Why client notes become an editorial bottleneck
A producer may send feedback from email, Slack, a document, or a spreadsheet. The wording is usually understandable to a person, but the formatting varies: 01:12 fix lower third, 1:24:08 music down, or a full timecode followed by several lines of context. Manually jumping to each position and opening a marker dialog interrupts the edit and makes it easy to miss a line.
The risk grows when notes use the review export time rather than the sequence time. A cut that starts at 01:00:00:00 can make every comment appear one hour late if the offset is not handled before markers are created.
A safer notes-to-markers workflow
The Add notes page separates Choose a File… from the labeled Paste notes box, lists supported pasted layouts, file extensions, and post-production sources, and reports the detected format, note count, and timing warnings before Premiere is changed. Start each timed pasted note on a new line; put a blank line before an untimed note so it remains a separate Review item. Pasted notes use Review n Notes, while choosing an ordinary notes file opens Review automatically.
In Review, give the round a shared name such as Client Notes v3, choose sequence or clip markers, apply a preset or TC Offset, and decide whether each comment should keep the original note timecode. Shared settings update the whole round, while individual note cards let you correct exceptions before import.
What stays under the editor’s control
Nothing is written when the notes are first parsed. Review shows Total, Included, Ready, and Attention counts, followed by the notes in source order. Correct any timecode, destination, color, name, or comment that needs an exception, and use Options → Reset this note to restore imported values.
A missing, invalid, or out-of-range timecode remains in source order with an explanation and editable field; correct it or clear Include. Use All, Needs attention, Ready, and Excluded filters or Review next issue to find work. The persistent footer explains exactly why Import n Markers is disabled.
Choose Merge two notes to enter a merge mode separate from Include. A compact instruction card wraps its two-line guidance without stretching across Review. Each high-contrast Select for merge control appears at the far left of the note header before Include. Selected controls change to Merge note n, and after two selections the remaining controls become visibly locked. After selecting the first and second included note, preview their comments in source order and confirm. If both have usable timecodes, choose which one to keep. If exactly one does, MarkerBuddy keeps it automatically. If neither does, enter a valid timecode in the merge dialog. Cancel changes nothing. A zero-row selection cannot be imported, and Back to Notes returns to the source without creating markers.
MarkerBuddy runs locally after installation. Pasted emails, notes, marker comments, and imported files are not sent to a MarkerBuddy cloud service.
Workflow
A practical four-step process
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01
Collect the notes
Use the labeled Paste notes box for email or chat text, or Choose a File… for an export. Keep each timed note on a new line and put a blank line before an untimed note.
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02
Check detection
Confirm the detected format and note count. Marker settings are intentionally saved for Review.
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03
Correct and approve
Pasted notes use Review n Notes; imported files open Review automatically. Confirm the shared settings, edit each visible destination and marker color as needed, use the status filters to correct or exclude unresolved timing, and enter Merge two notes only when two comments belong together.
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04
Import and track
Click Import n Markers to create only the approved subset as one undoable batch, then work through the round.
Good fit
Use this workflow for
- Timecoded feedback pasted from email, chat, or a document
- Review rounds that need one shared name and color
- Notes written against a different sequence start time
- Editors who need a preview and one-step rollback
Important limit
What this workflow does not assume
MarkerBuddy does not invent a timecode from note wording. Notes without usable timing remain visible in Review at their original position until you enter a timecode or exclude them.
