How to Burn In Timecode in Final Cut Pro (3 Native Ways)

"The shot around the middle, the one after the slow zoom" is not feedback - it is a riddle. A burned-in timecode turns every note into an address your editor can scrub to, which is why Apple's own Final Cut Pro documentation describes the Timecode generator as the tool to use "when sending your project for review." FCP has shipped native timecode tools for years (source-timecode burn-in arrived back in 10.3), so no plugin is required - this tip covers all three built-in ways and when each one is the right pick.

Method 1: the Timecode generator (project timecode - the review default)

This is the one Apple's guide names for review exports, and it burns your project timecode - the numbers your editor's timeline shows - across the full length of the cut.

1. Open the Titles and Generators sidebar: choose Window > Go To > Titles and Generators (or press Option-Command-1).
2. Select the Elements category and find the Timecode generator.
3. Drag it into the timeline as a connected clip above the primary storyline - it is usually placed at the start of the project.
4. Drag its edge so the clip spans the full project length.
5. Select the generator clip, open the Inspector (Command-4), click the Generator button at the top, and adjust the settings (Reset restores defaults).

Because it counts project timecode, every client note like "1:24:12 looks soft" maps one-to-one onto your timeline. That is the property that makes this the review method.

Method 2: the Timecode effect (source clip timecode + clip name)

When the timecode that matters is the camera-original timecode - dual-system sound sync, card names, dailies paperwork - the Timecode effect is the tool. Apple describes it as displaying "the clip name and source clip timecode in the viewer and in exported files."

1. Select the clips in the timeline (effects apply to timeline clips, not browser clips).
2. Open the Effects browser and find Timecode in the Basics category, then apply it.
3. The timecode appears in the viewer; drag the onscreen ring control to reposition it.
4. In the Inspector, set Timecode Base to source-clip or project timecode, toggle Show name for the clip-name display, and adjust format, font, offset, center, and the Label prefix (useful for shoot dates or card numbers).
5. The burn happens on export (File > Share > Export File) - the viewer always shows it; the exported file carries it.

To remove it later, select the clips and use Edit > Remove Attributes with Timecode checked - cleaner than deleting and re-applying across a multicam edit.

Method 3: Compressor’s Timecode Generator (batch exports, untouched timeline)

If the timeline should stay clean and the burn belongs on the deliverable only, Apple's Compressor (a separate $49.99 one-time app, also in the Apple Creator Studio bundle) has a Timecode Generator effect that "superimposes the clip's timecode onto the video" during export - with position, opacity (Alpha), a text Label, a "start timecode at 00:00:00:00" option, and font controls.

1. Send the finished project to Compressor (or add the exported movie as a job).
2. Select the job and open the Video inspector.
3. In the Video Effects section, open Add Video Effect and choose Timecode Generator.
4. Set position, label, opacity, and the start-timecode option; start the batch.

This is also the batch answer: three deliverable flavors of the same cut, each burned, without touching the edit.

Which method, and the honest caveats

Once timecode is burned and the export is out, the other half of the loop matters just as much: the settings for the file itself (H.264 1080p review vs ProRes master) are in what format to export for client review, the FCP-specific review workflow is in the FCP client review guide, and how timecoded comments differ from true frame-accurate annotations is in timecoded comments vs frame-accurate annotations. The rest of this series covers the same small review-side mechanics in other tools: burning timecode in Premiere Pro, watermarking review exports in Resolve, and exporting a region of interest in After Effects.

FAQ

Does Final Cut Pro have a built-in timecode burn-in?

Yes - two native options: the Timecode generator (Titles and Generators sidebar, Elements category), which burns project timecode as a connected clip, and the Timecode effect (Effects browser, Basics category), which burns source-clip timecode and the clip name. Apple's documentation explicitly recommends the generator for review exports. Compressor adds a third option for batch exports.

What is the difference between the Timecode generator and the Timecode effect?

What they count. The generator shows project timecode - the timeline's own numbers, ideal when clients reference your edit's timecode. The effect shows source clip timecode plus the clip name - ideal for dailies, dual-system sound, and camera-original verification. Pick by whose numbers the feedback will use, not by which is easier to find.

Can I burn timecode on export without adding anything to my timeline?

Yes - Apple Compressor's Timecode Generator applies the burn to an exported movie or a sent project as an export effect, leaving the FCP timeline untouched. It requires Compressor (a $49.99 one-time purchase), so it earns its keep mainly when you are batching multiple deliverables from one master.

Why do reviewers need burned-in timecode at all?

Because vague time references create rework: "the transition after the logo" can mean three places on a cut with repeated shots. A visible counter turns every note into an exact address, shortens the editor's interpretation pass, and makes the difference between a two-round project and a five-round one - the note-quality side of that equation is in what frame-accurate review means.