How to Trim or Cut Video & Audio in DaVinci Resolve

Have you ever wanted to make a video that was just the perfect length but didn’t know how? It’s easy not to know how to do specific tasks regarding video editing, even if it’s considered an easy thing to know by other editors. With DaVinci Resolve, you can easily trim your videos & audio with just a few simple steps.

Select the clip you want to edit to trim video & audio in DaVinci Resolve. Then, use your mouse to drag the end of the clip to your desired point where you’d like your clip to start or end. This works for both audio & video clips.

As usual, we’re using the latest version of DaVinci Resolve to create our guides.

Cut video & audio with the “Blade” tool

Go to the “Edit” mode.

All you need to do is select the “Blade” tool. You can do this by pressing the button in the image below or using the keyboard shortcut “B” to select the Blade tool.

This will allow you to add a cut in the middle of any video or audio.

Then, just click on any track to place a cut.

Trimming video & audio in DaVinci Resolve

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and create a new project

The first step is to open up DaVinci Resolve and create a new project. Here are the steps:

1. Open DaVinci Resolve.
2. Create a new project by clicking “File” > “New Project”.
3. You’ll then be prompted to name your project and select a file type. Select whatever file type best fits your needs.

2. Import your media 

Now that you have created a project, it is time to import your media. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Click “File” > “Import Media” or drag and drop your files into the timeline area of the software.
2. When importing media files such as videos or images, ensure they are in the correct format for DaVinci Resolve.
   
   For example, video files should be in MP4 or MOV format, and audio files should be in WAV or AIFF.3.
   
   Check out this document by Blackmagic Design for more information on what file types are compatible with DaVinci Resolve.

3. Select clips & drag them to the transition point

Now that you have imported all your media files into DaVinci Resolve, it’s time to start trimming!

1. First, select the clip or clips you want to trim by clicking on them in the timeline window.
2. Then, drag either end of the clip left or right until it reaches its desired transition point. The transition point is where you want the clip to end or begin.

You can do this in any section of DaVinci Resolve, whether it’s in “Cut”, “Edit,” or “Fairlight”. It’s what you prefer to use.

4. Move ends of clips 

Now that you’ve selected which clips need to be trimmed, follow these steps:

1. Move each end until it reaches its desired position within the timeline window.
2. You can do that by dragging either end of the clip left or right until it reaches its desired position.
3. Once you have positioned the ends of the clips that need to be trimmed, you can preview them by playing them in the timeline window.

5. Save and export your file

You are ready to save and export your file when all of your clips are in their desired positions within the timeline window. Here are the steps:

1. Click “File” > “Export”, then enter a name for your video in the “Save As” field.
2. Next, choose the export quality from the Render menu that best fits your needs. For example, High Quality is great for exporting higher-quality videos, whereas Lower Quality saves space on your computer’s hard drive by sacrificing quality for storage space.
3. After you have entered a name and saved your file, click “Export”.

Video tutorial

FAQ

Conclusion

Congratulations – you should have successfully trimmed your video & audio in DaVinci Resolve! You can easily create the perfect length video that meets your needs with just a few simple steps.

Remember, you can always experiment with different file types and export qualities to get the best results. And if you have any questions or need additional help, consult the official DaVinci Resolve support website. Good luck.