An ALE file is mainly an Avid Log Exchange file used in film/TV post-production as a plain-text, tab-delimited way to pass clip metadata—not actual media—between systems, carrying details like clip names, scene/take, roll info, notes, and crucially reel/tape names plus timecode in/out, which helps editors import footage already organized and later match media using identifiers such as reel name and timecode.
The quickest way to check whether your .ALE is the Avid type is to open it in a text editor like Notepad; if you see clearly visible text arranged in a table-like layout with sections such as “Heading,” “Column,” and “Data,” plus tab-separated rows, it’s almost certainly an Avid Log Exchange file, whereas nonsensical glyphs or formats like XML/JSON suggest a different program created it, making context and file location important, and file size helps too since Avid ALEs are usually small while very large files rarely match this log format.
If your goal is only to preview the data, you can load the ALE into Excel or Google Sheets as a tab-delimited file to view the columns cleanly, but be cautious since spreadsheets may modify timecodes or remove leading zeros, and for Avid use you normally import the ALE to generate a clip bin that you then link or relink to media by matching reel/tape names and timecode, with relinking problems usually caused by conflicting reel labels or incorrect timecode/frame-rate details.
If you are you looking for more information regarding file extension ALE review the webpage. An ALE file in its most common use is an Avid Log Exchange file—a lightweight portable metadata sheet used in pro video and film workflows to move clip information between stages, functioning like a textified spreadsheet meant for editing systems rather than storing media, holding details such as clip names, scene/take numbers, camera and audio roll IDs, notes, and especially reel/tape names with timecode in/out, and because it’s plain tab-delimited text, it can be generated by logging tools, dailies pipelines, or assistants and then imported so editors receive organized metadata instantly.
What makes an ALE especially powerful is that it bridges unorganized media with a structured editing project; when loaded into Avid Media Composer, it generates clips carrying correct names so editors avoid tedious labeling, and the same metadata—chiefly reel/tape plus timecode—serves as a reliable identifier for relinking, so the ALE itself is context, telling the system what each shot is and where the original lives.
Even if “ALE” commonly means Avid Log Exchange, it’s not exclusive, so the practical check is to open the file in a text editor and look for a log with headings showing clip, reel, and timecode fields; if that matches, it is almost certainly the Avid version, but if the structure differs, then it may be from another application and you must identify it based on its origin.
