Skip to main content
Version: Latest

Import Media

How to bring video and audio files into your project, and how to get them onto the timeline.

All imported files land in the Media panel. Before you import anything, the panel shows Import media to get started.

Import with the button​

  1. In the Media panel header, click Import Media. It's the download-arrow icon at the far right.
  2. In the file picker, select one or more files.
  3. Confirm.

The clips appear as cards in the Media panel, in grid or list view. Importing never places anything on the timeline. That's a separate step, covered below.

Importing the same file twice is harmless. Solar Sailer skips the duplicate and shows an Already imported message.

Import by drag and drop​

  1. Drag files from Windows Explorer over the Media panel.
  2. When the Drop files to import overlay appears, release.

Folders and non-media files are rejected with a message naming them. The media files import normally.

Supported formats​

  • Video: mp4, mov, avi, mkv, webm, mts, m2ts, mpg, mpeg, m4v, wmv, mxf
  • Audio: mp3, wav, aac, flac, m4a, ogg, aiff, aif, wma

This list is not a hard limit. In the file picker, switch the filter from Media Files to All Files to select a format that isn't listed. If Solar Sailer can read the file, it imports. If it can't, you get an error message naming the file and the reason.

Add clips to the timeline​

Imported clips wait in the Media panel until you place them. There are two ways:

  • Drag a clip from the Media panel onto the timeline. It's inserted where you drop it.
  • Right-click a clip and choose Add to Timeline. It's inserted at the playhead.

If a clip can't be placed, for example on a locked track or over an existing clip, a message tells you why.

Right after import, Solar Sailer starts preparing thumbnails, waveforms, and audio in the background. You can start editing while that runs. See Media Processing and Proxies.