# What are proxy files in video editing?

> Proxy files are small copies of your footage that keep editing smooth on a slow computer. See how they work, a worked pixel example and when to use them.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-09
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/proxy-files

---

Proxy files are lighter, lower-resolution copies of your footage that your editor plays while you cut. They keep editing smooth on a slow computer.

## How proxies work

1. The editor makes a small copy of each clip.
2. You edit with the small copies, so playback runs smoothly.
3. Your cuts still point at the original files.
4. At export, the final video should come from the originals. Check your editor's setting before you export.

## A worked example

Say your footage is 4K, which is 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. You make proxies at 960 x 540.

- Original: 3,840 x 2,160 = **8,294,400 pixels** per frame.
- Proxy: 960 x 540 = **518,400 pixels** per frame.

8,294,400 / 518,400 = **16**. Each proxy frame has one sixteenth of the pixels, so the computer has far less to draw.

## When to use them

- Your footage is 4K or high frame rate and playback stutters.
- Your computer is older.
- Your clip has effects or a [speed ramp](/glossary/speed-ramp) that slow playback. Adobe's Premiere help advises proxies or a lower-resolution preview for time-remapped clips (checked 3 Nov 2026).

You do not need them for short 1080p clips on a modern computer.

## What they cost you

Proxies take disk space and time to make. Proxy colour and sharpness are not final, so judge sharpness and colour on the original before you [render](/glossary/rendering).

For picture sizes, see [video resolution](/glossary/video-resolution). For the way timelines keep your originals safe, see [non-linear editing](/glossary/non-linear-editing).

## FAQ

### Do proxies lower the quality of my export?

They should not. The export should use your original files. Check this in your editor's settings.

### Are proxies the same as a lower preview quality?

Similar goal, different method. A lower preview quality draws the same files smaller. Proxies are separate smaller files.

### Do proxies change the length of a clip?

No. A proxy has the same length and frame rate as the original.

---
- [More Video editing articles](https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/category/video-editing)
- [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-glossary)