Parallel Media Encoder Parallel Media Encoder
Pro feature · Local drives and network shares

Watch folder transcoding for Mac

Point a folder at a preset and walk away. PME picks up new media once it has finished copying, encodes it in parallel, and moves the original aside so nothing is encoded twice. On local drives, NAS shares and LucidLink.

Download Free See how it works

Requires macOS 14.5 or later. Apple Silicon required.

Illustration. Folder names and clips are examples.

How it works

From card offload to edit-ready files, hands-free

Every watch folder pairs a folder with a preset and an output folder. New media goes through the same parallel queue, with the same settings, as a file you added by hand.

  1. Sources

    Media arrives

    • Camera card offload
    • NAS share (SMB, NFS)
    • LucidLink filespace

  2. Watch folder

    /Volumes/NAS/Ingest

    • Scans every 1–60 minutes
    • Includes subfolders
    • Waits until each file has fully copied

  3. Encode queue

    Your preset

    • Codec, LUT and timecode settings
    • Encodes in parallel
    • Optional output verification

  4. Output folder

    /Volumes/NAS/Proxies

    • ProRes, H.265, H.264 or DNxHR
    • Optional filename suffix
    • Ready to edit

In the app

Every folder at a glance

The Watch Folders window shows where each folder watches and writes, its preset and scan interval, and when it last scanned. Edit, stop or scan any folder in one click. Folders an AI assistant set up are tagged with its name.

Watch Folders window in Parallel Media Encoder with two active folders, each showing its watch path, output folder, PickedUp destination, preset, AI tag, scan interval and last scan time

Built to run unattended

Safe to leave running overnight

Watch folders handle the cases that break unattended ingest: files that are still arriving, files that were already done, and encodes that fail.

Waits for copies to finish

A file is only picked up once it has stopped changing across two scans, so a card offload or network copy still in progress is never grabbed half-written.

Never encodes a file twice

Once a file is queued, the original moves to a PickedUp folder, or a destination you choose on the same volume. To process it again, move it back.

Failures are set aside

If an encode fails for good, its source moves to a Failed folder next to PickedUp, so you can see exactly which files need attention.

Verified outputs

Turn on verification and every output is checked against its source after encoding: frame count, duration, timecode, audio and colour.

Runs without the app open

The pme background service can watch folders on its own, and once installed with pme service install it resumes them at login. Open the app and it takes them over.

No loops, no overlaps

PME refuses an output folder inside the watch folder, and watch folders can't overlap, so one folder's output never feeds another.

App, terminal or AI

Drive the same folders from anywhere

A watch folder added from the terminal or by an AI assistant appears in the Watch Folders window right away. All three work on the same folders, so you can set one up in the app and script the rest.

From the terminal

pme watch adds, edits, starts, stops and scans folders. --dry-run checks the settings and lists media already in the folder before anything moves.

Check first, then add with --start 
pme watch add \
  --folder /Volumes/Ingest/DailyRushes \
  --output /Volumes/Export/Proxies \
  --preset "ProRes 422 Proxy" \
  --interval 5 \
  --suffix "-Proxy" --dry-run
pme watch reference

From your AI assistant

Ask Claude, Codex or Gemini CLI. With Pro, PME’s MCP server creates, changes, starts, stops and scans watch folders, and explains what each one is doing.

AI assistant · connected to pme MCP
Watch /Volumes/NAS/Ingest and make Editorial Proxy files in /Volumes/NAS/Proxies. Check every minute.
pme_create_watch_folder dry_run · 3 files already in folder

The settings check out. Ingest already holds 3 clips, and they would be picked up on the first scan. Create the watch folder and start it?

Yes, start it.
pme_create_watch_folder start · every 1 min

Ingest is being watched. New files are picked up once they finish copying, and the originals move to PickedUp.

Illustrative session. Your assistant’s wording will vary.

Watch folders over MCP

Network shares

Works with your NAS, LucidLink, or any shared volume

Enter your network credentials once. They're stored in Keychain and never leave your Mac. If the share disconnects, PME remounts it automatically on the next scan.

  • SMB and NFS shares
  • Credentials secured in macOS Keychain
  • Auto-remount on disconnect
Network share watch folder configuration with username and Keychain password storage

Common setups

One folder per job

DIT cart dailies

Offload cards into a watch folder and get dailies with the show LUT and source timecode while the next card copies.

Dailies 1080p (Show LUT + TC)

LucidLink proxy ingest

Watch a folder on the filespace with the LucidLink (Proxy) preset, which caps the bitrate so proxies stay light to stream.

LucidLink (Proxy)

Editorial and review drops

Give editors or clients a NAS folder to drop media into, and collect ProRes or H.265 copies in the output folder.

Editorial Proxy (ProRes 1080p)

How to set up watch folder encoding on Mac

1

Create a watch folder

Pick a folder, assign a preset, and set a polling interval. PME scans the folder and its subfolders every 1–60 minutes and queues new media automatically.

Watch folder settings in Parallel Media Encoder showing watch and output folders, preset selection, and polling interval
2

Drop files and walk away

Copy files in from a card offload, Finder or another app. Once a file has finished copying, PME picks it up on the next scan and encodes it in parallel with the rest of the queue.

Parallel Media Encoder encoding several clips at once, with encode slot and GPU decode slot meters
3

Pick up your transcoded files

Encoded files land in your chosen output folder, ready for editing. Originals move to a PickedUp folder so nothing gets processed twice.

Parallel Media Encoder main window with encodes running and verified outputs in the queue panel

Watch folder FAQ

Is watch folder encoding free?
Watch folders are a Pro feature. Pro is a one-time $39 purchase with no subscription. The free version handles manual encoding with full settings control, for personal, educational, and evaluation use.
What if a file is still copying when PME scans?
PME waits. A file is only picked up once it has stopped changing across two scans, so a card offload or network copy still in progress is left alone until it finishes.
Do watch folders run when the app is closed?
They can. Quitting the app stops the folders it was watching, but the pme background service can watch folders on its own, and a service installed with pme service install resumes them at login. When you open the app, it takes those folders over.
Are watch folder outputs verified?
Yes, when verification is on. Each output is checked against its source after encoding: frame count, duration, timecode, audio and colour.
What happens when an encode fails?
The source of an encode that fails for good moves to a Failed folder next to PickedUp, so it is out of the watch folder and easy to find.
Can I use watch folders with network shares?
Yes. SMB and NFS shares are supported. Enter your credentials once and PME stores them in macOS Keychain. If the share disconnects, PME remounts it automatically.
How many watch folders can I set up?
As many as you need. Each folder gets its own preset, output path, and polling interval. The only constraint: folders can't overlap or nest inside each other.
Can I manage watch folders from the command line or an AI assistant?
Yes. pme watch adds, edits, starts, stops and scans folders from the terminal, with --json for scripting and --dry-run to check settings first. With Pro, Claude, Codex or Gemini CLI can do the same through PME’s MCP server.
Will the same file get encoded twice?
No. Processed files are moved to a PickedUp folder (or a custom destination you choose) before encoding starts. To re-process a file, move it back into the watch folder.
Does it work with all codecs and presets?
Any preset you've saved in Parallel Media Encoder works with watch folders, including H.264, H.265, ProRes, DNx, or custom presets with LUT baking. The output is identical to a manual encode.

Related features

Parallel Encoding

Encode 2–10 files simultaneously on Apple Silicon. Hardware-aware scheduling across M1–M6 chips.

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MXF to ProRes

Convert Sony and Canon MXF files to ProRes, H.265, or DNxHR with metadata preservation.

Learn more

Media Encoder MCP

Let Claude, Codex or Gemini CLI probe footage, queue encodes and run watch folders.

Learn more

Ready to automate your transcoding?

Download free. Watch folders unlock with a one-time $39 Pro purchase.

Download Free

Requires macOS 14.5 or later. Apple Silicon required.

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