DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to reverse a clip in DaVinci Resolve (Change Clip Speed)
Short answer
Right-click the clip, choose Change Clip Speed and tick Reverse Speed, then click Change. The clip plays backwards from its last frame. To reverse only part of a clip, press Command-R (Ctrl-R) to show Retime Controls, add speed points around the part, and choose Reverse Segment from that section's speed menu. In the Inspector you can also set Direction to reverse.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21 (free and Studio), Windows, Mac and Linux, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Change Clip Speed
Open Change Clip Speed
Right-click the clip in the timeline and choose Change Clip Speed (or Clip > Change Clip Speed).
ClipChange Clip Speed
Tick Reverse Speed
Reverse Speed sets the speed to a negative value, so the clip plays backwards. Tick Ripple Sequence if later clips should move with any duration change.
Method 2: Reverse part of a clip (Retime Controls)
Show Retime Controls
Select the clip and press Command-R (Ctrl-R).
Add speed points
Put the playhead at the start of the section, choose Add Speed Point from the clip's speed menu, then do the same at the end.
Reverse the segment
Open that section's speed menu and choose Reverse Segment. Left-facing arrows show reverse playback. The Rewind presets create a fast-reverse-then-replay effect.
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If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| The reversed section has no sound | Resolve mutes audio on variable speed effects, which includes reversed segments made with Retime Controls. Add music or sound over it. |
| Reversed clip stutters | Render the cache for the clip, or set Retime Process to Optical Flow in the Inspector if you also slowed it. |
| Change Clip Speed is missing | Right-click the clip itself on the Edit page timeline, not the Media Pool item. |
Questions people ask
Can I reverse a clip in the free version?
Yes. Change Clip Speed and Retime Controls are in the free version.
Does reversing keep the audio?
With Change Clip Speed the audio is retimed too; variable-speed effects, including reversed segments, mute the audio.
How do I reverse on the Cut page?
Use the Speed Change controls in the Video Inspector and set Direction to reverse; they work on the Cut and Edit pages.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Change Clip Speed, Reverse Speed and Freeze Frame (p. 1254-1256) (checked 2026-10-05)
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Retime controls, reverse segments and freeze frames inside a clip (p. 1257-1260) (checked 2026-10-05)
Blackmagic's manual lists Mac shortcuts; on Windows and Linux use Ctrl for Command and Alt for Option.
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.