What is an EDL (edit decision list)?

Where EDLs come from

EDLs date back to tape-based editing, when an edit controller needed a list of exactly which frames to copy from which source tape. The CMX3600 format, named after an edit system from that era, became the de facto standard and is still what most editors mean by “EDL.” Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer and many other tools import and export it.

How to read one

A CMX3600 EDL starts with a title line and often a frame-code mode line (FCM: NON-DROP FRAME or DROP FRAME). Each event is one line:

001 AX V C 00:02:41:10 00:02:48:02 01:00:00:00 01:00:06:16

Reading left to right: the event number (001), the reel or source name (AX is a common placeholder for “auxiliary” file-based sources), the track (V for video, A or A2 for audio), the transition (C for cut, D for dissolve), then four timecodes: source in, source out, record in and record out. Comment lines such as * FROM CLIP NAME: interview_02.mov tell the importing app which file the event refers to.

Because it is plain text, an EDL is easy to inspect and fix by hand. If an import goes wrong, opening the file in a text editor usually shows the problem quickly: a reel name the app can't match to a file, a timecode in the wrong frame rate, or an event that points past the end of its source clip. Editors often keep EDLs as a lightweight, readable record of a cut for exactly this reason.

What an EDL can't carry

Its simplicity is both its strength and its limit:

• Limited tracks. CMX3600 describes one video track per list, plus a few audio channels. Multi-layer edits usually need one EDL per video track.
• Few effects. Cuts, dissolves and simple wipes, plus basic speed changes. No color, titles, keyframes or plugins.
• Short reel names. The classic format limits reel names to eight characters, so long file names live in comments instead.
• Little metadata. Markers and notes are handled inconsistently across apps.
• Frame-rate traps. Timecode means nothing without the right frame rate. A drop-frame mismatch shifts cuts by a few frames over an hour.

EDL vs FCPXML

Choose an EDL when you need something any system will read, or when you're handing a cut list to a colorist or finishing house that asks for one. Choose FCPXML when you want clip names, markers and multiple tracks to survive the trip.

In MediaFind

With Pro, MediaFind exports search results, or a timeline built in Create, as an EDL alongside the FCPXML option, with in and out points snapped to each file's frame rate. The EDL is the fallback that should open anywhere; the FCPXML carries more detail. Export is a Pro feature. See export selects to Premiere and Resolve.

Frequently asked questions

What does CMX3600 mean?

CMX3600 is the name of an EDL format that originated with CMX edit systems. It became the most widely supported EDL flavor and is still the default in most editing apps.

Can an EDL hold multiple video tracks?

A CMX3600 EDL describes a single video track. For a multi-layer timeline, export one EDL per track or use a richer format such as FCPXML.

Why are my EDL cuts off by a few frames?

Usually a frame-rate or drop-frame mismatch between the EDL and the project. Make sure both use the same rate and timecode mode.