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Video Proxy

Also called proxy video or proxy file

A video proxy is a smaller, lower-quality copy of a video master that stands in for the master when people edit or review it. The proxy has the same duration, frames and timecode as the original, but a lower resolution, a lower bitrate or a lighter codec, so it opens and plays without a powerful workstation or a fast connection. When the final file is needed, the work is switched back to the master. The term "proxy video" covers two uses that are worth keeping apart: editing proxies and preview proxies.

Updated

Editing proxies and preview proxies

Editing proxy Preview proxy
Purpose Let editors cut footage smoothly on ordinary hardware Let people watch, review and approve without the master
Who uses it Video editors, post-production Marketers, reviewers, clients, partners
Typical format A low-data-rate intra-frame editing codec, often at half or quarter resolution A streaming format such as H.264 in MP4 or HLS
Where it plays Inside the editing application In a browser, a DAM, a review tool, an embed
What happens at the end The editor relinks to the original media for the final export Nothing: the preview is never the deliverable
Must match the master exactly Yes: frame count, timecode, file names Duration and content, but not necessarily timecode

Editing proxies are created by the editing application or by the camera, which on some models records a proxy alongside the full-quality file. Preview proxies are usually created by the system that stores the video, through transcoding.

How a proxy workflow works

An editing proxy workflow follows the same steps whatever the software:

  1. Ingest the camera originals and keep them in a safe location.
  2. Create proxies at a fraction of the resolution, with file names and timecode that match the originals.
  3. Edit with the proxies, which play smoothly on a laptop and can be shared with remote editors.
  4. Relink the finished timeline to the original media.
  5. Export the master from the originals, at full quality.

Proxy workflows most often fail at the relink step. If proxies are renamed, re-encoded with a different frame rate or made from a trimmed copy, the editing application cannot match them to the originals.

A preview proxy has no relink step. Its job is to let a regional marketing manager watch a 40 GB launch film on a phone, or a legal reviewer check a claim at 1:12, without downloading anything.

Proxy video in marketing and DAM work

  • Review and approval. Stakeholders approve a cut from the preview; nobody downloads a master to give feedback.
  • Finding footage. Editors browse a library of b-roll by watching previews, then download only the masters of the clips they will use.
  • Distribution. Dealers and partners watch product videos in a portal or an embed. Only those who need to re-edit receive the master.
  • Remote work. A 4K ProRes master can exceed 100 GB per hour of footage. A streaming preview of the same hour is a few gigabytes at most.

Proxy vs original vs rendition

  • The original (or master) is the file delivered by the shoot or the edit suite. It is the only file that should be used for a final export.
  • A proxy is a stand-in for the original during editing or review.
  • A rendition is any file derived from the original for a specific use. A preview proxy is one kind of rendition; a social cut exported at 1080 × 1920 is another, and unlike a proxy it is a deliverable.

Common mistakes:

  • Publishing a proxy because it was the file that was easiest to find.
  • Deleting originals once proxies exist, which makes a full-quality re-export impossible.
  • Making editing proxies with a different frame rate from the originals, which breaks relinking.

Video proxies in Freedam

Freedam generates preview proxies:

  • Every uploaded video gets a streaming version for the browser: an adaptive stream with up to four quality levels (1080p, 720p, 480p and 360p by default), never taller than the source.
  • The streaming version plays on the asset page, in share links and in video embeds, with subtitle tracks where the video has them. Videos in watermarked shares play but cannot be downloaded.
  • Every video gets a poster frame, chosen from four automatically extracted frames, captured from any point in the video or uploaded as a cover image.
  • The original video file is kept unchanged, and downloads always deliver it. Access rules decide who may download the original; people without that right can still watch the stream.

Frequently asked questions

What is a proxy video?

A proxy video is a lightweight copy of a full-quality video, used in its place for editing or viewing. Editors cut with proxies on ordinary hardware and switch back to the originals for the final export; reviewers watch preview proxies instead of downloading the master.

Do proxy files reduce final quality?

No, as long as the final export is made from the original media. Proxies only affect what you see while editing or reviewing. Exporting from the proxies by mistake does produce a low-quality result.

What resolution should a proxy be?

For editing, half or quarter of the original resolution is common, depending on the hardware. For preview proxies, a ladder of streaming versions from 360p to 1080p lets each viewer's player pick what the connection can carry.

Related terms

Nordi

Review a video without downloading it

Open a video in Nordi's demo library and watch its streaming version straight away, at the quality your connection allows, then open the download dialog to see the original file it delivers.

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