Guides · Premiere Pro · REAPER

How to Import Premiere Pro AAF or OMF Files into REAPER

Published: 29 July 2026 · Last updated: 29 July 2026
Author: AAF Cleaner — built by a professional post-production sound mixer

Moving an audio edit from Adobe Premiere Pro to REAPER is not as straightforward as moving individual WAV files.

Premiere Pro can export AAF and OMF interchange files, but REAPER does not natively open either format. REAPER’s official list of readable file types includes formats such as WAV, BWF, AIFF, EDL and many common video formats, but not AAF or OMF.

The practical solution is to convert the Premiere Pro export into a native REAPER project:

Premiere Pro
    ↓
AAF or embedded OMF
    ↓
AAF Cleaner
    ↓
REAPER project (.RPP) + WAV files

This guide explains which Premiere export format to choose, how to prepare the files, and how to create a REAPER project without using Pro Tools as an intermediate step.

Quick answer

To move a Premiere Pro audio timeline into REAPER:

  1. Export an AAF or embedded OMF from Premiere Pro.
  2. Upload the file to AAF Cleaner.
  3. Select Reaper Project (.zip) as the output.
  4. Choose Clean or Faithful mode.
  5. Download and unzip the result.
  6. Open the generated .RPP file in REAPER.

AAF Cleaner creates a native REAPER project with an accompanying audio folder, preserving the timeline structure and clip placement. Premiere Pro AAF and embedded OMF exports are currently the most extensively tested workflows in AAF Cleaner.

Why REAPER Cannot Open Premiere AAF or OMF Files Directly

AAF and OMF are not ordinary audio files.

They are interchange formats used to describe an edited timeline. They can contain or reference:

REAPER can open the WAV or BWF files contained in an export, but without interpreting the AAF or OMF structure, it does not know where those files belong on the timeline.

Importing only the audio folder therefore loses the main information you need:

Converting the interchange file into .RPP allows REAPER to rebuild that edit automatically.

Should You Export AAF or OMF from Premiere Pro?

Premiere Pro supports both AAF and OMF export. Adobe describes AAF as a modern interchange format for exchanging media and metadata between professional editing systems, while OMF is an older and more limited audio interchange format.

For most new projects, AAF is the recommended first choice.

Format Best suited for Important limitations
AAF Modern projects, larger edits, embedded or separate audio Can contain structures interpreted differently by different applications
Embedded OMF Smaller and relatively simple dialogue, documentary or podcast edits 2 GB limit, fewer metadata capabilities, primarily mono-based
OMF with separate media Legacy workflows Not currently supported by AAF Cleaner
AAF with separate media Large projects and reusable source media Must be uploaded as a ZIP containing the AAF and its media

AAF Cleaner accepts:

For OMF, the audio must be embedded inside the OMF file. OMF exports with external media are not currently supported.

Recommended Premiere Pro AAF Export Settings for REAPER

In Premiere Pro, open the sequence you want to transfer and choose:

File → Export → AAF

The exact settings depend on the size and purpose of the project, but the following choices generally produce a reliable interchange package.

Audio format

Use uncompressed audio such as Broadcast Wave whenever possible.

Broadcast Wave can retain useful metadata such as iXML information. Keep the sample rate consistent with the Premiere project and final production requirements—commonly 48 kHz for film, television and video work. Adobe allows the audio format, bit depth and media handling to be selected in the AAF export dialog.

Bit depth

Use 24-bit audio unless the project specifically requires 16-bit delivery.

This does not improve the original source quality, but it avoids unnecessarily reducing precision during the turnover.

Embedded or separate audio

Choose Embed Audio when:

Choose Separate Audio when:

Adobe notes that embedded AAF exports larger than 2 GB are not supported on current Windows versions of Premiere. For large projects, use separate audio and place the AAF and media folder together in a ZIP before uploading to AAF Cleaner.

Complete audio or trimmed audio

Copy Complete Audio Files includes the full source files.

This is the safest choice when file size is not a concern and the sound editor may need material beyond the visible edit.

Trim Audio Files includes only the used sections of each source file. Add handles so that edits can still be adjusted inside REAPER.

Adobe provides both options in Premiere’s AAF export settings.

Simplify the Premiere sequence

Before exporting:

Adobe specifically warns that merged clips are not supported in Premiere AAF export and should be unmerged before export. It also recommends avoiding unusual symbols or special characters in clip and sequence names because they can interfere with interchange-file parsing.

How to Export an Embedded OMF from Premiere Pro

OMF can be useful when an AAF contains more information than the receiving workflow needs, or when working with a smaller and simpler project.

In Premiere Pro, choose:

File → Export → OMF

Use:

AAF Cleaner currently supports OMF version 2 with embedded PCM audio in 16-bit or 24-bit form, which is the normal type of embedded OMF generated by Premiere.

The OMF 2 GB limit

An OMF file cannot exceed approximately 2 GB.

For larger projects:

Adobe also explains that Premiere OMF exports can use either embedded or separate media and that the 2 GB limit makes separate media more suitable for large projects.

Why stereo tracks may appear as mono

OMF workflows are primarily track-mono based.

Premiere may export the left and right channels of a stereo source as separate mono tracks with _L and _R identifiers. This is expected behaviour rather than a damaged export.

When maintaining stereo relationships is important, AAF is usually the better source format.

Converting the Premiere Export with AAF Cleaner

Once the AAF or OMF has been exported:

1. Prepare the upload

For an embedded AAF or embedded OMF, upload the file directly.

For an AAF using separate media, create one ZIP containing:

Project.aaf
Audio Files/
    Dialogue_001.wav
    Dialogue_002.wav
    Music_001.wav

Keep the filenames and folder contents unchanged.

2. Select the REAPER output

Choose:

Output → Reaper Project (.zip)

AAF Cleaner will generate:

3. Choose a processing mode

AAF Cleaner offers two different approaches.

Clean mode

Use Clean when reliability and simplicity matter more than preserving every editing parameter.

Clean mode:

This is useful when the original export contains structures that are difficult to translate consistently.

Faithful mode

Use Faithful when you want to retain more of the Premiere edit.

Faithful mode preserves:

In the generated REAPER project, retained gain information is applied to the corresponding REAPER items.

4. Open the result in REAPER

Download the ZIP and extract it completely. You should get a folder containing the .rpp project, an audio folder, and a short README.

Keep the .RPP file and its audio folder together, then double-click the .RPP file or open it from REAPER.

Do not open the project directly from inside the compressed ZIP archive, because REAPER may not be able to locate the accompanying media and items can appear offline.

What Should Be Preserved in the REAPER Project?

A successful conversion should recreate the essential audio edit:

Effects and processing specific to Premiere are not expected to behave identically in REAPER. A turnover should primarily preserve the edit and its usable media rather than attempt to reproduce every NLE-specific audio effect.

Common Problems and Fixes

The .RPP project opens but the media is offline

The project and audio folder may have been separated.

Extract the complete ZIP into one folder and keep the generated media directory beside the .RPP file.

For linked AAF exports, also verify that every external media file was included in the ZIP uploaded to AAF Cleaner.

A linked AAF produces missing audio

An AAF with separate media contains references rather than all the audio itself.

Uploading only the .aaf file is therefore not enough. Upload a ZIP containing the AAF and the complete associated audio folder.

The OMF is rejected

Check that:

When an OMF uses external media, re-export it as an embedded OMF or use AAF with separate audio.

There are many mono tracks

This is normal with some OMF exports and with workflows that break multichannel sources into individual channels.

Use AAF rather than OMF when preserving the source stereo structure is essential. In AAF Cleaner, also verify whether Clean or Faithful mode is more appropriate for the intended result.

Fades or clip gains are missing

Check which processing mode was selected.

Clean mode intentionally removes fades, clip gain and AAF effects to create a simpler session.

Choose Faithful mode when those editing details need to be retained.

Clips appear at the wrong position

First verify:

Exporting a small section of the sequence can help determine whether the issue is global or caused by one specific clip or object.

The exported file is too large

For large projects, use an AAF with separate audio instead of embedded AAF or OMF.

Place the AAF and media in a ZIP before uploading. This avoids the OMF 2 GB limit and the current Windows limitation affecting embedded Premiere AAF exports over 2 GB.

Why Generate a Native REAPER Project?

A common workaround is to import the Premiere AAF or OMF into another DAW and then rebuild or export the project again for REAPER.

Generating a native .RPP project removes that intermediate step.

Premiere Pro export
        ↓
AAF Cleaner conversion
        ↓
Editable REAPER project

This is especially useful for:

If you also deliver to Logic Pro, see the companion guide: Premiere Pro to Logic Pro – Complete AAF Import Guide.

Using DaVinci Resolve instead? See the Resolve AAF to REAPER workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can REAPER import AAF files directly?

No native AAF importer is listed among REAPER’s officially supported readable formats. An AAF must therefore be converted into a REAPER-compatible project or reconstructed using another workflow.

Can REAPER import OMF files directly?

REAPER does not list OMF as a natively readable format either. An OMF must be converted before its timeline structure can be opened in REAPER.

Should I use AAF or OMF from Premiere Pro?

Use AAF for most modern or large projects. Embedded OMF can work well for smaller, simpler edits but has a 2 GB limit and fewer interchange capabilities.

Does AAF Cleaner create a real REAPER project?

Yes. The REAPER output contains a .RPP project and an accompanying audio folder.

Do I need Pro Tools?

No. AAF Cleaner converts the Premiere export directly into a project that can be opened in REAPER.

Can I upload an AAF with separate audio?

Yes. Place the AAF and its complete media folder inside one ZIP before uploading it.

Can I upload an OMF with separate audio?

No. AAF Cleaner currently supports embedded OMF files only. Re-export the OMF with embedded audio or use an AAF instead.

Does the conversion modify my Premiere project?

No. AAF Cleaner creates a new exchange project. The original Premiere Pro project and source files remain unchanged.

Which mode should I choose?

Choose Clean when you need the simplest and most robust REAPER timeline.

Choose Faithful when preserving fades, gains and stereo structure is more important.

Conclusion

Premiere Pro can export detailed AAF and OMF turnovers, but REAPER cannot natively interpret their timeline structure.

Converting the export into a native .RPP project preserves the information that would otherwise be lost when importing the audio files manually: track organisation, clip positions, edits and media relationships.

For most projects, start with an AAF. Use embedded OMF for smaller and simpler edits. When compatibility problems appear, Clean mode creates a simplified timeline, while Faithful mode retains more of the original Premiere edit.

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