Premiere Pro 2024 vs Premiere Pro 2023: what is different?
Premiere Pro 2024 (24.x, released Oct 2023) saves projects with internal schema version 42. Premiere Pro 2023 (23.x, released Oct 2022) only understands up to 41, 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 2024 | Premiere Pro 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | Oct 2023 | Oct 2022 |
| App build | 24.x | 23.x |
| Project Version attribute | 42 | 41 |
| 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="42"> + <Project ObjectID="1" ClassID="62ad66dd-0dcd-42da-a660-6d8fbde94876" Version="41">
Both 2024 and 2023 use the dense serialisation, so no fields need rebuilding. Changing the version is the only edit required.
What you may lose going from 2024 to 2023
Features below were introduced after Premiere Pro 2023. Their data may stay in the XML, but Premiere Pro 2023 has no code to interpret it, so expect them to be ignored, flattened or missing:
Added in Premiere Pro 2024
- Text-Based Editing and transcript-driven cuts
- Enhance Speech and filler-word detection
- Redesigned Lumetri Color interface
- Background auto-save
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 2024 project in 2023
- Duplicate your
.prproj. Never convert your only copy. - Drop it into the panel above and choose Premiere Pro 2023 as the target.
- Download the converted file and open it in Premiere Pro 2023. Expect a prompt about converting an older project, which is normal.
- Create a brand new empty project in Premiere Pro 2023 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 2023? Open the Creative Cloud desktop app, choose All apps → Premiere Pro → Other versions and install it alongside your current version.