DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to separate audio from video in DaVinci Resolve (unlink)
Short answer
Select the clip in the timeline, right-click and choose Link to untick it (Option-Command-L on Mac, Ctrl-Alt-L on Windows). The chain icon disappears and the audio and video can be moved, trimmed or deleted separately. To relink, Command-click (Ctrl-click) the audio and video and choose Link again. For a quick one-off, turn off Linked Selection in the toolbar or Option/Alt-click one part.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21 (free and Studio), Windows, Mac and Linux, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Unlink permanently
Select the clip
Click the clip on the Edit page timeline.
Unlink it
Right-click and choose Link (it toggles off), or press Option-Command-L (Ctrl-Alt-L). The chain icon before the clip name disappears.
Move or delete one part
Click empty space, then click just the audio or the video and move, trim or delete it.
Relink if needed
Command-click (Ctrl-click) the audio and video clips, right-click and choose Link. Linking also works for groups, such as a title with its clip.
Method 2: Select one part without unlinking
Linked Selection off
Click the Linked Selection button in the toolbar to turn it off, or hold Option (Alt) while clicking, so clicking the video doesn't select its audio.
No DaVinci Resolve at hand?
Do the same job in your browser with a free Koldflux tool.
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Audio still moves with video | The clip is still linked and Linked Selection is on. Unlink the clip or turn Linked Selection off. |
| Red numbers show on the clips | They show how far audio and video are out of sync after moving one. Right-click and slip into place, or relink. |
| Need the audio as a file | On the Deliver page choose Audio Only (or untick Export Video) and pick a format such as WAV or MP3. |
Questions people ask
How do I delete the audio from a clip in DaVinci Resolve?
Unlink it (Option-Command-L / Ctrl-Alt-L), then select only the audio and press Delete.
Does unlinking change the source file?
No. It changes only the clips in the timeline.
Can I link a sound effect to a video clip?
Yes. Blackmagic suggests linking any audio and video you want to move as one, including sound-effect stacks and titles.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Unlinking and relinking audio and video; Linked Selection (p. 850, 939) (checked 2026-10-05)
Blackmagic's manual lists Mac shortcuts; on Windows and Linux use Ctrl for Command and Alt for Option. The Deliver page audio-only export follows the current Deliver options as described by several current guides.
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with DaVinci Resolve's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.