← Part of: the AAF Bridge export guide
Ableton → DaVinci Resolve

How to get an Ableton Live session into DaVinci Resolve.

The cut lives in Resolve, the sound was built in Live. Resolve imports AAF happily — the missing piece is that Ableton Live can’t write one.

Short answer: Convert your .als with AAF Bridge to AAF, then in Resolve: File → Import → Timeline → AAF. Clips land sample-accurate with crossfades, fades, clip gain and volume automation. One honest note below about pan.
Why AAFStep by stepWhat Resolve receivesFAQ

Resolve reads AAF — Live can’t write it

This hand-off fails on one side only. DaVinci Resolve imports AAF timelines without fuss; Ableton Live simply has no AAF export. AAF Bridge supplies the missing half, and the cut arrives as a timeline rather than a flat bounce.

Worth knowing before you deliver: AAF carries audio and its edit, never instruments or plugins. Freeze or print those in Live first.

Ableton to Resolve, step by step

  1. Prepare the Live Set

    Freeze/flatten instruments and plugin chains, consolidate warped clips. AAF Bridge flags warped material per track rather than rendering it behind your back.

  2. Convert to AAF and set the frame rate

    Choose Ableton → AAF / XML, deliver to AAF, and set the timeline frame rate to match the Resolve project — that drives the timecode track.

  3. Collect the media

    Turn on Collect media next to AAF. Resolve relinks from a self-contained folder far more reliably than from scattered paths.

  4. Import into Resolve

    File → Import → Timeline → AAF. If clips show offline: right-click the timeline → Relink and point at the collected media folder.

  5. Read the report

    The plain-text report names what travelled — and what Resolve will ignore.

Coming the other way? A Resolve AAF opens in Live too, MXF audio and all — see DaVinci Resolve to Ableton.

What Resolve receives

Two honest limits, both on Resolve’s side rather than the file’s: Resolve ignores pan on AAF import, and it doesn’t read AAF markers at all. The pan curve is written into the file regardless — Pro Tools, Nuendo and Media Composer do read it.

FAQ

Why is my pan missing in Resolve?

Because Resolve ignores pan when importing an AAF. The data is in the file — open the same AAF in Pro Tools or Nuendo and the pan is there. The conversion report says so per file.

And my locators?

Live locators are written as real AAF markers, but Resolve doesn’t read AAF markers — a Resolve limitation, not a missing feature in the file. Media Composer and Pro Tools display them.

Clips show offline after import.

Use Collect media next to AAF when converting, then right-click the timeline in Resolve → Relink and point at that folder.

Try it on your own file first.

The free demo is the full app — it converts the first 120 seconds of any timeline, so you can check the result before spending anything. $49 one-time, no subscription, runs offline. macOS & Windows.

Download the free demo Back to the overview