What is FCPXML?

What an FCPXML file contains

FCPXML was introduced with Final Cut Pro X. It is plain XML, so you can open it in a text editor. A typical file has a resources section listing each media file (its path, frame rate and duration) and a library or project section describing the timeline: a spine of clips, each with an offset on the timeline, a start point in the source and a duration.

Times are stored as rational numbers, such as 1001/30000s, rather than rounded decimals. That lets FCPXML describe frame boundaries exactly at rates like 29.97 fps, which is why it is described as frame-accurate.

Beyond cuts, FCPXML can carry markers, keywords, clip names, roles, audio levels, connected clips on other lanes, and some transitions and effects.

The practical value is that a timeline can move between people and tools without being rebuilt. An assistant editor can assemble selects in one app, export FCPXML, and hand the file to an editor who opens the same sequence, pointing at the same media, with clip names and markers intact. Nothing about the media is copied; only the edit decisions travel.

FCPXML vs FCP7 XML vs EDL

Two similarly named formats cause confusion. FCP7 XML (sometimes called XMEML) is the older format from Final Cut Pro 7; it is different from FCPXML and not interchangeable with it. An EDL is a much simpler plain-text cut list that nearly every editor reads but that carries little beyond source and record timecodes.

In practice, use FCPXML when you want clip names, markers and several tracks to survive the trip, and an EDL as a fallback when a pipeline only accepts the lowest common denominator.

Common pitfalls

• Version mismatches. FCPXML has numbered versions. An older app may refuse a file written for a newer version.
• Offline media. The file references media by path. If the media moved, you will need to relink after import.
• Effects don't always translate. Cuts, clip names and markers travel well; color grades and third-party effects often don't.
• Import differences. Final Cut and Resolve read FCPXML directly. Premiere Pro's support is more limited, so check the result after import.

In MediaFind

With Pro, MediaFind can export a set of search results, or a timeline built in Create, as an FCPXML file for Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro. In and out points are frame-accurate, snapped to each source file's frame rate. Export is a Pro feature; searching and the Create editor are available on the free plan. See exporting selects to Premiere and Resolve and how the export works.

Frequently asked questions

Can Premiere Pro open FCPXML files?

Premiere Pro can import FCPXML, but its support is less complete than Final Cut Pro's or DaVinci Resolve's. Check clip placement and markers after import, and keep an EDL as a fallback.

Is FCPXML the same as Final Cut Pro 7 XML?

No. FCP7 XML is an older, different format. Tools that ask for XML from Final Cut Pro 7 generally cannot read FCPXML, and vice versa.

Does FCPXML include the media files?

No. It only references them by file path. The media must be available on the computer that opens the timeline.