Imagine you’re editing a movie, and you want to share your timeline with someone else who uses a completely different video editing app. Normally, this would feel like trying to send a puzzle where the pieces don’t fit. That’s exactly the problem OpenTimelineIO (OTIO) solves.

OpenTimelineIO is an open-source library and format created by Pixar to make video timelines easier to share between different editing tools. Think of it as a “universal translator” for video editing timelines. Instead of being locked into one software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve, OTIO lets editors, artists, and even developers move their work across platforms smoothly.

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

• When you edit a video, your timeline contains clips, cuts, transitions, and markers.
• Normally, each editing program saves this timeline in its own unique format.
• OTIO steps in and saves just the essentials (like where clips are cut, how they’re arranged, and their timing) in a standardized way.
• This makes it easy to open, review, or hand off projects without worrying about software compatibility.

For example, if you cut a trailer in Premiere but need to finish color grading in Resolve, OTIO can carry over the cut information seamlessly. It doesn’t try to handle fancy effects or transitions—just the core structure of your edit—making collaboration faster and cleaner.

Because it’s open-source, developers also love it. They can build tools that read or write OTIO files, automating repetitive tasks like shot review or edit tracking.

In the future, as more editing tools adopt OTIO, we may see a world where creative teams collaborate without barriers—no matter what software they use.