When using Premiere Pro to edit your latest videos, one of the most common features you’ll come across is Source Patching. Source patching in Premiere Pro is a great way to improve versatility and efficiency when editing. 

Source Patching

The source material is in the Project panel; you can drag this onto the timeline or use some slick Adobe Premiere Pro custom shortcuts.

However, sometimes it doesn’t work, so we’ve created this little guide to further delve into Source Patching and fix common Source Patching issues

In today’s article, we take a deeper look into the following Source Patching key questions and answers to enable you to master the art of Source Patching (Or solve those pesky issues!): 

  • What is source patching in Premiere Pro?
  • How to turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro
  • Why is source patching not working in Premiere Pro?
  • I can’t turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro – SOLVED

What is source patching in Premiere Pro?

Source Patching is simply instructing Premiere Pro where to patch the source. This means it will control the file’s location (Track) and allow the Insert and Overwrite edits within the timeline. 

There is a source patch button for each of the tracks, one video and one audio. These only become active when you have selected the appropriate source. 

This can be one of two clips selected in the Source Monitor and the other in the Project Panel. 

source patching

You can find the source buttons to the left of the Track Targeting buttons (See above). These sit to the left of the Timeline panel. You can switch these buttons on or off with one simple click. We explain more down below on how to turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro.

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How to turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro

To turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro is relatively simple. First of all, make sure you have the clip you are looking to edit dragged into your Project Panel or Source Monitor. 

One this is in the Source Monitor, simply go to the left of Premiere Pro’s Timeline, and click the two buttons on, see below: 

How to turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro

Ensure “V1” and “A1” are highlighted; Source Patching is now enabled. This will allow you to drag and drop both the video and audio tracks onto your timeline easily. 

Here are a couple of tips to remember when using Source Patching in Premiere Pro:

  • The Source Patchers have three different modes: On, Off and Silent Mode.
    • On: Source clips will now be sent here.
    • Off: Edits will now be ignored.
    • Silent: Gaps are placed within your Timeline.
  • Works on both the video and audio tracks
  • It also controls the track location of Insert and Overwrite edits within the Timeline in Premiere Pro.

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Why is source patching not working in Premiere Pro?

“I can’t turn on Source Patching in Premiere Pro?” – This is a question we’re asked regularly. There are a couple of reasons that Source Patching isn’t working in Premiere Pro. Here are a couple of the reasons why this may not be working and how to solve them. 

Updates – Make sure to update Premiere Pro

Annoyingly, it can be as simple as that. Sometimes standard functionality can fail in Adobe Premiere Pro if you haven’t updated the program or your computer. Always keep the version updated where possible.

This should be the first port of call, then restart Premiere Pro, and it should then be selectable. 

Open up a clip in the Source Monitor.

Sometimes you won’t be able to select the Source Patchers in Premiere Pro, which is due to the clip being unavailable in the Source Monitor. 

To solve this issue, simply grab the clip you are looking to edit in the Timeline and add it to the Source Monitor. Once you’ve added it to the Source Monitor, you can then use the Source Patching. Allowing you to switch it on and off as you please!

Source Patching is Off.

Sometimes it’s just switched off, see below: 

Source Patching is Off.

Your Source Patching toggles need to be switched on. Simply head to the left of the Timeline and switch both columns on; this will enable your Source Patching and allow you to drag your clip onto the Timeline.

Thank you for reading our article on “Source patching in Premiere Pro – Everything you NEED to know”. We hope it was of use to you – scroll below to view our latest Premiere Pro articles and resources. Happy filmmaking!