Legend

Can't drag audio to timeline (YES, source patching is on!)

Forum|Forum|1 month ago
June 6, 2026
9 replies
120 views

Am I crazy?

Pr 26.2.2 (PC specs attached)

Source patching is on, and yet, I CANNOT drag audio to the timeline at all. If I drag video with audio, only the video makes it onto the timeline. If I drag audio only, I get the “no parking” (not available) cursor hovering over the audio track.

See attached screen recording.

This is a brand new project, the very first thing I tried to do.

I have already rebooted the computer, and restarted Pr while holding down Alt to clear the cache/reset prefs, etc.

No change.

Any ideas?

Adobe Premiere - D__pluto_VIDEO_NEW 260606A_growth 2026-06-06 14-48-25.mp4

JonesVid

Community Expert

Hi @cre8vimp - just some random thoughts on this.

Firstly did you check the Audio Channels were enabled as per Amy’s suggestion?. (See pic)

Another comment is that I had this once quite a while back and discovered the Codec was not installed correctly on the PC. Might explain why it works on your other machine.

I’ve also found a lot of other weird things can happen when Workspace needs resetting, but I doubt it is that.

On the subject of patching (left blue boxes) they only shown if you open a clip in source monitor. Double click a clip and the source patching boxes appear. That’s how my 26.2.2 is behaving on Windows 11.

Finally - did you try re-installing Premiere Pro. Apologies if I missed you saying that -I just scanned the thread quickly.

Amy the Stuv

Community Manager

Hello @cre8vimp,

Thank you for your post. The information and screen recording you’ve already provided is helpful and I’m sorry for the frustration.

I was wondering if you could provide a little more information about the clip itself. A screenshot of the Media File Properties available in a right click menu could tell us about the audio tracks on the source clip. It may also be worth looking at the right click menu → Modify → Audio channels.

I can’t see the bottom of your timeline, but often if the source audio is a different type than the audio track in a timeline, it might add a track of that type at the bottom of the sequence.

You can also load the clip in the source panel and click “Drag Audio Only” to view the source audio within the source panel and there may be some clues there.

If you’re willing to provide the file, I would be happy to troubleshoot on my end. You can DM me if you’re interested in providing one and we will figure out the logistics.

Hoping to help,

Amy Stuvland

C

cre8vimpAuthor

Legend

Thank you so much! Again, two things you asked for are already in the screen recording that I included (the one embedded from Vimeo above, not the first screen recording that I attached). I recorded myself right clicking the file in the project panel and choosing Media File Properties. I also demonstrated that I tried opening the file in the source monitor and dragging audio only.

I also stated again last night that I got it to work correctly on my other laptop with the same media, so clearly it’s not a media issue. So now I’m trying to untangle what might be wrong with this device.

I appreciate that you’re trying to be helpful. But this is just more of what frustrated me initially. You clearly did not view what I already included and instead just assumed that I probably don’t know what I’m talking about.

The issue is clearly on this computer. So I guess I’ll take it from here.

Amy the Stuv

Community Manager

@cre8vimp Apologies for missing that second video, it must have been blocked by my browser.

I did some digging and even though your GPU and drivers support HEVC 4.2.0 10bit, it may be the VFR HEVC aspect of it. I know VFR can cause audio sync issues in all NLE’s currently, however, this unique audio absence issue could still be a decoding error. I would be curious to know if you transcode this clip, does this issue persist on that computer?

Also check out this post that appears to be a similar solve with similar aspects despite very different issues.

I’m glad you’re able to make it work on your laptop. Issues like this can be very frustrating and I wish you luck.

Best,

Amy Stuvland

R Neil Haugen

Legend

Hey, on these forums, no one really knows the experience/knowledgel level of others. So it’s not something to take offense about. Yea, it’s a bit odd at times trying to puzzle out knowledge levels.

As for the images posted, I didn’t ... and still don’t ... see any image in your original post showing the track header. There’s one showing your system specs, and something we would need to download to see. I never ever download those.

I don’t know if there’s something in the specific media files or whatnot, from a ‘remote’ attempt at troubleshooting. But it’s interesting your laptop is working fine, with apparently the same clips. Huh.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...

C

cre8vimpAuthor

Legend

@R Neil Haugen & @Peru Bob :

I have haunted these forums for years, and I know the reputation you both have as very helpful and knowledgeable experts. I’m grateful for all that I’ve gleaned from you both. I’ve even interacted with you both on this forum before, although I’m sure you wouldn’t remember. Please know I have great respect for you.

Which is why you detected a bit of frustration/confusion. To be clear, I wasn’t miffed that you didn’t know my experience level… I agree, there’s no way to know that! I was miffed because you both asked for things that I had already included. I got strong “dealing with bots” vibes after getting a response that clearly ignored my original query and instead just answered with copy/paste suggestions that I knew weren’t relevant.

So I made clear that I wasn’t a beginner, and I knew what I was talking about, and included another screen recording, and clarified the issue.

And I got another copy/paste solution that has been given to beginners hundreds of times. I am experienced enough to know that it wasn’t what I needed… and even worse, I know that you both are ALSO experienced enough to know it isn’t relevant… if you had actually looked at my attachments and read what I wrote carefully. Which just communicates that you kind of didn’t care.

With respect, if it’s reasonable that you can’t be expected to just know the skill level of others (and I agree!)… is it also reasonable that others can’t be expected to just know that you are not going to view their attachment?

If viewing attachments is something you choose not to do, understood. Here is the screen recording from my very first post, embedded this time:

Notice the source patching is most definitely on. And then, if you like, compare to the other screen recording the next day where I COULDN’T turn on source patching no matter how much I tried. ???

An Adobe employee just responded to this thread as well… asking me to provide things that are already in my screen recording. Seriously, why should I keep bothering?

As I told her, I guess I’ll try to take it from here myself. It’s clearly a device issue, since the app and the media are working fine on my other laptop.

If I really can’t work out what’s wrong with the computer, maybe I’ll come back to the forum. And hope that folks actually read what I write and watch the screen recordings I provide.

C

cre8vimpAuthor

Legend

For what it’s worth, I’ve discovered that Premiere is working as expected on my laptop, which I rarely open Pr on.

Source patching works fine, and any clip with both video and audio (yes, even VFR) drags right onto the timeline as usual.

So it’s something about the editing rig.

The laptop has far punier specs, and I haven’t gotten any system compatibility warnings yet, so I don’t think that’s it.

If you’re interested in what my specs/OS version details, etc., are, they’re in the screen recording above.

I’ll report back after I run CCleaner and see what happens.

If anyone has any helpful insight along those lines, I’m listening and thanks.

Averdahl

Community Expert

I saw that you have resetted the Preferences and that it works with the same media on another computer. If you create a brand new project and import the same clip and it won´t work this time either i would opt for using Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool | Creative Cloud to uninstall Premiere. Re-install it again using the Creative Cloud app.

I assumed that when you wrote CCleaner you meant CCleaner instead of Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool, hence this post.

@Peru Bob asked you earlier to just create Bars and Tone and place it on the timeline to test if it works or not. Test that and see if the audio will be ignored or not.

Peru Bob

Community Expert

If you place Bars and Tone on the timeline, does the tone appear?

Peru Bob

Community Expert

That might be VFR media.

Please use the free MediaInfo and post a screenshot of the properties of your media in tree view.
https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo

Many users are having issues with VFR. If the file is variable frame rate.
Use Handbrake to convert to constant frame rate before importing into Premiere Pro:
https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php

Here is a tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=xlvxgVREX-Y

Shutter Encoder may also be used to convert to Constant Frame Rate: https://www.shutterencoder.com/en/

.

C

cre8vimpAuthor

Legend

It is most definitely VFR media. I’m aware of what that is, and I’ve seen the copy and paste blurb that you just shared countless times on this forum.

Also, as you asked previously, I already did show the media properties in the screen recording that I shared this morning. It clearly states “Variable Frame Rate Detected”. Did you watch it?

As I stated, I’m not new to Pr and I am well-educated on the potential issues with VFR. I ran into those issues myself many times as a new editor years ago.

I also know what issues VFR doesn’t cause. I have used VFR without issue countless times for years, because I do have the experience to know what it can and can’t handle. I don’t need a tutorial on Handbrake or Shutter Encoder because not only have I used them, I’ve taught others to use them.

I regularly transcode my footage to prores to edit smoother and eliminate issues of all kinds. However, I have also successfully edited VFR footage countless times when it’s not necessary to transcode and I would rather save the time. Again, I’m not a beginner.

I have haunted these forums for years. Please believe me when I say that if you (or other forum experts) have posted any advice more than 20 times, I guarantee I read it a long time ago. This is not one of those issues. If you just pass along something you always say to beginners, I will assume you didn’t watch my recording or read my issue carefully.

In my YEARS of editing, I have never once had VFR footage prevent audio from being added to the timeline. Other issues, sure. But not this.

Also, did you notice in my screen recording that the sequence would not allow me to toggle the source patching at all, even before any media at all was added? It could not be VFR that was the issue, because the strange behavior started with literally no clips on the timeline.

Finally, I didn’t record this, but yesterday when I was getting frustrated, I tried dragging and AUDIO ONLY clip (no video at all) to the timeline, and no luck.

So I’m reasonably certain that VFR is not to blame here. And yes, I’m experienced enough to know the difference.

I’m also reasonably certain that you didn’t finish, or pay attention to, my screen recording before just copying and pasting an irrelevant blurb that I’ve seen you post hundreds of other times on this forum.

Peru Bob

Community Expert

@cre8vimp

Have you tried bars and tone to see if the tone works?

C

cre8vimpAuthor

Legend

@Peru Bob & @R Neil Haugen

Thanks for your replies!

From my experience on these forums I know you both to be very helpful! Thank you for your tireless service. I know it’s probably irritating to answer the same questions over and over again.

However, I confess I was a bit miffed yesterday when you both asked me for screengrabs that I already included in my post. I am not, in fact, a “newer user” and I assure you I am aware of the difference between source and track “blue buttons”. And I assure you, source patching was indeed on. You can see the screengrab that I already posted if you’re not convinced. I also included my PC specs.

Regardless, I’m including a new screen recording here from a few minutes ago… where it turns out that the behavior got even weirder today. You’ll notice that, in the beginning of this video, source patching is NOT on… because suddenly I’m unable to turn it on today. ??? But partway through it turns on by itself. And even after that, I still can’t drag audio to the timeline.

In this video, you’ll see:

my PC specs
my NVIDIA driver version
a repeated demonstration of strange behavior
my sequence settings
my media info

Things I’ve already tried:

Alt+ starting Pr (to clear cache/reset prefs, etc)… this is also demonstrated in the video
Rebooting PC
Starting over with a new project file (the one in the recording is the 3rd project file in which this has occurred)

Here is the recording from a few minutes ago. I would appreciate it if anyone who wants to reply would watch the entire thing first (it’s less than 4 minutes) so they don’t ask me to do something I’ve already done, please and thanks. :-)

R Neil Haugen

Legend

There are two target blocks ... Source, to the far left, and Track, just to the right of Source. That’s something newer users often do miss noticing. You can have a blue block set for targeting, but have the wrong target options set for what you want to do.

That might be ... but as requested, a screengrab of the far left side of the timeline panel header block would help.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...

Peru Bob

Community Expert

Please post screenshots of your media properties and sequence settings.
Can you post a video of what happens?

Does Create a new sequence from clip work?

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