Missing audio in exported H264 file for timeline with multiple GoPro Hero 9 video and audio tracks

[iainh36844551]

When I export footage from the timeline that has multiple GoPro Hero 9 4K video files recorded in H265 on the Hero 9, the exported file has missing audio in some places. 

If you do anther export using the same export settings, the audio re-appears in places where it was missing but disappears on places where the audio was in the original export. 

I'm exporting to H264 and H265 file formats. 

The issue only occurs where there are multiple video/audio clips. 

This happens in version 15.1 and v15.4.

I've tried exporting to ACC and MPEG but it makes no difference. 

I've also done the folowing:

Re-imported the GoPro clips.

Cleared the data cache and cache database.

Unlinked the audio tracks on the timeline.

Rendered the footage.

Re-installed Premiere pro.

Same issue occurs. 

Reverted to version 14.7 and v14.9 and the exported file works fine with no missing audio. 

So, looks a bug in version 15.x 

Anyone else had this issue and been able to find a work around?

[Sumeet Kumar Choubey]

Hi iainh36844551,

We're sorry to hear about this. Are you experiencing this issue while playing the file in any specific media player (like QuickTime player)?  Have you tried importing the exported media in Premiere Pro & checked if it's playing properly?

Thanks,

Sumeet

[iainh36844551]

The sound is missing when played back in 'VLC' player, 'Films & TV' and Windows Media player. 

The sound is also missing when the H264 file is re-imported into Premiere Pro or DaVinci. 

I have re-edited the footage in a new project. Findings are:

Missing sound in exported file in v15.1 (ACC and MPEG audio)

Missing sound in exported file in v15.4 (ACC and MPEG audio)

Sound is 100% present in v14.7 (ACC and MPEG audio)

Sound is 100% present in v14.9 (ACC and MPEG audio)

Sound is 100% present in v15.0 (ACC and MPEG audio)

The issue looks to have been introduced in v15.1 and above. 

[MyerPj]

I just tried it with some h.264 - 5k footage, and a few clips on a 1080p timeline, and it appears to be working.

PP 15.4

Win: 20H2

[Phillip Harvey]

Have you tried Software Encoding and not Hardware Encoding?

[SimonAllen]

Hi Iain,

I've been having the same problems with my last two projects, both mainly H265 clips from my GoPro Hero8.

It's very frustrating having to find and fix every clips with each export.

The work around I've been using is to find the clips in the timeline that miss out the audio and do a preview render (green bar in the timeline), then rerun the export selecting the "UsePreviews" box.

It's an inelegant way of doing it; my current project takes 2 hours to export each time and I'm on my 5th attempt.

What I've done is get all of the audio in one or two separate exports, and then create a new project where I import them and tack the working bits together in a new timeline.

It's messy, but it works. However, I'd really much prefer a proper solution that does away with the need to hack the editing process.

[SimonAllen]

The only solution I've found is to roll back to the 2020 version.

I have tested out the minor release V15.4.1 and found the problem still occurring in it.

Disappointing that there's been no news about this bug yet.

[MyerPj]

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro
User Voice is where the Adobe engineers look for bug reports, enhancement requests, etc. The urgency for bug reports or new features can be judged by how many of us users upvote the requests. You can search for similar requests using the search feature at the lower right. It's best to upvote a request that has some traction (votes) already, and you can upvote and reply to that thread. If you don't find one the matches your request, then enter a new one. Regardless, post a link back here so those seeing this thread can upvote also.

Here's the closest I could find with a quick search, none of them had much traction.

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/suggestions/38331670-export-audio-missi...

[SimonAllen]

Thanks for that.

I'd looked through UserVoice briefly earlier today planning to back to it.

I've also commented and up voted it too.

[Jeff Bellune]

Have you tried Clip>Render and Replace for the sequence audio? No "Use Previews" required.

[SimonAllen]

Thanks Jeff,

Yes, I've tried that and it makes no difference for me.

I've now been unable to export with all the A roll audio on every clip for 5 days.

Cheers

Simon

[Jeff Bellune]

I would adjust audio settings in Pr and the OS until you find a combo that works. Having more than one program and program version not working may mean that your system audio is part of the problem.

[SimonAllen]

Thanks Jeff,

I've gone back to the previous version of Pr and it's working properly.

The fact that the problem was mostly intermittent really caused some headaches.

I'll await the next release and update to see if that works any better - for now I'll continue with Pr 2020.

Cheers for your answer 🙂

[Warren Heaton]

What happens if you transcode the GoPro camera originals to ProRes 422 LT?  Either using GoPro Studio (I think I'm referring to it by its old name - it's the GoPro app to log and convert clips to a format that's good for editing) or using Media Encoder or using Premiere Pro with the project ingest setting enabled?

[SimonAllen]

Hi Warren,

I tried using Media Encoder and it didn't help at all.

I didn't try with the project ingest setting enabled. I may have a go with that when I edit my next project and see how I get on.

I'm shooting in 60fps 4k, what format do you think it would be best to convert to?

Cheers

Simon

[Warren Heaton]

If using Media Encoder, I'd go with Format QuickTime and Preset ProRes422 LT.  Using the Ingest Transcode option in Premiere Pro is still using Media Encoder.

If you'd like to try bypassing Adobe for the conversion to ProRes, there's GoPro software (it used to be called GoPro Studio) or you can right-click the clips in the Finder and choose Encode Selected Video Files.  The downside about using the Finder option is that you can only convert to ProRes422 and not ProRes422 LT and there's no status indicator.  The ProRes versions just show up next to the originals.  There's also Apple Compressor that I think is still $50.

You'll want to be sure to create a new Sequence in Premiere Pro via drag and drop of one of the ProRes clips.  Double-check the Sequence Settings that the Video Previews are also set to QuickTime ProRes (a current version of Premiere Pro should do this automatically).

Another important note is that ProRes files, like any files that are good for editing, take up drive space.  1080p ProRes422 comes in at about 1GB per minute.  

[MyerPj]

I'd like to recommend Shutter Encoder as a free encoding software which I vastly prefer vs the common one. Take a look at it, I was so impressed I immediatly sent a donation :-). It encodes in ProRes, Cineform and DNx plus re-wraps, conforms, merges... it's very cool. I'm not in any way connected with them. https://www.shutterencoder.com/en/

[SimonAllen]

Thank you MyerPj, I'll take a look at that encoder 🙂

[SimonAllen]

Thanks Warren, I appreciate your help 🙂

[russs1073]

I've been experiencing this exact problem for a couple of months now.  At first I thought deleting the cache was the answer, although it doesn't seem to fix everytime.   It's super frustrating.  

[SimonAllen]

It certainly is, Warren.

Going back to Version 14.9.0 has been the simplest solution for me.

I've found that the older version is more consistent for my editing, and I haven't had the problem at all.

[russs1073]

I just attempted this and where it is a work around for future projects, it does not help with the current one, which it won't allow me to load as it was created on a later version. 

This is not v good from Adobe really is it

[MyerPj]

Re: Open Premiere Project in Older Version - Downg... - Adobe Support Community - 10648544

[russs1073]

thank you - I tried both the 7zip and the URL with the converter and neither would allow me to upload, it was still recognising as an updated version.  I checked the code, the version had been converted to '1'.  

[SimonAllen]

I got round this by creating a new project in V14, and then imported the export with the missing audio bits.

I then slotted in the audio I wanted, and rendered that in V14.

It worked nicely, and didn't take too ong to do.