Splitting a clip adds an edit point; it does not remove frames or create new media. The important choice is scope: one clip under the Blade cursor, or every intersecting clip on Auto Select-enabled tracks at the playhead. This guide follows the current DaVinci Resolve learning path and shows how to keep linked audio and ripple edits under control.
Quick answer: For one specific clip, press B, click the cut frame with the Blade tool, then press A to return to Selection mode. To split at the playhead, use Timeline > Split Clips or Cmd+\ on macOS / Ctrl+\ on Windows. That command cuts every intersecting clip on a track with Auto Select enabled, so check the track headers first.
Choose the method by the scope of the edit:
- Blade tool (B): click one specific clip without cutting other tracks
- Split Clips (Cmd+\ / Ctrl+\): cut at the playhead across Auto Select-enabled tracks
- Track locks: protect material that must not be split
- Linked Selection: keep picture and audio together unless the edit needs separate boundaries
- Scene Cut Detection: recover cuts from a flattened finished video, not routine timeline editing
How to Split a Video in DaVinci Resolve Using the Blade Tool
The Blade tool is the safest choice when you can see the exact clip that should be cut. It doesn't depend on Auto Select because you click the target clip directly.
On the Edit page:
- Press B to enter Razor Edit mode; the pointer becomes a blade
- Click the exact frame on the clip that should be split
- Press A to return to Selection mode before moving or trimming clips
If you're working through your first project, our DaVinci Resolve beginner tutorial covers the full Edit page interface before you start making cuts.
Use J, K and L to find the frame, then zoom only when the visual or audio transition needs closer inspection. The Blade cursor cuts where you click, not automatically at the playhead, so watch the razor indicator before committing the edit.
This is the main advantage of the Blade tool: you can cut a clip on V1 without touching clips under the same playhead on V2 or the audio tracks below. For a synchronized cut across chosen tracks, use Split Clips and control its scope with Auto Select.
How to Split a Video with a Keyboard Shortcut
The playhead command is faster for repeated assembly edits, but it isn't a selected-clip-only shortcut. Its scope comes from the track headers.
- Move the playhead to the cut frame
- Enable Auto Select only on the tracks that should receive the edit, and lock protected tracks
- Choose Timeline > Split Clips or press Cmd+\ on macOS / Ctrl+\ on Windows
- Check the new edit points before deleting or rippling any section
You don't need to select a clip first. If a clip is already selected, Resolve keeps the first half selected after the cut; that selection doesn't redefine which tracks the Split Clips command can affect. Custom keyboard presets can remap the command, so verify Timeline > Split Clips in Keyboard Customization when the shortcut behaves differently.
After splitting, press Delete or Backspace to remove the selected clip and leave a gap in the timeline. For Ripple Delete, which removes the clip and closes the gap automatically, use Shift+Delete or Shift+Backspace. Exact behavior can vary by platform and keyboard mapping. Verify yours in DaVinci Resolve > Keyboard Customization. For the full keyboard shortcut reference, the official DaVinci Resolve 20 Beginner's Guide has the complete list.
After a split, decide whether the gap should remain. A normal Delete or Lift removes the section and leaves its duration in the timeline. Ripple Delete removes the section and closes the gap, which can move everything later on Auto Select-enabled tracks. Check the affected tracks before using it.
If you're switching from Premiere Pro, the DaVinci Resolve vs Premiere Pro comparison covers the key workflow differences worth knowing.
How to Cut Multiple Tracks at Once
Split Clips is the multi-track method. It cuts every clip intersected by the playhead on tracks whose Auto Select controls are enabled; it isn't limited to whichever clip you clicked most recently.
Before invoking the command, use Auto Select and track locks to define the edit boundary:
- Enable Auto Select on every track that should be cut
- Disable Auto Select on tracks that should ignore the command
- Lock any track that must be protected from editing
- Place the playhead on the cut frame and invoke Timeline > Split Clips
- Inspect linked audio and downstream tracks before a ripple operation
A locked track is protected even when its Auto Select control is on. This makes locks a useful second guard for music beds, graphics or a finished mix that must not be cut. After the edit, restore the track controls to the state the rest of your workflow expects.
Don't substitute Cmd+B or Ctrl+B here. In the standard Edit-page mapping, B enters Razor Edit mode; the playhead-based Split Clips command is Cmd+\ or Ctrl+\. If you inherited a custom preset, search for both command names in Keyboard Customization rather than assuming the printed keys are unchanged.
How to Split Audio and Video Separately
Imported picture and production audio are normally linked, and Linked Selection is on. For an ordinary cut, keep that relationship intact so both sides stay in sync.
Most one-off audio edits don't require permanent unlinking. Hold Option on macOS or Alt on Windows while selecting the audio or video side to suspend linked selection for that selection, or toggle the chain-link button temporarily and turn it back on when finished.
To change the link relationship permanently:
- Select the linked clip items and toggle Link Clips from the contextual menu
- Cut or move the audio and video sides independently
- Select the matching items and toggle Link Clips again when they should travel together
Permanent unlinking removes the sync protection between the items. Use it only when the audio and picture genuinely need separate identities; otherwise, temporary linked-selection control is safer and leaves the original relationship intact.
For J-cuts and L-cuts, keep the media linked, suspend Linked Selection and trim only the audio or video edit point. That changes where one side begins or ends without breaking the underlying link.
How to Split Clips on the Resolve Cut Page
The Cut page doesn't use the Edit page's Blade cursor. Put the playhead on the frame and use one of its Split Clips controls instead.
On the Cut page, choose any of these equivalent routes:
- Choose Edit Actions > Split Clips
- Right-click the top playhead handle and choose Split
- Press Cmd+\ on macOS or Ctrl+\ on Windows
- Click the Split Clips scissors button in the Cut page toolbar
The Split Clips controls fit the Cut page's fast assembly workflow. Blackmagic's Cut page overview explains Source Tape, the dual timeline and the page's one-click editing model.
For detailed track-level work, switch to the Edit page. The Cut page is efficient for fast assembly, while the Edit page exposes the track headers, link controls and through-edit tools more clearly.
How to Automatically Split Clips Using Resolve Scene Cut Detection
Scene Cut Detection solves a different problem: recovering edit points from one flattened, already edited video. Don't run it on ordinary source clips just to make manual cuts.
Resolve 21 provides two scene-detection workflows:
Media page workflow: Right-click a source clip in the Media Pool and open Scene Cut Detection. Review the detected transitions in the dedicated window, correct false or missed cuts, then add the resulting clips to the Media Pool. This is the older pre-timeline workflow.
Timeline version (DaVinci Resolve Studio only): Place the clip on a timeline, select it, and go to Timeline > Detect Scene Cuts. The DaVinci Neural Engine splits the clip directly on the timeline. This is a Studio-only feature. See the free vs Studio comparison if the Neural Engine features are a factor in your upgrade decision.
Automatic detection still needs review. Hard cuts are easier to identify than dissolves, flashes or low-contrast transitions. Step through the detected edit points, delete false through edits, and add any missed cut with Split Clips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the keyboard shortcut to split a clip in DaVinci Resolve?
Use Cmd+\ on macOS or Ctrl+\ on Windows for Timeline > Split Clips. It cuts every clip under the playhead on an Auto Select-enabled track. For one specific clip, press B, click it with the Blade tool, then press A. Check Keyboard Customization if you use a custom shortcut preset.
How do I split a clip on the DaVinci Resolve Cut page?
Place the playhead on the frame, then use Cmd+\ on macOS / Ctrl+\ on Windows, choose Edit Actions > Split Clips, right-click the top playhead handle and choose Split, or click the scissors button. The Cut page doesn't have the Edit page's Blade cursor.
How do I delete a section after splitting in DaVinci Resolve?
Select the unwanted section and use Delete or Lift to leave a gap. To remove it and close the gap, choose Edit > Ripple Delete or invoke the Forward Delete command assigned in your keyboard preset. Ripple operations can move later clips on Auto Select-enabled tracks, so check the track headers first.
Can I split audio and video separately in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. For a temporary one-sided edit, hold Option on macOS or Alt on Windows while selecting the audio or video side, or toggle Linked Selection with the chain-link button. To unlink permanently, select the linked items and toggle Link Clips, then link them again when the independent edit is complete.
Is Scene Cut Detection available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve?
Timeline > Detect Scene Cuts is a Studio-only Neural Engine feature in Resolve 21. The separate Media page Scene Cut Detection window remains the pre-timeline workflow. Use either only for a flattened program whose existing edits need to be recovered.
How do I rejoin two split clips in DaVinci Resolve?
If the two halves are still continuous source media, select the dotted through edit and press Delete, or right-click it and choose Delete Through Edit. On the Cut page, Join Match Edit Clips rejoins matching continuous halves. Unrelated source clips can't be joined this way.
Related guides
- DaVinci Resolve tutorial for beginners
- How to add text
- How to mute and split audio
- Clone yourself (clone effect)
- Duplicate a clip (fast ways)
- Change clip speed (retimes and ramps)
