Replacing a piece of footage globally in your Adobe Premiere Pro project is an incredibly useful feature to fall back on, especially in the later stages of your project.

It makes it easy to update each new version with the latest iteration of color or special effects. Meanwhile, you'll still retain the freedom to continue editing in the original project.

Here's how to get started.

Why Would You Need to Replace Footage?

Sometimes, you'll be coloring a bunch of different clips outside of Premiere Pro. Other times, you'll be applying other effects or adding CGI. As you work progressively through each version, you will need to update the clips in the timeline that are being built upon.

Adobe Dynamic Link is a great way to do this if your work is confined to the Adobe Suite exclusively. If you're working with third-party software, however, replacing footage in the following workflow will allow you to pivot quickly in order to update your timeline with last-minute changes.

Related: How to Use Dynamic Link With Adobe After Effects And Premiere Pro

You can apply this technique when working through each round of color grading (and all of the notes from collaborators that will inevitably need to be addressed and resolved). You can also use this when perfecting on-screen graphics and titles. An editor's work, as they say, is never quite finished.

How to Replace Footage in Premiere Pro

In your timeline, right-click on the clip that you would like to replace. Click Reveal in Project to bring it up in your bins.

Reveal clip in project shows you which bin the clip is in.

Once revealed in the bin, right-click again and select Replace Footage in the context menu.

In the bin, you can replace the clip.

You'll be able to select the new clip that you want to use to replace the clip in the timeline. Choose the clip, and click Select.

Replace the clip with your new footage.

Now, the replaced clip sits in the bin—fully updated, automatically, with the in and out points that each instance in your project calls for.

Replaced footage in the bin

You will notice that the clip has been replaced in your timeline as well. This is the real appeal to this way of making a swap globally. Everywhere that the clip has been used, it will be replaced.

The clip has been replaced in the timeline, as well.

Could it be simpler? Absolutely not. This is one of our favorite Premiere Pro tools for editing projects over long periods of time.

Swapping and Swerving Like a Pro

Once you know what to do, replacing footage is simple. Replacing footage globally can streamline your workflow, making it even easier for you to finish your project.