Master Adobe Premiere Pro with these essential shortcuts
Master Adobe Premiere Pro: Essential Shortcut Keys for Video Editors
Elevate your video editing workflow with these key shortcuts
Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry-leading video editing software for film, television, and web content. Known for its robust set of features and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications like After Effects and Photoshop, Premiere Pro empowers creators to transform raw footage into polished, professional-grade videos. From basic cuts to advanced color grading, motion graphics, and audio mixing, Premiere Pro offers comprehensive tools to bring any cinematic vision to life.
Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your video editing journey, mastering keyboard shortcuts in Adobe Premiere Pro can drastically speed up your workflow and enhance your efficiency. Instead of constantly reaching for your mouse, these shortcuts allow you to execute commands with just a few keystrokes, keeping your focus on the creative process.
Note: The shortcuts listed below are for the default keyboard layout on Windows. For Mac users, generally replace 'Ctrl' with 'Cmd' and 'Alt' with 'Option' (Opt).
🚀 General & File Management
| Command | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Project | Ctrl + Alt + N | Cmd + Opt + N | Create a new Premiere Pro project. |
| New Sequence | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N | Create a new sequence in your project. |
| Open Project | Ctrl + O | Cmd + O | Open an existing Premiere Pro project. |
| Save Project | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S | Save the current project. |
| Save Project As | Ctrl + Shift + S | Cmd + Shift + S | Save the current project with a new name or location. |
| Import Media | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I | Import files into your project panel. |
| Export Media | Ctrl + M | Cmd + M | Open the Export Settings dialog to render your video. |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z | Undo the last action. |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Cmd + Shift + Z | Redo the previously undone action. |
| Keyboard Shortcuts Dialog | Ctrl + Alt + K | Cmd + Opt + K | Open the Keyboard Shortcuts customization window. |
✨ Timeline Navigation & Playback
| Command | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play/Pause | Spacebar | Spacebar | Play or pause playback in the timeline. |
| Stop | K | K | Stop playback. |
| Shuttle Forward | L | L | Play forward; repeatedly pressing increases speed. |
| Shuttle Reverse | J | J | Play backward; repeatedly pressing increases speed. |
| Step Forward One Frame | Right Arrow | Right Arrow | Move the playhead forward by one frame. |
| Step Backward One Frame | Left Arrow | Left Arrow | Move the playhead backward by one frame. |
| Next Edit Point | Down Arrow | Down Arrow | Move the playhead to the next edit point. |
| Previous Edit Point | Up Arrow | Up Arrow | Move the playhead to the previous edit point. |
| Zoom In Timeline | = | = | Zoom in on the timeline. |
| Zoom Out Timeline | - | - | Zoom out on the timeline. |
| Zoom Sequence to Fit | \ (Backslash) | \ (Backslash) | Adjust the zoom level to show the entire sequence in the timeline. |
| Go to In Point | Shift + I | Shift + I | Move the playhead to the In point. |
| Go to Out Point | Shift + O | Shift + O | Move the playhead to the Out point. |
| Toggle Snapping | S | S | Enable or disable snapping in the timeline. |
| Toggle Full-Screen Playback | Ctrl + \ (Backslash) | Cmd + \ (Backslash) | Toggle full-screen playback of the Program Monitor. |
✂️ Editing & Clip Manipulation
| Command | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add Edit (Cut) | Ctrl + K | Cmd + K | Cut the selected clip(s) at the playhead. |
| Add Edit to All Tracks | Ctrl + Shift + K | Cmd + Shift + K | Cut all clips under the playhead across all unlocked tracks. |
| Ripple Trim Previous Edit to Playhead | Q | Q | Trim the beginning of the selected clip to the playhead, and ripple delete the gap. |
| Ripple Trim Next Edit to Playhead | W | W | Trim the end of the selected clip to the playhead, and ripple delete the gap. |
| Extend Selected Edit to Playhead | E | E | Extends the selected clip's in or out point to the playhead. |
| Lift | ; | ; | Remove selected content, leaving a gap. |
| Extract | ' | ' | Remove selected content and close the gap (ripple delete). |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C | Copy selected items. |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X | Cut selected items. |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V | Paste copied/cut items. |
| Paste Insert | Ctrl + Shift + V | Cmd + Shift + V | Paste items and shift subsequent clips. |
| Paste Attributes | Ctrl + Alt + V | Cmd + Opt + V | Paste specific attributes (effects, motion) from one clip to another. |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + Shift + / | Cmd + Shift + / | Duplicate selected clips or items. |
| Delete / Clear | Delete | Forward Delete | Delete selected items. |
| Ripple Delete | Shift + Delete | Shift + Forward Delete | Delete selected items and close the gap. |
| Link/Unlink Clips | Ctrl + L | Cmd + L | Link or unlink audio and video clips. |
| Group Clips | Ctrl + G | Cmd + G | Group selected clips together. |
| Ungroup Clips | Ctrl + Shift + G | Cmd + Shift + G | Ungroup previously grouped clips. |
| Enable/Disable Clip | Shift + E | Shift + Cmd + E | Enable or disable a selected clip (it remains on the timeline but doesn't play). |
| Speed/Duration | Ctrl + R | Cmd + R | Open the Speed/Duration dialog for a clip. |
| Audio Gain | G | G | Open the Audio Gain dialog for a clip. |
| Apply Default Video Transition | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D | Apply the default video transition to the selected clip's cut. |
| Apply Default Audio Transition | Ctrl + Shift + D | Cmd + Shift + D | Apply the default audio transition to the selected clip's cut. |
| Apply Default Transitions to Selection | Shift + D | Shift + D | Apply default video and audio transitions to selected clips. |
🛠️ Tool Selection Shortcuts
| Tool | Shortcut Key | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Tool | V | Used for selecting, moving, and trimming clips. |
| Razor Tool | C | Used for cutting clips on the timeline. |
| Track Select Forward Tool | A | Selects all clips to the right of the cursor on a track. |
| Track Select Backward Tool | Shift + A | Selects all clips to the left of the cursor on a track. |
| Ripple Edit Tool | B | Trims a clip and ripples the rest of the sequence, closing any gaps. |
| Rolling Edit Tool | N | Adjusts an edit point between two clips, shortening one while lengthening the other. |
| Rate Stretch Tool | R | Changes the speed of a clip while maintaining its duration. |
| Slip Tool | Y | Changes a clip's In and Out points simultaneously, without changing its duration or affecting other clips. |
| Slide Tool | U | Moves a clip along the timeline, adjusting the In and Out points of adjacent clips. |
| Pen Tool | P | Used for drawing paths and adding keyframes. |
| Hand Tool | H | Used for scrolling the timeline view. |
| Zoom Tool | Z | Used for zooming in on the timeline. |
| Type Tool | T | Used for creating text and titles. |
📍 Marker Shortcuts
| Command | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add Marker | M | M | Add a marker at the playhead position. |
| Go to Next Marker | Shift + M | Shift + M | Move the playhead to the next marker. |
| Go to Previous Marker | Ctrl + Shift + M | Cmd + Shift + M | Move the playhead to the previous marker. |
| Clear Selected Marker | Ctrl + Alt + M | Cmd + Opt + M | Clear the marker under the playhead. |
| Clear All Markers | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M | Cmd + Opt + Shift + M | Clear all markers in the sequence. |
| Mark In | I | I | Set the In point for a selection. |
| Mark Out | O | O | Set the Out point for a selection. |
| Mark Clip | X | X | Mark the In and Out points of the clip under the playhead. |
| Mark Selection | / (Forward Slash) | / (Forward Slash) | Set In and Out points around the current selection of clips. |
| Clear In Point | Ctrl + Shift + I | Opt + I | Clear the In point. |
| Clear Out Point | Ctrl + Shift + O | Opt + O | Clear the Out point. |
| Clear In and Out Points | Ctrl + Shift + X | Opt + X | Clear both In and Out points. |
🎛️ Panel & Window Management Shortcuts
| Command | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Panel | Shift + 1 | Shift + 1 | Bring the Project panel into focus. |
| Source Monitor | Shift + 2 | Shift + 2 | Bring the Source Monitor into focus. |
| Timeline Panel | Shift + 3 | Shift + 3 | Bring the Timeline panel into focus. |
| Program Monitor | Shift + 4 | Shift + 4 | Bring the Program Monitor into focus. |
| Effect Controls Panel | Shift + 5 | Shift + 5 | Bring the Effect Controls panel into focus. |
| Audio Track Mixer | Shift + 6 | Shift + 6 | Bring the Audio Track Mixer into focus. |
| Effects Panel | Shift + 7 | Shift + 7 | Bring the Effects panel into focus. |
| Media Browser | Shift + 8 | Shift + 8 | Bring the Media Browser into focus. |
| Audio Clip Mixer | Shift + 9 | Shift + 9 | Bring the Audio Clip Mixer into focus. |
| Maximize or Restore Frame Under Cursor | ` (Grave Accent) | ` (Grave Accent) | Maximize or restore the panel the mouse cursor is currently over. |
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