FCP X: Why Files Won’t Relink

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Larry

A reader recently asked:

I sometimes have to use low-res footage from a stock library in an initial edit [in Final Cut Pro X]. When I then need to replace the footage with the hi-res footage I cannot use File > Relink Media as the low-res is generally .MP4 and the hi-res is .MOV and FCP X does not let me replace footage with a different file format despite both clips being the same length.

I then have to replace the footage ‘from start’ and then re-trim on a clip-by-clip basis, which is very time-consuming.

I’ve run into this problem myself and decided to find out more. Here’s what I learned.

Final Cut Pro X doesn’t care about changing the file formats, but, rather, matching timecode and number of audio channels. The files can use different codecs and frame size and still relink.

What Apple is concerned about is to make sure that people don’t relink to the wrong files by accident, which can create a serious headache to undo.

Keep in mind that if you are creating proxy files manually, most compression presets assume that you are only creating stereo audio. If you change the number of audio channels in the proxy, when compared to the source media, your files won’t relink. It is very easy to overlook this change when you are in a hurry to compress media.

As always, let me know if your experience is different.

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32 Responses to FCP X: Why Files Won’t Relink

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Solange J. says:

October 8, 2019 at 11:24 am

Bonjour Larry,

I moved a large library to a second, larger hard disk. When I tried to relink the media I received a message it missing audio.
Following you suggest, I just changed the name of the second hard disk identical to the first one. Magically, I relinked media as usual without problems.

Thank you VERY MUCH!!!
Larry says:

October 8, 2019 at 11:27 am

Solange:

Yay! Happy to help.

Larry
Paul says:

February 5, 2020 at 6:53 pm

Hi Larry,
Recently imported a bunch of FS-7 footage that was converted in Catalyst browse to ProRes 422. The original and the transcoded footage had 8 channels of audio (5 were blank). On import to FCPX, I selected “remove silent channels”. Had to move the project and now media will not relink. I believe it is because my source footage has 8 channels but FCP is looking for 3. is there a workaround?
Larry says:

February 5, 2020 at 8:25 pm

Paul:

I’ve run into this myself, and I don’t have a good answer for you. I agree, they SHOULD link and I also agree that they don’t.

Time to call Apple Support.

Larry
Antoine says:

September 28, 2020 at 5:56 am

Hi Paul, do you have any news on that problem from Apple ? Or did you find a solution ?
Thanks.
Aphrem says:

October 12, 2020 at 5:49 pm

Hi, my wife moved her videos from her mac laptop to a usb drive. Relinking doesn’t work. We tried it several times with the files on her laptop and usb, but only around half the files are found and relinked. Any idea how to proceed, or is it time to call apple?
Larry says:

October 12, 2020 at 7:35 pm

Aphrem:

My guess is that the USB drive is formatted as FAT-32, which is not a format that is kind to Mac files. Move the files back to your hard disk, then make SURE that they all have the correct file extension (i.e. .tif, or .mov, or .mp4 … whatever).

I suspect that once files are located back on a hard disk and with the correct extensions, they should link OK.

If not, it’s time to call Apple Support.

Larry
Nathan Veer says:

December 1, 2020 at 11:13 am

Looks like I’m the latest victim of the un-re-linkable files. I processed my audio using Izotope RX 8, saved it and now it won’t re-link…I think because I converted stereo to mono in RX8. Is there a way to undo this? I undid all my edits in RX8 and re-saved to what should have been the original specs…but FCPX still doesn’t want to let me re-link it. Are there any options?
Larry says:

December 1, 2020 at 11:20 am

Nathan:

There may be options – but I don’t know them, aside from importing, syncing and replacing files manually.

I suggest you contact Apple Support – and let us know what you find out.

Larry
Mark Kopecky says:

December 1, 2020 at 6:23 pm

It happened to me today, for a first time in approx 10 years – I am unable to relink audio files. Usually I process track from external recorders in Logic after those tracks are in FCPX already. And I always trash original dry files from „folder“ and replace them with processed files from Logic – so Final Cut thinks, that those are still the same original files. I never had problems with this, until today. „No shared media range“ seems to be a problem. When I see the beginning time of original files in FCPX inspector – they are different than times of new files from Logic. Weird, as in such cases I always import dry audio files from recorders to the beginning of Logic’s timeline (1 1 1 1) and process them one by one. It is really weird – as some tracks are working, some not.
I do not think stereo to mono or vice versa is a problem – at least in my case. Because I always process mono microphones to stereo (adding some early room reflections etc. if microphones used are not boom mics but rather under-cloths, so very dry) and I never had problems replacing original dry mono audio files with processed stereo files from Logic. Like I wrote – I trashed dry tracks from a „folder“ and moved the processed track in to this „folder“. It was not a problem if the „folder“ was outside FCPX Library or inside – so that means wether I leaved files outside Library or imported them in at the beginning…
Luckilly I have original dry tracks, so I will finish editing and than share audio from FCPX as a master, import it to Logic than import it back and sync it manually – but it sucks. But this way, Nathan, you may be able to work it around too – if you have original unprocessed track(s). Just import the processed track(s) as a new file and than sync them with original audio track – either by letting FCPX create Synchronized clip by syncing video including original audio AND new processed audio – or you can sync audio visually in the timeline, as you probably know…