Busy Browse: A simple Media Management extension for Premiere Pro

Tired of constantly Alt-Tabbing between Premiere Pro and Finder to hunt down new footage? Cloud based DAMs feeling slow and expensive for daily stuff? Busy Browse fixes that — a lightweight extension that lets you browse your watch folders and import videos/images straight into your project without ever leaving the host app.

Quickly browse watch folders and import footage without leaving your project.

Busy Browse is a lightweight extension for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects that lets you quickly browse predefined watch folders and import your latest videos and images straight into your project, without leaving the host app.

Designed for editors and motion designers who work with recurring folders of incoming media.

Features

• Watch folders : Configure your frequent source folders once and access them instantly from inside Premiere Pro or After Effects.
• Built-in file filtering: Quickly filter by videos or images so you only see the assets you need from crowded folders.
• Direct importing: Select clips or stills in the panel and import them directly into your current project/bin.

Download & Install Busy Browse

First, download a ZXP installer tool (required since Adobe discontinued their official one):

Recommended ZXP Installers:

• ZXP Installer (Free) — Simple drag-and-drop installer for Windows & Mac
• Anastasiy's Extension Manager (Free) — Advanced manager with auto-updates

Now follow these steps:

1. Download the Busy Browse .zxp file from the link below.
2. Open your chosen ZXP installer.
3. Drag & drop the Busy Browse .zxp file into the installer window, or use "Install extension".
4. Restart Premiere Pro or After Effects when installation completes.
5. Go to Window → Extensions → Busy Browse to open the panel.

First-Time Setup

1. Add watch folders: Use the "Add Folder" button to point Busy Browse at any folder you regularly receive footage in (e.g. /Projects/ClientX/Footage, network path, or external drive).
2. These folders become persistent favourites — switch between them quickly in future sessions.
3. Set preferences like auto-refresh when new files appear in a watch folder.

What's Next

Next up: Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).