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Premiere Pro Keyboard Shortcuts: The Ultimate Guide + Tips

keyboard shortcuts

In the fast-paced world of video editing, efficiency is key to meeting tight deadlines and delivering professional results. Aspiring and experienced video editors alike continually seek ways to streamline their workflow and enhance their creative process. One powerful method to achieve this is by mastering keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro.

From basic commands like saving projects and undoing actions to advanced editing techniques such as ripple trimming and duplicating clips, keyboard shortcuts are indispensable tools for video editors.

They enable swift navigation through the software’s interface, allowing you to focus on the artistic aspects of your work while minimizing distractions.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your skills, embracing these shortcuts is a crucial step toward becoming a proficient video editor in Adobe Premiere Pro. So, let’s dive in and unlock the full potential of keyboard shortcuts to transform your editing experience.

If you’re trying out various video editing platforms, feel free to check out our article for DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts.

Best practices when editing keyboard shortcuts

When working with and editing keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure a smooth and efficient editing experience. Here are some tips to help you optimize your workflow with keyboard shortcuts:

  • Avoid conflicts: When customizing shortcuts, be cautious of assigning a key combination that is already in use, as this can lead to confusion or unintended actions. If a warning appears when assigning a new shortcut, consider choosing an alternative key combination to avoid conflicts.
  • Learn existing shortcuts: Before making extensive customizations, take the time to learn and practice the default keyboard shortcuts in Premiere Pro. Many of these shortcuts are standard across various Adobe applications and can be valuable in improving your workflow.
  • Create mnemonic associations: When customizing shortcuts, try to create mnemonic associations by using the first letter of a function (e.g., “C” for Cut or “V” for Paste). This can make it easier to remember your custom shortcuts.
  • Incrementally build your shortcut set: Start by customizing a few shortcuts and gradually build your personalized settings as you become more familiar with Premiere Pro. This will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed with new shortcuts.
  • Organize and document your custom shortcuts: Keep a list of your customized shortcuts and their functions for easy reference. This can be especially helpful if you share your shortcuts with others or work on different computers.
  • Backup your custom shortcuts: Save your custom shortcut set and create a backup to ensure you don’t lose your personalizations in case of software issues or if you need to reinstall Premiere Pro.

General shortcuts

General shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro are designed to help you perform common tasks more efficiently. These shortcuts cover basic functions such as creating a new project, opening an existing one, saving, undoing, and redoing actions.

Knowing these shortcuts can save you time and help you focus on the creative aspects of your project.

ActionMac Keyboard ShortcutWindows Keyboard Shortcut
New Project – Creates a new project in Premiere Pro, allowing you to start working on a fresh video editing project with custom settings.Cmd + Opt + NCtrl + Alt + N
New Sequence – Creates a new sequence within the current project, which is essentially a new timeline for arranging and editing your video clips.Cmd + NCtrl + N
Bin – Creates a new bin within the project panel, which is a folder-like structure that helps you organize your assets, such as video clips, audio files, and images.Cmd + /Ctrl + /
Open Project – Opens an existing Premiere Pro project, allowing you to continue working on a project you’ve previously saved.Cmd + OCtrl + O
New Sequence – This creates a new sequence within the current project, which is essentially a new timeline for arranging and editing your video clips.Cmd + Opt + WCtrl + Shift + W
Save Project – Saves the current project, ensuring that any changes you’ve made are stored and can be accessed later.Cmd + SCtrl + S
Save Project As – This allows you to save the current project under a new name or location, which is helpful when you want to create a duplicate project or backup.Cmd + Shift + SCtrl + Shift + S
Save a copy – Saves a copy of the current project without altering the original, providing you with an additional backup or version to work from.Cmd + Opt + SCtrl + Alt + S
Quit Adobe Premiere Pro – Closes the Premiere Pro application, ensuring that any unsaved changes are prompted to be saved before the application is closed.Cmd + QCtrl + Q
Undo – Undoes the last action you performed, allowing you to quickly revert any mistakes or unwanted changes.Cmd + ZCtrl + Z
Redo – Redoes an action that was previously undone, which is useful when you want to reapply a change you’ve previously decided to undo.Cmd + Shift + ZCtrl + Shift + Z
Capture – Initiates the process of capturing video from an external device, such as a camera or tape deck, directly into Premiere Pro.F5F5
Batch Capture – Allows you to capture multiple clips from an external device in one session, streamlining the process of importing footage.F6F6
Import – Opens a file browser for you to select and import assets, such as video clips, audio files, and images, into your project.Cmd + ICtrl + I
Import from media browser – Lets you import assets directly from the Media Browser panel, which provides a more visual and organized way to browse and import your media files.Cmd + Opt + ICtrl + Alt + I
Export Media – Opens the Export Settings dialog, where you can choose the format, codec, and other settings for exporting your final video.Cmd + MCtrl + M
Get properties for selection – Displays the properties of the currently selected asset or assets, providing you with detailed information about the file, such as resolution, frame rate, and more.Cmd + Shift + HCtrl + Shift H

Tool shortcuts

Tool shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro allow you to quickly switch between different tools while editing. Each tool has a specific function, and these shortcuts can help you access the right tool without having to click through menus or toolbars.

ToolKey
Selection – This is the default tool and is used for selecting, moving, and resizing clips in the timeline.V
Track Select – Allows you to select all clips on a track from a specified point, either forwards or backwards.A
Ripple Edit – Lets you adjust the length of a clip while simultaneously adjusting the length of the adjacent clip to maintain the overall sequence length.B
Rolling Edit – Adjusts the edit point between two clips without changing the overall sequence length.N
Rate Stretch – Changes the duration of a clip while maintaining its original content by adjusting the playback speed.X
Razor – Cuts a clip at the playhead position, splitting it into two separate clips.C
Slip – Adjusts the In and Out points of a clip while maintaining its position in the timeline.Y
Slide – Moves a clip in the timeline while simultaneously adjusting the adjacent clips’ In and Out points to maintain the overall sequence length.U
Pen – Used for creating keyframes and adjusting clip parameters like opacity and audio levels.P
Hand – This lets you navigate the timeline by clicking and dragging.H
Zoom – Zooms in or out on the timeline, allowing you to focus on specific sections.Z

Playback shortcuts

Playback shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro control how the timeline or source monitor plays back your video. These shortcuts can help you quickly review your edits, navigate through your timeline, and make adjustments.

ActionKey
Play/Pause – Toggles between playing and pausing the video in the timeline or source monitor.Space
Reverse – Plays the video in reverse.J
Pause – Pauses the video playback.K
Play Forward – Plays the video forward.L
Go to the beginning of the timeline – Moves the playhead to the start of the timeline.Home
Go to the end of the timeline – Moves the playhead to the end of the timeline.End
Move one frame back – Steps the playhead back one frame in the timeline.Left arrow
Move one frame forward – Steps the playhead forward one frame in the timeline.Right arrow
Go to previous edit point – Moves the playhead to the previous edit point in the timeline.Up arrow
Go to next edit point – Moves the playhead to the next edit point in the timeline.Down arrow
Play reverse faster – Increases the reverse playback speed.Shift + J
Play forward faster – Increases the forward playback speed.Shift + L

Editing shortcuts

Editing shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro are designed to help you perform various editing tasks more efficiently. These shortcuts cover a wide range of functions, including adding edits, trimming, cutting, copying, pasting, and more.

By becoming familiar with these shortcuts, you can streamline your editing process and work faster.

ActionMac Keyboard ShortcutsWindows Keyboard Shortcuts
Add Edit – Splits a clip or adds an edit point at the playhead position, allowing you to separate a clip into multiple sections.Cmd + KCtrl + K
Apply default transitions – Adds the default video transition to the selected edit point or clips.Cmd + DCtrl + D
Apple default audio transitions – Adds the default audio transition to the selected edit point or clips.Cmd + Shift + DCtrl + Shift + D
Create new text layer – Creates a new text layer, which can be customized and animated within Premiere Pro.Cmd + TCtrl + T
Duplicate – Duplicates a selected clip or clips by holding the Alt (or Option) key while dragging the clip to a new location in the timeline.Opt + DragAlt + Drag
Copy – Copies the selected clips or edit points to the clipboard.Cmd + CCtrl + C
Cut – Cuts the selected clips or edit points and places them on the clipboard, removing them from the timeline.Cmd + XCtrl + X
Paste – Pastes the clipboard content at the playhead position or at the selected edit point in the timeline.Cmd + VCtrl + V
Clear – Deletes the selected clips or edit points without affecting the timeline.DeleteDelete
Ripple delete – Removes the selected clip(s) and automatically closes the gap in the timeline, maintaining the overall sequence length.Opt + DeleteAlt + Delete
Ripple trim previous edit to playhead – Trims the In point of a clip to the playhead position and adjusts the adjacent clip to maintain the overall sequence length.QQ
Ripple trim next edit to playhead – Trims the Out point of a clip to the playhead position and adjusts the adjacent clip to maintain the overall sequence length.WW
Add marker – Adds a marker at the playhead position, which can be used for reference, syncing, or organizing your project.MM

Workspace shortcuts

Workspace shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro allow you to quickly switch between different panels, enabling you to efficiently access the various tools and settings required for your project. Familiarizing yourself with these shortcuts can help you optimize your workflow and navigate through the software more effectively.

ActionKey
Switch to project panelShift + 1
Switch to source monitorShift + 2
Switch to timeline panelShift + 3
Switch to program monitorShift + 4
Switch to effects panelShift + 5
Switch to audio mixer panelShift + 6
Switch to metadata panelShift + 7
Toggle fullscreen` (Accent grave)

How do I edit keyboard shortcuts?

By customizing keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can tailor the software to your personal preferences and create a more efficient and comfortable editing experience.

To access and edit keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro, follow these steps:

  1. With a project open in Adobe Premiere Pro, locate the main menu at the top-left corner of the screen.
  2. Click on “Edit” (Windows) or “Premiere Pro” (Mac) in the main menu.
  3. In the dropdown menu, select “Keyboard Shortcuts” or use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + Alt + K” (Windows) or “Cmd + Opt + K” (Mac) to open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box.
  4. In the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box, you can view, search, and modify existing shortcuts.
Where to edit Adobe Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts.

Video explanation

Summary of the article

The mastery of keyboard shortcuts is a game-changer for video editors working with Adobe Premiere Pro. By incorporating these time-saving techniques into your editing process, you’ll find yourself working more efficiently and effectively, enabling you to deliver polished projects within tight deadlines.

As you continue to develop your skills, you’ll discover that a strong foundation in keyboard shortcuts can greatly enhance your creative potential, allowing you to focus on the artistic aspects of your work and produce exceptional content.

So, take the time to learn and practice these shortcuts, and watch as your video editing prowess reaches new heights.

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Robert Sutton

An unwavering enthusiasm for games, films, literature, and comics has always been a profound element of my life. I possess skills in SEO, mastery in using Adobe Software, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and a keen understanding of SQL Database operations.

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