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Timeline export creates a structured project file you can keep editing in another app, with your media, edits, and source timecode intact. Timeline export is available on Creator, Business, and Enterprise plans. Compare plans to see which export formats are included.
Current limitationsMost timeline formats don’t support sequences or avatars. The Beta Premiere (.prproj) format exports supported multicam sequences.

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What happens when you export a timeline

  • You get a folder with a copy of your media files.
  • Your original files are preserved.
  • Your edits from Descript are included, so you can continue trimming and adjusting in your editor.
  • Timecode from your original files is preserved for syncing (Sony XAVC timecode is ignored in Final Cut Pro exports).
To export, click Export, then select the Timeline tab.
Descript export panel showing how to export to Timeline format.

Descript export panel showing how to export to Timeline format.

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Export settings

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Export comments as markers

  1. Click Export and select Timeline.
  2. Choose a Format and turn on Include comments as markers when the option is available.
  3. Click Export and choose where to save your timeline.
Each unresolved project comment thread becomes a marker at its current position in the composition. Marker text includes the comment author’s name. Replies appear in chronological order in the marker note, or in the marker name if the format has no note field. Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and Audition preserve the comment’s time range. Final Cut Pro and Reaper export point markers. Resolved comments and comments whose linked text no longer appears in the composition don’t export.

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Limitations

Exporting AAF files or room tone:
  • Some Pro Tools editions don’t support AAF imports — check the Pro Tools plan comparison for compatibility.
  • AAF exports also split stereo files into two mono tracks.
  • If you’re exporting room tone, note that it’s only included if your project is audio-only and Studio Sound is turned off.
Sample rate compatibility:
  • Timeline export will default to the highest sample rate found in the project. For example, if most of your files are 44.1 kHz but one is 48 kHz, all files will be upsampled to 48 kHz on export.

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Export a native Premiere project (.prproj)

The Premiere (.prproj) format creates a Premiere Pro project file instead of an XML file. Use it when your composition uses a multicam sequence and you want to keep switching camera angles in Premiere.
Beta formatPremiere (.prproj) is in Beta and isn’t on every account yet. If it’s missing from the Format menu, use Premiere (XML).
  1. Click Export and select Timeline.
  2. Open the Format menu and choose Premiere (.prproj).
  3. Adjust any other settings, then click Export.
  4. Open the exported project in Premiere Pro.
What carries over:
  • Each camera layer in a supported sequence becomes a multi-camera clip with Multi-Camera already turned on. To switch angles, right-click the clip and choose Multi-Camera.
  • Your cuts, gaps, and selected camera angles.
  • Linked video and audio edits, plus audio trims, gain, and fades.
  • Independent layers stay on their own tracks.
Current limitations:
  • Layer position, scale, crop, and other visual transforms don’t export.
  • Switching angles in Premiere changes the video only. The audio stays the same.
  • Clips with speed changes, layers that aren’t camera angles, and unsupported sources export as regular clips, not multicam clips.

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XML Interchange Feature Chart

Studio Sound and timeline exportsWhenever Studio Sound is applied to a file, a new source file is created with the Studio Sound effect. For files with an intensity setting of less than 100%, Descript automatically blends the source and studio sound file together.Timeline exports of Studio Sound files will include both the source audio and Studio Sound files separately, with volume adjusted to match the configured intensity value in your source composition.

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Troubleshooting common timeline export issues

If you’re running into problems with your exported timeline in another app, check the sections below for fixes and workarounds based on the app you’re using.
Some Descript features aren’t supported in timeline exports. Refer to the XML feature chart for compatibility details.
When you adjust the Studio Sound intensity in Descript, it creates a live mix between the original and enhanced audio. However, timeline exports don’t preserve this blend — only the original (0%) or fully enhanced (100%) version is exported by default.To work around this, you have three options:
  • Set Studio Sound to 0%: Export only the original, unenhanced audio.
  • Set Studio Sound to 100%: Export only the fully enhanced audio.
  • Replace the track with a custom mix:
    1. Create a new composition with Studio Sound set to your preferred intensity.
    2. Export the mixed audio from the new composition.
    3. Use the Replace file feature to swap the mixed version into your project.
    4. Export your timeline as normal.
This usually means your project contains clips with different frame rates. Re-export your files with matching frame rates, then use the Replace file feature before exporting the timeline.
If subtitles disappear after a certain point in your timeline in Premiere, it’s often caused by a subtitle card that contains only periods (”.”).To fix this:
  1. Export your subtitles as an SRT file from Descript.
  2. Open the SRT file in a text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit).
  3. Look for any subtitle cards that only contain periods on a new line.
  4. Delete those lines completely.
  5. Save the cleaned SRT file.
  6. Re-import the corrected SRT file into your Premiere project.
SRT file showing subtitle lines with only periods that need to be deleted.
Once cleaned, your subtitles should appear correctly throughout your timeline in Premiere.
Move the layers above the main storyline in Final Cut Pro to restore correct stacking order after import.
Use Manually Find & Relink in Pro Tools to manually reconnect missing files. Make sure you:
  • Expand folders in the Relink window and check the box for your source file folder.
  • Select individual missing files before clicking Find all Candidates.
  • Commit the links after matching candidates are found.
File name restrictionsPro Tools does not support the following special characters in file names: * | ” : < > ? / \
If HDR content appears overly red or bright when imported into Premiere, open Sequence Settings and change the color space to Rec. 2100 HLG to correct the display.
This is expected behavior when importing multichannel audio in Pro Tools. It automatically adds ”.A1”, ”.A2”, etc. to track names. This does not affect audio quality.