034c3834-owner130-timeline.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-5ace034c3834-owner130-timeline.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

Cut picture and recorded sound at the same edit point, then play through the join to check sync. [Open the full-size cut and linked tracks](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-5ace034c3834-owner130-timeline.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com).

Check picture and recorded sound together after each removal. For track targeting, linked audio or cuts across several tracks, follow the [split clips](https://premiereproclub.com/split-clip-premiere-pro/) guide. Finish the basic shot order and timing before adding music or titles.

## Add music and keep speech clear

With the shot order settled, this is the simple stack for the finishing steps, from top to bottom:

- **V2:** the title you will add after color.
- **V1:** main footage.
- **A1:** recorded sound.
- **A2:** music.

Use a local audio file you have permission to use. Choose **File > Import**, select the file, then drag it from the Project panel onto its own audio track in the sequence. Keep it separate from any recorded speech so you can adjust the music clip independently.

Move the music to its intended starting point and trim its end to suit the cut. Select that audio clip and lower the [Volume control in Properties](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-audio-effects/basic-audio-editing/edit-audio-using-the-properties-panel.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). This changes the selected clip's level.

Play a section with speech while the music is audible. Can you follow every word without concentrating on it? Lower the music again if it competes with the voice, then check a quieter section too. For fades and more detailed level changes, use the guide to [add music](https://premiereproclub.com/add-music-premiere-pro/).

## Fix an obvious color mismatch

Choose **Window > Workspaces > Color**. Select the clip and place the playhead over it. Open **Window > [Lumetri Scopes](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/correct-color/add-color-effects/display-lumetri-scopes.html?ref=premiereproclub.com)**; right-click inside the panel to choose the scopes you need.

Use the waveform to compare brightness and **Vectorscope YUV** to check hue and saturation, as described in Adobe's [scope guide](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/correct-color/add-color-effects/available-lumetri-scopes.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Then open **Basic Correction** in Lumetri Color and compare the picture as you adjust.

Start with the visible problem. Adobe's [Basic Correction controls](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/correct-color/color-correction-fundamentals/basic-color-correction-options.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) include exposure and white balance:

- **Too dark or too bright:** adjust **Exposure**. Move it right to brighten the clip or left to darken it.
- **Too blue or too orange:** adjust **Temperature**. Left makes the image cooler; right makes it warmer. Make a small change and look at something you expect to appear neutral.

Play from the previous shot into the corrected one and onward. Judge the transition between shots as well as the paused frame. When a shot needs more than these two sliders, my [color correction walkthrough](https://premiereproclub.com/color-correction-premiere-pro/) goes on to white balance, contrast and matching the next shot to a reference.

## Add one title that lasts long enough to read

Move the playhead to where the title should appear. To [create and edit a title](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/stylize-text/create-titles.html?ref=premiereproclub.com), choose the **Type tool** from the toolbar and type in the Program Monitor. Right-click the title there and choose **Edit Properties**.

Use Properties to adjust the font, color, outline and alignment. Keep the title short and choose a treatment that stays readable over the actual moving picture behind it. For later styling changes, the [add text](https://premiereproclub.com/add-text-premiere-pro/) guide follows the title through its editable controls.

In the timeline, keep the title graphic on a video track above the footage it should cover. Select it and [trim the graphic clip](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/insert-images-and-graphics/preserve-intro-outro-animations-while-creating-responsive-design-graphics.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) by dragging its edges to set when the title appears and disappears. Play through it at normal speed and read the words aloud; extend it if you run out of time.

## Save the project and export an MP4

If you change the timing after finishing, recheck the music edit and title duration before exporting. Choose **File > Save**, or use **Ctrl+S** on Windows or **Command+S** on macOS. Save after the rough cut as well as before export so your editing decisions are recorded in the project.

1. Select the sequence you intend to export in the Timeline panel.
2. Choose **File > Export > Media**. The default shortcut is **Ctrl+M** on Windows or **Command+M** on macOS.
3. Choose **Media File** for an export to your local drive. Set a recognizable filename and the output folder.
4. Set the format to **H.264**. Adobe explicitly documents [H.264 for MP4](https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/premiere/desktop/render-and-export/export-files/export-video-and-audio-files.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).
5. For a starting preset, choose **Match Source** with **Adaptive High Bitrate** in its name. Adobe says it [matches the sequence frame size and frame rate](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/render-and-export/export-files/export-video.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Check those values under Video and review the Audio settings for the file you need.
6. Scrub the export preview. Check the beginning, the ending and the duration so the file contains the part you intended. Then choose **Export** to render and save it.

[![Media File export controls with H.264 format and the Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate preset](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-79cb4d6c3e39-owner130-export.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-79cb4d6c3e39-owner130-export.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

Choose Media File, set the name and location, then check the preset and H.264 format before exporting. [Open the full-size export controls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a11-79cb4d6c3e39-owner130-export.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com).

Open the MP4 from the folder you selected and play it from beginning to end. Look for black gaps or a title that ends too soon, and listen for missing sound or music that covers the voice. If a clip shows the red Media Offline frame after you move or rename the footage folder, [relink the offline media](https://premiereproclub.com/media-offline-premiere-pro/) before you export again.