Create offline clips

Last updated on Apr 2, 2026

Learn to use placeholder clips to organize logged footage before capturing or when source files are unavailable in Adobe Premiere.

Offline clips serve as placeholders for media files that are logged but not yet captured, or for source files that are temporarily unavailable. These clips contain metadata about the source files they represent, allowing you to organize projects and build sequences before the actual media is available.

Create offline clips to organize logged footage before batch capturing, plan sequences with placeholder media, or maintain project structure when source files are temporarily unavailable. This workflow is particularly useful for tape-based workflows with device control or when collaborating across multiple workstations. Offline clips behave like captured clips in the Project panel and Timeline, displaying Media Offline in the Program Monitor until linked to actual source files.

When you create an offline clip manually, you define essential metadata, including tape name, filename, timecode range, and media type. This information enables Premiere to locate and capture the correct footage later through batch capture operations.

Create an offline clip for future capture

In the Project panel, select the New Item icon at the bottom-right of the panel and choose Offline File.

In the New Offline File dialog box, specify the video and audio settings for the offline file, such as frame size, timebase, pixel aspect ratio, and sample rate, and then select OK.

In the Contains menu, select whether the offline clip will contain Video, Audio, or Audio And Video.

Offline File dialog with the Contains menu expanded to show Audio and Video, Audio, and Video options. — Specify whether the offline file contains audio and video, audio only, or video only before entering the remaining clip details.

For Audio Format, select the format that matches your source footage: Mono, Stereo, 5.1 or Multichannel.

In the Tape Name field, enter the name of the tape containing the source footage.

In the File Name field, enter the name you want the file to have when captured to disk.

Enter the timecode values for Media Start and Media End to define the full duration of the clip, including any handle frames needed for transitions and editing.

Select OK to create the offline clip.

The offline clip now appears in the Project panel with an offline indicator. To make the clip eligible for batch capture, ensure it contains at least a tape name, filename, and valid Media Start and Media End timecode values. When you capture or relink the offline clip to its source file, the actual media replaces the placeholder throughout your project.

Note

You cannot create an offline merged clip from scratch. Merged clips must be created from existing online media.

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