Adobe Media Encoder Critical Bug Report

Issue Summary

Critical audio export failure in Adobe Media Encoder after September 2025 update

Problem Description

Media Encoder consistently displays "Audio Offline" error when attempting to export any sequence containing audio from Premiere Pro. This affects all projects and audio formats, making Media Encoder unusable for any audio-containing exports.

Software Versions

• Media Encoder: Version 25.5 (Build 13) - September 2025 release

• Issue Started: September 15, 2025 (2 days after update)

• Previous Status: Working perfectly before update

Troubleshooting Attempted

• ✅ Rollback: Downgraded to Media Encoder v25.4.1 (Build 1) - Issue persists

• ✅ Complete Reinstall: Uninstalled Media Encoder, cleared preferences, fresh install - Issue persists

• ✅ Multiple Projects: Tested with different clients/projects - Issue affects all projects

• ✅ Various Audio Formats: Tested 24-bit and 32-bit audio files - Issue affects all formats

• ✅ Direct Premiere Export: Works perfectly (confirms audio files are valid)

• ✅ Video-Only Export: Media Encoder works fine with video-only sequences

Technical Details

Original Audio Specs:

• Type: Waveform Audio

• Source Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - Stereo

• Project Format: 48000 Hz - 32-bit floating point - Stereo

Converted Audio (also fails):

• Format: 48000 Hz - 24-bit - Stereo

• Project Format: 48000 Hz - 32-bit floating point - Stereo

Impact on Workflow

• Frame.io Integration Broken: Cannot use Premiere's Frame.io panel for uploads (relies on Media Encoder)

• Remote Collaboration Affected: Version tracking and comment linking features unusable

• Business Impact: Paying for Frame.io integration that is now non-functional

Current Workaround

Exporting directly from Premiere Pro and manually uploading to Frame.io (loses integration benefits)

System Environment

• OS: Mac OS 15.6

• Hardware: 2020 27” iMac 10 core, 3.6GHz i9 128 Gb ram

• No Recent Changes: No system, driver, or other software changes

Reproducibility

100% reproducible - Every sequence with audio fails in Media Encoder, regardless of:

• Audio format or bit depth

• Project settings

• Source of audio files

• Media Encoder version (tested multiple versions)

Expected Behavior

Media Encoder should export audio tracks from Premiere Pro sequences without errors, as it did prior to the September 2025 update.

Priority Level

CRITICAL - Core functionality completely broken, affecting professional workflows dependent on Frame.io integration.