CleanAAF — Fix and clean AAF imports for audio post
Detect duplicates and save time with automatic cleanup.

Analyze an AAF, fix common import issues, and automatically clean up the timeline. Duplicate detection is based on audio-content analysis (not just metadata), so it still works when clip names or embedded metadata are missing or inconsistent. Optionally detect silent clips and common guide / mixdown tracks, then export a cleaned AAF in one go. Runs locally on your computer — no cloud processing. Simple license keys — no iLok required.

CleanAAF main window
Demo video

What this solves

Common AAF problems that slow down audio post-production.

  1. Automatic media relinking

    CleanAAF automatically relinks audio files referenced by an AAF, preparing the session for seamless import into DAWs.

    No more manual relinking.

    Example of relinking media in an AAF (screenshot)

  2. Channel normalization

    Helps prevent one-channel audio from spreading across multichannel legs and reduces unsupported multichannel AAF import warnings.

    Example of channel normalization in an AAF (screenshot)

  3. Mute or remove redundant clips

    Choose a clean-and-done workflow (Remove) to remove redundant clips from the timeline, or use a review-first workflow (Mute) to keep clips present but inactive.

    Review-first or clean-and-done.

    * In Pro Tools, muted clips remain present. Some DAWs may omit inactive clips during AAF import.

    Mute Remove
    Mute vs Remove clip mode (screenshot)

  4. Duplicate clip cleanup

    Detects time-aligned duplicate audio clips and removes redundant copies from the timeline while keeping one original. Uses audio-content analysis (not just AAF metadata), so it keeps working even when clip metadata is unreliable.

    No more phase flipping.

    Before After
    Duplicate clips before and after (screenshot)

  5. Silent clip removal

    Finds silent or empty clips and cleans them out of the timeline.

    No more manual silence stripping.

    Before After
    Silent clips before and after (screenshot)

  6. Leftover guide / mixdown tracks cleanup

    Identifies leftover clips from guide / mixdown tracks and cleans them out of the import to keep sessions focused.

    No more manual channel hunting.

    Before After
    Mix or guide track leftovers before and after (screenshot)

More issues CleanAAF helps prevent

These are common turnover issues that often burn time in troubleshooting instead of editing.

  • Video inside audio turnover

    Remove top-level video tracks from the output AAF for a focused audio handoff. This helps avoid crashes and hangs when a DAW encounters unsupported video data inside an AAF turnover.

  • Wrong top-level playlist

    If an AAF includes multiple top-level playlists with real content, CleanAAF lets you choose the intended playlist for export. This helps prevent “where is my session content?” confusion after import.

  • Locator and naming compatibility

    CleanAAF handles difficult locator formatting and managed-media naming cases, with optional simplified filenames for compatibility-focused workflows.

  • Audio file repair

    Fixes common audio file issues when safe, and trims media to declared durations so imported sessions stay aligned.

  • Metadata completion

    Reads XMP, BWF, and iXML metadata and fills practical gaps when useful source information is split across multiple metadata fields.

  • Edge cases shape development

    If you encounter a problematic AAF, or want a feature that would help your workflow, send a message. Customer feedback directly shapes our development priorities.

Features

This is not an AI tool. CleanAAF uses deterministic, rule-based analysis. Network access is limited to licensing/updates (when enabled). Licensing is simple (no iLok required). CleanAAF is non-destructive to your source material — it never modifies the original AAF or media. Cleanup is applied to a newly generated copy, where redundant clips can be removed for a simplified session, or made inactive for review.

  • Non-destructive by design

    CleanAAF never edits your original AAF or media. It works on copies in a per-run output folder.

  • Media resolution

    Relink external media, copy referenced audio, or extract embedded audio into a run folder for reliable DAW import.

  • Duplicate detection

    Detect time-aligned duplicate audio and automatically clean up redundant clips.

  • Optional cleanup passes

    Clean up silent clips and common guide/mix tracks using configurable rules and thresholds.

  • License key activation

    Activate on up to two machines per license for studio and home use. Offline activation is supported when needed.

  • Trial available

    Includes five successful trial runs for evaluation before purchase.

Who this is for

Sound editors, dialogue editors, and re-recording mixers who receive AAF exports from picture editorial and want cleaner, more reliable imports into Pro Tools and other DAWs. Built by working audio post professional – artisherz.lv.

System requirements

Technical expectations and I/O.

Platform
macOS: Apple silicon, macOS 14.0 and newer. Windows: Windows 10/11, 64-bit.
Input
AAF project files (commonly exported from Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro).
Minimal requirements
8GB of RAM, but at least 16GB recommended.
Output folder
Optional Audio_Files/ and (when enabled) Logs/

Resources

Downloads and documentation links live here.

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Choose the macOS or Windows installer

User manual

Documentation

Support

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