Premiere Pro AI Features (2026): Generative Extend, Generative Media Tool, Object Mask, Paper Edit and More

Premiere Pro now has more AI features than most editors realise. Some save hours, like transcript editing and Object Mask. Others cost generative credits and only make sense for specific shots.

This guide covers every AI feature in Premiere 26.5 (September 2026) and the current beta. For each one, I list where to find it, what it costs, its limits and when it’s worth using.

All Premiere Pro AI Features at a Glance

Menu paths and limits are from Adobe’s help pages and the 26.5 release notes, as summarised by heyeddie.ai.

Generative Media Tool (New in 26.5)

This is the biggest addition in 26.5. You can generate a video clip or sound effect from a text prompt, right in your sequence. The result lands as an editable clip.

• Video models: Adobe Firefly or partner models. Some partner models are only available to individual plans.
• Sound effects: Adobe’s own model.
• References: you can use existing frames from your footage as visual references.

1. Pick the tool. Select the Generative Media Tool in the Tools panel.
2. Mark the gap. Drag across the timeline range you want to fill.
3. Write the prompt. Use the generative task bar to describe the shot or sound, choose a model and add a reference frame.
4. Generate and review. Check the credit cost shown before you confirm, then trim the result like any clip.

Tip: Use it for short cutaways and establishing shots, not hero shots. A reference frame from your own footage keeps the colour and style closer.

If you want to compare with other AI video tools, see my free photo-to-video AI tools roundup.

Generative Extend

Generative Extend adds a few frames to the start or end of a clip. It’s perfect when a shot is a second too short for the music or a reaction cuts off too early.

1. Select the Generative Extend Tool in the toolbar.
2. Drag the clip edge past its end, by up to 2 seconds.
3. Wait for the cloud render. A placeholder shows while it works.

Note: 26.5 added interlaced and non-square-pixel footage support. Extended frames come back as 8-bit SDR, so they may look different on HDR timelines.

Speech to Text, Text-Based Editing and Paper Edit

These are the AI features I’d use every day. They’re included in your subscription and they make interview edits much faster.

• Speech to Text: transcribes your footage. English is built in, and 18 languages are available as one-time downloads.
• Text-Based Editing: delete words in the transcript to cut the video.
• Filler words and pauses: the filter icon in the Transcript panel finds “um”, “uh” and long pauses so you can delete them in bulk.
• Paper Edit (new in 26.5): select sentences in the Text panel, preview them, and build a new sequence from only those lines.
• Bulk mute or bleep: add words to a censored word list and Premiere mutes or bleeps them everywhere.
• Translate Captions: uses Google Translate and Microsoft Translator.

1. Transcribe. Open Window > Text, go to Transcript and click Transcribe.
2. Clean up. Use the filter to remove filler words and pauses.
3. Build the rough cut. Click the Paper Edit icon, select your best lines and create a sequence.
4. Add captions. Generate captions from the transcript, then translate them if needed.

Object Mask

Object Mask (added in 26.0) lets you hover over a person or object and click to mask and track it. You can then grade, blur or apply effects to just that object.

• Sharp mode for crisp edges on distinct objects.
• Smooth mode for hair, fabric and soft edges.
• Sharpness slider (26.5) adjusts soft edges without re-tracking.
• More objects per scene are detected in 26.5.

Note: Premiere downloads the masking models on first use. Wider detection falls back to a simpler mode on Intel Macs and older AMD drivers.

Media Intelligence Search

The Search panel finds clips by what’s in them. You type “woman on a bike at sunset” and it finds matching shots, without tags or metadata.

• Visual search: runs on your computer, no internet needed. English searches only.
• Audio search: finds sounds like “applause” or “dog barking” in your clips.
• Search Similar Frames: right-click a frame in the Program Monitor to find visually similar shots.

Tip: Let Premiere analyse a big project overnight. Search is instant once the media has been indexed.

AI Audio: Enhance Speech, Crosstalk, Auto Tag, Remix

Warning: Separate Crosstalk needs your consent to upload audio, and Adobe says it isn’t available for files uploaded from Illinois or Texas. Check before using it on client work.

Auto Color and Auto Reframe

• Auto Color: Window > Lumetri Color > Basic Correction > Auto. It works on log footage and clips with LUTs. Use it as a starting point, then adjust.
• Auto Reframe: reframes a 16:9 sequence into vertical or square while keeping the subject in shot. Ideal for Shorts and Reels.

For more AI colour and audio tools on the free side, compare with my DaVinci Resolve AI tools guide.

Beta Features: AI Assistant, Generate Music, Generative Remove

These are in the separate Premiere (beta) app, which you install from the Creative Cloud desktop app’s Beta apps section.

• AI Assistant: Window > Assistant. It builds bins, stringouts and media prep from a prompt. It’s optimised for English, with free daily credits during the beta.
• Generate Music: instrumental music from a prompt, inside the Generative Media Tool. No vocals or lyrics. Uses credits.
• Generative Remove: mask an object and remove it from the video. It costs 40 credits per second, works on clips up to 10 seconds at 480p-1080p and up to 30 fps, with no HDR or 10-bit.

Tip: Keep important projects in the release version. Open a copy of the project in the beta app if you want to try these.

Generative Credits: What Costs What

Generative features draw from the monthly credits on your Adobe plan. The exact amount for Generative Extend and the Generative Media Tool depends on resolution, frame rate, length and the model you choose, and Premiere shows it before you confirm.

My Adobe Firefly pricing guide explains how many credits each plan includes and how to check your balance.

A Fast AI Editing Workflow

Here’s how I’d combine the free features for an interview or YouTube video:

1. Index and search. Import everything and let Media Intelligence analyse it.
2. Transcribe and Paper Edit. Pick your best lines and build the rough cut.
3. Clean the audio. Run Enhance Speech on dialogue and Auto Tag on everything.
4. Find b-roll. Search for shots by description and drop them over the cuts.
5. Fix short shots. Use Generative Extend only where a clip is a second too short.
6. Grade and reframe. Auto Color as a base, then Auto Reframe for vertical versions.
7. Caption. Generate captions and translate them for other markets.

Troubleshooting

Generative tools are greyed out

• Sign in and go online: all credit-based features need an internet connection.
• Check your plan: some partner models aren’t available on business or education plans.
• Check the clip: Generative Extend won’t extend dialogue or music audio, and only extends one end at a time.

Speech to Text won’t transcribe my language

English is built in. Other languages need a one-time language pack download from the Transcript settings.

Object Mask is slow or misses objects

• Update your GPU driver. Older AMD drivers and Intel Macs fall back to basic detection.
• Switch mode: try Smooth for hair and fabric, Sharp for hard edges.

Premiere freezes after updating to 26.5

Some users reported freezes in build 26.5.2 on Adobe’s community forum. Clear the media cache, update GPU drivers, and if needed install the previous version from Creative Cloud > Other versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What AI features does Premiere Pro have in 2026?

Generative Extend, the Generative Media Tool, Speech to Text, Text-Based Editing, Paper Edit, caption translation, Media Intelligence search, Object Mask, Enhance Speech, Auto Color and Auto Reframe, plus beta AI Assistant, Generate Music and Generative Remove.

Is Generative Extend free in Premiere Pro?

No. It uses generative credits from your Adobe plan, and the cost scales with resolution and frame rate.

How long can Generative Extend make a clip?

Up to 2 seconds of video and up to 10 seconds of ambient audio, on one end of the clip at a time.

What is Paper Edit in Premiere Pro?

A 26.5 feature that builds a rough cut from your transcript. You select sentences in the Text panel and Premiere creates a sequence from just those lines.

Does Premiere Pro’s AI search work offline?

Yes. Visual search, audio search and Search Similar Frames run on your computer, though visual search only understands English queries.

How do I get the Premiere Pro AI Assistant?

Install Premiere (beta) from the Creative Cloud desktop app and open Window > Assistant. It has free daily credits during the beta.

Which Premiere AI features use credits?

Generative Extend, the Generative Media Tool, Generate Music, Separate Crosstalk (1 credit per second) and Generative Remove (40 credits per second). Transcription, search, masking and audio cleanup don’t.

Final Thoughts

The most useful AI in Premiere isn’t the flashy generative stuff. It’s transcript editing, Paper Edit, Enhance Speech and Media Intelligence search, and they’re all included.

Use Generative Extend and the Generative Media Tool for the odd short shot, and keep an eye on credits. Adobe MAX runs 10-12 November, so I’ll update this guide with whatever comes next.

Editing photos too? See my Photoshop AI features guide and Apple Creator Studio AI features if you’re weighing Final Cut Pro.

Sources

• Adobe Community: What’s new in Premiere 26.5 (September 2026)
• Adobe Help: What’s new in Premiere on desktop
• heyeddie.ai: AI features in Premiere Pro 26.5, menus, credits and limits
• Adobe MAX 2026 dates (10-12 November)