Beginner’s Workflow: Edit Smarter with AI in Premiere Pro Using Cutback

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by how long video editing takes, scrubbing through timelines, video trimming, pasting clips, and generating subtitles, then you’re not alone. That’s exactly where Cutback comes in. Built as a smart extension inside Adobe Premiere Pro, Cutback automates your rough cuts, transcribes audio with surprising accuracy, and even formats your captions with animated effects. Whether you’re a YouTuber, podcaster, or video editor juggling tight deadlines, this guide walks you through the ideal beginner workflow for using Cutback to unlock the power of AI in Premiere Pro.

What Is The Cutback Premiere Pro Extension?

Cutback is an AI video editing software plugin designed to reduce the manual, repetitive work that slows down creators in timeline editing. By integrating directly into the Premiere Pro workflow, it simplifies everything by providing features starting from auto transcription and script-based editing to video editing automation, without forcing you to learn a new platform or export your footage.

Think of it as your editing AI co-editor: it doesn’t replace your creative input, it just removes the time-wasting steps in your video post-production workflow.

Why Use The Cutback Video Editing Assistant in Premiere Pro?

Here’s what makes Cutback such a game-changer for editors working in Adobe Premiere Pro:

• Auto Rough Cut: Generate a rough cut instantly with AI that detects speaker changes, silence removal, and selects the best takes for ultimate video content optimization. This can be done through a chat-based editing interface.

• Text-Based Editing: Edit directly by selecting parts of a transcript instead of scrubbing through footage.

• Built-in Captions: Create accurate auto captions in one click and style them without leaving Premiere Pro or using an external video editing tool. It’s subtitle generation without the headache.

• AI-Powered Effects and B-roll Resources: Add animated captions, copyright-free content, zoom effects, and even remove backgrounds, all with AI assistance.

• Content Creation Streamlining: Create viral shortform video clips with the click of a button.

Instead of spending hours cutting a 30-minute video, you’ll start with a smart draft and polish from there.

Step-by-Step: How To Use Cutback in Premiere Pro

This beginner-friendly AI-powered editing workflow gives you the fastest path to using Cutback’s AI video editor inside Premiere Pro, with maximum output and minimal frustration.

Step 1: Review the Raw Footage with AI Transcription

• Open your Premiere Pro project and go to [Window] > [Extensions] > Cutback.

• From the Cutback menu, select [Auto Rough Cut].

• Click [Transcribe video for auto rough cut] to generate a speech to text transcript of your footage. Most of your edits will be made through this video transcription. The same can be done for multicam editing (perfect for interview editing too).

Once done, you’ll get a full transcript and an AI-generated Smart Summary that helps you quickly understand the content of your video, even before you watch it.

Step 2: Instantly Remove Silences and Dead Space

• In the Cutback Assistant, select [Remove silences] to automatically delete all the awkward pauses.

• You can also prompt the assistant to remove filler words, repeat takes, or even shorten the video based on its highlights.

This is where Cutback shines. Instead of dragging clips manually, the AI assistant does the trimming with context-awareness, keeping natural flow and removing the fluff.

Step 3: Fine-Tune the Edit Using Text-Based Trimming

• Switch to [Rough Cut Mode] to edit directly from the transcript.

• Delete a sentence? Just click the ✂️ icon next to it.

• Want to delete a single word? Highlight it and hit delete.

You’re literally editing your video like a Google Doc. No more frame-by-frame dragging.

Step 4: Style Captions in Edit Captions Mode

Switch to [Edit Captions] mode to format your subtitles the way you want:

• Choose single-line or double-line captions.

• Add punctuation.

• Translate subtitles into over 30+ languages.

• Create animated captions with visual effects, perfect for Shorts or Reels.

This saves you from the headache of jumping into After Effects or relying on Adobe’s default caption editor.

Step 5: Add Effects and Media (Without Leaving Premiere)

Once your rough cut is solid and your captions are ready, it’s time to enhance:

• Add zoom effects with one click by dragging over the transcript.

• Drop in stock images, GIFs, or videos directly inside Cutback, no separate search needed.

• Apply background effects like blur or shape masking for interviews or podcasts.

All of this happens inside Premiere Pro. No exporting. No round-tripping.

Step 6: Apply to Sequence

When you’re happy with your cut:

• Click [Apply to Sequence] to finalize everything into your Premiere Pro timeline.

• You can choose to overwrite the current sequence or save the changes in a new one.

Pro Tip: Any cuts marked for deletion won’t be removed until you click [Apply], giving you full control to review before committing.

Common Questions for Beginners Using Cutback

Q: Do I need Premiere Pro to use Cutback?

Yes, Cutback is an extension made specifically for Adobe Premiere Pro. You must have Premiere Pro 2023 or later.

Q: What’s the learning curve?

Minimal. If you’re familiar with Premiere Pro, using Cutback will feel like adding an AI assistant to your workflow, not learning a new app.

Q: Can I still make manual edits?

Absolutely. Think of Cutback as your first-draft generator. You can always fine-tune in the timeline afterward.

Q: How many videos can I transcribe per month?

It depends on your plan. The Starter plan gives you 3 short videos per month, while paid plans unlock more transcription hours.

Edit Smarter, Not Harder

Cutback isn’t just an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin, it’s your productivity partner inside Premiere Pro. Once you use it, your video editing workflow will never be the same again. From rough cuts and transcription to animated captions and content repurposing, it helps you edit faster and scale your video production with less burnout.

If you’re just getting started, follow this guide step by step. Within a few sessions, you’ll be shaving hours off every project and unlocking more time for the creative work that really matters.

For more in-depth knowledge about the ins and outs of smart video editing and automated video editing, check out our latest posts on the Cutback blog or our YouTube channel. You can also join Cutback’s Discord community of like-minded video editors.