Use Spools with Premiere

Edit with footage from your Spools Drive.

Premiere opens Spools files through Finder. You do not need a Spools plugin. First, install the Mac app and connect your Drive.

Set up a project

1. Check that your footage opens from the Drive in Finder.
2. Create or open a Premiere project on your Mac. Keep the project, autosaves, scratch files, and previews on a local disk. Use Spools for the source footage.
3. In Premiere’s settings, open Media Cache. Click Browse and choose a folder on a local SSD. See Adobe’s cache guide.
4. Choose File → Import. Press Shift–Command–G, enter ~/General Motion, then open your Drive and select the footage.
5. Play a clip and try skipping ahead. Keep the Drive connected while editing and exporting.

Playback speed depends on your footage and internet connection. Premiere may scan a whole file, even if you use only part of it. Try a few clips before starting a large edit.

Reopen or relink a project

Connect the same Drive before opening your project. If Premiere says media is offline:

1. Check that the file is visible in Finder.
2. In Premiere’s Link Media dialog, click Locate and select the file on your Drive.
3. Check the filename and folder before confirming. See Adobe’s relinking guide.

You can connect only one Spools Drive at a time. Keep the project’s cloud footage on one Drive, and close the project before disconnecting it.

If playback stalls, check your internet connection and Activity in Spools. Neither app’s cache is a full offline copy of your footage.