Sound Post-Production

Delivery Guide for AAF and Video Export

Step-by-step guide to exporting AAF and reference video for sound post-production from DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer. Use it to avoid missing media, broken sync, incorrect timecode and unreliable handovers.

Core delivery rules

  • Start the timeline at 01:00:00:00.
  • Keep all original sound in the timeline, even if it seems unusable.
  • Sync separately recorded material before export.
  • Keep dialogue, voice-over, music and sound effects on separate tracks.
  • Export a clean AAF with handles and a matching reference video.

AAF export checklist

For DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and Avid, export audio as 24-bit, 48 kHz media where possible, keep handles around edits, preserve track structure, and place the AAF file together with the exported audio media before sending it to sound post-production.

Reference video checklist

Export a lightweight H.264 MP4 or MOV reference video with matching frame rate, guide mix audio and visible timecode when requested. Long projects may need reel structure and sync pops.

Common questions

What is an AAF file?

AAF transfers the audio layout of the edit into sound post-production, including clip timing, track structure and metadata.

Why does track organisation matter?

Clear dialogue, music, voice-over and effects tracks make the sound session faster to rebuild and reduce the chance of errors.