Export an AI Rough Cut to DaVinci Resolve With SRT

Cutora AI's "Export to your editor" ZIP holds the edit as project files plus an SRT caption file, so in DaVinci Resolve you import the .fcpxml, as the README in the ZIP says, point it at your own footage and add the captions. The ZIP is text only: it has no video, no effects, no cleaned audio and no caption highlights, so everything in it describes the cut, not the pictures.

This guide explains what is in the ZIP, what is not, how to bring it into Resolve, and what to check once it is there. Cutora AI is our product, so read it as a how-to from the people who made the export. The product facts page is the source for every statement about the export.

What is in the ZIP?

The ZIP contains eight files, named after your project:

• `<project>.fcpxml`: the edit for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve. The README calls it the richest file: clips, music and your notes as markers.
• `<project>-premiere.xml`: the edit for Premiere Pro, which the README also lists for Resolve.
• `<project>.otio`: the edit in OpenTimelineIO, which the README also lists for Resolve.
• `<project>.edl`: the edit as an EDL.
• `<project>.srt`: the captions.
• `<project>-cutlist.txt`: the cut list.
• `LOSS-REPORT.txt`: what the project files cannot carry, explained below.
• `README.txt`: the instructions that ship with the files.

An SRT file is plain text. Each caption has a number, a start time, an end time and the words, so you can open it in any text editor and fix a typo. It carries no styling, so the colours and highlights you see in a Cutora AI preview are not in it.

What is not in the ZIP?

No video, no effects, no cleaned audio and no highlights. You put your own footage next to the project files. That follows from what the ZIP is: a description of the edit (which parts of your footage to keep, and in which order), not a rendered video.

The loss report says this for your particular edit. LOSS-REPORT.txt lists the things the files do not carry, such as effects, caption styling, fades and ducking, and says that the exported MP4 is the reference for how the finished video looks. It lists only what your edit actually uses. If nothing was lost, it says so.

If you want the effects, the caption highlights, the cleaned audio and the final loudness, export the MP4 from Cutora AI instead. It carries all of them, in vertical (1080x1920) or horizontal (1920x1080), chosen at export. The two exports do different jobs.

Which editors was it tested in?

The ZIP was verified in DaVinci Resolve 21 before the October 2026 release. It was not re-verified for that release. Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro are not yet tested by us, so the -premiere.xml and the .fcpxml are there for you to try in those editors, and we cannot promise how they behave there.

What do you need before you import?

1. The original footage files, the same ones you uploaded to Cutora AI. A project holds up to 2 files, and each file is up to 2 GB.
2. The ZIP, unzipped into a folder. The README tells you to put your source videos in a folder called media with the same file names you uploaded. Editors match project files to footage by file name, so do not rename the files.
3. DaVinci Resolve, in either of the two editions the README covers. Resolve's own manual, from Blackmagic's DaVinci Resolve support page, describes the import options for your version.

How do you import the edit into Resolve?

The README gives the import step for Resolve and the extra step for the EDL; the other steps below are general advice. Menu names and options differ between Resolve versions, so check Blackmagic's manual for the version you run.

1. Start a new project in Resolve, and open the Edit page.
2. Read the README and the loss report first. They ship with the files so you do not have to guess, and reading them before the import means you do not discover a limit on the timeline.
3. Import the timeline. In Resolve, choose File, then Import, then Timeline, and pick the .fcpxml, as the README says. The README lists the .otio, the -premiere.xml and the .edl as alternatives that also import into Resolve.
4. Link your footage. If Resolve cannot find the media, it asks you to locate it. Point it at your media folder. If you have already imported that folder into the media pool, the README says to untick "Automatically import source clips into media pool" in the import dialog.
5. Play the timeline from the start. The cuts should match the first cut you saw in Cutora AI.

If you use the EDL instead, the README has one extra step: set "EDL frame rate" to 30 in Resolve's import dialog, and set the project to 30 fps first (and 1080x1920 for a vertical edit).

How do you add the SRT captions?

Resolve can import an SRT file as a subtitle track, and its File menu has an Import option for subtitles. Import the SRT from the ZIP, and place the track over the timeline. The captions arrive as plain text with timing, and you can change their look in Resolve's own subtitle settings.

If the captions do not line up, check that the timeline's start time and frame rate match your footage. SRT times are in hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds, so the usual cause is an offset in the timeline, not in the file.

Is the SRT the same text as the captions in the MP4?

It has the same words, in the same caption cards, as the captions the MP4 is made from, without the colour highlights and the line breaks. Highlights only mark words for a colour; they never change a word. There are two small differences, both in the MP4 only: it drops a card's closing punctuation, and it may break a long card into two lines. So the SRT is not identical text to the MP4's captions, but the words are the same.

Can you fix the caption text before you import it?

Yes, in either of two places.

• In Cutora AI, before you export. Caption text can be edited in the editor, and the SRT in the ZIP is built from your latest saved version of the edit, so a correction you have made and saved is in the file. If you are still typing when you export, export again afterwards.
• In the SRT itself. Open it in any plain text editor, correct the words, and save it as plain text with the .srt extension. Do not change the numbers or the timing lines, and keep the blank line between captions, because players and editors read the file by that structure. If a caption is too long for the screen, split it in two, giving each half its own number and its own timing.

What should you check after the import?

• Media is online. No clip should show as offline.
• Cuts land where you expect. Play a few joins. A one-frame difference is possible when a tool converts between formats, so look at the start and end of each kept clip.
• Audio and picture are in sync across the whole timeline, not only the start.
• Captions match the speech. Read a few lines against the audio.
• Nothing is missing that you wanted. Effects, cleaned audio and highlights are not in the ZIP. If you expected them, you need the MP4, or you add them again in Resolve.

When should you use the ZIP, and when the MP4?

Use the MP4 when the result is ready to post: it carries the effects, the highlights, the cleaned audio, the automatic colour correction and the final loudness. Use the ZIP when you want to finish in Resolve: it gives you the cut and the captions, without the colour correction or the effects, and you do the rest with your own tools, such as colour. Cutora AI does not offer colour looks or manual colour grading, so a Resolve finish is a natural place for that work.

Frequently asked questions

Does Cutora AI export to DaVinci Resolve?

Yes. The "Export to your editor" ZIP holds the edit as project files and an SRT caption file. It was verified in DaVinci Resolve 21 before the October 2026 release.

Which file do I import into Resolve?

The .fcpxml, as the README says. The README also lists the .otio, the -premiere.xml and the .edl as files that import into Resolve.

Does the ZIP include my video?

No. It holds text files only. You put your own footage in a media folder next to the project files, with the same file names.

Does the SRT file include the caption highlights?

No. The ZIP has no highlights, and an SRT file carries plain caption text and timing only. The MP4 export carries the highlights.

Does the SRT have the same text as the MP4 captions?

The same words, in the same caption cards, without the colour highlights and the line breaks. The MP4 also drops a card's closing punctuation.

What does the loss report say?

It lists, for your edit, the things the files do not carry, such as effects, caption styling, fades and ducking, and says that the exported MP4 is the reference for how the finished video looks.

Does it work in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro?

The ZIP includes Premiere XML and Final Cut Pro XML files. We have not yet tested Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro, so we cannot promise how they import.

Do the effects and cleaned audio come with the ZIP?

No. Effects, cleaned audio and highlights are in the MP4 export only.

Is there a limit on the length of the video?

Cutora AI does not edit videos longer than 60 minutes, and the trial is one video up to 10 minutes. The trial needs no card, and the pricing page lists the plans.

Does it work with my editor (Premiere / Resolve / Final Cut)?

It is verified in DaVinci Resolve 21; Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro are not yet tested by us. Cutora AI's "Export to your editor" ZIP holds project files (Final Cut Pro XML, Premiere XML, EDL and OpenTimelineIO), an SRT caption file and a cut list. The ZIP does not hold your source videos, the effects, the colour correction or the cleaned audio, so you put your own footage next to the files. We make Cutora AI, and we cannot promise how it behaves in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Is it available for DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Avid or other editors?

For DaVinci Resolve, yes: the "Export to your editor" ZIP was verified in DaVinci Resolve 21. It also holds a Final Cut Pro XML and a Premiere XML file, which we have not yet tested in Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro. Cutora's product facts do not say whether Avid or any other editor can open the files, so test with a short project first. The ZIP holds project files, an SRT caption file and a cut list, not your videos.

How do I export my Descript edit as a timeline to Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve?

Use Descript's timeline export, which offers Premiere (XML) and DaVinci Resolve (XML), among other formats. Descript's timeline export help page (read 27 October 2026) says it is available on Creator, Business and Enterprise plans, includes your edits and a folder with copies of your media, and does not export animation, effects, transitions, titles, speed changes or sequences. Check the page for the options in your version.

Can I export to DaVinci Resolve with each speaker's audio on a separate track?

We could not confirm it for Descript. Descript's timeline export help page (read 27 October 2026) does not mention speaker tracks; it describes a "Create track for each file" setting that places each file on its own track and is not available for Final Cut Pro exports. Descript's Resolve feedback post (read 27 October 2026) is marked shipped, but its reply does not confirm separate speaker tracks. Cutora's product facts do not describe per-speaker tracks either.

Can a reviewer approve a cut without accessing the editing account?

Cutora's product facts do not say that you can share a cut with a reviewer, so do not count on it. What you can do is export an MP4 and send that file; a reviewer then needs no account. The "Export to your editor" ZIP is a poor way to share a cut, because it holds project files, an SRT file and a cut list but not the video, and the reviewer would need your footage and an editor.

Does the export ZIP contain my original video?

No. The "Export to your editor" ZIP holds text files only, and your video is not in it. You put your own footage in a media folder next to the project files, with the same file names you uploaded. The ZIP describes the cut; the MP4 export is the file that holds the picture.

Does the SRT timing match the cut video or the original?

Cutora's product facts do not say which. They say the SRT file in the ZIP carries the caption text, and that cuts are exact to the frame at 30 fps. Import the SRT together with the project files from the same ZIP, play the timeline and read a few captions against the speech. If they drift, check the timeline's start time and frame rate.

How do I import to Adobe Premiere Pro?

We have not yet tested Premiere Pro, so we cannot promise how it behaves. The "Export to your editor" ZIP holds a Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve project file, named after your project and ending in -premiere.xml. Put your own footage in the media folder with the same file names, unzip the ZIP, and try the file in Premiere Pro on a short project first.

How do I import to DaVinci Resolve?

Start a new project, choose File, then Import, then Timeline, and pick the .fcpxml from the unzipped ZIP, as the README in the ZIP says. Put your own footage in the media folder with the same file names; if Resolve cannot find it, it asks you to locate it. This is the route verified in DaVinci Resolve 21.

What export and integration options exist?

Cutora AI exports an MP4 in vertical (1080x1920) or horizontal (1920x1080), and an "Export to your editor" ZIP. The ZIP holds Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve (.fcpxml), Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve (-premiere.xml), an EDL, an OpenTimelineIO file, an SRT file, a cut list, a loss report and a README. Cutora has no public API, no cloud imports and does not publish to social platforms.

Can I open a Cutora edit in Premiere Pro?

You can try: the ZIP includes a -premiere.xml file. We have not yet tested Premiere Pro, so we cannot promise how it opens there; the export is verified in DaVinci Resolve 21. Bring your own footage in a media folder, because the ZIP holds no video.

Can I open a Cutora edit in Final Cut Pro?

You can try: the ZIP includes a .fcpxml file, which is for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve. We have not yet tested Final Cut Pro, so we cannot promise how it opens there. The export is verified in DaVinci Resolve 21. Put your own footage next to the files.

What's inside Cutora's "Export to your editor" ZIP?

Text files only: a .fcpxml (Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve), a -premiere.xml (Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve), an EDL (cuts only), an OpenTimelineIO file, an SRT caption file, a cut list, a loss report (LOSS-REPORT.txt) and a README. Your video is not in it, so you put your own footage in a media folder. Verified in DaVinci Resolve 21.

Does the export keep each cut as a separate clip on the timeline?

Cutora's product facts do not describe the clip layout. They say cuts are exact to the frame at 30 fps. Import the file, play the timeline from the start and check the joins; this article lists what to check after the import.

Why doesn't the ZIP include my video file?

Because the ZIP describes the edit rather than holding a rendered video. It holds text files only: the project files, the SRT file, a cut list, a loss report and a README. You put your own footage in a media folder next to them. For a finished video with captions, effects and cleaned audio, export the MP4 instead.

How do I relink my original footage after importing into Resolve?

Point Resolve at your media folder when it asks you to locate the media. The footage must be the same files you uploaded to Cutora AI, with the same file names, because editors match project files to footage by name. Do not rename them.

Which version of DaVinci Resolve do I need?

The export is verified in DaVinci Resolve 21. Cutora's product facts do not say which other versions work, so test an older one on a short project first. Resolve's own manual, from Blackmagic, describes the import options for your version.

Does the export work with DaVinci Resolve's no-charge version?

Cutora's product facts do not say which Resolve edition was used; they name only DaVinci Resolve 21. Try a short project in the edition you have. The export is text files only, so it costs nothing to test.

Does the export work with older versions of Resolve?

Cutora's product facts do not say. Only DaVinci Resolve 21 is verified. If you use an older version, import the .fcpxml into a short test project first and play the timeline from the start.

Can I export XML or EDL?

Yes, both. The "Export to your editor" ZIP holds a .fcpxml (Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve), a -premiere.xml (Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve) and an EDL, which carries cuts only. It also holds an OpenTimelineIO file. Your video is not in the ZIP, so put your own footage next to the files.

What is a cut list and how do I use it?

A cut list is a text list of the cuts made in an edit. Cutora AI's ZIP holds one as <project>-cutlist.txt. Open it in any text editor to see the cuts, or keep it as a record next to the project files. The loss report, LOSS-REPORT.txt, is a different file: it lists what the project files cannot carry.

Do zooms and sound effects carry over to my editor?

No. Zooms, cards, key-word highlights and effect sounds do not carry over. On-screen text arrives as markers with its words, and captions arrive as plain SRT text with no styling. The loss report in the ZIP lists what your edit uses that the files cannot carry. The exported MP4 has the effects.

Do captions come across as editable text in my editor?

They come across as plain SRT text with no styling. An SRT file is a text file, so you can open it in any text editor and change the words, and you can fix them in Cutora AI before you export. How your editor lets you edit a subtitle track depends on that editor.

Can I export to Avid Media Composer?

Cutora's product facts do not say. The ZIP holds an EDL (cuts only), Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro XML and an OpenTimelineIO file, but we have not tested any Avid product. Test a short project first.

Can I export to iMovie?

Cutora's product facts do not say that iMovie opens the files in the ZIP, and we have not tested it. If you want a finished video, export the MP4 in vertical (1080x1920) or horizontal (1920x1080) and use that.

Can I do the first cut in Cutora and colour grade in Resolve?

Yes, it fits. Cutora AI has only one colour look that follows the style and no manual grading, and the ZIP does not hold the colour correction, so you grade your own footage in Resolve. The export is verified in DaVinci Resolve 21. Put your footage in the media folder and import the .fcpxml.

Can I export to After Effects?

Cutora's product facts do not say, and we have not tested it. The ZIP holds project files for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, an EDL and an OpenTimelineIO file. If After Effects reads one of those, we have not checked it.

Can I import an edit from Premiere back into Cutora?

Cutora's product facts do not say so. They describe the ZIP as a way to take the edit out of Cutora, and list no import of project files. Files come into Cutora from your device only, with no cloud imports.

Why does the DaVinci Resolve import show "media offline"?

Resolve cannot find your footage. The ZIP holds no video, so put your own footage, the same files you uploaded with the same names, in a media folder next to the project files. If Resolve asks you to locate the media, point it at that folder. Renamed files will not match.

Is there a Cutora plugin for Premiere or Resolve?

No. Cutora AI is a standalone browser editor, and the way into your editor is the "Export to your editor" ZIP. It is not the Cutora panel for Adobe Premiere Pro, and the two are not affiliated. Cutora has no public API.

How do I hand over a Cutora first cut to my freelance editor?

Send the "Export to your editor" ZIP and your original footage, because the ZIP holds no video. It was verified in DaVinci Resolve 21; Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro are not yet tested by us. Also send the loss report in the ZIP, which lists what the files cannot carry, and the exported MP4 as the reference for how the finished video looks.

Does an Arabic SRT file work in DaVinci Resolve?

Cutora's product facts do not say. Cutora creates Arabic captions (in Beta) and its SRT file carries the caption text, but how Resolve shows Arabic in a subtitle track is not stated. Arabic caption quality is not measured. Import a short test and read the lines.