Downgrade Premiere Pro 2018 to 2017: v33 → v32 .prproj Converter

Downgrade Premiere Pro 2018 to 2017

Drop your Premiere Pro 2018 .prproj and get a copy that Premiere Pro 2017 opens. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Downgrade panel

100% local. No upload.

Drop your .prproj here

Saved in Premiere Pro CC 2018? or click to browse. Multiple files are fine.

Open it in

Always keep your original. Downgrading bypasses the version gate and repairs known format differences, but effects and features from newer releases cannot be interpreted by older builds. After opening, import the sequences into a fresh project.

Premiere Pro 2018 vs Premiere Pro 2017: what is different?

Premiere Pro 2018 (12.0, released Oct 2017) saves projects with internal schema version 33. Premiere Pro 2017 (11.x, released Nov 2016) only understands up to 32, which is why opening the file shows “This project was saved in a newer version of Adobe Premiere Pro”. The message is a gate, not a judgement about the content.

	Premiere Pro 2018	Premiere Pro 2017
Release	Oct 2017	Nov 2016
App build	12.0	11.x
Project Version attribute	`33`	`32`
XML serialisation	Dense (full fields)	Dense (full fields)

What the converter changes in your file

A .prproj is gzip-compressed XML. The tool decompresses it, edits the root Project element, and compresses it again:

- <Project ObjectID="1" ClassID="62ad66dd-0dcd-42da-a660-6d8fbde94876" Version="33">
+ <Project ObjectID="1" ClassID="62ad66dd-0dcd-42da-a660-6d8fbde94876" Version="32">

Both 2018 and 2017 use the dense serialisation, so no fields need rebuilding. Changing the version is the only edit required.

What you may lose going from 2018 to 2017

Features below were introduced after Premiere Pro 2017. Their data may stay in the XML, but Premiere Pro 2017 has no code to interpret it, so expect them to be ignored, flattened or missing:

Added in Premiere Pro 2018

Team Projects collaboration
Essential Sound panel
Essential Graphics improvements

Why this jump is rated low risk

Adjacent major releases share most of their project schema, which is the safest case.

Step-by-step: open a 2018 project in 2017

Duplicate your .prproj. Never convert your only copy.
Drop it into the panel above and choose Premiere Pro 2017 as the target.
Download the converted file and open it in Premiere Pro 2017. Expect a prompt about converting an older project, which is normal.
Create a brand new empty project in Premiere Pro 2017 and import the converted project into it, rather than continuing in it.
Scrub every sequence. Relink media if drive letters or paths differ.

Don't have Premiere Pro 2017? Open the Creative Cloud desktop app, choose All apps → Premiere Pro → Other versions and install it alongside your current version.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a Premiere Pro 2018 project in Premiere Pro 2017?

Yes, in most cases. Premiere Pro 2017 refuses Premiere Pro 2018 files because the project carries version 33 while Premiere Pro 2017 only accepts up to version 32. This tool rewrites that number to 32, so Premiere Pro 2017 loads the file instead of showing "saved in a newer version". Risk for this jump is low: 1 major release apart.

What will I lose downgrading from 2018 to 2017?

Anything that only exists in newer releases cannot be interpreted by Premiere Pro 2017. That includes Team Projects collaboration and Essential Sound panel. Basic cuts, tracks, clips, markers, transitions and effects that exist in both versions normally survive, but always check the timeline after opening.

Why does Premiere Pro 2017 say the project was saved in a newer version?

A .prproj is gzip-compressed XML and the root <Project> element stores an integer schema version (2018 = 33, 2017 = 32). Premiere reads it before anything else and stops if it is higher than its own.

Is my 2018 project uploaded to a server?

No. Decompression, editing and re-compression run inside your browser using JavaScript and the native Compression Streams API. Your project file never leaves your computer, and there is no backend.