Adobe Premiere Pro is a powerful app for editing and producing videos. It works with an array of file formats. But sometimes, you may run across a file in a format not supported by Premiere Pro. One of these is .MKV. Fortunately, you can convert it to a working, compatible file.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to import MKV into Premiere Pro. If you’re worried about Premiere Pro giving you an “MKV not supported” error, this is your solution. With a quick conversion step, you can work with the contents of MKV files right in Premiere Pro.
Let’s get started!
What is MKV?
MKV (short for Matroska Video) is an open-source container file format for multimedia. MKV files can contain other files spanning common formats. For example, you might have an MKV file with MP4 videos inside. But while Premiere Pro can open MP4 files with ease, it can’t open MKV files.
This might lead you to wonder why MKV files are used. Well, they offer some key advantages. For example, they easily support multiple audiovisual codecs. Plus, they allow for easy categorization with metadata. And many value the open-source nature of the tool.
Does Adobe Premiere support MKV? No, but many other apps do. MKV files also support easier recovery of corrupted files. For these reasons, they are in common use. And it’s easy to convert them to Premiere Pro formats. You won’t even need an Adobe Premiere MKV plugin.
How to Import MKV Into Premiere Pro (Step by Step)
Let’s learn how to import MKV in Premiere Pro. Learning how to use MKV in Premiere is easy. All you have to do is convert MKV files into more common formats, like MP4. Once you do, you can launch them in Adobe Premiere Pro!
For this tutorial, let’s work with the Los Angeles Downtown stock footage from Envato Elements. I packaged it in MKV format after downloading for example purposes.
1. Download an Adobe Premiere MKV Converter
Wondering how to get MKV into Premiere Pro? It’s easy. Instead of using an Adobe Premiere MKV plugin, you can convert the files. MKV files are not supported by Premiere.
But all you have to do is convert these files into a format that Premiere supports. And luckily, this process is both fast and free.
One of the best options is HandBrake. HandBrake is a free, open-source tool that allows you to convert almost any video into commonly used formats. Download it for free here to follow along with our tutorial. You’ll find support for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
2. Convert an MKV File to a Premiere Pro File
With HandBrake downloaded, go ahead and open it. You’ll see the menu appear like this. We’ll use HandBrake to look at how to use MKV in Premiere.
In the upper left corner, find the Open Source button. This is how you can find an MKV file to convert. Click Open Source, and a file browser will open. When it does, browse to the MKV file that you want to use in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Find the MKV, then click to select it. Once you’ve done that, click Open in the lower left corner of the Finder window. You’ll see the MKV file populate the Source section at the top of your HandBrake window.
Below, make sure you’ve selected the Summary tab. Then, click on the Format dropdown window. Premiere Pro works effortlessly with MP4 videos, so click to select that option. Then, look at the bottom of the window.
Here, you can choose a name and destination for the MKV file that you are about to convert to MP4. You can stay with the default option, or click Browse to choose a new location to save in.
Finally, find the green Start arrow button at the top of the HandBrake window. Click on it. In a few seconds (depending on the size of your MKV file), HandBrake will convert the file into an MP4.
3. Launch Files in Adobe Premiere Pro
When your conversion in HandBrake is finished, you’re all set! All you need to do now is browse to where the exported file is stored. Now, you can launch Adobe Premiere Pro and start working with your MP4 file.
Adobe Premiere MKV files are easy to use, thanks to this conversion process. You’ve just learned how to import MKV in Premiere Pro!
With a quick step of converting the files, you can use any MKV video file in your next Premiere Pro project. With that, you’ve unlocked a new world of video creation and production opportunities.
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Open MKV Files in Premiere Pro Today
Does Premiere Pro support MKV? Not directly, but you learned an easy workaround.
In this tutorial, you just learned how to open MKV in Premiere Pro. It’s a quick, easy process. Although Premiere doesn’t support native MKV files, it’s no problem. All you have to do is use a free converter like HandBrake to convert MKV files into other formats, like MP4.
This opens a new world of use in Premiere Pro to you. You won’t be held back if you need to use MKV files! You can enjoy their benefits, and enjoy all the features that Adobe Premiere has to offer. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today.