Help Guide & FAQ

Everything you need to know about using BeatMarker Pro for Adobe Premiere Pro

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Installation & Setup

Heads-up - BeatMarker Pro v1.0 is self-signed. The download is a real, signed .zxp, but it uses a self-signed certificate rather than a paid commercial one (a commercial cert is on the way). Because of this, the installer will show a "publisher could not be verified" / "unverified" warning. This is expected and safe - choose Install anyway. The warning is about who signed it, not about the file being unsafe or altered.

Install with ZXP Installer (recommended - Windows & macOS)

  1. Download BeatMarkerPro-latest.zxp from the BeatMarker Pro page.
  2. Install the free ZXP Installer (aescripts) if you don't already have it.
  3. Quit Adobe Premiere Pro.
  4. Drag the .zxp onto the ZXP Installer window. When it warns the publisher is unverified, click Install anyway (see note above).
  5. Reopen Premiere Pro → Window → Extensions → BeatMarker Pro.

Manual install (if ZXP Installer fails)

A .zxp is just a ZIP. Rename it to .zip, extract, and place the folder where Premiere looks for extensions:

  1. Windows: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\BeatMarkerPro\
  2. macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/BeatMarkerPro/, then run defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1 in Terminal.
  3. Restart Premiere → Window → Extensions → BeatMarker Pro.
First Launch: The panel may take 10-15 seconds to load initially. This is normal - it's initializing the audio engine.

First Steps: Your First Analysis

Step 1: Load an Audio File Click "Choose audio file..." in the Source tab, or drag-drop an MP3/WAV onto the waveform panel.
Step 2: Select Analysis Tier Pick a tier from the dropdown (Local for free, Server (EM-Beat Engine) for precise beats, Premium for deeper analysis). Don't have an API key yet? Start with Local.
Step 3: Click Analyze The panel shows progress. Takes 5 seconds (Local) to 3 minutes (Premium with Gemini). You can cancel anytime.
Step 4: Review the Results The waveform now shows beats as dots, sections as colored blocks, and key moments (drops, buildups) as stars. Click any section in the Sections tab to jump to it.
Step 5: Create Markers In the Markers tab, choose your marker preset (e.g., "Beats + Sections") and click "Create Markers on Sequence". You'll see them in Premiere's timeline.
Tip: Use the metronome (press M) to verify the BPM - if it matches the song, the analysis is on track.

Feature Overview

The Five Main Tabs

📊 Source Tab

Load audio files, select analysis tier, set preferences (stems format, lyrics language, tempo lock). Also shows the detected BPM and musical mood (Premium+).

🎯 Analyze Tab

Run analysis, watch progress in real-time. Results show beats, sections, key moments (drops, buildups, peak confidence points). Cancel mid-run anytime.

✂️ Select Tab

Subdivide beats (halve, double, triple), select every Nth beat, or draw a custom region on the waveform (shift+drag). Useful for building creative marker sets. Clear region link appears next to the time range - removes the region in one click. The Scope dropdown also lives on the Markers tab; both are kept in sync.

🏗️ Sections Tab

See all detected sections (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) with color coding and confidence levels. Click any section to jump to it in the waveform.

Heads up: sections are segmented at musical phrase boundaries (typically 8 bars), so a long chorus may show as several CHORUS rows in a row - each is one 8-bar phrase of the same chorus. Full explanation in the UI reference.

🎚️ Markers Tab

Choose a marker preset, adjust colors, preview the marker count, and create markers on your sequence or individual clips. Also export/import analysis as JSON. Humanize slider drops a section-aware percentage of beats so calm parts breathe (live preview on the waveform, 🎲 Shuffle for a different pattern, ⟲ Reset to clear). The Create UI stays visible-but-greyed before you've run Analyze, with a banner that points you back to the Analyze tab - the Manage row (Wipe / Export / Bundle) still works.

🎵 Stems Tab

Separate a song into stems (vocals, drums, bass, other, guitar, piano). Build custom stem mixes, create loops from stems, import stems to Premiere as separate tracks.

🔄 Loops Tab

Auto-detect the chorus and extract as a loopable WAV, or manually set loop bounds. Preview before importing. Useful for intros, outros, or sectional reveals.

📐 Click Track Tab

Generate a click track (metronome) synced to the detected beats. Four import modes: downbeat-accented, every-beat, match-markers, steady-grid. Goes straight to your bin.

Key Moments Detection

Beyond beat and section detection, BeatMarker Pro identifies:

Marker Presets

The Markers tab ships with preset configurations:

Analysis Tiers Explained

BeatMarker Pro offers four analysis tiers, each trading cost for accuracy and features:

Tier How It Works Speed Cost Best For
Local Web Audio API onset detection in-browser 5 seconds Free Quick previews, no internet required
Server Precise beat detection + harmonic analysis on our EM-Beat Engine 30-60 seconds Free Production-quality beats and sections
Premium Server beats + Google Gemini Flash-Lite semantic analysis in parallel 2-3 minutes ~$0.004/track Music + context: key, mood, chord progression, editing notes
Super Premium Server beats + Google Gemini Flash 3 full multimodal deep analysis 2-3 minutes ~$0.014/track Editorial-grade: full section descriptions, production notes, deep musical context

When to Use Each Tier

Local

Server

Premium

Super Premium

API Keys: Server tier is free. Premium and Super Premium require a Google Gemini API key (free tier available). Paste your key in the Source tab - it's stored locally, never sent to BeatMarker servers.

Workflow Examples

Workflow 1: Music Video in 30 Minutes

  1. Import your song (Server tier)
  2. Analyze (1 minute)
  3. In Markers tab: pick "Section-Aware" preset, tweak marker colors if needed
  4. Click "Create Markers on Sequence"
  5. In Premiere: use markers to align cuts to sections (verse → chorus → drop)
  6. Done. Markers guide the pacing.

Workflow 2: Commercial Sync to Beat

  1. Load a 30-second needle drop (Server tier)
  2. Analyze
  3. In Select tab: subdivide to ¼ beats (dance/EDM) or 1/8 beats (hip-hop)
  4. Create "Beats" preset markers
  5. Sync every frame cut to a beat marker in the timeline
  6. Use Tempo Lock (Source prefs) if the song's BPM feels half-time - grid updates automatically

Workflow 3: Podcast Intro with Stem-Backing

  1. Load your theme music (Server tier)
  2. Analyze
  3. Switch to Stems tab: download drums-only and bass-only stems
  4. In Loops tab: pick "Auto-detect loop from longest chorus", check "Use drums + bass"
  5. Preview the loop, then import to bin
  6. Drag the loop into your intro sequence, layer your podcast opener over it
  7. The beat guides your talking points

Workflow 4: Understanding a Complex Arrangement (Premium)

  1. Load a song you're unfamiliar with (Premium tier)
  2. Analyze
  3. Open the Track Info panel (Source tab) - Gemini has described the mood, key, instrumentation, and any chord progressions
  4. Review the sections and read Gemini's "Production Notes" - they often flag surprises (e.g., "key change in verse 3")
  5. Now you know where to cut: lean into the described energy, or cut against it for contrast

Workflow 5: Building a Breakdown Loop

  1. Analyze a song (Server tier)
  2. In Sections tab, find the "Bridge" or "Breakdown" section
  3. In Loops tab: select "Manual loop from waveform region" and draw a region over the breakdown
  4. Click "Custom stem mix" and uncheck "Vocals" (instrumental version)
  5. Preview the loop, import it
  6. In Premiere: use this breakdown loop for a conceptual visual sequence (B-roll montage, reveal)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Space

Play / Pause the waveform

A

Start / Cancel analysis

M

Toggle metronome

Shift + M

Toggle offbeat click ("and" rhythm)

D

Toggle drum-stem backing track

Shift + C

Create markers on sequence

Shift + Drag

Draw region selection on waveform

Ctrl/Cmd + Scroll

Zoom waveform in / out

Hover

See timeline at any point

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an internet connection? ▼
Local tier works offline. Server, Premium, and Super Premium tiers require internet to reach the analysis servers. Once analysis is done, you can work offline.
What audio formats are supported? ▼
MP3, WAV, AAC, AIFF, and FLAC. The panel decodes audio via the browser's Web Audio API, so it supports any format a modern browser can play.
How accurate are the detected beats? ▼
Local tier: ~85% accurate for rhythmic music (pop, electronic, dance). Server tier: ~95%+ with harmonix deep learning. Some music (live recordings, extremely syncopated rhythms, audio quality issues) will have lower accuracy. Always preview before creating markers on critical sequences.
Can I edit the markers after creating them? ▼
Yes. BeatMarker Pro creates standard Premiere markers. Once in Premiere, you can move, delete, rename, or recolor them like any other marker. They're not linked back to the panel.
What happens if I analyze the same song twice? ▼
BeatMarker Pro caches analysis results by file path and tier. Re-analyzing the same file returns the cached result instantly, saving time and cost (no double charges for Premium/Super Premium).
Can I use BeatMarker Pro with other Adobe apps? ▼
Currently Premiere Pro only (v1.0). After Effects and DaVinci Resolve ports are planned for v1.1+. One license key works across all hosts when they launch.
How do I get a Gemini API key? ▼
Visit aistudio.google.com/apikey, sign in with your Google account, and click "Get API key". The free tier grants 2,000 requests/minute and 60 requests/minute per model, which is plenty for Premium/Super Premium analyses. Paste the key in BeatMarker Pro's Source tab - it's stored locally.
What's the difference between Confidence-Gated and Peak-Emphasis markers? ▼
Confidence-Gated skips markers where the AI is unsure about a section boundary (e.g., an ambiguous verse-chorus transition). Peak-Emphasis places a single special marker at the moment of highest confidence within each section - the true emotional peak. Use confidence-gating to clean up subtle transitions; use peak-emphasis for big reveal moments.
How do I extract stems from a song? ▼
Switch to the Stems tab after analyzing (any tier - stems are optional). Choose 4-stem (htdemucs) or 6-stem (htdemucs_6s) model in the Source tab preferences. Click "Separate stems" - this runs the Demucs neural network on the server. Takes 2-5 minutes depending on song length. Results are cached. Download as AAC, Opus, or WAV, and import to Premiere as separate audio tracks or individual files.
Can I create markers on a clip instead of the sequence? ▼
Yes. In the Markers tab, toggle "Clip markers" instead of "Sequence markers". The markers will be placed on the selected clip, not the timeline. Useful if you're working with pre-cut segments.
How do I drop b-roll on the markers automatically? ▼
Markers tab → Auto-distribute…. Pick the marker types you want (chorus only, drops only, all sections, etc.), the target video track, and click Apply - BeatMarker reads your bin selection and places one clip per matching marker. Premiere's Ctrl+Z undoes if you change your mind. The big differentiator vs Premiere's native Automate to Sequence: Premiere uses every marker uniformly, while BeatMarker filters by marker colour (= song-section type) so you can target only the choruses or only the drops without subdividing or hand-pruning the marker set. The native flow is still available behind the Use native flow button if you prefer it.
What's the metronome for? ▼
The metronome is a live click track synced to the waveform playback. Press M to toggle it. Use it to verify the detected BPM is correct, or as backing rhythm while editing. Four styles available: beats-per-bar accent, boost, layered, and steady-grid. Also, toggle the offbeat "and" click (Shift+M) for a more groovy feel.
How do I export my analysis for sharing or backup? ▼
Two options in the Markers tab → Manage row. Export JSON saves a .beatmarker.json with the analysis (beats, sections, confidence, semantics, lyrics, metadata) - small, portable, hand-editable. Export Bundle… opens a tier picker that shows live, per-track sizes for each option: Full (audio + stems + analysis), Lite (stems + analysis), Minimal (analysis only - same data as Export JSON in a zip wrapper). Picking Full or Lite when stems aren't yet downloaded automatically pulls them from the server first - one click does the right thing. Click Export JSON or Export Bundle without running Analyze first? If the server has the track cached (the Source tab will say "Server has this cached"), the panel auto-fetches the analysis in ~1 second (hash-dedup) and then proceeds. You only have to wait for a full Analyze run if the server doesn't have the track yet. Wipe Server Cache for This Track also works pre-Analyze - it derives the hash from the file bytes directly. Clicking Export opens a native Save dialog so you choose where the .beatmarker.zip lands (defaulting to the source audio's folder); the status line reports the saved path. Use Bundle when you've spent on a Premium / Super Premium analysis and want to move it between machines without re-paying for the run, or to hand off everything to a collaborator in one drag-droppable file.
What's Tempo Lock? ▼
Tempo Lock (in Source preferences) replaces the server's variable beat timings with a uniform grid based on the detected BPM. Useful if you're syncing a music video to a strict beat grid and want zero timing variation. Affects markers, metronome, and click tracks. Similar to BeatEdit's "Quantization" feature.
What's "Beat Snap"? ▼
Beat Snap (in Markers tab) snaps your Premiere sequence clip boundaries to the nearest detected beat. Useful for aligning existing cuts to the music grid. Preview the changes before applying; Premiere's Ctrl+Z undoes.
Can I use lyrics in my workflow? ▼
Yes (Server tier+). Enable "Include lyrics" in Source preferences. The server returns Whisper transcriptions with per-word confidence. In the Track Info panel, you see a clickable transcript. In the Markers tab, a "Lyric lines" toggle creates one marker per line (or per word) with section-color coding and snap-to-beat options.
How much does it cost to analyze a song? ▼
Local: Free. Server: Free. Premium: ~$0.004/track (Gemini Flash-Lite calls). Super Premium: ~$0.014/track (Gemini Flash 3 calls). Costs shown in the tier selector before analysis. Cached results are free to re-use.
What if the analysis fails? ▼
Common causes: (1) No internet (Server+ tiers need it). (2) Server overloaded - wait a minute and retry. (3) Audio file too long (>30 min) - most servers have limits; try a shorter segment. (4) API key expired or rate-limited (Premium+) - check your key in Source tab or create a fresh one. BeatMarker Pro shows error details in the status bar - take note and report them if the issue persists.
Can I use BeatMarker Pro on multiple machines? ▼
Yes. Analysis results are cached locally by file path. To move a paid analysis (Premium / Super Premium / Server tier with stems) between machines, use Export Bundle… in the Markers tab. The .beatmarker.zip carries the analysis + stems + (optionally) source audio in one file - drag-drop it onto the panel on the other machine to restore everything at once. API keys remain per-machine.

Troubleshooting

Panel Won't Load

Analysis Hangs

Metronome or Click Track Sounds Wrong

Markers Not Appearing in Premiere

Stems Take Too Long

Loop Preview Sounds Different from Source

Gemini API Key Shows "Expired"

Waveform Won't Decode

Need More Help?

Check the main features page or report an issue on GitHub.

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