What It Does
AfterCodecs lets you export professional video codecs directly from Adobe Creative Cloud applications without routing through Adobe Media Encoder or external encoding tools. It adds native support for ProRes, H264, H265, and HAP codecs in After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Media Encoder. Exports happen right in the After Effects render queue or Premiere Pro’s export panel.
Key Features
ProRes on Windows. Export ProRes 422, 4444, and XQ on Windows systems where the codec is normally unavailable. Includes standard profiles (422 LT, Proxy, Normal, HQ) and unofficial ones like ProRes 4444 Light, which combines alpha channel support with smaller file sizes. ProRes 4444, 4444 Light, and XQ preserve transparency.
H264/H265 encoding. Choose between fast encoding for previews or low file sizes for delivery. Supports 8K resolution, filesize targeting (specify final file size and the plugin encodes to hit it), 10-bit color, and YUV 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. Includes a one-click YouTube Upload profile that follows YouTube’s recommended specs. Both codecs export with alpha channels in MP4 and MOV formats.
HAP codecs. All four HAP variants (Hap, Hap Alpha, Hap Q, Hap Q Alpha) without resolution restrictions. You can disable Snappy compression, adjust CPU chunk count, and for Hap and Hap Alpha, choose compression algorithms that trade speed for quality.
MultiRender batch export. Place markers on your Premiere Pro timeline and export each segment as a separate file in one batch. Useful for social media posts, versioning, or splitting long sequences. Markers can include comments that become filename suffixes. The plugin handles Adobe’s marker duration bugs automatically.
Direct After Effects rendering. Skip the Media Encoder queue entirely. AfterCodecs produces smaller, better-looking files than AME’s H264/H265 encoders and shows encoding progress in your taskbar icon.
Additional options include custom framerates (up to 999 fps for high-speed exports), separate audio track exports in Premiere Pro, quick resolution presets, and full range color output.
Who It’s For
Motion designers who need ProRes on Windows, editors batching social media clips from a master timeline, or anyone tired of waiting for Media Encoder to process preview files. If you’ve ever needed to export with an alpha channel in MP4, target a specific file size, or just want faster H264 renders, this solves it.
Not for broadcast ProRes workflows. The ProRes implementation is unofficial and some hardware (like Blackmagic Hyperdeck Studio Mini) rejects the alpha channel. Test your delivery chain first.
Pricing
$89 per Adobe application (one-time purchase). One license covers the same user on two computers not used simultaneously. Available separately for After Effects, Premiere Pro, or Media Encoder. No subscription.
Supports Adobe CC 2017 through 2026. Works on macOS 12 (Monterey) to 26 (Tahoe), both Apple Silicon and Intel. Windows 10 and 11.