by Bob » Fri May 20, 2016 3:09 am
Premiere Elements 12 defaults to 3 video tracks, 3 audio tracks, a narration track, and a soundtrack track. You can add additional audio or video tracks as needed. The difference between the different types of audio tracks is in how Premiere Elements uses them.
Normally, video files have two components -- a video stream and an audio stream. When you place a video file on the timeline, the video stream will appear on the video track you chose and Premiere Elements will automatically place the audio stream on the corresponding audio track. For example, if you place the video file on video track 2 the audio will appear directly below on audio track 2.
The narration track is used in conjunction with the record narration feature. If you open the record narration window you can record an audio track using your microphone while the video is playing. When you stop recording, Premiere Elements will add the recorded audio file to the project assets and place the file on the narration track of the timeline. You don't have to use this feature, you can import narration recorded in another application and place it on this (or some other) audio track.
The soundtrack track is intended as a place to add your background or music audio.
That's fine for simple projects. But, what if you need more than one music track or need to add sound effects or additional narration tracks. No problem. All audio tracks have equivalent capability. You can place your imported audio files on any available audio track. Just keep in mind how Premiere Elements will use them so that you don't inadvertently overwrite something. And, you can always add additional audio tracks as needed at any time.