Incorrect Audio Waveforms - Premiere Pro

[J_Pisciotta]

Hello!

I'm currently using Premiere Pro 13.1.3 (Build 44) on Windows 10 Pro and I'm having an issue with audio waveforms. It happens at least once a month with large projects.

Once I create a new sequence from my multi cam timeline I click Sequence at the top and then select Render Audio so that the wave forms will appear in my new sequence where I'm making angle changes. The audio plays correctly and everything is synced as it should be but the audio wave forms are extremely incorrect.

I've deleted cached files, peak files, deleted/re installed premiere, restarted my computer, check software updates, etc. and still to no avail I cannot solve this issue.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Sumeet Kumar Choubey]

Hi johnp14933023,

Sorry to hear about this. Usually, such issues occur due to the cache/peak files getting corrupt. If you have cleared the cache from the application. I will recommend to clean them manually by going to the location specified in Preferences > Media Cache.

Clean the contents of the folder named Media Cache, Media Cache files and Peak files (Before cleaning them, please ensure to open these folders once and verify if they have any of the media files in them to avoid any accidental deletion of required media or asset).

Please ensure that the option for Save .cfa and .pek media cache files next to original media files when possible is unchecked.

If it is checked, then you would need to manually clean them from the folders where media files are saved.

Also, you may clean the Audio previews (File > Project Settings >  Scratch Disks > Audio Previews)

Once these files are cleared, the next time you open project. It may take some time to rebuild the required cache and peak files. Once these are rebuilt, check if it's working properly.

Thanks,

Sumeet

[J_Pisciotta]

Unfortunately this hasn't resolved the issue either.

The waveforms are correct up to the point where I make a cut. Once I make a cut the waveforms go rogue and editing my interviews becomes extremely difficult. This is happening on every project I've started since the most recent update

[J_Pisciotta]

Also, since the new update, even when I go to Sequence > Render Audio, there are sections of the timeline where waveforms won't even appear. This is making a difficult day even worse and I have pressing deadlines coming in fast.

[J_Pisciotta]

This image is before I make a cut

[J_Pisciotta]

this image is after I make a cut

[Handarand]

Having the same issue. Using multi-camera sequence and in some cases it does mess up the waveform in some it doesn't, can't figure out in which.

Ehh, when I have few tracks at the same time in a nested sequence and one is solo then the bug appears. I went and deleted all the additional audio tracks and it started working properly. 

Actually, if I got 2 tracks in nested sequence and I leave on track targetting only for the track that I need then it works fine.

Gotta submit a bug somewhere. This is ridicoulous. 

[videojonas]

I'm having the issue as well - on two different computers, on several different projects - it messes up, when i render.

I can go and solo a track or mute another (in a nest) and then it fixes itself, but then I render, and it goes bad again.

[LNB]

Did you ever get a solution to this??? 

I'm not even in multicam and the incorrect waveforms are killing me on the interviews.

[A.L.5E2E]

Still no resolution 😕 A year later. Would love to have a fix for this. Followed the tips below but after deleting the cache and forcing premiere pro to re-draw the peaks, it does so incorrectly again. So it doesn't seem to be a cache issue at all.

[dafna5FD8]

Having the same issue too.

[Piotr5F85]

4 years later 🙂 they don't care, they'd rather introduce new not working functions than fix already existing problems

[Mallory5D34 · Accepted solution]

I found a solution for me. Had this problem on a slightly bigger project file than usual. Clearing media cache didn't work for me (I cleared the files and the database). What did work was clearing peak files (also in a folder in appdata\roaming\adobe\common) and reopening premiere. 

[guy from NM]

<<What did work was clearing peak files (also in a folder in appdata\roaming\adobe\common) and reopening premiere. >>

this fixed it for me. Thanks.

[Hutch Harris]

Anyone still finding this thread in 2021, this worked for me as well. Your best bet is to delete the Peak Files folder located here:

Mac: /Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common

Windows: \Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common

If you can't find your Library folder on a Mac, open finder, drop down 'Go,' hold the Option key and select library. Should be able to find the Application Support/Adobe/Common folder from there.

I tried cleaning these up using Premiere's built-in settings, no dice. Seems like manual is the only way to fix.

[atcold]

Yup, this fixed it. Thanks!

[Simeon322401392ck9]

Thanks for this!

[Leif26461087eggb]

Worked for me, too! At first I didn't find the /AppData/ folder on my Windows PC, but you can find it easily by pressing "WindowsKey+R", then type in "Appdata". The rest has already been explained above.

Thank you so much!

[Ranivus]

Easy way to find the app data folder on windows is go to windows explorer or run and type %appdata% 
it will automatically direct you to the 'appdata/roaming' folder and just navigate to /adobe then to /common and you should see /Peak Files in there. just delete the whole folder and it fixes your waveforms like magic

[itstyler]

December 2022 and this worked for me! Same issue, cutting an interview and it helps a lot to see precise edit points with the audio waveform. This fixed it, thanks!

[Michelle27920431i18n]

2025 and this worked for me!!! 

Thanks!!! 

[bailey.shak]

This fixed the problem for me as well - however, I have one addendum: if you can figure out what the name of the file is that has an incorrect waveform, you can try to just delete the .pek files associated with that filename, as opposed to the entire folder, because if you're anything like me, letting premiere generate waveforms for a few days after you delete 40,000 .pek files is not my idea of a good time 🙂 

[Jeffrey5FF9]

This fixed my problem, thank you. When I used clip names that were the same as I had used in previous projects, the waveforms from the clips in the old projects were showing up instead of from the new clip.

[TomasSolovsky]

WOW, finally, finally! It works, thanks so much!

[Anukriti5C51]

Worked for me! thank you soooo muchhhh