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Guide

How to import a podswitch edit into Final Cut Pro

By Updated 3 min read

To open a podswitch edit in Final Cut Pro, paste the path of the folder that holds your camera files, save the dialogue mix into that same folder, download the FCPXML and choose File, Import, XML in Final Cut Pro. You get a multicam clip with every angle and a timeline where every cut is already made.

What do I download?

Two files, from the download page linked in your email or from the project page in your account:

  • The dialogue mix, named like podswitch-your-project-mix.wav (or .m4a if you chose AAC).
  • The FCPXML, named like podswitch-your-project.fcpxml. It is generated when you download it, using the folder path you enter.

A cut list in CSV format is also available if you want to inspect the decisions outside Final Cut Pro.

How do I import the edit?

  1. Copy your folder path. In Finder, right-click the folder that holds your camera files, hold the Option key and choose Copy as Pathname. The path starts with /, for example /Users/you/Podcasts/Episode 12 or /Volumes/Media/Episode 12.
  2. Paste it on the download page. podswitch rejects paths starting with ~, because it cannot know what your home folder is called. Paste the full path instead.
  3. Download the mix into that same folder. The FCPXML expects to find the mix next to your camera files.
  4. Download the FCPXML. Save it anywhere.
  5. Import it in Final Cut Pro. Choose File > Import > XML, select the FCPXML and choose the library to import into.

What will I see in Final Cut Pro?

  • A multicam clip with one angle per camera, named after your speakers and angles, plus an audio-only angle carrying the dialogue mix.
  • A project with the multicam clip on the timeline and every switch already made. The audio is the mix throughout, so it stays continuous across cuts.

The camera files keep their original start timecode, so if you open an angle on its own it matches your camera.

How do I change a cut?

Open the Angle Viewer with View > Show in Viewer > Angles. Play the timeline and click a different angle to switch the shot at the playhead, or select a clip on the timeline and choose a new angle for it. Trimming the edit point between two shots moves the cut.

If you want the edit to be busier or calmer overall, change the pacing preset in podswitch and download the FCPXML again. That re-runs only the decisions and does not use up a project.

What if my clips show as offline?

Clips appear offline when the files are not where the FCPXML says, usually because the folder path was different or files have moved since. To reconnect them:

  1. Select the multicam clip or the offline clips in the browser.
  2. Choose File > Relink Files.
  3. Point Final Cut Pro at the folder that contains the files. It matches them by name.

Alternatively, correct the folder path in podswitch and download a fresh FCPXML.

What if my mix has expired?

The mix is kept for your plan’s retention period. After that, podswitch can still generate the FCPXML using each camera’s own audio instead of the mix, because the cut decisions are kept for as long as the project exists. The edit is the same; only the audio source changes.

Common questions

Why does podswitch ask for my folder path?

Final Cut Pro needs to know where your video files are on your Mac, and browsers never tell websites that. The folder path is written into the FCPXML so the project opens with every file linked.

What if I skip the folder path?

The FCPXML uses a placeholder folder. Your clips open offline, and you reconnect them in Final Cut Pro with Relink Files.

Can I change the cuts after importing?

Yes. The timeline is an ordinary multicam edit. Switch any shot to a different angle in the Angle Viewer, or trim and move cuts as you would in any multicam project.