Tool Guide / Content Creation

DaVinci Resolve: what it is and how to start

A professional video editor that does editing, colour correction, audio and visual effects in one program — and the full version is free.

Who it is for

Anyone making videos who has outgrown their phone, from a first YouTube channel to paid client work. It is the same software used on studio films, which means you will not hit a ceiling and have to relearn something else later.

What it costs

The free version is genuinely free — not a trial, no watermark, no time limit. It handles up to Ultra HD 3840x2160 at 60fps. DaVinci Resolve Studio is a one-time $295 purchase (not a subscription) and adds features most beginners will not need for a long time.

Quick facts

• Category: Content Creation — Video Production & Editing
• Pricing model: freemium
• Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Difficulty for a beginner: intermediate
• Official site: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

How to get started with DaVinci Resolve

• Check your computer can run it: Resolve is demanding. Aim for at least 16GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics card. It will start on less, but playback will stutter and you will blame yourself instead of the hardware.
• Download the free version: Go to the Blackmagic Design site and choose the plain "DaVinci Resolve" download, not Studio. You will be asked for your name and email before the download starts. It is a large file, around 3GB.
• Create a project and set the resolution once: Open Resolve, click "New Project", then set your timeline resolution and frame rate in Project Settings before importing anything. Changing this later is the single most common cause of a project that suddenly looks wrong.
• Learn the page bar at the bottom, and ignore most of it: Resolve is seven programs sharing one window, shown as icons along the bottom: Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, Deliver. For your first video you only need Cut (or Edit), Color, and Deliver. Fusion and Fairlight can wait months.
• Import your clips into the Media Pool: Drag your video files into the Media Pool panel, then drag them from there onto the timeline. Keep your original files where they are — Resolve links to them rather than copying them, so moving or renaming them later breaks the project.
• Cut on the Edit page: Use the blade tool or press Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on Mac) to split a clip at the playhead, then select the piece you do not want and delete it. That single operation covers most of what basic editing actually is.
• Export from the Deliver page: Click Deliver, pick the YouTube or Vimeo preset, set your output folder, click "Add to Render Queue", then "Render All". The preset handles the codec and bitrate settings so you do not have to understand them yet.

Should you use this instead of something else?

Most beginners start with CapCut or iMovie because they are easy, then hit a wall on colour and audio control. Resolve is a harder first week and no wall afterwards. If you only trim clips and add captions for social, CapCut is genuinely the better tool and you do not need this one yet.

Common beginner mistakes

• Setting the timeline resolution or frame rate after importing footage, which rescales or stutters everything already on the timeline.
• Moving, renaming or deleting the original video files after importing — Resolve links to them rather than copying them, so the project opens with red "media offline" clips.
• Editing directly off an external drive or SD card over USB, which causes stuttering that looks exactly like an underpowered computer.
• Assuming the free version is crippled and paying for Studio on day one. Most people never hit the limits of the free version.
• Working in Fusion or Fairlight too early. They are separate professional disciplines and skipping them entirely is the right call for your first dozen videos.

Last verified: 2026-08-07. Source: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Read the full Content Creation guide for how this fits into the wider process.