Jason Miller

Resolve saves projects into an internal database, not files on disk. Live Save plus project and timeline backups cover crashes; DRP and DRA exports get projects out of the database. Configure the save settings before you need them, not after.

Resolve 21 transcribes two ways: per-clip from the Media Pool or whole-timeline for subtitles. You can edit the transcript, export SRT and work in more languages than Resolve 20 supported. Plus the usual reasons transcription keeps failing and their fixes.

Mute a clip, a whole track or just part of a clip, and split audio from video three ways: unlink, the Alt/Option override, or extracting audio to a separate file. The right method depends on whether the change is temporary or permanent.

Quick Export covers the fast cases; the Deliver page is seven steps from preset to render queue. Includes MP4 settings, YouTube bitrate targets, free version export limits, and the four most common reasons an export fails or comes out wrong.

Split clips with the Blade tool or the keyboard shortcut, cut across multiple tracks at once, split audio separately, or let Scene Cut Detection find the cuts for you. Includes the Cut page method and how to rejoin clips after a wrong split.

The free version covers full editing, grading and Fairlight up to UHD 3840x2160 at 60fps. Studio's $295 buys hardware-accelerated codecs, the Neural Engine AI tools, advanced noise reduction and multi-GPU support. Which side of that line you work on decides the purchase.

DaVinci Resolve is genuinely free, with no watermark or time limit. Studio is $295 as a perpetual license; organization-managed rental licensing and hardware bundles are separate options. Here's what each path includes and when paying makes sense.

Resolve wins on price (free, or $295 once against a rolling subscription), color grading and audio post. Premiere still leads on ecosystem and some AI conveniences. The honest comparison across editing, color, AI, performance and who should pick which in 2026.

The free tier is a full editor: editing, color, Fusion and Fairlight with no watermark. The real Studio gaps are the UHD 60fps export ceiling, Neural Engine AI tools, advanced noise reduction, the single-GPU limit and some ResolveFX. Whether they matter depends on your deliverables.

Download the free version, check your machine against the real requirements, then learn the 7-page workflow: project setup, Cut page vs Edit page, a first grade without node fear, and export settings for a first deliver. The route from install to finished video.

Media Offline usually means a changed file path, an unplugged drive, an unsupported codec in the free version or variable frame rate footage. Relinking fixes the path cases; the rest need conversion or replacement. How to tell which one you have, and how to prevent it.

Resolve 21 on macOS requires Apple Silicon; Intel Macs stay on Resolve 20. Windows and Linux needs are mostly unchanged: GPU VRAM decides your noise reduction and 4K headroom, RAM and storage decide how smooth the rest of the workflow feels.