DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to fade in and out in DaVinci Resolve (video and audio)
Short answer
Hover over a clip and drag the fade handle at its start or end toward the center: for audio, Blackmagic's audio fade handles fade the volume in or out, and you can drag the handle on the curve to change its shape. Video clips have the same corner handles for fades to black; or add a Cross Dissolve to the clip's edge. For audio between two clips, select the edit and press Shift-T for a crossfade.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21, free version and Studio (Studio-only features are marked), Edit page unless stated, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Audio fade
Drag the fade handle
Hover over the audio clip; fade handles appear at the In and Out points. Drag them toward the center to fade in or out.
Shape the curve
Drag the handle on the fade curve up or down to change its angle, left or right to change its shape. Handles can move in subframe steps.
Crossfade two clips
Select an audio edit point and choose Timeline > Add Audio Only Transition.
Method 2: Video fade
Corner handles
Hover over the video clip and drag the white handle at its top-left or top-right corner to fade from or to black.
Or a transition
Drop Cross Dissolve from Video Transitions on the clip's start or end.
Fade lengths that work
| Use | Length | At 30 fps |
|---|---|---|
| Fade from black | 0.5 to 1 s | 15 to 30 frames |
| Fade out at the end | 1 to 2 s | 30 to 60 frames |
| Music out | 2 to 4 s | 60 to 120 frames |
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| No fade handles appear | Hover directly over the clip; make the track taller if it's very thin. |
| Audio dips in a crossfade | Change the transition curve to a constant-power style. |
| Fade imported from Final Cut is missing | Final Cut Pro X fade handles import automatically; check the clip's audio settings. |
Questions people ask
How do I fade out music in DaVinci Resolve?
Drag the fade handle at the end of the music clip toward the center, two to four seconds.
What is the audio crossfade shortcut?
Shift-T adds an audio-only transition to the selected edit.
Can I fade text in?
Yes. Drag the corner fade handles on the title clip, or add a Cross Dissolve.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Audio fade handles and crossfades (p. 1144-1145) (checked 2026-10-05)
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Adding transitions and transition properties (p. 1195-1198) (checked 2026-10-05)
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.