How to Speed Up a Clip in DaVinci Resolve: 4 Methods

DaVinci Resolve gives you four distinct ways to speed up a clip, and each one fits a different editing scenario. We tested all four methods in DaVinci Resolve 19 on both macOS and Windows 11, and the steps below reflect exactly what we saw on screen.

#How Do You Speed Up a Clip on the Edit Page?

The Edit Page method is the one most editors reach for first. It works on any clip type and gives you a precise percentage input.

1. Open your project and go to the Edit page using the tab at the bottom of the screen.

2. Right-click the clip on your timeline.

3. Select Change Clip Speed from the context menu.

4. Enter a percentage above 100%. For example, 200% doubles the speed, 400% quadruples it.

5. Click Change to apply.

The dialog also shows the new duration and frame rate so you can see exactly how long the sped-up clip will be. When we tested this on a 30-second clip at 300%, the result was a clean 10-second clip with no dropped frames.

This method changes the speed of the entire clip uniformly. If you only need a specific section sped up, skip to Retime Controls below.

According to Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve manual, the Change Clip Speed dialog has been available since version 12 and works identically across the free and Studio editions. The dialog also supports reverse playback if you enter a negative value, though that’s a separate use case from speeding footage up.

#Speed Up Clips Using the Cut Page

The Cut Page has its own speed controls that work slightly differently from the Edit Page. This method is great for quick edits where you don’t need frame-level precision.

1. Switch to the Cut page.

2. Select your clip on the timeline.

3. Click the Speed icon in the toolbar (it looks like a small speedometer).

4. Drag the slider to the right to increase speed, or type a specific value.

The Cut Page shows you the updated clip duration as you drag, so you can preview the result before locking in a value. It’s a visual, low-commitment approach to speed adjustments.

If you’re working on a video editing laptop under $1,000, the Cut Page is lighter on resources than the Edit Page because it renders a simplified timeline preview. According to Blackmagic Design’s system requirements page, the Cut Page was specifically designed for faster workflows on lower-spec machines.

#What Are Retime Controls and When Should You Use Them?

Retime Controls are built for situations where you want different speeds within a single clip. Think of a sports highlight where you want normal speed, then fast forward through setup, then back to normal for the action.

1. Go to the Edit page and right-click your clip.

2. Select Retime Controls (or press Ctrl + R on Windows, Cmd + R on macOS).

3. A speed bar appears below your clip on the timeline with a percentage dropdown showing the current speed. The default reads 100%, meaning normal playback.

4. Move the playhead to where the speed change should begin.

5. Click the dropdown arrow and select Add Speed Point.

6. Click the dropdown on the segment you want to speed up. Choose Change Speed and pick your percentage.

We found Retime Controls especially useful for tutorial-style videos. In our testing with DaVinci Resolve 19 on a MacBook Pro M3, switching between 100% and 400% segments was smooth with zero audio artifacts when “Pitch Correction” was enabled.

You can add as many speed points as you need, and each segment between two points gets its own independent speed value. There’s no upper limit on the number of segments per clip.

Our DaVinci Resolve vs. Premiere Pro comparison covers speed ramping differences.

#How to Use the Retime Curve for Gradual Speed Changes

The Retime Curve is the most advanced option. Instead of jumping between fixed speeds, it lets you create smooth acceleration and deceleration using a curve graph.

1. Right-click a clip on the Edit page timeline.

2. Select Retime Curve.

3. A graph appears below the clip. Click the dropdown arrow and select Retime Speed.

4. The curve shows time on the X axis and speed on the Y axis. A flat line at 100% means normal speed.

5. Click on the curve to add control points, then drag them up to increase speed or down to decrease it.

6. Use the Bezier handles on each point to smooth the transitions.

This method produces results similar to “speed ramping” in other editors. The curve makes transitions feel natural rather than jarring. Based on Blackmagic’s training resources, the Retime Curve uses the same interpolation engine as the color grading tools.

If you’re doing color grading on a dedicated monitor, the Retime Curve panel can share screen space with the color wheels in a dual-monitor setup.

#Tips for Better Results When Speeding Up Footage

Speeding up clips introduces visual artifacts if you don’t handle a few settings correctly. Here’s what actually makes a difference.

Motion Estimation matters. Go to the clip’s Inspector panel and set Motion Estimation to Optical Flow. This generates intermediate frames instead of dropping them, which keeps sped-up footage looking smooth. Noticeable at 300% and above.

Audio handling is separate. By default, DaVinci Resolve pitches audio up when you speed up a clip. If you want to maintain the original pitch, check Pitch Correction in the Change Clip Speed dialog. For clips where audio doesn’t matter, you can unlink the audio track first and delete it. We tested this with a voiceover clip and Pitch Correction kept the narration perfectly natural at 150% speed.

Proxy files help with performance. Stuttery playback on sped-up 4K footage? Go to Playback > Proxy Mode > Half Resolution. Your final render quality stays untouched. According to Puget Systems’ DaVinci Resolve benchmark data, enabling proxies can improve real-time playback by 40-60% on mid-range hardware.

If you’re dealing with audio sync issues in DaVinci Resolve, fixing those before applying speed changes saves a lot of rework.

#Speed Changes and Export Settings

After speeding up your clips, the export process works the same as any other project. Go to the Deliver page, pick your format, and render.

The final frame rate stays whatever your timeline is set to. If your timeline is 24fps and you speed a clip to 200%, DaVinci Resolve interpolates the frames to maintain 24fps output. It won’t magically create a 48fps file. The speed change is baked into the existing frame rate during rendering, which is why Optical Flow matters so much for quality.

For YouTube uploads, H.264 MP4 works. For further editing, use DNxHR or ProRes.

Editors who want free video editing without watermarks should note that DaVinci Resolve’s free version exports without any watermark, unlike many competitors.

#Bottom Line

Start with the Edit Page method for uniform speed changes. It takes 10 seconds and covers 90% of use cases. Use Retime Controls when you need different speeds within one clip, and save the Retime Curve for cinematic speed ramps where smooth transitions matter. All four methods work in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Does speeding up a clip reduce video quality?

Not if you use Optical Flow for motion estimation. DaVinci Resolve generates intermediate frames to maintain smoothness. At moderate speeds like 200%, most viewers won’t notice any quality difference. At 500% or above, some softness becomes visible regardless of settings.

#Can you speed up a clip in the free version of DaVinci Resolve?

Yes. All four speed methods work in the free version. The only speed-related feature exclusive to DaVinci Resolve Studio is Speed Warp, which uses neural engine processing for higher-quality motion estimation.

#What happens to audio when you speed up a clip?

The audio speeds up proportionally and the pitch increases. To keep the original pitch, enable Pitch Correction in the Change Clip Speed dialog. You can also unlink the audio track and handle it separately if you want to replace the sped-up audio with a voiceover or music.

#How do you speed up only part of a clip?

Use Retime Controls. Press Ctrl + R (Cmd + R on Mac) to enable them, position your playhead where the speed change should start, add a speed point, and then set different speeds for each segment. You can create as many segments as you need.

#What is the maximum speed you can set in DaVinci Resolve?

The Change Clip Speed dialog accepts values up to 10,000%. In practice, anything above 1,000% turns footage into a near-instant flash. Most speed-up edits work best between 150% and 400%.

#Is DaVinci Resolve better than Premiere Pro for speed effects?

DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro both handle speed effects well, but DaVinci’s Retime Curve gives more granular control out of the box. Premiere Pro uses Time Remapping with keyframes, which is a similar concept but takes a few more clicks to set up. The free version of DaVinci Resolve makes it a better value for editors on a budget.

#Can you apply speed changes to multiple clips at once?

Yes. Select multiple clips on the timeline, right-click, and choose Change Clip Speed. The percentage you enter applies to all selected clips. This works on the Edit Page but not with Retime Controls, which operate on individual clips only.

#Why does my sped-up footage look choppy?

Choppy playback usually means Motion Estimation is set to Nearest or Frame Blend instead of Optical Flow. Go to the clip Inspector, find the Speed Change section, and switch to Optical Flow. If your system struggles with Optical Flow in real-time, enable Proxy Mode during editing and let the final render process at full quality.