.FLAC Audio Support?

Report · Jul 20, 2011

Seriously, we can't import .flac audio files into Premiere still? Am I missing something?

Has anyone tried http://valion.net/flacimporter64/ ? Any good?

Not sure why Adobe wouldn't support this FREE, open-source format. I'm thinking about converting my 8,000 licensed songs, jingles and sound effects from .wav to .flac so I can:

have the ability to tag them (8000 clips is a lot to search through one by one)
chop file sizes in half.

I guess I've asked 2 different questions in the same post, so why not go for 3 as long as I'm breaking etiquette. Do you see any problems converting a audio library from .wav to lossless .flac? Anyone ever had any problems with this?

Report · Jul 20, 2011

Feature Request

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

Report · Jul 20, 2011

Not sure why Adobe wouldn't support this FREE, open-source format.

That's why. Open source stuff is too much of a moving target to put into an application where you have to count on a particular feature working all the time. Without it being a standardized format--I mean that in the sense that some big monolithic group or conglomeration of companies is behind it--I doubt that Adobe would want to spend much R&D on building this into Premiere Pro. It's a delivery format, or at best, an archive format--not a production format. It doesn't really matter how technically superior something may be--it's all about dependability. That means that, a lot of times, we get watered down versions of things. So it goes...

Has anyone tried http://valion.net/flacimporter64/ ?

Just tried it. Worked for me with an FLAC exported from Audacity. That was in CS5.5.

have the ability to tag them (8000 clips is a lot to search through one by one)

I just added some metadata to a WAV in Audacity, exported it to another WAV, and found that I could see the added metadata in Bridge and Premiere Pro. There might be an option to add metadata directly to a file with another app; not sure though.

(Actually, just tested adding metadata to a file in Premiere Pro; it was added to the file and I could see it with things like Mediainfo.)

chop file sizes in half.

Valid reasoning, I suppose... but hard drives are cheap and getting cheaper. Seems like a small price to pay for spending the time and effort--and potentially quality and stability--to save some space.

Do you see any problems converting a audio library from .wav to lossless .flac?

I don't see any problems, per se, but I guess I'd do a cost-benefit analysis on such an endeavor. To me, it wouldn't be worth it, but YMMV.

Report · Jul 20, 2011

My biggest thing is tagging. I'm currently using Media Monkey which is ah-ok (shrugging shoulders). It can "tag" .wavs, but not the way that Windows 7 can see them. CS5-anything can't see my tags. I want them to be searchable like MP3s.

Media Monkey works great on some of our networked computers, but others can't read the tags which is why I need to switch. I'm going to give your idea a try, but then it comes down to how to search for it. Bridge maybe?

I'd like to search like this: "latin guitar" and pull up everything tagged with both of those words...

I guess our system isn't "broke" so I don't need to totally revamp it unless I can find a better way--i.e. FLAC.

Not sure how you got that plugin to work. I installed it on both CS5 and 5.5 and it crashed on both of them. I could import the .flac, but double-clicking it in the project panel and/or dragging it to a timeline cause PP to freeze up. Murphy's at it again.

Another reason the smaller file size appeals to me is because we have all the 8000 clips sitting on a NAS drive. But since Premiere doesn't seem to be able to "collect files" (in Project Manager) well from our network drives (http://forums.adobe.com/message/3761971). I'd like to have them all stored locally so when we archive the projects, ALL our assets copy over... but we're sitting on at least 1.5TB of audio files. Ugh!

Oh well... Going to plan N.

Report · Jul 21, 2011

when we archive the projects

Do that manually rather than using Project Manager. When you need an asset from the server, copy it over to the local before import.

Manage files outside of PP first using a proper file manager, then things get much easier to archive later.

Report · Jul 21, 2011

Do that manually rather than using Project Manager. When you need an asset from the server, copy it over to the local before import.
Manage files outside of PP first using a proper file manager, then things get much easier to archive later.

I hear ya on that now. Live and learn. Adobe should reaname Collect Files to "Partially-Collect Files Randomly" and it would save a lot of confussion later on.

Report · May 26, 2022

Hey there. 2022 calling. FLAC turned out after eleven years NOT TO BE a moving target. It's the future now. Let's accept the fact that Flac is a thing.

Report · Nov 07, 2023

Hey, late 2023 on the line. Still there, buddy, still there...

Report · Sep 22, 2013

Well, this is dumb and pathetic of a big product like Premiere to not support it!

And it is also typical: Companies are pretty much as a rule to dumb to use and support any open source standard. It is something they don't see, know or recognize.

Flac is a defacto standard, it is probably better documented than most proprietary standards.

And unfortunately, Premiere does not support quite a lot of often used formats, some of them that are even considered to surplant many others, like mkv.

I just have to laugh at it, find it pathetic and sad.

And, there are people defending it too, incredible!

Excellence is a rare item. Defending mediocricy is just sad.

And there are companies that would rather die than use open source software (or an OS like Android), Blackberry is a good example of that.

Report · Jan 01, 2014

My jaw is on the floor. I feel sick. I can't believe flac is not supported. This whole CC thing is screwed. I am a professional/ was a professional. I have to tell a client I need more time and start over in Nuendo. OMG I really can't believe this caught me off guard.

Report · Jan 04, 2014

I have a Premiere plug-in to read and write FLAC here. Although unfortunately I'm having some linking issues on Windows, so only Mac is working right now. If I (or someone who knows Visual Studio better) could just figure out which box to check to get it working...

Report · Jan 08, 2014

Good news, I finally figured out my Windows linking problems. So now I've got FLAC support on both platforms. Links are here. Enjoy!

Report · Mar 20, 2014

Can you tell how can I install it?
Thanks

Report · Mar 20, 2014

From the ReadMe:

Copy the plug-in to the shared MediaCore directory:

Mac:

Ogg Premiere.bundle -> /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/CSX/MediaCore

Win:

Ogg.prm -> C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\CSX\MediaCore

Replace "CSX" with your version. For the latest Premiere Pro CC release, it will be "7.0".

Report · Aug 06, 2014

Thank you fnordware for providing these plugins. Now I don't have to complicate my workflow, even though freesound.org is now flac only.

Report · Aug 29, 2020

Are you a TRUE HERO BRO

Report · Sep 14, 2021

You Don't know what you have given to the humanity....

Your Sacrifice will always used to remember you!

Your soul is deserved to be THANKED by the MANKIND!!!

You are a true Hero!...

Signing OFF!!

- Devansh Soni

Report · Nov 17, 2021

10 Years later and this is still not in.

Report · Nov 07, 2023

Hello, adventurer, welcome to ~~Honeywo...~~ year 2023! And here we are, still on the same page.

Report · Sep 23, 2024

Reviving this 13 YEARS later. Still no support. Meanwhile REsolve, a free app, supports it. Embarrassing.