How to Create and Use Proxies in Premiere Pro (Beginner Guide)
Editing high-resolution footage on a slow machine? Premiere Pro’s proxy workflow can save your timeline and your sanity. Proxies are lower-resolution versions of your original media that make playback and editing faster, especially on large projects. You can switch back to full-res media any time without losing quality.
This beginner guide covers exactly how to create proxies, manage them in Media Encoder, and toggle them on or off in your timeline.
What Are Proxies and Why Use Them?
Proxies are smaller, lightweight video files linked to your original footage. They’re great for:
Editing 4K, 6K, or RED footage on slower computers
Working on large projects with hundreds or thousands of clips
Smoother timeline playback and less lag
Avoiding performance issues during rough cuts
Even powerful computers can slow down when handling a full-length film or commercial with hours of high-resolution footage. Proxies let you work faster without sacrificing final export quality.
Step 1: Select Your Footage
Inside Premiere Pro:
Navigate to your media bin
Select all the clips you want to create proxies for
Right-click and choose Proxy > Create Proxies
This will launch the proxy settings window.
Step 2: Choose Proxy Settings
In the proxy dialog box, you’ll be able to set:
Format: ProRes is a great choice
Resolution: Use a preset or custom frame size
Destination:
You can choose “Next to Original Media”
Or specify a custom location inside a dedicated “Proxies” folder for better organization
Optional: Add a watermark to easily identify proxy files during editing.
Click OK to send the jobs to Media Encoder.
Step 3: Let Media Encoder Do the Work
Adobe Media Encoder will automatically queue and start rendering all your proxies.
You’ll see each clip appear in the queue
On large projects, this might take a while
Once completed, Premiere will automatically link the proxies to the original footage
You can now edit using the lightweight proxy files.
Step 4: Toggle Between Proxies and Full-Resolution Media
To switch back and forth:
Open the Program Monitor
Click the “+” icon to open the Button Editor
Find the Toggle Proxies button and drag it to your toolbar
Click OK
Now you can enable or disable proxies with a single click.
When to Use Proxies
Enable proxies when playback stutters or timeline scrubbing lags
Disable proxies when doing final color grading, exports, or when you need to reference full-resolution quality
This flexibility lets you adapt to the demands of your project in real time.
You now know how to create proxies in Premiere Pro, use Media Encoder for batch rendering, and switch between proxies and full-resolution media during editing. It’s a must-have technique for smoother workflows and bigger projects.
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