If you have accidentally removed a video clip but kept the audio for it on the timeline in DaVinci Resolve while trimming and rearranging edits. This guide will show you how to quickly and easily restore it. The good news is that you don't need to re-import the clip or manually line it up again. DaVinci Resolve can pull the exact section of the original media back into your timeline in just a few clicks.
Takeaways:
- What's the best way to restore a video clip on a timeline if you still have the audio file in place?
- Learn how to relink missing video clips in the timeline if you still have the audio file in place.
Table of Contents
How to Relink Deleted Video in DaVinci Resolve
This method works whenever you still have the original audio clip on your timeline, but the matching video has been deleted.
- First, click on the audio clip that belongs to the missing video.
- Make sure the clip itself is selected, then place the playhead over it. The selected clip tells DaVinci Resolve exactly which source media you want to retrieve.
- With the audio clip selected, press F on your keyboard.
- DaVinci Resolve will load the original media into the Source Viewer, displaying the same source file your timeline clip came from.
Note: If you prefer to compare the source with your edit as you work, enable the dual viewer layout so both the Source Viewer and the timeline remain visible. You'll notice the Source Viewer already has In and Out points set.
These aren't random points, they automatically correspond to the exact portion of the source clip that's being used in your timeline. Even if you've trimmed the clip or adjusted its edit points, Resolve keeps these markers updated. Because of this, there's no need to manually find the correct section before restoring the video.
- Move your cursor over the Source Viewer, and you'll see two drag handles appear at the bottom:
- Video: inserts only the video.
- Audio: inserts only the audio.
- This time, drag the video icon (Left icon) onto a video track directly above your existing audio clip.
- Since Resolve is using the same In and Out points as your selected audio clip, the restored video will automatically line up in perfect sync.
Relink the Audio and Video (OPTIONAL)
Although the clips are now aligned, they won't automatically behave as a single clip until they're linked again. This isn't required, but you can if you want to.
- Select both the restored video and the existing audio by holding: Command on Mac or Control on Windows
- Click each clip so they're both highlighted, then right-click either one and choose Link Clips.
- Once linked, any future edits, such as moving, trimming, or copying the clip, will keep the video and audio together.
It Works the Other Way Around Too
The same workflow can also restore deleted audio. Instead of selecting an audio clip, select the video clip, press F, and drag the audio icon from the Source Viewer into your timeline.
