Can't drag files from file explorer to premiere pro timeline.

[David349249524bg6]

How do I get this to work? I literally cannot drag ANY video, audio, or image files into the timeline from my file explorer. I've seen source patching is the answer, but the source patch video in my timeline for the video section is just missing. I'm on windwos 10 and on Premiere Pro 2021 and I am absolutely losing it. 

[MyerPj]

Can you drag it into the project panel? How about with a brand new project?

[David349249524bg6]

No and no. The moment I hover my cursor over premiere pro, it instantly turns into a cancel sign. 

[R Neil Haugen]

Are you talking about Windows Explorer file management applet, or the Project panel in Premiere?

You add/import media to the project panel, then add it to the timeline from the Project panel.

And your image doesn't have a video track with a Source target active. Note the far left blue block in an audio track? You need a blue block for video also.

[Peru Bob]

See here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/faq-why-does-audio-or-video-not-go-to-the-tr...

[David349249524bg6]

Did what was in there already. I attatched a vid that is hopefully slightly more helpful than the single image. 

[R Neil Haugen]

You need to import the clips into Premiere first. THEN apply them to a sequence.

NLEs like Premiere are only metadata ... that sequence exists only as a metadata file ... a text file of the bits of clips, the effects applied ...  that's all.

You need to import the clip into the project first, which is how Premiere gets the access to the clip metadata. THEN ... you can use the clip in Premiere.

[David349249524bg6]

I'm confused. I've always been able to drag and drop clips, audio, and images into my timeliness directly from my file explorer. Not the one on premiere, the one in windows 10. I could have my second monitor have my file explorer up, find my recorded footage, and just drag and drop. After a fresh windows install, I can no longer do that. I've never been forced to do it from inside premiere pro. 

[R Neil Haugen]

It may have worked for you, but it's never been a recommended process. I take it you don't worry about where, what bin, it puts the clips into in the Project panel?

[David349249524bg6]

To be frank, I didn't even know it put it into a bin. I... REALLY should use them to make my life easier but for the most part Ive never cared to do it. 

[Ann Bens]

Its known that drag and drop clips into Premiere from either Finder or Explorer can cause issues.

Import or use the Media Browser is the way to go.

[andrewm4525191]

Drag and drop from Finder to premiere on Mac has always worked (atleast the last 7 years) and is how I use Premire daily.  Why can't Windows do it?

[R Neil Haugen]

Whether something works adequately sort of, or is advised, can be two different things.

"Simple" media, meaning every clip is a simple single item with included audio, AND doesn't need to be concatenated with other sections cut in the camera recording, is often fine through drag/drop.

Any complex media, such as most XAV-C or others, where there is a folder structure with separate audio and video files, or where the camera cuts clips every X minutes while recording, are more solidly imported using the MediaBrowser panel or the Import page system.

Import page is perhaps the best tool to add such media to projects.

I'm practical. What works best always is the better practice.

[Remote Index]

As one might expect, Adobe documentation on this issue is not well organized nor comprehensive.

Nothing helpful about this is listed under "Import Media > Importing." [ This has sections on importing still images, importing audio, transferring files between drives, but nothing about actually importing video.]

However, there is explicit information here ("Creating Projects > Start a New Project" and then under "Other Import Options") including this:

"Open the Finder window in Windows or macOS and drag media or folders into the Project panel."

[Edit: let's not pass over this without noting that Windows has no "Finder". Details. Details.]

So it is supported, though the official documentation doesn't actually say you drag directly into the timeline. This has been supported in Premiere for at least a decade. If Adobe offered actual documentation, we'd know what issues there were with drag and drop vs. the other other import workflows, but as it is users are left to guess and trial and error.

The "Import workflow" as described by Neil and Ann is also here.

[Note to Adobe: this is not where users will look when trying to learn about import options. They will look under "Importing" or somesuch. They will do this because the search tools for Adobe documentation are definitively unhelpful.]

Dave etc.;

To your point and problem: what format are the files? You say they are MP4 (the wrapper) but what is the codec they use? Please check this against the supported format list.

R.

[MyerPj]

There was an anouncment for a new feature recently, sorry I can't remember what, but it mentioned dropping into the project from Explorer and Finder. I've used that essentially only with no problems. And FWIW: Never ever directly to the timeline.

[R Neil Haugen]

Karl Soule had a video out a while back on YouTube about the import processes into Premiere, and that's where I found out about the Import page being for some needs the best place to bring media into your project.

It handles "spanned clips" and "complex media" with multiple parts in mulitple folders as well or better than the MediaBrowser page, and often is faster to use.

It also has several of the advanced workflow ingest options ...  such as copy or move, with included cheksums! ... that we haven't had really that easily invoked, since Prelude died.

As Karl is one of the main staffers supporting the "Hollywood" division of the Premiere team, he has the best material on ALE use, metadata processes, and importing media that you can find. But in his YouTube presentations, not in a manual.