How to sync multicam footage, step by step

Before you start

Copy every card to your drive and keep one folder per camera or recorder — the way most of us offload anyway. Names don't matter: A7S III, Cam B, Card 2 all work. Make sure every camera recorded sound, even from its built-in mic: that sound is what Waveline listens to.

The steps

1. Add the dayOpen Waveline and drag in the camera and recorder folders — or one folder that holds them all. Each camera and recorder appears in the Devices list.
2. Check the devicesMake sure recorders show a green recorder badge and cameras a blue camera badge. Drag them into the track order you want in your edit.
3. Press SyncWaveline fingerprints every file and starts matching. You'll see clips slide into place on the timeline as they're heard together.
4. Look at the resultThe panel on the left counts clips locked by sound, clips worth checking and clips placed by the camera clock. Most days need little or nothing.
5. Check the yellow onesTurn on Show only clips to check and press N. Play with Space and listen to Both: a synced clip sounds like one; an echo means it's off. Nudge with the arrow keys or drag — it snaps to the best match.
6. ExportChoose Export and your editor. Turn on Correct drift for long takes and Matching timecode if you'll make a multicam clip.
7. Open it in your editorPremiere: File › Import the XML. Resolve: File › Import › Timeline. Final Cut: double-click the FCPXML. Every camera is on its own track, in sync.

Why some clips are left at the end

A clip can only be synced by sound if something else was recording at the same moment. A camera that filmed during a break in the recorder, or a drone with no sound, has nothing to match. Waveline doesn't guess: it marks these clips red and lets you choose — put them at the end, or keep them in place by their camera's clock. The clock is corrected using that camera's synced clips, so a camera set to the wrong time still lands close.

Tips for faster, cleaner syncs

• Let one recorder run all day. It ties every camera together and keeps the best clock.
• Keep camera mics on, even if you won't use their sound.
• Don't merge cameras into one folder — one folder per device lets Waveline put overlapping clips on the right tracks.
• Save the project (⌘S) so you can export again later without re-syncing.

More: syncing a field recorder, weddings, drone and GoPro, and the full docs.