How to Set Up Adobe Premiere for Playback Streaming
Learn how to configure Adobe Premiere for Playback Streaming.
Written by Sara Griffith
Updated at February 7th, 2025
Table of Contents
This article explains how to set up Adobe Premiere Pro (v2024) as a streaming source for Playback. An Adobe Premiere Pro template project with stereo through 5.1 audio tracks is available for download HERE to help with setup and troubleshooting. Individual audio files (Stereo, 5.1 Film/SMPTE, 7.1 Film/SMPTE, and 9.1.6) are also accessible.
LIMITATIONS:
Adobe Premiere Pro can stream both audio and video with Playback. While Playback can stream up to 16 channels, Adobe Premiere Pro can deliver up to 32, requiring some channel selection and routing, as well as internal audio bussing to consolidate channel count within Premiere down to 16.
There is no native ability to sync Adobe Premiere Pro and Playback for Timecoded Markers, as Premiere does not generate a sync signal for Playback to ingest. We are exploring options to work around this limitation and enable this feature.
Note: Premiere must be open before launching Playback.
This article contains 4 chapters:
- How to Capture Audio and Video Using Using Blackmagic Hardware
- How to Capture Audio Using a Virtual Audio Device
- How to Capture Video Using Screen Capture
- How to Capture Video Using NDI
How to Capture Audio and Video Using Using Blackmagic Hardware
Adobe Premiere Set Up
Audio and Video
This setup will vary depending on your Blackmagic hardware and will require the use of a Blackmagic Design device that features multiple SDI inputs and outputs. The SDI video and audio output from the device is connected to secondary video and audio inputs, looping the SDI signal back to the source machine running Playback for capture.
Playback will detect and allow streaming of any Blackmagic audio/video sources connected to the Playback machine at the operating system level. No additional configuration is required within Adobe Premiere itself.
Playback Set Up
Video Settings:
Select “Video Input Type: Blackmagic SDI” as the video source in Session Settings.
This reveals additional settings specific to Blackmagic that must be configured to mirror the Blackmagic Hardware setup.
Audio Settings:
When configuring the audio source for the stream in Session Settings, select Audio Input Type: Blackmagic SDI.
Select the Blackmagic hardware device being used, and the desired channel layout.
How to Capture Audio Using a Virtual Audio Device
When using Adobe Premiere without hardware, the best approach for audio is to send Premiere’s audio output to a virtual audio device such as the free BlackHole Audio utility, enabling the audio to be routed to Playback. Adobe Premiere can only specify one audio output device at a time in its preferences, so once BlackHole audio is selected as the output, the only way to monitor audio locally is through Playback once the session is running.
Adobe Premiere Set Up
When using BlackHole Audio, for example, set the following Settings in Premiere's Audio Hardware:
- Set "Device Class" to “CoreAudio”
- Set "Default Output" to the BlackHole 16ch virtual audio device
If the Adobe Premiere project contains more than 16 audio channels, we recommend creating sub-busses to group similar tracks together. The total channel count across all sub-busses cannot exceed 16 channels. Discrete outputs for the tracks feeding the busses should be disabled; only the send to the bus should be active (Pre-fader). Thus, the bus outputs will feed the Audio Hardware outputs, such as BlackHole Audio in this example, to conform to Playback's 16 channel limit.
Playback Set Up
In Playback's Audio Session Settings, select “Virtual Audio Device” as the Audio Input Type, and select “BlackHole Audio” (or any other virtual audio device being used) as the “Audio Device”, matching the monitor output device and format previously set in Adobe Premiere. Ensure it corresponds to the virtual audio device and channel width configured in Premiere.
How to Capture Video Using Screen Capture
There is no straightforward way to pull Adobe Premiere's video into Playback at the OS level due to limitations in Premiere. While Premiere can undock its video window, this window cannot be used as a direct video source in Playback by selecting the "Application" input type as Playback will stream the entire Premiere workspace rather than the contents of the Program window. Screen capture of the undocked Program window is the best option.
Adobe Premiere Set Up
Un-dock the Program window in Adobe Premiere, and place it in an available area of your screen, or place it in a secondary display panel.
Playback Set Up
Video Settings
In Playback’s Video Session Settings, select "Screen Capture" as the input type, then select the area of your screen or display that contains the undocked Adobe Premiere video window.
While Adobe Premiere appears as an option if "Application" is configured as the input, selecting it would stream the entire Premiere window rather than the desired video area. Selecting screen capture resolves this issue.
How to Capture Video Using NDI
There is no straightforward way to pull Adobe Premiere's video into Playback at the OS level due to limitations in Premiere. While Premiere can undock its video window, this window cannot be used as a direct video source in Playback by selecting the "Application" input type as playback will stream the entire Premiere workspace rather than the contents of the Program window. Premiere offers NDI capabilities, which be used to capture both audio and video for streaming through Playback
Adobe Premiere can only specify a single audio output device at a time in its preferences. Thus, if NDI is enabled as the output, the only way to monitor locally is through Playback once the session is running.
When using Playback with Adobe Premiere via integrated NDI, note that:
- For "Desktop only" streaming, more than 2 channels must be streamed/received
- For "Desktop & Web" streaming, only 2 channels can be streamed/received
Adobe Premiere Set Up
Video Setup
There is no additional set up required in Premiere to use NDI to capture the Program window, beyond ensuring the Program window is un-docked. Adobe Premiere NDI integration is built in.
Audio Setup
In Premiere’s Audio Hardware preferences, set “Device Class” to “CoreAudio”, with the “Default Output” set to NDI.
Playback Setup
Video Settings
In Playback’s Video Session Settings, select "NDI" as the Video Input Type, and choose the Streaming Video Source option that contains Adobe Premiere in its name.
Audio Settings
In Playback’s Audio Session Settings, select “NDI” as the “Audio Input Type”. Then, select the Adobe Premiere option for “Audio Device”, and set your channel width accordingly.
Once the session is started in Playback, a prompt to configure Preferences will appear, enabling the configuration of a local monitoring destination for the stream audio.