MarkerBuddy User Guide

MarkerBuddy is a panel for Adobe Premiere (UXP, Premiere 25.6 or later) that gives you a fast, spreadsheet-style workflow for sequence and clip markers: add and edit markers, search existing Premiere transcripts, import client notes, batch-edit names and timecodes, track completion status, and export to a dozen post-production formats.

Installation

MarkerBuddy ships as a standard Adobe add-on package (MarkerBuddy-1.4.0.ccx).

• From the package: double-click the .ccx file (or install it through Adobe Creative Cloud) and restart Premiere.

Once installed, open the panel from Window → Extensions (UXP) → MarkerBuddy. The panel needs an active sequence - open one in the Timeline and MarkerBuddy detects it automatically, along with its frame rate, drop-frame setting, and duration.

Requirements: Premiere 25.6.0 or later. Stream Deck users also need Stream Deck 7.1 or later on macOS 13 or later or Windows 10 or later. The panel requests local file system access (import/export), clipboard read/write (copy-as-text and paste), and permission to reveal exported files.

The optional Stream Deck integration uses the separate MarkerBuddy Stream Deck installer.

The main dashboard

The panel is organized into four zones, top to bottom:

• Header bar - the MarkerBuddy menu (click the logo), the MB Quick Markers toggle, the search field, and the big add-marker button showing the current playhead timecode.
• Marker table - every marker in the active sequence, one row per marker, with configurable Color, Track, Timecode, LOC, Name, Comments, and Status columns.
• Mini timeline - a miniature map with a dot for each point marker and a bar for each spanned marker. A cyan ring and diamond identify markers saved in Location Memory.
• Footer bar - marker/selection counts, ten numbered Location Memory slots immediately after the count, delete-selected, previous/next navigation, paste, undo, undo history, and refresh.

The strip above the footer shows the sequence name, total running time (TRT), frame rate, and drop-frame status. Status and error messages (for example Imported 7 markers.) appear just above the footer.

Location Markers (Location Memory)

The ten numbered squares immediately after the marker and selection counts are sequence-specific bookmarks to existing markers. Clicking an occupied slot jumps the Premiere playhead to that marker and makes it the single focused selection.

• Assign or replace directly - drag the exact marker row onto a slot, or right-click one marker and open Set as Location Marker. Choose First Available or any explicit LM 1-LM 10 entry; populated entries show the assigned marker name and remain selectable for a deliberate overwrite.
• Multiple selections - row dragging remains available when two or more markers are selected because the dragged row identifies the intended marker. Occupied slots remain available for jumping.
• Manage - right-click an occupied slot for Jump or Clear. The Context Menu key or Shift+F10 opens the menu; Delete or Backspace clears an occupied focused slot.
• Recognize saved markers - occupied slots use the marker color. As soon as a Location Marker is assigned, the table reveals a dedicated LOC column immediately after Timecode and centers each LM# badge there. LOC supports sorting, resizing, reordering, visibility controls, and saved layouts. The mini timeline adds a cyan ring and diamond while preserving the marker's normal color, span, and status.
• Persistent, safe, and undoable - every sequence keeps its own ten-slot bank across relaunches. Assign, overwrite, and clear join MarkerBuddy's chronological Undo history. MarkerBuddy can recover a uniquely moved or converted marker from its stored owner, source position, track, time, name, comments, duration, and type. A deleted or ambiguous marker shows a warning and is never guessed.

The matching Location Memory 1-10 Stream Deck actions jump to these same slots. Commands sent while MarkerBuddy is opening wait for the active sequence and marker snapshot instead of being discarded.

Adding markers

Click the blue + button in the top-right corner (it always displays the current playhead timecode) to instantly add a marker at the playhead.

• Default name and color - right-click the Add Marker button to open Default Marker Settings, then edit the name or choose one of Premiere's eight colors. Hovering the add button explains that right-click action.
• Sequence vs. clip markers - without an In/Out range, MarkerBuddy adds a clip marker to the topmost eligible clip under the playhead. With a valid sequence In/Out range, it always creates a sequence marker spanning that range. MarkerBuddy refreshes the live In/Out state immediately before adding.
• Spanned markers - the table stacks the start timecode over the end timecode, the mini timeline draws the complete span, and jumping goes to the start.
• Coexistence - point clip markers and point sequence markers can remain inside a spanned sequence marker. An overlapping marker never prevents the span from being created or displayed.

Stream Deck Add Clip Marker creates a point clip marker at the playhead. Stream Deck Add Sequence Marker follows the panel Add Marker behavior: it spans an active sequence In/Out range, or creates a point sequence marker at the playhead when no range is active.

Quick Markers

Quick Markers are eight reusable marker templates on a one-click toolbar - ideal for repetitive logging passes (e.g. "FIX AUDIO", "VFX", "B-ROLL"). Toggle the bar with the MB button next to the MarkerBuddy logo.

• Click a slot (QM1–QM8) to instantly drop a marker at the playhead using that template's name, color, and comment.
• Right-click a slot to configure it.

On a fresh install, the slots start as B-Roll (Blue), VFX (Purple), Audio (Red), Music (Green), SFX (Orange), Graphics (Teal), Color (Yellow), and Review (White). They use Auto placement and blank comments. Upgrading replaces only the untouched legacy QM1–QM8 factory set; any customized name, color, comment, or marker type remains unchanged. Each template stores a marker name (used verbatim; empty slots show as QM1–QM8), a color, an optional default comment, and a marker type - Clip (topmost clip under the playhead), Sequence, or Auto. Templates persist between sessions. MarkerBuddy 1.4.0 can trigger all eight saved slots from Stream Deck even though Premiere's current UXP API does not allow assignable native keyboard shortcuts for third-party panel commands.

Stream Deck integration

MarkerBuddy 1.4.0 includes a fully local Stream Deck plugin with 25 independent actions: Quick Marker 1-8, Add Clip Marker, Add Sequence Marker, Previous Marker, Next Marker, Undo, Mark as Complete, Mark as Skipped, and Location Memory 1-10. No cloud bridge, account, or network connection is used.

Install and assign the actions

1. Install or update the MarkerBuddy Adobe plugin to version 1.4.0.
2. Install Stream Deck 7.1 or later.
3. Download the MarkerBuddy Stream Deck installer, double-click it, and confirm the installation in Stream Deck.
4. Search Stream Deck's action list for MarkerBuddy, then drag any of the 25 actions onto keys.
5. Start Premiere and open an active sequence. The first key press also opens or shows MarkerBuddy if its panel is closed.

What each key does

• Quick Marker 1-8 uses the matching saved template, including its name, color, comment, and Clip/Sequence/Auto type.
• Add Clip Marker creates a point marker on the topmost eligible clip at the playhead. Add Sequence Marker spans the active sequence In/Out range, or creates a point marker at the playhead when no range is active.
• Previous Marker and Next Marker select and jump to the previous or next visible marker, wrapping at the beginning or end.
• Undo restores the latest entry in MarkerBuddy's own undo history.
• Mark as Complete and Mark as Skipped apply that explicit status to the focused marker. Repeating the same action keeps the marker in that status.
• Location Memory 1-10 jumps to the corresponding sequence-specific footer slot, moves the playhead, and makes that marker the focused selection. Assign or replace the slot in MarkerBuddy first.
• A green check means the command reached MarkerBuddy. A yellow alert means it could not be delivered; confirm that Premiere is running, a sequence is active, MarkerBuddy 1.4.0 is installed, and the requested Quick Marker or Location Memory slot is configured.

macOS permission: open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, enable Stream Deck, then quit and reopen Stream Deck.

Windows: the plugin uses built-in Windows UI Automation and needs no separate helper. If company policy blocks desktop automation, ask an administrator to allow Stream Deck to control Premiere.

The marker table

• Selecting rows - click neutral row space for one marker, Command/Ctrl-click to toggle, Shift-click for a visible inclusive range, or Command/Ctrl+Shift-click to add a range. Click unused table space below the rows to clear the current selection. Search and filters prune hidden selections.
• Bulk changes - Color, Name, Comments, Complete, Skip, status restore, Batch Edit, copy, export, and conversion use the selected rows. Starting any of those row actions on an unselected marker changes only that marker.
• Dynamic right-click actions - one marker offers Set as Location Marker, Copy, Export As, Change Marker Track, and Sync only for a viable Sync @ clip marker. A selection adds Batch Edit. Right-click TRK for Sequence (Timeline Marker) followed by exact viable video and audio destinations, Status for its three states, Timecode for direct editing, or empty space for Paste when available and Import.
• Sorting - click a header to sort and click again to reverse.
• Reordering - drag any header at least 6 px and drop at the insertion indicator. Header and row cells move together. Normal clicks still sort; filter buttons and resize handles do not start a reorder.
• Hiding - right-click any header for Hide [Column] or Column Settings…. The Context Menu key and Shift+F10 open the same menu. Every current column, including Timecode and LOC, can be hidden.
• Resizing - drag a divider in any order. Comments remains flexible; a non-interactive spacer fills unused width when Comments is hidden.
• Filters stay active - hiding or moving Color, Track, or Status never clears its filter.
• Automatic layout persistence - order, visibility, and widths are restored after panel or Premiere relaunches.
• All-hidden recovery - the table displays All columns are hidden and directs you to Column Settings.

Marker colors

MarkerBuddy uses Premiere's eight marker colors:

Click any marker's color chip to open the color menu and recolor it. With multiple markers selected, the new color applies to the whole selection. The same palette appears in the table header (as a color filter), in the Import panel, in Quick Marker configuration, and in Default Marker Settings (right-click the Add Marker button).

Completion status

The Status column turns the marker list into a to-do list for client notes and QC passes:

• Click the gray check to mark a row Completed. If it belongs to a multi-row selection, the full selection becomes Completed in one operation.
• Right-click an Incomplete selected row to mark the full selection Skipped. Activating Completed or Skipped from a selected row restores the full selection to Incomplete. Starting on an unselected row changes only that row.
• A green outlined COMPLETED badge appears beside the comment. Right-click an Incomplete status control to mark it Skipped; the Comments badge becomes SKIPPED and Status shows an outline-free red X.
• Completion and skip metadata remains in the marker record and exports. Clearing the status restores the marker's original color.
• Filter by status from the Status header menu.
• Show or hide Status from MarkerBuddy menu → Column Settings… or the Status header's right-click menu.

Column layout, search, filters, and saved presets

Open MarkerBuddy menu → Column Settings… to drag the seven supported columns into order, change visibility, Show All, or Reset Layout. LOC follows Timecode and remains hidden until a Location Marker assignment makes it relevant. Reset restores default order, visibility, and widths without changing filters.

• Search - matches marker names, comments, colors, and tracks as you type. Partial color names and aliases, plus partial SEQ, video, audio, and numbered track labels, match while typing. When text is present, use the inline × at the right end of the field to clear only the search.
• Color, Track, and Status filters - open the matching header filter buttons.
• Clear filters - the separate header control appears only for active Color, Track, or Status filters and leaves search text unchanged.

Saved Presets

A saved preset restores column order, visibility, and resizable widths; Color, Track, and Status filters; search text; all eight Quick Marker templates; and Quick Marker bar visibility. Sorting, marker selection, and the Premiere playhead are not stored.

1. Set up columns, filters, search, and Quick Markers.
2. Choose Save Current Settings and name the preset.
3. Apply, rename, or delete it from Saved Presets. Applying closes Column Settings, updates the table immediately, and confirms the preset.

Presets persist between sessions. Older presets remain usable; a preset without saved order or visibility leaves the current order and visibility unchanged.

Transcript Markers

Open MarkerBuddy menu → Automation Center…, then choose Transcript Markers to search a transcript that Premiere has already created, preview the exact matches, and turn only approved rows into markers.

The setup is organized into Target, Keyword and marker settings, Speakers, Output options, and Match options. It accepts one keyword or phrase, one base marker name, and one Premiere color per search. Click the color chip for the same 4×2 palette used elsewhere in MarkerBuddy. The window stays within the panel and scrolls internally when space is limited.

Choose the exact Premiere target

• Current active sequence searches the transcript belonging to the sequence that is active in the Timeline. Approved matches become sequence markers at transcript-relative times. A non-zero sequence display start or zero point is not added a second time.
• Source Monitor clip searches the transcript belonging to the exact project item currently open in the Source Monitor. Approved matches become clip markers at source-item-relative times.
• If the active sequence or Source Monitor item changes after the preview, MarkerBuddy rejects the stale target and requires a fresh search before writing anything.

Nested sequences and multicams: active-sequence mode writes sequence markers against the transcript timeline, so it remains safe when the edit contains ordinary nests, multicams, or nested multicams. Premiere's documented UXP API does not expose the selected multicam angle, so MarkerBuddy does not claim to place markers on an active-angle leaf source. Use active-sequence mode for that workflow.

Define, review, and create matches

1. MarkerBuddy reads and parses the chosen transcript once in memory, then shows its language, timed-word count, speaker groups, and per-speaker word counts.
2. Enter one keyword or phrase, a custom marker name, and a Premiere palette color. Each search accepts one keyword or phrase.
3. Leave every speaker selected or filter exact Premiere speaker IDs with Select all, Clear, and individual checkboxes. Unlabeled words stay in their own explicit group.
4. Choose a point marker or the exact matched-phrase duration. Named speakers can be included in marker comments and can optionally prefix marker names.
5. Choose case-sensitive or case-insensitive matching and optional whole-word matching. Phrase matching may cross punctuation while still respecting word boundaries.
6. Set Comment words on each side from 0–50. The default 2 writes … two words before keyword two words after …. Set 0 to write only the matched keyword or phrase.
7. Click Find Matches. The preview shows the matched text, exact marker-comment preview, speaker when Premiere provides one, transcript time, and destination.
8. Approve or clear individual rows, then create the approved markers. No marker is written before this approval step.

MarkerBuddy never forms one phrase match across two different known speakers. Same-speaker matches can still cross adjacent transcript segments. If Premiere provides no speaker IDs, cross-segment matching remains available because a speaker change cannot be identified reliably.

Comment context changes only the comment text. A point marker starts on the first matched word and has no duration. A matched-phrase marker starts on the first word and ends with the last matched word; surrounding comment words never move or extend it.

Large transcripts show progress and can be cancelled. Creation uses locked batches of at most 100 markers, applies the selected colors, skips deterministic duplicates, refreshes MarkerBuddy, and reports separate created, skipped, and failed counts. Active-sequence batches are one MarkerBuddy Undo entry; Source Monitor clip-marker batches use Premiere's native Undo.

Missing transcripts

If the target has no transcript, open Window → Text, select the Transcript tab, and transcribe the named sequence or clip in Premiere. MarkerBuddy cannot start transcription because Premiere exposes no documented UXP start-transcription API.

Automation Center

Open MarkerBuddy menu → Automation Center…. The eleven tools are ordered Batch Edit, Smart Reconform, Transcript Markers, Find Claps, Beat Detection, Batch Frame Export, Sync Markers, Multicam Markers, VFX Pull Prep, Text Overlays, and Audition Safe Transfer. Batch Edit is active by default. Each tool keeps its complete setup, progress, review, cancellation, apply, and result flow inside this one center.

Batch Edit

The first and default tool preserves the complete Change, Target markers, Review, and Apply flow. Find and replace, append, prepend, clear, recolor, and timecode shifts retain live target counts, exact disabled reasons, a complete Before / After preview, one-action apply, and MarkerBuddy Undo.

Smart Reconform

Choose an older source sequence and newer target sequence, analyze automatically, review Exact, Shifted, Ambiguous, Unmatched, and Duplicate candidates, and apply only explicitly approved markers. Nested and multicam uncertainty remains visible and is never guessed.

Transcript Markers

Read an existing Premiere transcript in memory, choose the exact sequence or Source Monitor target, filter speakers, preview exact keyword or phrase matches, and create only approved point or ranged markers. MarkerBuddy does not create or upload a transcript.

Find Claps

Analyze selected audio and visible nested leaf ranges locally and offline, rank clap-like transients, choose one of eight marker colors, and review every result before adding source markers. Approved points are named Clap Marker, with a Clap @ source timecode comment calculated from the underlying leaf clip. No media or audio samples leave the computer. This is a likely clap/slate candidate finder, not guaranteed slate detection. Clean production audio can work extremely well; music, applause, action scenes, clipped peaks, and heavily compressed camera audio can produce unavoidable false matches. Scores rank candidates and are not probabilities.

Read the Find Claps workflow →

Beat Detection

Analyze selected audio clips only, including visible nested ranges, locally and offline; no media or audio samples leave the computer. MarkerBuddy searches the complete supported BPM range automatically, with no range setting for the user. Review the estimated BPM, stability, and every proposed point marker, choose one of eight marker colors, then choose every beat, every second beat, or every fourth beat. Approved points are named Beat Marker with empty comments. MarkerBuddy estimates a pulse grid and does not claim downbeats, bars, meter, phrasing, or a tempo map.

Read the Beat Detection workflow →

Batch Frame Export

Export Selected, Visible, or All marker frames at full sequence resolution as BMP, DPX, GIF, JPG, EXR, PNG, TGA, or TIF. Range markers support first, middle, or last included frame. Naming tokens include sequence, index, name, color, timecode, and clip. Invalid filename punctuation is sanitized; existing files can be skipped or numbered. Review, progress, cancellation, reveal-folder, and per-file receipts are included.

Read the Batch Frame Export workflow →

Sync Markers

Only clip markers with an explicit Sync @ HH:MM:SS:FF instruction are eligible. Change only Clap to Sync in an existing Clap @ comment to reuse its source timecode. Naked comment timecodes are ignored. On a drop-frame sequence, mistaken colon input is interpreted on the sequence drop-frame clock, impossible skipped frame numbers are translated to the first valid frame, and the normalized semicolon target is shown with a review warning. Preflight blocks negative starts, conflicting targets, and same-track collisions; matching linked audio/video items move together in one verified transaction.

Read the Sync Markers workflow →

Multicam Markers

Recursively inspect visible multicam and nested sources, map source-marker time through trims and playback offsets, filter exact sources/colors/names, and surface reviewed markers on the active sequence. Persistent fingerprints skip duplicates. Premiere 25.6 does not expose the active multicam angle, so MarkerBuddy requires explicit source selection and never guesses.

Read the Multicam Markers workflow →

VFX Pull Prep

Build a clean single-video-track pull sequence from filtered VFX markers, clamp head and tail handles to real source bounds, add colored locators, write File 32/129 lists with source file and Tape ID, and optionally export full-resolution PNG references. Nested, multicam, reversed, and retimed shots are blocked rather than guessed.

Read the VFX Pull Prep workflow →

Markers to Text Overlays

Convert selected, visible, or all reviewed markers into editable Premiere graphics using MarkerBuddy's included template. Choose the marker text, style, placement, timing, and destination video track. Placement adapts to HD, 4K, vertical, square, and custom sequence frames. Review any overlapping ranges or occupied-track conflicts before creating graphics.

Read the Text Overlays workflow →

Audition Safe Transfer

Resolve selected timeline audio and visible nested ranges to their underlying source files and source timecode. Package only eligible clip markers into a local PCM reference WAV with embedded Broadcast Wave and Adobe XMP Dynamic Media metadata, plus standalone XMP, CSV, and JSON manifests. Every destination WAV is read back and validated before success is reported. This is a marker-transfer package, not a claim to repair Premiere or Audition Dynamic Link; use original production media for final mix.

Read the Audition Safe Transfer workflow →

Change Marker Track

Right-click a marker row or its TRK badge, then choose Change Marker Track.

The submenu lists Sequence (Timeline Marker) first, followed by viable video tracks and then viable audio tracks. The current track uses a bold white label and checkmark; other destinations stay gray until hovered. Choosing a destination preserves the marker's content, timing, color, duration, and status whenever the destination supports them.

Smart Reconform: carry markers to a newer cut

Open MarkerBuddy menu → Automation Center…, then choose Smart Reconform when an older sequence has markers that need to move to a newer edit. This is the reviewed, cross-sequence version of MarkerBuddy's clip-marker rescue logic.

Choose the old and new sequences, then review the results and candidate explanations before applying any markers. Use Cancel Analysis or Stop Adding when you need to stop active work.

1. Choose the source sequence containing the markers and the newer target sequence.
2. MarkerBuddy analyzes automatically when the window has a valid source and target. Changing either selection cancels the old read and starts a fresh one after a short pause; relevant Premiere edits invalidate an open preview before it can be applied.
3. Review the Exact, Shifted, Ambiguous, Unmatched, and Duplicate results with their reasons. Deterministic deep nested matches can begin approved; multicam-angle and other uncertain results never do.
4. Click Apply n Markers. Only approved rows are written, with applied, duplicate, failed, and cancelled items reported separately.

Smart Reconform preserves name, comment, color, duration, marker type where supported, and Completed/Skipped status. Hidden source trace records the original sequence, marker, source time, and timecode. The batch is one Smart Reconform entry in MarkerBuddy Undo.

Ordinary nested sequences are followed to deterministic leaf media. Multicam and nested-multicam candidates are discovered, but Premiere does not expose the active angle, so those cases require review. Traversal is marker-focused, cached, cycle-safe, batched, cancellable, and limited to six nested boundaries.

No marker is moved merely because its timeline time looks plausible. Deep analysis runs only while Smart Reconform is open; there is no continuous full-project scan.

Importing markers and notes

Open the importer from MarkerBuddy menu → Import Markers (or the MarkerBuddy: Open Import command).

The Add notes page separates Choose a File… from the labeled Paste notes box. It lists supported pasted layouts, file extensions, and post-production sources, then reports the detected format, note count, and timing warnings before Premiere changes. Start each timed pasted note on a new line, and put a blank line before an untimed note so it remains a separate Review item. Pasted notes continue with Review n Notes; choosing an ordinary notes file opens Review automatically. Session snapshots keep their dedicated Restore Session action.

Review ordinary imports before writing markers

1. On Add notes, choose a file or paste the notes. Confirm the detected format, note count, and timing warnings.
2. For pasted notes, click Review n Notes. Ordinary file imports open Review automatically. Premiere is not changed yet. The header shows Total, Included, Ready, and Attention counts.
3. Use Apply settings to all markers for a shared timecode offset, destination, color, marker name, or original-timecode suffix. Choose Save current preset for recurring clients or review rounds.
4. Review the notes in source order. Correct the timecode, destination, color, name, or comment on any individual note that needs an exception. Options → Reset this note restores that note's imported values.
5. Use Needs attention or Review next issue to find missing, invalid, or out-of-range timing. Correct the timing or turn off Include for notes you do not want.
6. Click Import n Markers when every included note is ready. The approved markers are added in source order as one undoable operation.

To combine two related notes, choose Merge two notes, select both notes, review the combined comment, and choose which timecode to keep when both are valid. Cancel leaves the review unchanged.

Use More → Reset all changes to discard review edits and return to the imported values. Session snapshots keep their direct Restore Session action because they restore the complete MarkerBuddy workspace together.

Supported formats: Frame.io comment exports (JSON/CSV/TXT), Avid locators and Avid Media Composer XML, Premiere / Final Cut Pro XML (FCPXML), OpenTimelineIO (.otio), EditingTools OTRN (.otrn), QC and Silverstack CSV/TSV reports, MarkerBuddy's own CSV reports, SRT subtitles, YouTube chapter lists, DaVinci Resolve and Pro Tools EDLs, plain text with timecodes (including loosely formatted "fuzzy" notes and timed note blocks), and MarkerBuddy session snapshots (.mbs.json).

Import options:

• NOTES FROM (batch name) - a label stamped as the name of every imported marker (e.g. "Client Notes v1"), so a whole feedback round is easy to find, filter, and delete as a group. The note text goes into the comment.
• Color chip - default color for the imported markers.
• Type: CLIP / SEQ - import as clip markers or sequence markers.
• Add Note Timecode To Comment - previews and appends the original note timecode exactly once as - (timecode) at the end of each comment. Frame-based file records are shown as timecode, not frame ####.
• TC Offset - shift every imported timecode by ± HH:MM:SS:FF. Essential when notes were taken against an export whose timecode starts at 01:00:00:00 but your sequence starts at zero (or vice versa).
• Import presets - save a combination of these options and re-apply it for recurring workflows.

Missing, invalid, and out-of-range timecodes stay visible in Review in source order with a specific explanation and editable timecode field. Reset restores imported values, and Add Note Timecode To Comment uses the preserved original so repeated edits never duplicate its suffix. The approved batch is fully undoable.

Batch Edit

Open MarkerBuddy menu → Automation Center…. Batch Edit is the first tool and is active when the center opens.

Follow Change → Target markers → Review. Choose the edit, choose which markers it should affect, and check the complete Before / After preview before applying it. MarkerBuddy shows the target and text-match counts and explains anything that must be corrected before the change can run.

Actions: Find & Replace (with match-count preview), Append / Prepend, Remove, and Shift TC (± HH:MM:SS:FF). Text actions target the Name, Comments, or Both. Remove clears the chosen field and hides the unused text box.

Scope - Selection (n), All (n), By Color, By Status, or By Track. If Selection (0) is active, MarkerBuddy tells you to select at least one marker or choose another scope. Find & Replace requires a match, text actions require non-empty text, and Shift TC requires a non-zero offset. Batch edits are applied in one operation and appear as a single entry in the undo history.

Exporting markers

Open from MarkerBuddy menu → Export As… (or the MarkerBuddy: Open Export command). If markers are selected, only the selection exports; otherwise everything currently visible after filters exports.

The format catalog is grouped into three purposes: Reports & data, Editorial interchange, and Publishing & backup. DaVinci Resolve exports are included in the relevant Reports & data or Editorial interchange group. Every format card explains what it creates before you choose it. CSV and PDF use Configure to reveal their existing options inside the card; direct interchange formats keep one-click Export actions. Narrow panels change the two-column catalog to one column without horizontal scrolling.

All 21 formats: CSV, Standard Marker CSV, Standard Marker TSV, Plain Text Marker Table, Excel 97–2004 Workbook, PDF report, Premiere XML, FCPXML, OpenTimelineIO, OTRN, Avid Media Composer XML, Avid Locators TXT, Avid SubCap TXT, Pro Tools EDL, Pro Tools Marker AAF, Resolve EDL, Resolve Marker Report CSV, Resolve Python Script, YouTube Chapters TXT, Subtitles SRT, and a MarkerBuddy session snapshot (.mbs.json) you can re-import later.

Pro Tools Marker AAF

Use this marker-only AAF to add Premiere markers to an existing Pro Tools session. MarkerBuddy creates it locally without requiring Pro Tools on the export computer. It uses the active sequence's timecode settings. The file contains markers and timecode but no audio or video media, so it does not change the destination session's sample rate.

1. In Pro Tools, choose File → Import → Session Data and select the AAF.
2. On the Tracks tab, choose Clear All so no track is imported.
3. On the Marker Rulers tab, map Markers to Markers.
4. Select the timecode mapping required for the destination session, finish the import, and verify the marker times.

Range markers import as point markers at their start. Some characters that Pro Tools cannot read, including emoji, are replaced with ?.

• Fields - toggle individual CSV/PDF columns, or use All / None / Reset.
• Frame thumbnails - capture a still frame at each marker and embed it in the export. A progress indicator shows the capture and it can be cancelled mid-way. (Requires the real Premiere host.)
• Export presets - click Save Current Preset to remember a format plus its options; saved presets appear in their own card at the top of the dialog for one-click reuse.

Copy and paste markers

• Copy (MarkerBuddy menu, enabled when markers are selected) - copies the selection to the system clipboard as tab-separated text you can paste straight into Google Sheets, Slack, or an email.
• Copying also fills MarkerBuddy's internal marker clipboard; a Paste n Markers entry then appears in the menu (and a paste button in the footer) to duplicate those markers back into the sequence - including into a different sequence, which makes it an easy way to move notes between cuts.

Undo history

MarkerBuddy keeps its own undo stack for panel operations - imports, batch edits, deletions, conversions, status changes, recolors, and more.

• The footer ↩ undo button reverts the most recent operation.
• The history button opens the panel listing each step with its timestamp. Click an entry to roll back to that point (multiple steps at once).
• Destructive operations snapshot the markers they touch, so even a bulk delete or a bad import is one click from restored.
• A Smart Reconform batch is one undo entry on its target sequence, even when that sequence was not active during analysis.
• An active-sequence Transcript Markers batch is one MarkerBuddy Undo entry. A Source Monitor clip-marker batch uses Premiere’s native Undo.

The MarkerBuddy menu (settings)

Click the MarkerBuddy logo in the top-left to open the main menu.

• Import Markers / Export As… - open the import and export dialogs.
• Automation Center… - review and run Batch Edit, Smart Reconform, Transcript Markers, Find Claps, Beat Detection, Batch Frame Export, Sync Markers, Multicam Markers, VFX Pull Prep, Text Overlays, and Audition Safe Transfer. Batch Edit is first and active by default.
• Column Settings… - rearrange, show, hide, and reset the seven supported columns, then manage unified saved presets.
• Auto-Rescue Clip Markers (ON/OFF) - restore only unique, exact, unchanged clip-marker locations during a manual refresh.
• Mini Timeline (ON/OFF) - show or hide the marker map above the footer.

Copy is one action: right-click selected markers or press Command/Ctrl+C to write human-readable tab-separated text and retain the same reusable internal marker copy. Right-click empty table space or press Command/Ctrl+V to paste; recognized MarkerBuddy text opens Import Review.

Layout changes and menu toggles persist between sessions.

Keyboard shortcuts and the UXP limitation

MarkerBuddy does not provide assignable native Premiere keyboard shortcuts. Adobe's current Premiere UXP API does not expose the host integration needed to list third-party panel commands reliably in Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts.

MarkerBuddy provides panel-local shortcuts while its panel has focus: Command+A on macOS or Ctrl+A on Windows selects visible rows; Command+C or Ctrl+C copies selected markers; Command+V or Ctrl+V pastes; Command+Z or Ctrl+Z runs MarkerBuddy Undo; and Delete or Backspace deletes the visible selection. Search, inline Timecode/Name/Comments editors, preset names, menus, dialogs, and filter popups retain native text selection, copy, paste, undo, and deletion. These panel-local actions are not assignable Premiere shortcuts.

Icon-only footer actions, color choices, marker-table color controls, mini-timeline markers, dialog close and cancel controls, Quick Marker configuration, and Undo History expose explicit screen-reader names plus selected, expanded, pressed, or disabled state where applicable. Import review moves keyboard focus to its summary and returns focus to the MarkerBuddy menu after closing.

The Stream Deck plugin is MarkerBuddy's supported hardware-button workaround. It selects the matching MarkerBuddy command from Premiere's UXP Plugins menu instead of registering an unsupported native shortcut.

Tips and troubleshooting

• "Waiting for a valid UXP Premiere host and an active sequence." - the panel can't see a sequence. Make sure one is open and active in the Timeline; the panel picks it up within a couple of seconds.
• Edits look reverted for a moment after saving - Premiere's marker reads can lag a few seconds behind writes. MarkerBuddy pins your in-panel edits until the host confirms them; use the footer refresh button if the table ever looks out of date.
• Clip markers missing after a scan - enable Auto-Rescue Clip Markers, then refresh. It restores only unique exact unchanged locations. If an edit, trim, reuse, nest, retime, reverse, or ambiguity is detected, nothing is written; open Smart Reconform to see candidates and reasons.
• Transcript Markers says no transcript is available - open Window → Text, select the Transcript tab, and transcribe the named sequence or clip. MarkerBuddy reads an existing Premiere transcript but cannot start transcription.
• Transcript preview targets the wrong item or becomes stale - activate the intended Timeline sequence or open the exact project item in the Source Monitor, then run the search again. MarkerBuddy rejects a changed target before creating markers.
• A Location Memory slot shows a warning or will not jump - the stored marker was deleted or now matches more than one candidate, so MarkerBuddy refuses to guess. Right-click the slot and choose Clear location, or drag the intended marker row onto the slot to replace it.
• The marker table says all columns are hidden - open MarkerBuddy menu → Column Settings…, then choose Show All or enable only the columns you need.
• A Stream Deck key shows a yellow alert - make sure Premiere is running, an active sequence is open, and MarkerBuddy 1.4.0 is installed. On macOS, enable Stream Deck in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and restart Stream Deck. On Windows, confirm that security policy allows desktop UI Automation.
• A Quick Marker key runs but no marker appears - open MarkerBuddy, right-click the corresponding QM slot, and save its template.
• Import is waiting on the review table - correct or exclude every included row with a missing, invalid, or out-of-range timecode, then approve at least one Include row and click Import n Markers.
• Import puts markers in the wrong place - check the TC Offset. If the notes were written against a 01:00:00:00-start export, set the offset to −01:00:00:00 (or the reverse).
• Bulk mistake? - open the undo history and click the step you want to roll back to.
• Working with a client's spreadsheet - select markers and use Copy; the tab-separated output pastes cleanly into Sheets/Excel with columns intact.

21. Changelog

Version 1.4.0 - July 27, 2026

• Automation Center: Puts all eleven guided tools in one place for editing, analysis, sync, and delivery, with Batch Edit ready when the center opens.
• Contextual marker actions: Right-click a marker, selection, track, status, timecode, or empty table area to reach the actions that apply there, including track changes, time edits, Batch Edit, export, paste, and import.
• Location Marker column: Shows assigned Location Markers in a dedicated LOC column so bookmarks are easier to recognize, sort, arrange, and jump to.
• Sequence-aware Add Marker timecode: Shows the active sequence timecode on Add Marker and respects non-zero sequence starts, drop-frame timecode, and valid In/Out ranges.
• Unified copy, paste, and undo: One Copy action works both for spreadsheets and for pasting markers back into MarkerBuddy, with familiar copy, paste, and undo shortcuts inside the panel.
• Find Claps: Analyze selected audio locally for likely clap or slate candidates, review every result, and add approved source markers that stay mapped through nested sequences.
• Beat Detection: Find a likely pulse grid in selected audio, review tempo stability and every proposed point, then add only the Beat Markers you approve.
• OTIO and OTRN interchange: Import and export OpenTimelineIO marker files and EditingTools OTRN note files while preserving useful timing, range, color, track, comment, and completion information.
• Pro Tools Marker AAF: Export marker and timecode metadata for an existing Pro Tools session in a standalone AAF with no audio or video media and no Pro Tools, PTSL, or companion-app requirement on the export computer.
• Batch Frame Export: Export full-resolution stills from selected, visible, or all markers in eight image formats with flexible filenames and safe duplicate handling.
• Sync and Multicam: Align linked clips from explicit Sync @ marker instructions with forgiving drop-frame translation and collision checks, then surface logging markers from nested multicam sources.
• VFX Pull Prep: Build source-bounded pull sequences with handles, locators, File 32/129 EDLs, and optional full-resolution reference frames.
• Text Overlays: Turn reviewed marker names and comments into styled, timed, editable Premiere graphics using the included template, with placement that adapts to common and custom sequence sizes.
• Audition Safe Transfer: Package selected and nested audio clip markers locally as reference WAVs and matching marker files for a traceable Audition handoff.
• Workflow refresh: Improved Batch Edit, Export As, Smart Reconform, Transcript Markers, and Automation Center, and added useful first-run Quick Markers for B-Roll, VFX, Audio, Music, SFX, Graphics, Color, and Review.

Version 1.3.1 - July 23, 2026

• Speaker filtering: Inspect language, timed-word counts, named speakers, duplicate speaker names, and unlabeled words before matching, then include only selected Premiere speaker IDs.
• Speaker-aware output: Add a named speaker to marker comments by default and optionally prefix the marker name without inventing a name for unlabeled words.
• Marker duration: Create the existing point marker or span the exact matched phrase.
• Safer phrases: Keep same-speaker matches across adjacent segments while preventing one phrase from crossing different known speakers.
• Clearer workflow: Read and parse once in memory, reuse the result for matching, and use Find Matches before the separate reviewed creation action.

Version 1.3.0 - July 18, 2026

• Transcript Markers: Turn reviewed matches from an existing Premiere transcript into named, colored point markers. Transcript data stays in memory.
• Comment context: Add up to 50 surrounding words to marker comments without moving the marker. Sequence markers work with nests and multicams.
• Cleaner windows: Transcript Markers, Smart Reconform, and Batch Edit are more compact and scroll properly in small panels.
• Clearer Batch Edit: Choose a change, target the intended markers, and review every Before / After result before applying one undoable batch.
• Location Markers: Save ten sequence-specific marker bookmarks, assign and replace them only by dragging marker rows, safely recover moves, and jump from the panel or Stream Deck.
• Expanded Stream Deck support: Location Memory 1-10 brings the local integration to 25 actions.
• Default Marker Settings: Right-click the top-right add button to edit the default marker name and color.
• Reliable spanned markers: A valid live In/Out range creates one spanned sequence marker even when point markers already exist inside it.
• UI refinements: Keep the footer compact, preserve marker-status spacing, and remove Debug Info from the main menu.
• Row selection: Select directly from marker rows with desktop modifiers, clear from unused table space, use visible-only Command/Ctrl+A, and delete immediately with undo.
• Column Settings: Reorder and hide any of six columns, automatically retain layouts, and save unified presets for columns, filters, search, and Quick Marker settings.
• Import Review: Review notes before import, correct timing and marker fields, exclude unwanted rows, and merge two related notes before the undoable import.

Version 1.2.0 - July 15, 2026

• Stream Deck support: Introduced 15 local actions for markers, navigation, Undo, and statuses on macOS and Windows.
• Better marker placement: Clip markers land at the playhead; sequence markers can follow In/Out. The integration runs locally, and macOS requires Accessibility access.

Version 1.1.1 - July 15, 2026

• More reliable imports and exports: Fixed multiline Frame.io comments, MarkerBuddy and Resolve CSV files, YouTube chapters, 24 fps FCPXML timing, and quoted text.

Version 1.1.0 - July 14, 2026

• Smart Reconform: Review and carry markers from an older cut to a newer one, including nested and multicam edits, with Undo.
• Safer marker recovery: Auto-Rescue restores only exact matches; uncertain changes stay unchanged for review.
• Clearer statuses: Added Completed and Skipped badges and improved status handling in comments, batch edits, and exports.

Version 1.0.0 - July 9, 2026

• First release: Marker editing, Quick Markers, imports and exports, statuses, conversion, and Undo.
• Private by default: No account, cloud service, telemetry, or background network requests.

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