Guide
An edit decision list is a text file of every edit, in order
Updated
An edit decision list is a plain text file that lists every edit in a video: which clip plays, which part of it and where it goes. It holds no picture or sound, only the decisions.
In short
- An edit decision list is a plain text file that lists every edit in a video, in order.
- Each line says which recording to use, which part of it, where it goes and how it starts.
- Times are written as timecode, in hours, minutes, seconds and frames, like 01:00:10:00.
- Editors use it to move a simple edit between programs, such as Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
- The list holds no video, so you always need the original recordings it points to.
- Frames of video inside the list
- 0
- When the format was first used
- 1970s
- How timecode is written
- HH:MM:SS:FF
What is an edit decision list?
It is a list of edits that points at your recordings. An editing program reads the list and rebuilds the video from the original files.
- The list says which clip plays, which part of it, where it goes and how it starts.
- The list holds no picture and no sound.
- It is plain text, so a person can open it and read it.
- The format comes from the 1970s, when editing machines from different makers had to share edits.
What one line of an edit decision list says
Most lists use a format called CMX 3600, with one edit per line. Here is one line, taken apart.
- The full line is 001 TAPE01 V C 01:00:10:00 01:00:15:00 00:00:00:00 00:00:05:00.
- Timecode is written as hours:minutes:seconds:frames, so 01:00:10:00 means 1 hour and 10 seconds in.
- This line puts 5 seconds of TAPE01 at the very start of the finished video, as a straight cut.
One line of an edit decision list
| Part of the line | Example | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Edit number | 001 | The first edit in the list |
| Source | TAPE01 | Which recording the clip comes from |
| Track | V | Video only (A would mean audio) |
| Transition | C | A straight cut (D would mean a dissolve) |
| Source in and out | 01:00:10:00 to 01:00:15:00 | The part of the recording to use |
| Record in and out | 00:00:00:00 to 00:00:05:00 | Where it goes in the finished video |
Part of the line: Edit number
- Example
- 001
- What it means
- The first edit in the list
Part of the line: Source
- Example
- TAPE01
- What it means
- Which recording the clip comes from
Part of the line: Track
- Example
- V
- What it means
- Video only (A would mean audio)
Part of the line: Transition
- Example
- C
- What it means
- A straight cut (D would mean a dissolve)
Part of the line: Source in and out
- Example
- 01:00:10:00 to 01:00:15:00
- What it means
- The part of the recording to use
Part of the line: Record in and out
- Example
- 00:00:00:00 to 00:00:05:00
- What it means
- Where it goes in the finished video
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Why edit decision lists were invented
Editing used to happen twice, in two different rooms. The list carried the decisions from one room to the other.
- First, editors cut the video on cheap, low-quality copies. This was called the offline edit.
- Then the same edits were repeated on the full-quality master tapes. This was the online edit.
- The list carried the decisions between the two, so nobody had to redo them by hand.
The job the list was made for
Only the decisions travelled. The pictures stayed on the tapes.
Offline edit
On cheap copies
Edit decision list
The decisions only
Online edit
On the master tapes
Finished master
The real video
Where edit decision lists are used today
Today they are mostly used to move a simple edit from one program to another.
- Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve can both export and import an edit decision list.
- Finishing and colour studios sometimes ask for one, so they can rebuild your edit from the original footage.
- A list only carries simple edits, like cuts, dissolves and wipes. Effects, titles and colour settings do not travel.
- XML and AAF files carry much more, so editors often use those when both programs support them.
Edit decision list vs project file
A project file keeps everything. An edit decision list keeps only the order of the edits.
Edit decision list and project file side by side
Both point at your original footage. Neither contains the video itself.
What it holds
- Edit decision list
- Only the order of the edits
- Project file
- Edits, effects, titles and settings
Format
- Edit decision list
- Plain text
- Project file
- The program's own format
Opens in
- Edit decision list
- Many editing programs
- Project file
- Usually only the program that made it
Best for
- Edit decision list
- Moving a simple edit between programs
- Project file
- Carrying on editing in the same program
| Edit decision list | Project file | |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | Only the order of the edits | Edits, effects, titles and settings |
| Format | Plain text | The program's own format |
| Opens in | Many editing programs | Usually only the program that made it |
| Best for | Moving a simple edit between programs | Carrying on editing in the same program |
How Cutroom handles your edit
Cutroom keeps its own edit plan inside the app. You never see the list, because you change the video by editing its text.
- Your original recording is never changed. Every new version is built from the plan.
- When you fix a misheard word or swap a clip, a new 9:16 MP4 is built from the plan.
- Editing costs 100 credits once per video, and exporting costs 20 credits per minute of video.
- Changes are free, so a new 30-second version costs only the 10-credit export.
- Cutroom does not export an edit decision list and cannot import another program's project. For that, use Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
The Cutroom editor, where the edit is your words
You change the words, and the edit plan changes with them.
B-rolls · 5
1
2
3
4
5Most face serums make one big promise, then quietly do nothing. This one has three ingredients, works in ten days, and costs less than your coffee habit. If your skin doesn’t change, you get every cent back.
highlight = b-roll · struck out = already cut
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
- 1B-roll on the exact wordsReal footage, placed where showing beats telling.
- 2The opening headlineWritten from what you said. Pick one it drafted, or write your own.
- 3Captions in 40 themesPick a theme, then its font and colour.
- 49:16, ready to exportExport renders one vertical MP4.
Questions people ask
- What is an edit decision list in video editing?
- A plain text list of every edit in a video, in order: which clip, which part of it, where it goes and how it starts. It holds no video, only the decisions.
- What does an edit decision list look like?
- Plain text, one edit per line. The line 001 TAPE01 V C 01:00:10:00 01:00:15:00 00:00:00:00 00:00:05:00 means: edit 1, from recording TAPE01, video only, a straight cut, 5 seconds long, at the start.
- Is an edit decision list the same as a project file?
- No. A project file holds everything, including effects, titles and settings. An edit decision list holds only the order of the edits, in plain text, so different programs can read it.
- Do editors still use edit decision lists?
- Yes, for moving simple edits between programs and for finishing work. XML and AAF files carry more, so editors often use those instead when both programs support them.
- How do I export an edit decision list from Premiere Pro?
- Select the sequence, open File, choose Export and pick the edit decision list option. Premiere Pro saves a CMX 3600 text file that another editing program can import.
- Can Cutroom export an edit decision list?
- No. Cutroom keeps its edit plan inside the app and exports the finished 9:16 MP4. It also cannot import another program's project.
Keep your original recordings, and let Cutroom build each new version of your ad. Your first video is free.