How do I edit .mkv files now since Adobe decided to remove support?!!

[Will..]

On Windows, OBS is a very popular and free screen recording software that I use. It has several options for formats, but for multi-channel audio formats, only MP4 and MKV will work. They recommend using MKV files since it will still save the file to the drive even if the OBS program crashes, while with MP4 files, it will not save to the drive if it crashes, so you'll lose the screen capture.

That being said, I have several dozens projects created with MKV files and up until version 13.1.2 everything was fine besides a few bugs that Premiere always has. In the latest update, 13.1.3, Adobe decided to remove support of MKV files in both Premiere Pro AND Media Encoder, so now all my old projects are useless and cannot be opened, AND I can't even convert the mkv files to another format since Media Encoder can't even import the files.

Isn't the point of media encoder to encode media?

So as a paying customer of Adobe, using their professional video editing software as a professional Video Editor, I no longer can edit my videos.

How can I convert .mkv files?

And yes, I've sent Adobe feedback on the other site, but that's completely useless. It's obvious they simply do not listen to customers, there's feedback requests from years ago with several hundred upvotes like people wanting time re-mapping faster than 1000% that STILL hasn't been implemented, so my new feedback requests with 3 upvotes are buried in the many pages of other feedback requests, and are likely to never be implemented.

Anyway, I guess I should downgrade? Even though I have $700 worth of professional media applications from Adobe, what non-adobe program can convert mkv files, since I can't do that with Adobe?

It's like the Premiere team decides what will annoy customers, then they do it.

By the way, the new version 13.1.3 that says it has a bunch of stability improvements is actually REALLY SLOW. Projects take twice as long to open now, and while editing, it's really sluggish compared to 2 hours ago when I was in 13.1.2..

It just never ends with Premiere.

Yesterday, sent in 2 crash reports because it crashed while putting warp stabilizer on a clip.

Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator RARELY crash, so why does Premiere ALWAYS crash? Why is Premiere ALWAYS buggy and ALWAYS slow?

When you have client projects due and Premiere is being buggy, so you upgrade because it lists a bunch of stability improvements, then it's actually twice as slow, it makes you really frustrated.

Sincerely, a customer with no more patience for Adobe.

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

25.2 now supports MKV H.264.

[Will..]

It took the Adobe team 6 years to listen to customers and bring support back haha, but I guess it's better than nothing...

[BabyDreamDolphin]

• It took the Adobe team 6 years to listen to customers and bring support back haha, but I guess it's better than nothing..." 

By @Will..

I've just spent a lot of money as much as I could on a new PC build and all of the 2024 versions are lighting fast. 2025 I installed and it was extremely slow and cumbersome. I've got all 14th gen tech an NVIDIA GPU with 16gb of vram running on studio drivers and optimised for premiere pro 24, a powerful CPU, a fast SSD internal drive and 64gb Ram. It's well above the minimum specs for 2025 but the latest 2024 version works best. I can't afford to upgrade more just yet so I hope they let the 2024 version go for a while longer till I can add more hardware and increase specs. Nice to know it's been solved natively though by adobe I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the heads-up for when I've got the money to spec out more and upgrade to 2025 without it running like a snail.

Still. I'm just grateful to be able to be doing again. It's been a few years saving for this PC build and it's an absolute monster on 2024 premiere pro and suite.

Very happy and grateful hey 

[cdrcplhc · Accepted solution]

Just had this problem today and here's how I managed to get around this issue using only OBS Studio to convert my .mkv into .mp4 really easily:

1. Lauch OBS
2. Open "File"
3. Select "Remux Recordings"
4. In the left pannel, select the .mkv file you want to convert to .mp4 and in the right one set the destination
5. Clic on "Remux"

Otherwise, if you haven't created the video files yet you can select the automatic remux option in OBS:

1. Open "Settings"
   
2. Go to "Advanced"
   
3. In the "Recording" section tick the "Automatic Remux to mp4" option
   

Now you can use your footage in Premiere Pro!

[Melodic_curiosity98A6]

Thank you @cedricpaulhiac!  It worked like a charm and is super fast. I have this screen record of 2.2Gb and it was converted from .mkv to .mp4 in the matter of seconds like 20-30secs.

[Kellasep1]

Excellent!!! Thank You!

[MyerPj · Accepted solution]

This is a great tool every editor should have. Has options to 'Cut without re-encoding'
https://www.shutterencoder.com/en/

[Tamás5EED]

Hi There,

You were kidding me. Are you saying that an expensive subscription to a full professional software package is not enough, but that this should be solved with all kinds of free software? So why should I subscribe to ADOBE?
I am disappointed

[R Neil Haugen]

I work for/with/teach pro colorists, been around 'em for over a decade now.

Most colorists work on hardware that makes editor's rigs look positively anemic. They'll have spent more on their calibration gear than most editors on their entire computer setup. And they run typically on Resolve or Baselight, right?

Resolve started as a $250,000/license colorist's app, before BlackMagic bought it and turned it into a loss-leader to get people buying BM hardware, panels & such. But as it is still heavily a colorist's app, there's a ton of effects included in it.

Baselight is still an expensive purchase, very old-style. You buy one of three models of computers from them, between $14,000 and $19,000 for that computer. You never, EVER even think of adding any other apps to that computer, it's Baselight only. And then pay another around $1500/year licensing. It's also got a ton of included effects.

Yet ... I think every working colorist I know has at least the full Boris suite, many have both Boris & the Red Giant/Maxon Universe. And they normally have several other purchased add-ons along with them. So that's between $1500 to $3000 per year for additional plugins and capabilities.

And editors complain about a suggestion that they install a free utility for extra deliverable and compression options. Or a $20 plugin for RAW decoding. That always cracks me up.

The truth is, there isn't any of the apps in pro video post that doesn't have things users need to get done outside the app. Not Avid, not Resolve, not Final Cut, not Premiere. Not Nuke or Baselight either.

[BabyDreamDolphin]

Yeah totally true. Totally agree. I think because this was an option in previous versions (allegedly from the thread) and was taken away it justified the feelings. But yeah I'm with you. Depending on what you're doing premiere pro and the apps in the suite can sometimes be enough, but many times you're using lots of different stuff to get your final output delivered or as you want it. I mean you get to picture lock on say an indie feature. You still have to send that bad boy away to the colourists, get subs done, post sound foley and mix and stems and a whole bunch of different mixes for cinema and online release and maybe even bluray or DVD. It's cool we can make DCPs with Wraptor now, But there are professionals for that too which often save headaches, cinema mixing hiring that out, ALL The other endless list of deliverables on that deal with whoever wants it in each territory, redubbing for some countries, Titles and Graphics, Any VFX, like it's a lot. And yes it has always been that way. Totally agree. But I am glad I found a solution here and prob should have just checked plugins first! There could be one for this I'm not sure.  BRAW native has been awesome since it dropped a long time ago. Thx team  

[BabyDreamDolphin]

OMG WOW Thank you so much. I DL and intalled it. Anyone who does please support the dev this is a great workaround to the issue. I just cut a long feature into 25 mins instantly without having to convert the video format. Then I was left with the 25 mins which is all I needed for a showreel thing. Clicked convert to H264 and it's done it in 3 minutes. Quality is lossless. Tried OBS first didn't work for some reason. It's now imported into PP and on the timeline ready for chop chop and all the rest of it. Yeah I assumed Media Encoder would do it but can confirm A. As mentioned it doesn't like .mkv and B. This is free opensource HQ software that saved me a massive headache. Thanks again. You rock! - Dolphin