Importing digital audio

Premiere can import digital audio clips stored as audio files or tracks in video files. Digital audio is stored as binary data readable by computers. Most digital audio is stored on computer hard disks, audio compact discs (CDs), or digital audio tape (DAT). If you have capture hardware that can read digital audio data directly, such as an IEEE 1394 (FireWire/i.Link) connection, you can preserve the quality of your digital audio source. Using all digital connections, you can capture digital audio directly into Premiere from the Movie Capture window: make sure to turn off the Take Video option and set your audio source settings in the Movie Capture window menu.

Many computers in their standard configuration import audio through analog input jacks; the digital audio is converted to analog when you use the audio equipment output jacks and converted back to digital when you capture. This additional digital-analog-digital conversion reduces audio quality somewhat.

Audio from individual audio CD tracks are written as individual Compact Disc Audio (CDA) format files. Premiere does not support the CDA format, so you must convert them to a supported format before importing them. Once the digital audio is in a format that Premiere can read, include it in your project using the Import command. See Importing clips.

Note: Make sure that you own the copyrights or have licensed the copyrights to any CD tracks you use.

Capturing and Importing Source Clips > Importing digital audio

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