Shortcut equivalents across editors
The same editing action, side by side in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. The macOS default keys, checked against Apple, Adobe and Blackmagic documentation.
Playback and marking are identical in all three editors: Space, J, K, L, I and O mean the same thing everywhere. The differences are in how clips get into the timeline and in the tools. Those are the keys that trip people up when they switch.
Playback
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play / pause | Space | Space | Space |
| Play backwards / stop / play forwards Press J or L again to speed up. | J K L | J K L | J K L |
| Previous / next frame | ← → | ← → | ← → |
| Previous / next edit point | ↑ ↓ | ↑ ↓ | ↑ ↓ |
Marking
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark in / mark out Final Cut Pro calls these range start and range end. | I O | I O | I O |
| Mark the whole clip | X | X | X |
| Add marker | M | M | M |
Getting clips into the timeline
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert Pushes everything after the playhead later. | W | , | F9 |
| Overwrite Replaces whatever is under the new clip. | D | . | F10 |
| Connect / place on top Premiere Pro has no connected clips; target a higher track and overwrite instead. | Q | No default key | F12 |
Cutting and removing
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut at the playhead Final Cut Pro cuts at the skimmer if skimming is on. | ⌘ B | ⌘ K | ⌘ B |
| Ripple delete Resolve: Forward Delete ripples, plain Delete leaves a gap. Check your version. | Delete | Option Delete | fn Delete |
| Undo | ⌘ Z | ⌘ Z | ⌘ Z |
Tools
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection tool | A | V | A |
| Blade / razor tool | B | C | B |
| Trim tool / trim mode Premiere splits this into Ripple Edit (B) and Rolling Edit (N). | T | B N | T |
| Slip Final Cut Pro: drag the middle of a clip with the Trim tool. Resolve: S toggles slip and slide in Trim mode. | T | Y | T S |
| Slide Final Cut Pro: Option-drag the middle of a clip with the Trim tool. | T | U | T S |
Timeline
| What you want to do | Final Cut Pro | Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapping on / off | N | S | N |
| Zoom in / out | ⌘ = ⌘ - | = - | = - |
| Multicam: cut to angle 1 to 9 Premiere: press 0 first to enter multi-camera view. | 1–9 | 1–9 | 1–9 |
Should you remap your keys instead?
All three editors let you change shortcuts (Option-Cmd-K opens the shortcut editor in each), and Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve ship with preset layouts that imitate other editors. Remapping a handful of keys is reasonable if you'll keep using your old editor. If you're switching permanently, learning the defaults pays off: tutorials, colleagues and other people's machines will all use them.
Full lists for each editor: Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
Default macOS shortcuts; Windows uses Ctrl in place of Cmd and Alt in place of Option. If you've imported a preset or remapped anything, your keys will differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Premiere Pro equivalent of Final Cut Pro's blade shortcut?+
Final Cut Pro cuts at the playhead with Cmd-B. Premiere Pro's equivalent is Add Edit, Cmd-K. DaVinci Resolve uses Cmd-B, the same as Final Cut Pro.
What is the insert shortcut in DaVinci Resolve?+
F9 is insert and F10 is overwrite in DaVinci Resolve. The equivalents are W and D in Final Cut Pro, and comma and full stop in Premiere Pro.
How do I ripple delete in Premiere Pro on a Mac?+
Select the clip or gap and press Option-Delete. In Final Cut Pro, Delete ripples in the primary storyline. In DaVinci Resolve, Forward Delete (fn-Delete on a laptop keyboard) ripple deletes, while Delete leaves a gap.
Do J, K and L work the same in every editor?+
Yes. J plays backwards, K stops and L plays forwards in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Avid Media Composer.
Written by Philip Brumpton, a product designer who builds KeyCut. Last checked October 2026.
Learn the keys by pressing them.
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