Quicktime not able to sync audio when playing h.264 exported from adobe

This is a tone deaf response. The issue has persisted and become known. Tests have been done.

All bitrates and resolutions in H.264 feature a loss of sync from Adobe AME compression as of this date, with all software current. Adobe is blaming Apple. They recommend HandBrake, yet another third party product, to transcode videos so they will perform in Big Sur. The workaround works, but is inconvenient.

Does Apple recognize this issue?

Hello bipideebopidee,

Thank you for posting in the Apple Support Communities. We understand that audio doesn't sync correctly with videos exported from a third-party service after editing the video, but the audio plays as expected in other video players. We'd like to help.

We suggest exporting the video using a different file format and resolution, then testing to see if the issue persists. This QuickTime Player User Guide offers the steps on how to do that, if needed:

Export movies to other file formats and resolutions using QuickTime Player on Mac

We hope this information is useful. Kind regards.

So we have done some tests.

It's a problem with Quicktime 10.5.

When I play the file in QuickTime 10.4 its fine. Rock solid audio sync.

So workaround until Quicktime fix the bug:

1. Use space bar in the finder to open as a preview and the file will play perfectly.

2. Open in VLC, Premiere Pro, Reoslve, or other aps. Plays fine.

Quicktime has never been the same since the death of QuickTime Pro. :(

Bring it back!

Hi all,

I was having the same problem with taking an older QT or h264 mp4 video file, converting it to a smaller H264 mp4 video file using Media Encoder 2021 on my iMac and then getting a mp4 file that was out of sync when playing on Quicktime Player. I looked up a few things and did these things:

• cleared Media Cache in Encoder
• did a VBR 2-pass under the instead of the default 1-pass user the Video tab Bitrate settings

Then the video that it output played in sync on Quicktime Player. I have a 2020 27 inch iMac running Catalina OS. Hope that helps someone out there...

Yes! I've had this issue as well, starting with Big Sur. It's the same thing - any H.264 from AME eventually runs out of sync within QT player or QT preview.

I contacted Adobe about this issue and since then I've been using HandBrake to process the files for my clients so they will play back properly. Adobe claims (I'm not sure this makes any sense) that it's to do with QT gamma shift, and Apple will likely fix the bug.

Did you ever find a proper solution to this annoying fail? Thanks!

I'm having the same issue and it is driving me crazy. At first I thought it was Adobe, and eventually, I narrowed it down to being a Quicktime issue. The H264s playback perfectly in any other program or viewer.

Please fix this issue! Our jobs are dependant on it haha.

I am also having this issue and have only started experiencing it in the last couple of months. I've been exporting out my videos from Adobe Premiere using the same codec for the last 5+ years and have never had any issues with playback in Quicktime until very recently. Can you please provide an update or solution for this? I shouldn't have to use VLC or Handbrake to view an H.264 file because Quicktime can't handle scrubbing.

I tried both clearing the Adobe Media Encoder Cache and using VBR 2-pass when encoding but I still have the issue in Big Sur running Quicktime 10.5. I also tried just playing back the files using the spacebar to view the videos in Preview and it still happens.

I'm sorry but this is unacceptable. This has been causing problems for a LONG time, for many people. I just updated to Big Sur 11.5.1 and I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved, but I'm still having issues with MP4's losing sync. Quicktime 10.4 plays the files fine. VLC plays the files fine.

I have found that if you show files as columns, then scrub to the end of the file in the Preview Column, afterwards the file can be opened in Quicktime with no sync issues. This is CLEARLY a bug with the current version of Quicktime, since 10.4 plays them without losing sync.

Unacceptable is right. I've just spent 9 hours troubleshooting my export settings, correcting my VFR source footage, banging my head on the wall to no avail to try to get Quicktime to play my Premiere exports of a project I'm working on under deadline. If I hadn't clicked on this thread I'd still be at it. Thanks to you all for your helpful notes about an unhelpful situation.

I would like to add my experience here which is related...

I have a new Mac Mini with the M1 Chip and working on my first 2 projects with this set-up - one a 30 minute presentation (talk), the other a wedding. I'm editing via Premiere 2021 / AME, with my video files (both source and exported masters) on an external Samsung T7 SSD.

Both projects were exported to h264 files, and both movie files played back notably out of sync, in both QuickTime and VLC if played from the T7 drive. So to test the playback further I did the following:

-plugged the T7 into my 2010 Mac Pro instead - playback was fine

-plugged the T7 into my Asus laptop (Windows) - playback was fine

-back on the Mini M1 - copied the file from the T7 to the Desktop -playback seems fine from the desktop.

seems like in my case the issue is the ability of the M1 to playback in sync a file on an external drive.

Is anyone else's experience based on playback on external drives?

Still have this issue in the fall of 2021. We need an update Apple! I've taken to making a ProRes export from Premiere Pro/Media Encoder (I prefer FCPX but my client does not) and then using compressor to make the mp4 (h264) version for screening. Just a waste of extra steps. I'm running Adobe CC 2021 on a M1 Mac mini with Big Sur (11.4) and QT 10.5

I have had this same issue for at least the past 6 months. The response given by apple Community Specialist is a crock.

This has never happened with QuickTime before and yes, if all other players work with it, why can't Quicktime "Pro"?

FIX THIS APPLE!

C'mon Apple! I bought the new M1 Mac and now I learn that the new version of Quicktime has sync issues?

This is absolutely unacceptable.

PLEASE FIX QUICKTIME - IT'S EMBARRASSING

I wasted hours on this today only to find the files are fine, it's just the crappy Apple Quicktime app that can't handle.

The work around suggested (do a "quick look" and then scroll to the end of the file and let it play until it stops) seems to have worked (so far), but the fact that I have to do a work around on something this simple using what was once considered the gold standard of desktop video playback is utterly stupefying.

Apple, I love you but I think you need your head examined.

It's Oct 10, 2021. I have the same issue. Nearly had a heart attack. Glad others figured out it is 10.5 QT and that 10.4 works.

I ran the suggested test - I input the final QT video back into Adobe Premier Pro onto the timeline and scrubbed the timeline and it is all in sync.

C'mon Apple - you are better than this - get this fixed!