Posted by Jordi D. Rodríguez -
Contact Author
Can't Edit HERO7 Video in Premiere Pro? Convert 4K HEVC to H.264
Search for an easy solution? Click here: The solution most recommended by us [95%]
"Can't add GoPro Hero 7 video" in Premiere Pro can be solved via video conversion
You might not even be able to add GoPro Hero 7 footages in Premiere Pro, which you used to apply many advanced editing to Hero 4 videos, like color correction, stabilization, etc.
But GoPro Hero 7 BLACK and previous models record video in either H.264 or H.265 (HEVC) codec, all contained in MP4 wrapper. And both H.264 and HEVC codecs are on the list of native video formats for import supported by Adobe Premiere Pro. Read more: Formats not supported by Premiere Pro >
Then, what's wrong? Why can't your GoPro Hero 7 video be imported in Premiere Pro? Before getting down to the steps to fix GoPro Hero video not working, let's learn something about video decoding. To play GoPro video on your PC or mobile, the Operating System or player software should be able to decode the video. To edit GoPro HERO7/6 video, Premiere Pro needs to be able to decode MP4/H.264 and MP4/HEVC firstly, and then get the raw data for editing.
Sometimes the video decoding fails, seemingly unrelated to incompatible codec issue, for example when adding GoPro HERO7 H.265 4K files in Premiere Pro. It might take a lot of time to pin down the exact reason, while transcoding video always works for such GoPro video importing errors. And it is the most efficient way to solve "can't add GoPro HERO7 video in Premiere Pro", so to speak.
There Are Different Complex Reasons for "Can't Add GoPro HERO7/6 Video in Premiere Pro"
The Key: Transcoding video solves all video importing errors The Easiest Solution
Solution: If you can't add 4K HEVC file shot by GoPro HERO7 in Adobe Premiere Pro, convert HEVC to H.264/ProRes to have a try. Premiere Pro should have popped out a message box to direct you to install HEVC codec. If it did not, then use video converter software like VideoProc to do the video conversion. HandBrake also can help transcode video. But when tackling GoPro 4K videos, use VideoProc. It processes much faster due to the level-3 GPU acceleration scheme.
VideoProc - Transcode GoPro HERO Video for Adobe Premiere Pro
- Accept H.264/HEVC videos shot by all GoPro HERO camera models
- Convert H.265 to H.264 or other file formats supported by Premiere Pro
- Video conversion can be superfast with GPU acceleration
- Easy editing options: cut, crop, merge, stabilize...
Download VideoProc on Windows 
to transode GoPro video
Download VideoProc on Mac to transode GoPro video
3 Easy Steps to Convert HEVC to H.264 to Solve GoPro HERO7 Video Edit Issue
Step 1. Double click the downloaded .exe or .dmg file to get VideoProc installed on your Windows PC or Mac. Click "Video" to get into "VideoProc - Video" transcoder/editor. Then click "+ Video" button to import your GoPro HERO7 HEVC video.
Step 2. Go down to the "Target Format" center, switch to "Video" tab and select "MP4 H.264" option. Or click "Target Format" to get into "Output Profile" center, then "General Profiles", and choose "MP4 Video (H.264). "to ProRes Video" is under "Apple Device".
Step 3. Set an output folder, check the "Nvidia/Intel/AMD" box to turn on GPU acceleration, then press button RUN to start converting HEVC to H.264.
Possible solution 2: Install codec to fix GoPro Hero7 video not supported error. +
- Upgrade your Adobe Premiere Pro to the latest version. Your "old" Premiere Pro might not have decent support for GoPro HERO7 HEVC videos. For example, user feedback reveals that Premiere Pro CC2019 still can't import H.265 XF-HEVC, a brand new codec used by new Canon XF-705.
- If you can't add or edit GoPro HERO7 4K videos on Windows 10, try it on another computer running Windows 7 or macOS. That's what happened when we import MKV in Premiere Pro.
- If all HEVC videos can't be added in your Premiere Pro, be it recorded by GoPro HERO7, iPhone XR, etc, download HEVC codec and the problem might be solved then. Adobe should help you install HEVC with a single click. If it doesn't, download QuickTime 7.7.9 or try some third-party codec pack.
Test on Importing GoPro Video in Premiere Pro on Windows 10
Samples |
Video codec |
Audio codec |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p-30fps.MP4 by GoPro HERO7 Black | H.264 | AAC |
| 4k-hevc-60fps.MP4 by GoPro HERO7 Black | HEVC | AAC |
Test on Importing GoPro Video in Premiere Pro on Windows 7
Samples |
Video codec |
Audio codec |
|---|---|---|
| 4k-hevc-60fps.MP4 by GoPro HERO7 Black | HEVC | AAC |
| 4k-hevc-60fps.MP4 by GoPro HERO6 Black | HEVC | AAC |
If all the troubleshooting here fails, go back to the easiest and most effective solution 
Final Words:
Instead of video transcoding software, VideoProc is more of a beginner-friendly video processing tool. It operates both video encoding and editing, including cut, trim, merge, split, deshake, denoise, filters, and more. Moreover, it can digitize DVDs, download videos and music from 1000+ sites, and record screen and webcam.
