All keyboard shortcuts for video editing

100 keyboard shortcuts for video editing: Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, VEGAS Pro, Avid, and CapCut

With video editing shortcuts, you can review footage faster, trim clips, refine edit points, and place segments on the timeline. This reference guide contains 100 practical entries for six video editors, explaining how they work and their key differences.

Which keyboard shortcuts are important for video editing?

The most important keyboard shortcuts support your daily editing work: playback, frame-by-frame navigation, marking start and end points, splitting clips, and inserting or overwriting footage. This saves you from repetitive clicking, especially when working with interviews, longer recordings, and edits involving many short clips.

This overview contains 100 entries spread across six programs. Some keys appear in multiple editors. Therefore, there are 100 entries per application, not 100 distinct key combinations. This is a selection of key commands; the programs also include additional and customizable keyboard shortcuts.

Program	Environment	Numbers	Topics
Adobe Premiere Pro	Windows	1–20	Play, cut, paste, trim, and export.
DaVinci Resolve	Windows, Edit page	21–40	Material selection, assembly instructions, tools, and timeline.
Final Cut Pro	macos	41–60	Magnetic Timeline, tools, and clip editing.
VEGAS Pro	Windows	61–75	Events, groups, ripple edits, and markers.
Avid Media Composer	Windows, standard layout	76–93	Source/Record editing, tracking, and organizing material.
CapCut Desktop	Windows	94–100	Splitting, playback, frame navigation, and export range.

How to use this reference guide

A plus sign means you press the keys simultaneously. For Ctrl + Shift + K, hold down Ctrl and Shift and press K. In Final Cut Pro, “Cmd” refers to the Command key (⌘); “Option” refers to the Option key (⌥).

The playhead is the position indicator on the timeline. An In point marks the beginning of a range, and an Out point marks the end. Trimming means adjusting the start or end of a clip. During a ripple edit, the following material shifts to open or close the gap.

Check the active window and track selection. Many editing commands use the selected panel, active tracks, highlighted ranges, and locks to determine which content changes.

Adobe Premiere Pro: 20 Shortcut Keys for Editing

These combinations follow the standard layout on Windows. Select the timeline or the desired monitor before executing the command. An imported keyboard preset may use different assignments.

View content and highlight passages

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
1	Ctrl + I	Opens Import. This allows you to add video, audio, and other supported files to the project before editing them into a sequence.
2	Ctrl + S	Save the project. This allows you to preserve editing decisions and project settings; the project file does not replace the genuine video and audio files.
3	Space	Starts or stops playback in the active editing context. Use this to review a cut, transition, or audio-video sync.
4	J	Rewinds. Pressing the button repeatedly increases the rewind speed, allowing you to quickly find a useful point in the recording.
5	K	Stops playback using the J-K-L controls. The button is located between the back and forward buttons, allowing you to browse content with three fingers.
6	L	Fast-forward. Pressing the button repeatedly increases the playback speed, which is useful when reviewing longer recordings with a lot of unused material.
7	I	Marks an entry point in the active source or sequence. This allows you to determine where a range to be used or edited begins.
8	O	Marks an “Out” point. Together with the “In” point, you can define the source segment that you then want to place on the timeline.

Cutting, trimming, and inserting clips

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
9	V	Activates the selection tool. Use this to select and move clips, and to return to normal operation after using another tool.
10	C	Activates the razor tool. Click on a clip to make a cut there, without splitting the source recording itself into separate files.
11	Ctrl + K	Adds a cut at the playhead on the tracks affected by the command. Check in advance which tracks are affected by the command.
12	Ctrl + Shift + K	Adds a cut point at the playhead to all suitable, unlocked tracks. Useful when multiple layers need to be split at the same time.
13	Q	Performs a ripple trim from the previous edit point to the playhead. The removed time segment is closed according to the active track settings.
14	W	Performs a ripple trim from the playhead to the next edit point. Useful for quickly removing an unwanted ending from a clip.
15	Shift + Delete	Performs Ripple Delete. The selection disappears, and adjacent content shifts to fill the gap where track settings allow, closing the gap.
16	,	Inserts source material into the sequence. Existing content makes room based on the target tracks and synchronization settings.
17	.	Overwrites timeline content with source material on the selected target tracks. The existing content is replaced there without creating space for the entire duration of the clip.
18	M	Places a marker in the active context. Use markers, for example, for musical accents, corrections, important statements, or places where visuals are still needed.
19	S	Enables or disables magnetic snapping on the timeline. This makes it easier to align clips and edit points with other relevant positions.
20	Ctrl + M	Opens the export settings. Here, check the output format, range, resolution, and other settings before exporting the edit as a video file.

DaVinci Resolve: 20 keyboard shortcuts for the Edit page

These entries use the standard layout for DaVinci Resolve on Windows. On other pages, such as Colour and Fusion, the same letters may have different functions. Selecting a Premiere or Avid keyboard profile will also change the controls.

View and define source material

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
21	Ctrl + I	Imports media into the Media Pool. There, you can collect and organize the source files you want to use during editing.
22	Space	Starts or stops playback in the active viewer. Use this to review source material or watch a montage you’ve created.
23	J	Rewinds the currently playing content. Pressing the button repeatedly allows you to fast-rewind more quickly to the beginning of a statement or action.
24	K	Stops the J-K-L display. When combined with J or L, this function also supports more precise searching of the content.
25	L	Fast-forwards and increases the search speed when pressed repeatedly. Handy for reviewing longer recordings before marking a usable segment.
26	I	Marks the In point of a range in the active source or timeline. This indicates the start of your edit selection.
27	O	Marks the Out point. The range between In and Out can then be used for editing tasks or other range-based operations.
28	Alt + X	Removes the In and Out markers from the active context. The clips remain; only the range boundaries disappear.

Tools and Assembly Instructions

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
29	A	Activates normal selection mode. This allows you to select and move clips and prevents you from accidentally continuing to work in cut or trim mode.
30	B	Activates Blade Edit Mode. Then click on a clip to make an edit cut at the desired position.
31	T	Activates Trim Edit Mode. The position of your cursor helps determine whether you’re adjusting a clip edge or a different aspect ratio.
32	Ctrl + B	Executes the cut command at the playhead. The selection and active timeline settings determine which clips are affected by the cut.
33	F9	Performs Insert Edit. The selected source clip is inserted, and existing timeline content shifts to make room for it.
34	F10	Performs an Overwrite Edit. Source material replaces content on the target tracks, while subsequent material is not shifted forward for the entire duration of the insert.
35	F11	Performs Replace Edit. This replaces a timeline clip, using the source and timeline playheads as key references for the connection.
36	F12	Performs “Place on Top.” This allows you to place source material on a higher-priority video track, for example, to add supplementary footage over an interview.
37	Shift + F12	Adds the selected footage to the end of the timeline. Ideal for quickly building a first sequence of selected shots in succession.
38	N	Turns snapping on or off. This makes it easier to align relevant clip edges and other editing positions.
39	M	Adds a marker to the active context. Use it, for example, to mark a cut point that needs correction or to remember an important moment.
40	Shift + Z	Switch to a suitable timeline view and return to the previous zoom level. This lets you quickly switch between detailed work and an overview.

Final Cut Pro: 20 keyboard shortcuts for editing on a Mac

Final Cut Pro uses a Magnetic Timeline and linked clips. The distinction between appending, inserting, overwriting, and linking is particularly important. These commands also use the skimmer or playhead, depending on the current situation.

Select and cut

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
41	A	Activates the selection tool. Use this to select and move clips within the Magnetic Timeline.
42	B	Activates the Blade tool. Click on a clip to make a cut at the location you select with the pointer.
43	T	Activates the trimming tool. This allows you to refine editing points; the exact result depends on where you drag within or along a clip.
44	R	Enables range selection. This allows you to select a portion of a clip or timeline instead of only entire clips.
45	Cmd + B	Cuts to the main storyline clip or the selection at the skimmer or playhead position. You don’t need to switch to Blade to do this.
46	Cmd + Shift + B	Cuts through all relevant clips at the specified position. This is useful when multiple video and audio tracks need to be split at the same time.

Post clips and set reach

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
47	E	Adds the selected source content to the end of the timeline. Use this to quickly build a rough cut.
48	W	Inserts the selection at the skimmer or playhead position. Existing content is shifted according to the behavior of the Magnetic Timeline.
49	D	Overwrites existing timeline content with the selection. This command replaces material rather than simply creating extra space in the edit.
50	Q	Links the selection to the main storyline. You can use this, for example, for additional visuals, a sound effect, or other related content.
51	I	Sets the start of a range. In the browser, this allows you to specify where the portion of a source clip to be used begins.
52	O	Sets the end of a range. Together with I, you define the portion you want to add or insert, for example.
53	Option + X	Clear the selected range. This does not delete the source clip or timeline content; it simply removes the range marker.

Check the montage and apply effects

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
54	N	Turns snapping on or off. This makes it easier to align editing elements with relevant points, such as clip boundaries and other timeline positions.
55	S	Enables or disables skimming. With skimming, you can view images by moving the pointer over the material without having to move the playback head each time.
56	M	Adds a marker at the specified position. Useful for content notes, points to note, or moments when video and audio need to sync.
57	Cmd + T	Apply the standard transition to a suitable selection. Certain transitions require sufficient unused source material around the edit point.
58	Cmd + R	Shows or hides the speed editor. This allows you to access the controls for adjusting the playback speed of selected content.
59	Shift + Z	Adjusts the content to fit the available space in the active editing window. This gives you a quick overview of the project in the timeline.
60	Cmd + Shift + V	Opens the "Paste Attributes" dialog for copied clip settings. Choose which properties you want to copy so you don’t accidentally copy all the adjustments.

VEGAS Pro: 15 keyboard shortcuts for events and timeline editing

In VEGAS, clip segments on the timeline are called “events.” An event refers to source material. Therefore, splitting or trimming an event does not physically cut the genuine video file into pieces.

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
61	S	Split events at the cursor. Select the desired events in advance so you can precisely determine which material is split at that point.
62	Ctrl + T	Trims selected events to the selected time range. This is useful when you first precisely define the portion you want to keep.
63	Alt + [	Trims the beginning of the selected event to the cursor position. This allows you to quickly remove an unwanted lead-in within the event.
64	Alt + ]	Trims the end of the selected event to the cursor position. Useful for stopping a recording exactly after the desired action.
65	G	Groups selected events. Use this to move related video and audio clips together.
66	U	Removes selected events from their group. You can then move or edit them individually without completely deleting the genuine group.
67	Ctrl + Shift + U	Enables or disables the ignoring of event groups. This allows you to temporarily edit individual components while preserving their group relationships.
68	F8	Turns snapping on or off. The additional snap settings determine which positions assist in aligning events and edit points.
69	Ctrl + L	Enables or disables Auto Ripple. The selected ripple mode determines which subsequent events, tracks, and other timeline elements move along with an edit.
70	Ctrl + Shift + X	Enables or disables automatic crossfades. With suitable overlapping events, VEGAS can automatically create a transition between the segments.
71	M	Adds a marker at the cursor’s location. Use it, for example, to highlight a musical accent, a correction point, or a key moment in the edit.
72	R	Selects a region from the time selection. This allows you to highlight an entire section, such as a chapter, scene, or segment to be evaluated separately.
73	Ctrl + Shift + V	Pasting clipboard content with the "Paste" command. Existing timeline content makes room, which differs from simply pasting at the current position.
74	Numeric 1	Moves selected events one frame to the left. This command uses the 1 on the numeric keypad, not the top row of numbers.
75	Numeric 3	Moves selected events one frame to the right. Suitable for minor timing adjustments, such as when a sound effect is just a little too early.

Avid Media Composer: 18 keyboard shortcuts for Source/Record editing

These listings follow the standard format used on Windows. Media Composer allows for extensive customization. Therefore, be sure to check the active user profile and track selections, especially on a workstation used by multiple editors.

View materials and mark assembly areas

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
76	I	Marks an In-point in the active material. This indicates where a source clip or a timeline range to be edited begins.
77	O	Marks an Out point. Together with the In point, you determine the length of a clip or the scope of a timeline edit.
78	J	Rewinds using the J-K-L controls. Repeated presses increase the speed at which you rewind through the content.
79	K	Pauses playback. The key also serves as the basis for combinations that allow you to search through content more slowly or frame by frame.
80	L	Fast-forward. Pressing the button repeatedly increases the search speed, which is useful for selecting useful moments from longer recordings.
81	Space	Starts or stops playback in the active monitor context. Use this to review a source fragment or the built-up sequence.
82	Esc	Toggle between Source and Record. Check which monitor is active before selecting a range or navigating through material.

Insert, overwrite, and delete

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
83	V	Performs a splice-in. The source material is inserted into the sequence, with existing content making room according to the track and synchronization settings.
84	B	Performs an overwrite. The selected source material replaces content on the target tracks without shifting the entire remaining edit.
85	Z	Performs a Lift operation. Material within the marked range on selected tracks is removed, while the freed-up space is preserved as filler.
86	X	Executes Extract. The selected material is removed, and subsequent content shifts according to the active tracks and synchronization settings.
87	Ctrl + Y	Adds a video track to the sequence. Use this when you need extra space for additional footage, graphics, or effects.
88	Ctrl + U	Adds an audio track. This allows you to make room for, for example, additional dialogue, music, ambient sound, or individual sound effects.
89	Ctrl + N	Creates a brand new bin in the project or bin context. Use bins to organize source material and sequences clearly by scene, topic, or editing phase.
90	Ctrl + 3	Opens the Command Palette. Here you’ll find editing commands and can assign functions to keys or appropriate interface buttons.
91	Ctrl + Z	Undoes the last editing action. Check the result, especially if the previous edit changed multiple tracks or selected areas at once.
92	Ctrl + C	Copies material according to the active selection context. In range-based timeline editing, factors such as the In/Out markers and selected tracks are decisive.
93	Ctrl + V	Pastes copied material into the active context. Check target tracks, position, and editing behavior before using this to modify an existing part of the sequence.

CapCut Desktop: 7 keyboard shortcuts for cutting and export ranges

These instructions are intended for CapCut Desktop at Windows. The mobile app and browser editor have different controls. If you experience any unusual behavior, check the keyboard shortcut settings of your installed version.

No.	Shortcut	What does this keyboard shortcut do?
94	Ctrl + B	Split the selected clip at the playhead. First, select the desired segment and position the playhead within that clip’s duration.
95	Space	Starts or pauses playback. First exit text entry mode so that the key controls playback and does not insert a space in a text field.
96	Left arrow	Moves the playhead back one frame when the editing controls are active. This allows you to precisely locate the desired cut point.
97	Right arrow	Moves the playhead forward by one frame. Useful for precisely checking a transition, movement, or audio sync.
98	I	Sets the start point of an export range. This allows you to specify the position from which you want to export a portion of the timeline.
99	O	Sets the end point of the export range. Check both checkboxes before exporting to ensure that the intended section is included in the file.
100	Shift + X	Enables range selection for partial export. Select the desired range and check the In and Out points before executing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shortcut Keys for Video Editing

Which keyboard shortcuts should you learn first?

Start by learning how to play back, set in/out points, and split clips. Then learn the difference between inserting, overwriting, and deleting while closing a gap. These commands form the basis of virtually every edit.

Why does the same font look different in a different video editor?

Each program has its own key assignments. For example, “B” activates “Blade” in DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro, but performs an “Overwrite” in Avid. A customized keyboard preset may differ from this.

Will a cut remove my genuine recording?

Usually, this simply creates a reference on the timeline. The source file remains intact. Deleting media via File Explorer or Media Manager is a separate action.

Key Insights

• Check the active panel: the source window, timeline, and text fields may respond differently to the same key.
• Inserting creates space; overwriting replaces content on the selected target tracks.
• Ripple edits can shift subsequent content: pay attention to track selections and synchronization.
• Familiarize yourself with the layout of your own editor before copying text from another program.
• Use frame navigation for precision and a suitable timeline view to assess the edit as a whole.