Last Updated: November 21, 2025
Essential Shortcuts
Cmd + N
New project
Cmd + I
Import media
Space
Play/pause playback
J K L
Reverse / Pause / Forward (press multiple times for speed)
I
Mark In point
O
Mark Out point
E
Append to end of timeline
W
Insert at playhead position
D
Overwrite at playhead
Q
Connect to primary storyline
Timeline Editing
B
Blade tool - Cut clips
T
Trim tool - Adjust edit points
A
Select tool (default)
P
Position tool - Move clips freely
Cmd + B
Blade at playhead
Delete
Ripple delete (close gap)
Shift + Delete
Delete (leave gap)
Cmd + D
Duplicate clip
Option + W
Insert gap at playhead
Ctrl + D
Change clip duration
Playback & Navigation
Left/Right Arrow
Move playhead 1 frame
Shift + Left/Right
Move playhead 10 frames
Up/Down Arrow
Jump to next/previous edit
Home/End
Go to start/end of timeline
Cmd + Z
Zoom to fit timeline
Cmd + + / -
Zoom in/out timeline
Shift + Z
Zoom to fit entire project
Cmd + R
Render selection
Effects & Transitions
Cmd + T
Add default transition (cross dissolve)
Ctrl + T
Change transition duration
Cmd + 5
Open Effects browser
Cmd + 6
Open Transitions browser
Option + Cmd + V
Paste attributes (effects, color, etc.)
Ctrl + V
Show video animation
Ctrl + A
Show audio animation
Cmd + Option + F
Add freeze frame
Audio Editing
Ctrl + S
Expand/collapse audio waveform
Ctrl + - / =
Lower/raise audio level 1 dB
Option + Cmd + G
Create audio fade in
Cmd + Shift + G
Create audio fade out
Option + S
Solo audio track
V
Disable/enable clip
Shift + G
Detach audio from video
Option + Cmd + R
Record voiceover
Color Grading
Cmd + 6 (Color Board)
Open Color Board inspector
Color Wheels
Adjust shadows, midtones, highlights separately
Color Curves
Precise RGB curve adjustments
Hue/Saturation Curves
Target specific color ranges
Option + Cmd + C
Copy color grading
Option + Cmd + V
Paste color grading
Cmd + D (Color)
Match color from one clip to another
Organization & Media
Cmd + 1
Show/hide Event Library
Cmd + 2
Show/hide Photos and Audio browser
Cmd + 3
Show/hide Timeline index
Cmd + 4
Show/hide Inspector
Cmd + K
Create keyword collection
F
Mark clip as Favorite
Delete + Cmd
Reject clip
Cmd + Shift + N
Create new event
Advanced Techniques
Cmd + Shift + F
Full screen playback
Option + Cmd + B
Create compound clip
Shift + Cmd + B
Break apart compound clip
Cmd + R
Retime editor (speed ramping)
Shift + B
Blade all (cut all tracks)
Option + G
Create storyline from clips
Cmd + Option + R
Reverse clip playback
Shift + Cmd + C
Create multicam clip
Export & Sharing
Cmd + E
Export file
Master File
Export highest quality (ProRes, H.264, etc.)
Compressor
Send to Compressor for advanced encoding
Share Destinations
Export to YouTube, Vimeo, Apple Devices
Control + Cmd + E
Export current frame as image
💡 Pro Tip:
Use
Magnetic Timeline
to avoid sync issues. Press
N
to activate snapping for precise edits. Master the
J-K-L
keys for fast scrubbing - press J or L multiple times to increase playback speed.