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About OMF Files

Open Media Framework® (OMF®) Interchange® files make it possible to move projects with multiple video and audio tracks between systems. You can even include embedded audio media in the OMF file to facilitate the process of restoring a project on another system.

An OMF file is like an EDL with expanded capabilities. Essentially, you use an OMF file to recreate a timeline with all the tracks, effects, and events intact.

Without the benefit of an OMF file, moving a project can be a difficult process, particularly between different editing systems. For instance, when using EDLs to recreate your editing decisions, most formats support only one video track and up to four audio tracks per EDL. If your project contains multiple video and audio tracks, you must create several sets of EDLs, and label each carefully to ensure that they are reassembled in the right order. Information about effects must be manually entered to be included in the EDL.

However, with OMF files, the timeline track and event structure is stored so that it can be rebuilt on another system. The audio media itself can even be included in the OMF file.

When you want to move a project with multiple tracks and effects, use the OMF import or export tools.