Premiere Pro 2022 vs Premiere Pro 2021: what is different?
Premiere Pro 2022 (22.x, released Oct 2021) saves projects with internal schema version 40. Premiere Pro 2021 (15.x, released Mar 2021) only understands up to 39, 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 2022 | Premiere Pro 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | Oct 2021 | Mar 2021 |
| App build | 22.x | 15.x |
| Project Version attribute | 40 | 39 |
| 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="40"> + <Project ObjectID="1" ClassID="62ad66dd-0dcd-42da-a660-6d8fbde94876" Version="39">
Both 2022 and 2021 use the dense serialisation, so no fields need rebuilding. Changing the version is the only edit required.
What you may lose going from 2022 to 2021
Features below were introduced after Premiere Pro 2021. Their data may stay in the XML, but Premiere Pro 2021 has no code to interpret it, so expect them to be ignored, flattened or missing:
Added in Premiere Pro 2022
- Speech-to-Text transcripts and rebuilt captions tracks
- New workspace layouts and enhanced proxy workflow
- Remix tool and Apple silicon support
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 2022 project in 2021
- Duplicate your
.prproj. Never convert your only copy. - Drop it into the panel above and choose Premiere Pro 2021 as the target.
- Download the converted file and open it in Premiere Pro 2021. Expect a prompt about converting an older project, which is normal.
- Create a brand new empty project in Premiere Pro 2021 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 2021? Open the Creative Cloud desktop app, choose All apps → Premiere Pro → Other versions and install it alongside your current version.