Cutting Down Long Recordings in DaVinci Resolve Is Brutal: Here's How To Make It Easier

If you've ever Googled "How do I cut a clip in DaVinci Resolve?" or "What's the best way to trim video in Resolve?", you’re not alone. One Redditor in r/davinciresolve put it best:

“I livestream and then cut down the recording to post on YouTube. Is there a more efficient, less time-consuming way to cut down hours of content?”

They’re not asking how to color grade. They’re asking how to cut. Fast. One of the most important editing techniques when it comes to the editing workflow.

The Reddit thread blew up with dozens of helpful replies: keybinds, workflow tricks, ripple deletes. And it’s clear that if you’re editing long videos, livestreams, podcasts, and interviews, then learning how to cut video in DaVinci Resolve efficiently is essential.

But there's an even better answer: use an AI video editing tool like Selects by Cutback to auto-cut the rough footage for you. That’s right. This video editing software will complement your clip trimming automatically by leaving the fun part to you.

Let’s break it down.

How to Cut A Clip in DaVinci Resolve (The Manual Way)

If you're new to Resolve or frustrated by how long things take, here's a quick rundown of how to cut video manually in Resolve:

Method 1: Blade Tool

• Select the Blade Tool (shortcut: B)

• Click where you want to split the clip

• Repeat to isolate a segment, then delete it

Pro tip: Memorizing keyboard shortcuts and keyboard customization will be a lifesaver in your video editing journey!

Method 2: Split Clip at Playhead

• Shortcut: Command + B (Mac) or Ctrl + B (Windows)

• Cuts video and audio tracks at the playhead

• Use ripple delete to close the gap (Shift + Backspace)

Method 3: Trim in DaVinci Resolve using ‘Trim to Playhead’

• Set in/out points

• Use Ripple > Start to Playhead or End to Playhead

• These are great for quick trims during review

If you want to speed things up, you can remap keys:

• Q = ripple delete before playhead

• W = split clip

• E = ripple delete after playhead

These tricks answer questions like:

• How to quick cut in DaVinci Resolve?

• How to split clips in Resolve without switching tools?

• How to cut at playhead in DaVinci Resolve on Mac?

Still, it’s all very manual.

The Problem: Editing Long Clips Takes Forever

Even with the best keyboard shortcuts, cutting down 2–3 hours of video manually across multiple tracks is exhausting. That’s why users in the Reddit thread recommended everything from using the Cut Page, to buying a Speed Editor, to setting up a mouse with 12 shortcut buttons.

However, no combination of the ripple edit tool, ripple trim, ripple overwrite, or even ripple insert will save you from the labour that comes with precision editing.

The underlying issue remains whether you’re in trim mode or edit mode:

You still have to watch the whole thing
You still have to find the moments worth keeping
You still have to cut out all the silences, pauses, and filler with frame-by-frame precision
And then, finally, you can begin to edit creatively

It’s what many call “the editing slog.” You’re not polishing. You’re prepping, and it’s taking a toll on your editing efficiency.

That’s where AI video cutting tools like Selects come in.

Meet Selects: An AI Video Editor That Auto-Cuts Your Footage

Selects is an AI-powered video editing tool built to handle exactly this problem. It’s especially helpful for editors using tools like DaVinci Resolve who want to skip the rough cut and get straight to the creative part.

Instead of spending hours in the timeline, Selects handles the following for you:

Auto-syncs Audio and Video

Thanks to its scene cut detection and timeline organization, it’s the perfect tool to have in your editing arsenal. With auto-sync capabilities, it’s great for multicam interviews or external audio setups with multiple cameras.

Detects and Removes Dead Air & Filler Words

Thanks to Selects’ automatic gap removal, there’s no more manually trimming silence or filler words. With advanced algorithms and some of the best-performing language models in the world, Selects will get things done in the click of a button.

Searches Your Video Clips Using Natural Language

You can also easily find the footage you need through natural language and chat-based editing. Now you don’t have to pour hours into finding that one moment you remember from filming that just HAS to be in the cut. This also minimizes your timeline management.

Splits Your Footage by Topic or Take

Perfect for editors asking:
“How to auto-cut clips in DaVinci Resolve?”
“Can AI tools help with video editing prep?”

Exports a Clean Rough Cut

You can either export your rough cut as is or hand it off to DaVinci Resolve and skip straight to the polish.

Who Is Selects It For?

Selects is built for anyone tired of manually scrubbing timelines:

• Pro video editors who want to maximize the efficiency of their editing process

• Podcast editors trimming hours of content into short-form snippets

• YouTubers cutting livestreams into highlights

• Course creators editing talking-head footage

• Marketing teams clipping Zoom recordings or webinars

• Wedding videographers/editors working through hours of speeches and footage

If your current method is:

• Cut > Delete > Move > Repeat

…then you're using DaVinci the hard way.

Combine Selects With DaVinci Resolve

Let’s be clear: Selects is not a replacement for DaVinci Resolve.

Instead, it makes Resolve better by removing the prep work and becoming your personal video editing assistant.

Here’s a smoother workflow:

1. Upload to Selects

   • Raw footage, Zoom recordings, talking head videos, anything in your media pool… Which Selects will arrange for you, by the way.

2. Let it create the Rough Cut to your preference

   • Select the clips you want to keep or leave it to Selects and choose the themes you want, tell it what to keep or let go of, and let it create a stringout/selects for you.

   • Auto-trims silence, syncs audio, splits clips, and arranges them into a ready-to-export timeline without the timeline markers mayhem.

3. Export to DaVinci Resolve

   • Finish your color grade, transitions, or overlays

This bridges the gap between AI video editors and manual video editing tools like Resolve.

Final Thoughts: Cut Smarter, Not Slower

Reddit is full of DaVinci Resolve shortcut threads:

• How to split clips in Resolve?

• What’s the ripple delete shortcut?

• How to cut video in Resolve without dragging?

• Best split clip shortcut on Mac?

And while those tips are helpful, the reality is this:

Even if you’re fast with shortcuts, you’re still slow compared to AI.

Selects isn’t just an AI video editor, it’s a time machine.
It takes what would’ve been hours of timeline dragging and turns it into a clean set of rough cuts, ready for creative polish.

The good news is that it’s also compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, too!

For more in-depth knowledge about the ins and outs of video editing, check out our latest posts on the Cutback blog or our YouTube channel. You can also join Cutback’s Discord community of like-minded video editors.