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Kalika Kharkar Sharma/3 min read

Setting Preferences

Premiere Pro Preferences Setup

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Master Premiere Pro at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate teaches Premiere Pro alongside After Effects.

Before you dive into the exercises provided in this book, ensure to follow our step-by-step guide to properly set up your workspace and preferences in Premiere Pro 2020.

Complete the following setup prior to beginning any exercises.

Exercise Preview

preview preferences

Exercise Overview

To get started with this book, you’ll need to do some setup first. It’s important to do this exercise first, or some things later in the book will not work correctly!

Setting Preferences

You’ll be working with audio throughout this book. Make sure your speakers are on. If you are using headphones, make sure they are plugged in and then Quit and Restart Premiere Pro, before setting the following preferences.

  1. Download the class files. Refer to the Downloading the Class Files page at the beginning of the workbook on how to download and install the class files.

  2. Launch Premiere Pro.

    NOTE: This book has been tested with Premiere Pro 2020. If you’re using an older or newer version, most things should still work the same or similarly.

  3. Like other Adobe software, setting preferences while no project files are open will ensure the preferences we select will stay this way for all future projects. Go into the Premiere Pro (Mac) or Edit (Windows) menu and choose Preferences > Audio.

  4. Check on Render audio when rendering video.

  5. On the left, click on the Audio Hardware section.

  6. We will add audio tracks to some of our projects. Next to Default Output, select your desired speakers/headphones.

  7. Mac Users Only: Set the following to help avoid audio dropouts:

    • I/O Buffer Size to 2048
    • Sample Rate to 4,000 Hz.
  8. On the left, click on the Auto Save section.
  9. Turn on the checkbox next to Automatically save projects and change the next boxes to Every 5 minute(s) and Maximum Project Versions 20.
  10. Important: Turn on the checkbox for Auto Save also saves the current project(s).
  11. On the left, click on the Media section.
  12. Make sure Write clips markers to XMP is NOT checked. This will ensure any markers we add are not embedded in the clips’ metadata.
  13. On the left, click on the Media Cache section.

  14. Under Media Cache Management select Automatically delete oldest cache files when cache exceeds and type 50 GB.

    If you get a warning about Media Cache Cleaning, click OK.

    NOTE: If you’re computer has a drive for applications and a separate SSD drive for storage/media, save your Media Caches to the SSD instead.
    • Learn about file management best practices: tinyurl.com/media-file-management
    • Learn about optimizing storage: tinyurl.com/premiere-storage

  15. On the left, click on the Timeline section.

    NOTE: The next 4 preferences are crucial for the exercises in this book to work properly, so please set them carefully.

  16. Set Video Transition Default Duration to 1.00 Seconds.

  17. Set Audio Transition Default Duration to 1.00 Seconds.

  18. Set Still Image Default Duration to 3.00 Seconds.

  19. Check on Snap playhead in Timeline when Snap is enabled.

  20. Check on Display out of sync indicators for unlinked clips.

  21. Uncheck Play after rendering previews.

  22. We’re done setting preferences. At the bottom right, click OK.

  23. Quit Premiere Pro.