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

TLDR: Premiere Assistant works as a Premiere Pro extension panel, install it from the Creative Cloud marketplace, open it from Window > Extensions, and use the chat interface or preset tools to automate silence removal, captions, multicam switching, and rough cuts.

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 Premiere Assistant (previously known by the company name Cutback) comes in. Built as a smart extension inside Adobe Premiere Pro, Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant to unlock the power of AI in Premiere Pro.

What Is The Cutback Premiere Pro Extension?

Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant in Premiere Pro

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

If your timeline is lagging before you even get to the AI editing stage, these Premiere Pro performance fixes cover the most common issues.

Step 1: Review the Raw Footage with AI Transcription

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

• From the Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere 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 Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant, 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 Premiere Assistant

Q: Do I need Premiere Pro to use Premiere Assistant?

Yes, Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant 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 Premiere Assistant 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

Premiere Assistant 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.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Can AI help you edit videos in Premiere Pro?
A: Yes. Premiere Assistant is an AI extension for Adobe Premiere Pro that automates the most time-consuming editing tasks directly inside the NLE. It transcribes your footage, generates rough cuts based on content analysis, removes silences and filler words, switches multicam angles by speaker, creates and styles animated captions, and generates short-form clips from long-form content, all without leaving Premiere Pro. The AI handles the structural and mechanical stages; the editor retains creative control over pacing, storytelling, and the finishing pass.

Q: Does Premiere Pro have auto editing?
A: Premiere Pro has native AI features including Speech to Text, Auto Reframe, Scene Edit Detection, and Enhance Speech, which handle specific automated tasks. For a more comprehensive auto-editing layer, transcript-based rough cut assembly, silence removal across all tracks, AI multicam switching, animated caption generation, and chat-based editing prompts, Premiere Assistant adds these directly inside Premiere Pro as an extension. The two work together: Adobe handles generative AI and certain technical automation; Premiere Assistant handles the speech-editing and rough cut workflow.

Q: Does Adobe have AI video editing tools?
A: Yes. Adobe Premiere Pro includes AI features such as Speech to Text transcription, Auto Reframe for aspect ratio changes, Scene Edit Detection, Enhance Speech for audio cleanup, Auto Color, and Generative B-Roll powered by Adobe Firefly and third-party models. These features are included with a Creative Cloud subscription. For the full AI-assisted editing workflow including auto rough cuts, filler word removal, AI multicam switching, and animated captions, Premiere Assistant by Cutback works as a plugin inside Premiere Pro, extending Adobe's native AI capabilities with a more complete editing automation layer.

Q: How do you use Premiere Assistant in Premiere Pro?
A: Install Premiere Assistant via the Adobe Creative Cloud marketplace or from cutback.video/premiere-assistant. Once installed, open it in Premiere Pro from Window > Extensions > Cutback. The core workflow is: load your footage into the timeline, select Auto Rough Cut, transcribe your sequence, then use the chat interface or preset commands to automate edits (Remove Silence, Remove Filler Words, Create Shortform Clips, Shorten Video, Edit According to Script). Captions are managed under Edit Captions mode, where you can apply animated presets, adjust styling, and translate subtitles. When you're satisfied with the draft, click Apply to Sequence to push changes to the Premiere Pro timeline.

Q: Is Premiere Assistant free to use in Premiere Pro?
A: Premiere Assistant has limited trial usage before converting to a paid plan, it is not a permanent free plan. The trial lets you test the core features including transcription, rough cut generation, and caption tools on a real project before committing. Adobe's own AI features in Premiere Pro (Speech to Text, Auto Reframe, Enhance Speech) are included with a Creative Cloud subscription at no additional cost.

Q: Can Premiere Assistant do AI multicam editing in Premiere Pro?
A: Yes. Premiere Assistant's multicam feature uses AI speaker detection to automatically switch between camera angles based on who is speaking. Once your footage is transcribed in the Auto Rough Cut panel, select Multicam Editing from the Premiere Assistant panel, choose your multicam sequence, and the AI generates automatic angle switches across the recording. You can review each switch before applying and adjust any cuts that need correction. This replaces the manual process of watching the full recording and clicking angle switches in real time in the Multicam Viewer.

Q: What is the difference between Cutback and Premiere Assistant?
A: Cutback is the company name. Premiere Assistant is Cutback's AI plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro. Selects is Cutback's standalone desktop pre-editing tool that handles multicam sync, rough cut assembly, and silence removal upstream of any NLE. The Premiere Pro extension is accessed through Premiere Pro as "Cutback" in the Extensions menu (Window > Extensions > Cutback), which is why some users see it referred to by both names. All Cutback AI features accessed inside Premiere Pro are part of the Premiere Assistant product.