Guide — AAF Bridge | AAF ⇄ Ableton Live, step by step

Getting started

Download and open. Drag AAF Bridge into your Applications folder and launch it. There is nothing else to install — the MXF converter is built in.
Try the demo first. Unlicensed, the app is fully functional and converts as often as you like; the output covers the first 120 seconds of the timeline. That’s the point: test it on your own project before spending anything.
Unlock full length. After purchase you get a key by email. Click the chip in the title bar, enter your email and key — one quick online check, done. From then on the license lives on your machine and works offline.

Requirements: macOS 13 or newer (Apple Silicon) or Windows 10/11. Created projects open in Ableton Live 11 and Live 12.

Import: AAF → Ableton Live

Export an AAF from your editor (see the editor notes below for the right settings).
In AAF Bridge, keep the direction on AAF → Ableton and drop the .aaf onto the file field. You’ll see tracks, clips, markers and media type before anything happens.
Set project tempo & time signature — AAF files carry neither, so tell Live what grid your session lives on.
Optional: switch on Collect media into project to copy every referenced file (audio and video) into the new project folder — one folder you can move to any drive or machine.
Click Create Live Set.

The result is a genuine Live project folder: the .als, a Samples/ folder with anything that was extracted, converted or collected, and a plain-text conversion report documenting what transferred and what needs your attention.

MXF audio from Resolve? Nothing to do — AAF Bridge detects MXF-wrapped audio and converts it to WAV automatically during import.

Export: Ableton Live → AAF

Save your Live session (Live 11 or 12).
Switch the direction to Ableton → AAF and drop the .als.
Pick the timeline frame rate your editor expects — it drives the AAF timecode track. Audio placement is sample-accurate at any rate.
Decide what travels: by default the export delivers what is audible. The Muted tracks & clips switch includes muted material too.
Optional: Collect media next to AAF copies every referenced file into a Media folder — AAF plus folder is a complete turnover package you can hand to anyone.
Click Create AAF.

Every Live track becomes a named AAF track; fades become real transitions; clip gain and volume automation ride along.

Warped clips: AAF has no concept of Live’s warping. Neutrally warped clips export perfectly; genuinely time-stretched clips are flagged before you convert, with a per-track list. Select those clips in Live and press Cmd+J (consolidate) first — that keeps Live’s own warp sound in the delivery.

Editor notes

Every editor speaks a slightly different AAF dialect. AAF Bridge is tested against real exports from each of these — here is what to expect, including the limits that live in the editors themselves.

DaVinci Resolve

Into Live: export the timeline as AAF from Resolve; drop it into AAF Bridge. MXF-wrapped audio converts automatically. Audio taken straight from video files (.mp4/.mov) loads in Live as-is.
Back from Live: in Resolve use File → Import → Timeline and pick the AAF. If clips show offline, right-click the clips in the Media Pool and relink — or export with the collect option and keep the Media folder next to the AAF.
Known Resolve limits: Resolve does not write pan or volume automation into its AAF exports — that data simply isn’t in the file, from any converter’s point of view. Level rides are best redone in Live (or baked into the audio before export).

Pro Tools

Into Live: Pro Tools AAFs come across richly — including pan and embedded audio, which AAF Bridge extracts into Samples/ automatically.
Back from Live: import the AAF as a session or into an open session; named tracks, fades, gain and automation arrive ready to mix.

Avid Media Composer

Avid AAFs usually embed their audio — AAF Bridge extracts everything into the project’s Samples/ folder, so nothing depends on Avid’s media databases.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Into Live: fully supported — linked and embedded audio, including Premiere’s mono-breakout exports.
Back to Premiere: Premiere only imports AAFs written by Avid software — third-party AAFs are silently ignored. That is a Premiere limitation, not a converter one. The practical route back: import the AAF into DaVinci Resolve (free) or Pro Tools, then hand over from there.

What AAF can’t carry — and what we do about it

AAF is an audio-exchange format with hard limits that apply to every tool. AAF Bridge’s approach: transfer everything the format can express, and tell you clearly about the rest.

Not in AAF	What to do
MIDI tracks	Bounce MIDI to audio before exporting from your DAW.
Plugins & effect chains	Bounce processed stems, or recreate the chain in the target. Plugin settings never travel through AAF.
Sends & bus routing	Recreate routing in the target session.
Tempo & time signature	Set both in AAF Bridge on import — one field, done.
Live’s warping	Consolidate time-stretched clips in Live (`Cmd`+`J`) before export; AAF Bridge lists exactly which clips, per track.

Everything the conversion did — and everything it flagged — is written into the conversion report that sits next to your output. Deliver it with the session; your collaborators will thank you.

Troubleshooting

Clips show offline in Live

The session references media at its original location — if that drive isn’t mounted, clips go offline. Easiest fix: re-import with Collect media into project switched on; then the project folder is self-contained.

Clips show offline in the editor after AAF import

Right-click and relink to the original files — or export with Collect media next to AAF and keep the Media folder beside the AAF file when you hand it over.

Some very short fades look different in the editor

Live protects every clip edge with a tiny 4 ms fade — shorter than one video frame. Frame-based editors can’t represent that, so AAF Bridge extends those micro-fades to exactly one frame on export. Your own, longer fades are untouched.

The output stops after 120 seconds

That’s the demo doing its job. A license unlocks full-length conversions — and thank you for supporting an independent tool.

Something else?

Send the conversion report (the .txt next to your output) to support@aafbridge.app — it tells us almost everything we need. You’ll hear back from the person who wrote the code.