If you have recently updated to Davinci Resolve 21 to get access to all the cool new features you might have noticed that you now have an issue when rendering projects. For example once you finish creating a project it attempt to render it everything starts as it typically would but it either renders a 30 second project of just shows "Render Failed". While this is super annoying, it's a bug in one of the newest features that can thankfully be fixed.

Takeaways:

  1. Learn how to fix Render Fail in Davinci Resolve version 21.
  2. How do you fix Waiting to Render - Render Failed issues in Davinci Resolve 21?

How to Fix Render Failed in Davinci Resolve 21

The solution is to disable background rendering. A new feature enabled in Davinci Resolve 21 that seems to cause problems when you attempt to do your final render. It behaves inconsistently and can interrupt or completely stop the export process even when your timeline and settings are correct. Sometimes it will get stuck showing "waiting to render" sometimes it will show "Failed to Render" and sometimes it will render a short section of content, usually about 30 seconds. This file is also broken and will not open in any media player.

  • To fix this, go to the top menu and click on DaVinci Resolve, then select Preferences.
  • You can also use the search bar inside the Preferences window to quickly locate specific settings.
  • In the search bar, type "background" to find the relevant options instead of navigating manually through multiple tabs.
  • Find the option labeled "Enable Background Render" and uncheck the box. This disables automatic rendering while you work, which appears to be the source of the issue in this version.

Davinci Resolve 21 renders failing or stuck failing to render

  • Once disabled, click Save and restart DaVinci Resolve to ensure the change is fully applied.
  • After restarting, open your project again and go back to the Deliver page.
  • Try rendering your project as you normally would. In most cases, the render should now complete without failing or getting stuck on "Waiting to Render".

If Disabling Background Rendering Doesn't Work?

If you are still having problems after disabling background rendering, double check that your render settings are valid. I suggest using one of the default basic presets to check. For whatever weird reason rendering in H.264 .MOV format seems to work if you are desperate.

Also make sure your output location is accessible, your file name does not contain any dumb characters, and your selected codec is supported by your system. You can also try clearing your render cache from the Playback menu and then attempt the export again.

As we mentioned at the start of this guide, this issue isn't connected to your hardware performance, GPU, or project complexity. Even simple timelines can trigger the bug.

Until this bug is addressed in a future update, keeping background rendering turned off is the most reliable workaround. You can still render manually without any loss in quality or control, and it ensures your projects export correctly every time.