Standardized file format for exchanging EDL data between NLE systems like Avid, Resolve, and Premiere Pro, containing timecode, clip names, and metadata.
Technical Details
XML edit lists contain timecode references in HH:MM:SS:FF (Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames) format, clip names, file paths, and transformation data in nested tag structures. Final Cut Pro XML supports up to 99 video and 99 audio tracks, DaVinci Resolve XML processes color correction metadata with 32-bit floating-point precision for lift/gamma/gain values. Avid AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) uses XML-like structures for OMF succession with embedded media references up to 4GB per container.
The file size of XML projects typically ranges from 100KB for 90-minute feature films to several MB for complex VFX productions with thousands of clips.
History & Development
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released XML in 1998 as the successor to SGML. Apple first integrated XML export into Final Cut Pro 5 in 2005, followed by Avid in 2008 with native XML support in Media Composer 3.0. Blackmagic Design established XML as the standard for color correction roundtrips with DaVinci Resolve 9 in 2012.
Adobe Creative Suite introduced the proprietary FCP XML format in 2010, which was replaced by Final Cut Pro X XML (FCPXML) in 2011. Since 2019, all major NLE systems support bidirectional XML workflows with Resolve, Premiere Pro, and Avid.
Practical Use in Film
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) utilized XML exchange between Avid Media Composer for editing and DaVinci Resolve for color grading on 2,700 VFX shots. Marvel Studios standardized XML workflows for the MCU to synchronize 50-100 shots daily between editorial, VFX vendors, and color grading.
Typical workflows: Edit in Avid → XML export → Import into Resolve for grading → Conform back to Avid. XML preserves edit decisions, in/out points, and track assignments but does not transfer render files or proxies.
Comparison & Alternatives
EDL (Edit Decision List) only transfers timecode and edits without metadata, AAF additionally transports audio mixing data and low-res media. OMF is limited to audio post-production with a maximum file size of 2GB.
OpenTimelineIO has been developing since 2017 as a vendor-neutral standard for VFX pipelines but does not yet support all NLE features. XML remains the standard for commercial post-production, while JSON-based formats are increasing in VFX studios.