Encoding Chapter Markers

[AliSot2k]

Hi There

I'm trying to encode Chapter Markers, which I've added to my project in Premiere Pro into my mp4 file.

So far I've added the Markers to my project, and made them "chapter markers". Then I exported my project to the Media Encoder with the H.264 preset. But the exported file didn't contain the Chapter markers. At least VLC, Windows Media Player and iTunes were unable to pick them up.

I've also tried MPEG2 Blu-Ray, MPEG2 DVD and H.264 Blu-Ray, which gave me Video files without audio and no chapter markers as well. I suppose they could be inside the other 3 to 5 files. But I would like to have one file, not 3 or 5.

I've seen tutorials on how to do this with Encore but it has been discontinued hasn't it? So this doesn't help either.

Besides the question of how this is done, does the duration of the chapter marker matter for the export?

At least in my testing so far it didn't make a difference. The exported file remained without chapter markers.

Thanks for your help.

AS

[Stan Jones]

Chapter Markers were designed for Encore. They are carried in a sidecar file (xmpses or xmp), and I don't think they are accessed by any other programs, even though they could be.

And I don't think duration of a marker is relevant for this purpose.

[excited_Genie16B8 · Accepted solution]

I'm trying to encode Chapter Markers...into my mp4 file.

That is not possible using Premiere Pro.

[AliSot2k]

well is it somehow possible to encode these chapter markers or however they are called into a movie file with one of the programs from Adobe?

[RobShultz]

It would be nice if you could but no. This thought process was more set up in DVD publishing with a DVD publishing software.

[AliSot2k]

Do you have any suggestions regarding this kind of software?

Free software preferably.

[Jeff Bellune]

Handbrake

https://handbrake.fr/

[AliSot2k]

I've looked it up, Handbreak is capable to transcode media which alredy has Chapter markers in it but isn't able to add Chapter markers from a second file to a video file. Also it doesn't offer any option to place them in a "timeline" inside Handbreak.

Source: https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/latest/advanced/chapter-markers.html

[excited_Genie16B8]

No, there isn't any Adobe software that can do this.

[PineappleDays]

I was able to get chapter markers to work from Premiere Pro by exporting as a QuickTime (MOV) and then playing it with VLC or MPC-HC. The players each have their own versions of "skip" buttons that skip to the next chapter, and hovering over the timeline displays the name of the chapter. 

[OldDesertLizard]

It's just data.  I should be able to get to it somehow.  My thought is to use it to mark the start of portions of a YouTube video, so I can auto-generate the URLs which link to the specific parts.  I've tried poking around in Metadata and can't find it.

But I know it's there somewhere... I'm thinking: create a plug-in that takes the URL of the uploaded YouTube video (might have to be manually entered, or maybe there's a way to extract from the Media Encoder), then programmatically go through all Chapter Matkers in the sequence, and create a line with the Chapter Marker name, the Chapter Marker description, and the URL (which includes the video URL + "?t=" + seconds-since-start).  That could be easily added to the description on YouTube studio.

Doing it manually is a pain... this would take an existing Premiere capability and make it useful for many!!

[Greg Popp]

Export a full quality QuickTime ProRes master from Media Encoder.  This file WILL carry the chapter markers.  Now use the $50 Apple Compressor to make your mp4 file.  The chapter markers will be there.  This is a great workflow regardless.

[agtalw]

This also works with Handbrake (which is free). Export as Quicktime ProRes 422 HQ in Premiere, then encode it in Handbrake as H.264. It'll carry the chapters over.

[conzious]

For this solution, I had to switch to Apple. Use Apple Compressor. It works great and is still supported. You can compress .MOV files with the chapter data. 

[ericofmemphis]

ADOBE if you are reading this and you are getting tired of this same question popping up all the time think about working on getting chapters functional in MP4. Since DVD and BluRay have been adequately abandoned imagine the frustration of  not being able to skip chapters and being forced to scrub through the video with a mouse. My clients would love chaptered delivery. Can we not get a sidecare file to talk to Windows Media Player?

[R Neil Haugen]

Go to their system to get this to "Adobe". Around here, it's us volunteer "peer" users that will see your post. And of course, not a thing we can do about it.

Their UserVoice system is the spot the engineers and the all-important Marketing & Experience types monitor.

Neil

[marcorabellini]

I figured out how to get an audio file with Markers from Premier Pro to After Effects.

I created a bunch of default Timeline markers (PP calls them Comment markers) in Premier Pro.

Then in the Project Panel right click on the Sequence with the Markers.

Select "Export in Adobe Audition > Sequence".

It will save it and then automatically open the file in Audition. WITH MARKERS! 🙂

In Audition "File > Export > Multitrack Mixdown > Entire Session...".

Save the file however you want. I saved mine as an mp3 since it's just for reference.

Import the new audio file into After Effects and it has all the Markers intact. Yay.

Hoping you can adopt this to suit your needs.

[paul5E6F]

I found an easy workaround to add chapters to MP4 files.

Use XMedia Recode to add chapter details to MP4 files without re-encoding them.

For this you need chapter information to tell XMedia Recode. Here are three ways you can do it:

1) XMedia Recode has built-in chapters tab when you import mp4 and select it you will see it. Just add chapter information there manually and you can get the time code from premiere.

2) Use Notepad to create chapter file and import to XMedia. The format is very simple

CHAPTER01=00:00:00.000
CHAPTER01NAME=01
CHAPTER02=00:00:06.740
CHAPTER02NAME=02

When you export the txt file from XMedia the format is this only.

3) I know adding chapters is a manual work, and it can be done within few minutes if chapters are few. But if you have lot of chapters to work with. Then export to ProRes which will retain the chapter information (i am guessing here you already know how to add markers as chapters and lable them). Now import that MOV to XMedia, go to chapters tab and there you have it all the chapter information already there. Export and save to txt. Export another mp4 file (yes two time exports) now import that mp4 to XMedia, import the chapter information and save it as mp4.

Note: Select the mode copy under audio video tab, this will not re-encode, it will copy the audio video along with chapter details to a new file without loosing any quality.

Paul

[paul5E6F]

**without re-encoding.. typo mistake here sorry no option edit.

[R Neil Haugen]

I edited for you ... thanks for the reply, that's good information for the community!

Neil

[John33347985okeu]

The notebook import didn't work for me but only took a few minutes to do it manually and then work out that 'shift n" and 'shift p' in VLC will skip chapters

[seanmcnally98]

Can't be done fully in Premiere, but I came up with a way of doing this using Python and FFMpeg.  See my post here on the VideoHelp Forums: 

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/403282-Embedding-Premiere-Pro-markers-inside-an-MP4-file-as-chap...