# Export

> Render video or audio on your Mac, choose the format and sequence, and clear any blocking checks.

Formats Studio docs · Output · https://formats.app/docs/export · Updated 2026-09-28

## Set up an export

1. Open **Export** (`⇧⌘E`) and choose **Export Video** or **Export Audio**.
2. Export always renders the whole timeline, start to end.
3. Set **Resolution** and **Quality** to match the goal: a quick review, a shareable file, or a final master.
4. Clear any preflight warnings, then render.

> **Note:** Higher resolution and quality take longer and produce larger files.

> **Tip:** When a project has more than the Main timeline, a **Sequence** menu at the top of the dialog picks which timeline to export, at its own resolution and length.

## Formats

| Output | Formats |
| --- | --- |
| Video containers | MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV |
| Audio only | MP3, AAC, WAV |
| Soft subtitle track | WebM, MKV |

> **Note:** If a codec cannot encode at the chosen size or quality, Formats Studio warns you or falls back to one that can.

## Subtitles

When a video export has a transcript, the **Subtitles** control chooses how captions are included. The options adapt to the container you picked.

| Mode | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Off** | No captions in the exported video. |
| **Burn in** | Captions are drawn into the frame, so they show in every player. |
| **Sidecar** `.srt` | Clean video plus a separate `.srt` subtitle file downloaded alongside it. |
| **Embedded track** | A soft, toggleable subtitle track carried inside the container. |

> **Note:** The embedded-track option appears only for `WebM` and `MKV`. On `MP4` and `MOV`, choose burn-in or a sidecar file, or switch container for a toggleable track.

> **Note:** Some players hide subtitle tracks by default, so viewers may need to enable them.

## Preflight checks

Preflight runs before rendering and flags common blockers: an empty timeline, missing media, an unavailable codec, a worker-export fallback, a large file, or a long render.

## Render and save

- Progress moves through preparing, rendering, encoding, and finalizing, and you can **Cancel** at any time.
- When it completes, choose where to save the file; it is also written to the exports folder in your workspace.

> **Warning:** Keep the project open until the export finishes.

## Related

- [Text, captions and subtitles](https://formats.app/docs/text-captions-subtitles): Add and style text clips, generate captions from a transcript, and import embedded subtitle tracks.
- [Troubleshooting](https://formats.app/docs/troubleshooting): Common symptoms and their fixes: install, agents, media, Local AI and export.