Posted by Jordi D. Rodríguez -
Contact Author
Can't Import MKV File to Adobe Premiere Pro? Convert MKV to MP4
Search for an easy solution? Click here: The solution most recommended by us [95%]
MKV "File Import Failure" in Premiere Pro can be solved by converting MKV to MP4
"I was pleased to see the most recent Premiere update allows finally for MKV support. However, the MKV I have imported does not have any audio with it despite the original doing so."
The good news is MKV has been natively supported in Adobe Premiere Pro 2018 12.1 and later, although we can't find any official announcement about this improvement. That might be one reason why people take MKV as one of the file formats not supported by Premiere Pro. Till now, MKV has not been added to the official supported format list. Another reason is that "can't import MKV in Premiere Pro" problem still happens every now and then, mostly for codec missing.
Why can't MKV be imported in Premiere Pro since it has been natively supported? The reason varies. You should know that codec format decides whether you can load a video or audio file successfully or not, while MKV is just a container format. So even though you are importing an .mkv video, the encoded file wrapped in the MKV box might not be supported, which leads to file import failure. Also it could be caused by an old-version Premiere Pro. Different Operating Systems have an impact on it as well.
See the following test results on importing MKV into Premiere Pro CC 2018 on Windows 7. Note that only the grayed out options are videos and audios in MKV that can't be imported on Windows 7. Things are different on Windows 10. "File Import Failure" happens no matter which MKV file we throw into Adobe Premiere Pro CC on Windows 10.
Test on Importing MKV File in Adobe Premiere Pro CC
MKV Samples |
Video codec |
Audio codec |
|---|---|---|
| Iron_Man_2-DivXPlusHD.mkv | AVC | AAC |
| Diablo III Trailer.mkv | MPEG-4 Visual (DivX5) | MP3 |
| SampleVideo_1280x720_30mb.mkv | MPEG-4 Visual | AAC |
| Rise.of.the.Guardians.2012.720p.BluRay.x264-SPARKS.mkv | AVC | Dolby Digital AC-3 |
| Night at the Museum.mkv | AVC | DTS |
| hddvd_demo_1080p.mkv | VC-1 (Microsoft) | Dolby Digital AC-3 |
| Wonder.Girls_.Nobody_kbs2HD.m2ts | MPEG Video | Dolby Digital AC-3 |
MKV File Import Failure in Premiere Pro Is Mainly Caused by Incompatible Codec
The Key: Convert MKV to a format well accepted by Adobe Premiere Pro. The Easiest Solution
Analysis: File Import Failure in Adobe Premiere Pro is mainly due to incompatible file format or codec missing, which can be easily solved by transcoding MKV to other formats with video converter software like VideoProc. VideoProc is an all-in-one video processing tool, with video converter and editor embedded in. You can do some simple cutting, trimming and merging before converting MKV files. And MP4 is the most recommended output format for its wide compatibility. The unique Level-3 hardware acceleration used by VideoProc will make your MKV to MP4 conversion faster than ever!
VideoProc - Convert MKV to Formats Supported by Adobe Premiere Pro
- Accept all MKV files with different encoded video/audio streams
- Output MKV in file formats natively supported by Adobe Premiere Pro
- Video conversion can be done within three steps
- Easy editing experience: cut, crop, merge, stabilize...
Download VideoProc on Windows 
to convert MKV video
Download VideoProc on Mac to convert MKV video
Step-by-step Guide: How to Convert MKV to MP4 with VideoProc
Step 1. Download and launch VideoProc on Windows PC or Mac. Click "Video" to change to "VideoProc - Video" interface. Then import your MKV video by clicking "+ Video" button. "Dragging and droppping" works too.
Step 2. Based on our test, VC-1 is not supported by Premiere Pro. So here we take converting MKV VC-1 to MP4 H.264 as an example. Move to the "Target Format" area and then choose "MP4 H.264" in the "Video" tab. MP4 is not the only option. Converting MKV to ProRes, MOV, etc works too. There is a long list of output video formats available for you to choose.
Step 3. Sometimes, if the video stream in MKV can be loaded but audio file can't be imported, just ren-encode the audio in "Audio Codec Options".
Step 4. Specify the output folder, check the "Nvidia/Intel/AMD" box to use GPU acceleration if your computer supports, then press RUN button to begin converting MKV to MP4.
Final Words:
Besides converting videos, VideoProc is also able to perform some video editing tasks, including cutting, trimming, merging, splitting, deshaking, denoising, adding special effects, and more. The operation is really beginner-friendly. Moreover, it can digitize DVDs, convert audios, download videos and music from 1000+ sites, and record screen and webcam.
