Best Practice

6. Audio Speed in Premiere


If you need to edit a source clip with different frame rate than the edit sequence, and audio is involved, ideally you should request a new corrected version from the original composer

If that’s not an option, you need to fix the audio duration yourself in Premiere

 

Audio Issue with fps Interpretation

Changing the frame rate interpretation of a source clip will change its duration

Below edit timeline is 25fps
The original audio track is 24fps
The same footage with 25fps interpretation is shorter as it runs faster

The issue

The 25fps interpretation has the duration we want, but we can’t use the 25fps interpretation audio track because faster audio means higher pitch, we don’t want Micky Mouse voices

frame-rate_25fps_timeline_horizon_speed_full


Changing Audio Duration

We want to change the speed of audio to fit the edit sequence frame rate

In the above timeline
Interpreted as 25fps audio track has correct duration but because it runs faster, the pitch sounds funny

We will change the speed/duration of the original 24 fps audio track and maintain audio pitch


audio_speed_290
Change Speed / Duration
  1. Lock the video tracks first
  2. Right-click in timeline on clip with correct duration
  3. Open Speed/Duration and copy the Duration
  4. Open Speed/Duration of original clip with wrong duration
  5. Paste Duration and tick Maintain Audio Pitch

Below: Original audio clip fits duration and shows speed change

audio_timeline_changed_1024