What is FCPXML?
FCPXML is the XML interchange format of Final Cut Pro: a text file that describes the media, timeline edits and metadata of a library, event or project so other apps can read them. It is not the same as the older Final Cut Pro 7 XML (xmeml) that Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve export, and Premiere Pro cannot import it.
- Menus from official docs
- Checked 2026-11-12
Step by step
What is FCPXML?
FCPXML written by Final Cut Pro 10 to 12; .fcpxmld bundles from FCPXML 1.10.
Open an FCPXML file
- 1In Final Cut Pro, choose File › Import › XML and select the file, or double-click it in the Finder.
- 2In DaVinci Resolve, choose File › Import Timeline (Shift-Command-I).
- 3For Premiere Pro, convert the FCPXML to Final Cut Pro 7 XML first, then choose File › Import.
- 4To read it yourself, open an .fcpxml file in any text editor. For an .fcpxmld bundle, right-click it in the Finder, choose Show Package Contents and open Info.fcpxml.
Know what is inside
- 1The root element is <fcpxml>, with a version attribute such as 1.11.
- 2<resources> holds what the edit refers to: <asset> for media files, <format> for frame size and rate, <effect>, and <media> for compound and multicam clips.
- 3<library>, <event> and <project> mirror how Final Cut Pro organises your work; a project holds the timeline, built from a primary storyline with connected clips and storylines.
- 4Times are written as exact fractions of a second (for example 1001/24000s), so edit points stay frame-accurate at any frame rate.
When it goes wrong
Common problems and fixes
- Premiere Pro rejects the .fcpxml
- Premiere Pro reads Final Cut Pro 7 XML, not FCPXML. Convert the file first, then import it with File › Import.
- An app cannot open the .fcpxmld you sent
- Some apps only read single .fcpxml files. Export again with an XML version older than 1.10, or send the Info.fcpxml inside the bundle.
FCPXML to XML converter
Turn FCPXML into Final Cut Pro 7 XML for Premiere Pro or Resolve, or back again, in your browser. Conform writes FCPXML 1.8, which Final Cut Pro 10.4 and later and DaVinci Resolve import. Free up to 40 clips.
Sources
Menu names and behaviour checked against these pages on 2026-11-12. Software updates rename menus; if a step no longer matches, write to conform@niamori.ai.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Something else, or a file that will not convert? Write to conform@niamori.ai.
Is FCPXML the same as Final Cut Pro 7 XML?
No. Final Cut Pro 7 XML (xmeml) describes tracks and is what Premiere Pro writes with File › Export › Final Cut Pro XML. FCPXML describes Final Cut Pro’s storylines and connected clips. They are different files, and converting between them is what Conform does.
Can I edit an FCPXML file by hand?
Yes, it is plain XML. Final Cut Pro checks it against the DTD for its version and refuses a file that does not match, so validate it before importing. Apple publishes the reference and DTD on its developer site.
Which FCPXML version does Conform write?
FCPXML 1.8, which Final Cut Pro 10.4 and later and DaVinci Resolve import, so the file opens in older and newer versions alike. It reads every version, including .fcpxmld bundles and .zip files.
Guides
More guides
- How to export XML from Final Cut ProExport XML from Final Cut Pro: select the project, choose File › Export XML…, pick a metadata view and XML version. What .fcpxmld is and which apps open it.
- How to import FCPXML into Premiere ProPremiere Pro cannot import FCPXML. Export XML from Final Cut Pro, convert it to Final Cut Pro 7 XML, then use File › Import in Premiere Pro. Step by step.
- How to move a Premiere Pro project to Final Cut ProOpen a Premiere Pro sequence in Final Cut Pro: File › Export › Final Cut Pro XML, convert it to FCPXML, then File › Import › XML. Step by step.
- How to send a Premiere Pro timeline to DaVinci ResolveMove a Premiere Pro sequence into DaVinci Resolve: File › Export › Final Cut Pro XML, then File › Import Timeline in Resolve. Settings and what carries over.
- How to send a DaVinci Resolve timeline to Final Cut ProExport a DaVinci Resolve timeline as Final Cut Pro X XML with File › Export › Timeline, then File › Import › XML in Final Cut Pro. What to do if it is refused.
- How to export an EDL from Premiere ProExport an EDL from Premiere Pro: click the timeline, File › Export › EDL, pick tracks in EDL Export Settings (CMX 3600). Tips for clean EDLs and clip names.
- How to export Premiere Pro markers to a listGet every Premiere Pro marker with timecode, name and comment as CSV or Excel: export Final Cut Pro XML from the sequence and make a marker list from it.
- How to make a music cue sheetWhat a music cue sheet must list (per BMI), how to pull every cue with in, out and duration from your edit, and which details to fill in before it is filed.