How to Sync Audio and Video in DaVinci Resolve

To sync audio and video in DaVinci Resolve, select the camera clip and its matching external audio file in the Media Pool, right-click and choose Auto Sync Audio based on waveform. The camera clip needs a usable recording of the same sound. Check the result against picture before editing, especially near the end of a long take.

If there is no usable camera audio, or the automatic match is wrong, align a visible clap or another shared cue manually in the timeline. The steps below cover both approaches and explain what to do when a fixed offset does not stay fixed.

Prepare the matching files

1. Import the camera clip and the separate recorder file into the Media Pool. Keep copies of the original recordings.
2. Confirm both files belong to the same take. For waveform matching, the camera microphone and the external recorder must have captured some recognizable sound in common.
3. Listen for a clap, tap or distinctive phrase that can serve as a check. If the footage is silent, find a visible event with a corresponding sound in the external recording.
4. If you already have an edit in progress, duplicate the timeline before experimenting and note existing trims and audio positions.

Blackmagic Design documents audio synchronization in its Fairlight Audio Guide to DaVinci Resolve 20. Menu wording can vary with Resolve version and the selected media.

Method 1: auto sync by waveform

1. In the Media Pool, select the camera clip and the separate audio file from the same take.
2. Right-click the selection and choose Auto Sync Audio, then the option based on Waveform. Blackmagic's editor's guide describes this workflow for matching camera and production audio.
3. Review the synced clip with picture. Listen around a clear consonant, clap or other event; check again near the end. Automatic matching depends on a usable shared sound, so inspect the result even if the command completes.
4. Decide which audio you want in the edit. If you need the camera reference as well as the external recording, review the available append-tracks option and inspect the resulting tracks. Avoid hearing both microphones together unintentionally.

Timecode is another synchronization reference when both sources actually have correctly matching timecode. A similar start time or a filename is not proof that timecode matches. If waveform matching fails because a recording is silent, noisy or from another take, use a reliable cue instead.

Method 2: align audio manually on the timeline

1. On the Edit page, place the camera clip and external audio on the timeline. Expand the audio tracks enough to see their waveforms.
2. Find the same sharp sound in both recordings, such as a clap or a spoken consonant. If the camera has no reference audio, use a visible clap or other visible event with a corresponding sound.
3. Zoom in and move the external audio until the matching sound lines up with the reference waveform or visible event. Sound that occurs after the picture needs to move earlier; sound that occurs before it needs to move later.
4. Play across the cue and check speech and lip movement. Repeat the check near the end of the take. Mute the camera reference while judging the external microphone so a doubled track does not mask the result.

For example, if a visible clap is at 10.000 seconds and its sound is at 10.125 seconds, the sound is 125 milliseconds late. Move it earlier by that amount and listen again. Use the cue offset calculator to compare known cue times; it does not edit the Resolve timeline for you.

Why does the audio still sound out of sync?

Symptom	What to check
Waveform matching fails	Confirm the selected files are the same take and share recognizable audio. Silence, masking noise or unrelated clips can prevent a reliable match. Try a visible clap or a known shared cue.
Same delay throughout	Compare an event in picture and sound, move the external audio in the needed direction, and verify a second event.
Starts aligned but drifts later	One fixed offset cannot correct a changing error. Inspect the full recording and source properties, including variable-frame-rate footage and any conversion or recording changes, before choosing a correction.
Echo or doubled dialogue	Check whether the camera and external microphones are both audible. Mute the unwanted reference and listen again.
Export differs from timeline	Check the chosen audio tracks and listen to the exported file in another player. Investigate device playback delay separately.

For more diagnostic examples, see how to fix audio and video that are out of sync. Linking clips for later editing is a separate operation; linking alone does not find the correct synchronization point.

Returning cleaned audio to Resolve

Keep the original synchronized track and test any cleanup on a copy. The Saturalabs voice isolator can estimate a described voice from a supported recording. It can also alter wanted sound or leave noise, so compare it with the source. AI downloads require an account and sufficient credits; the result is audio, not a synced Resolve project or finished video.

Import the chosen result, place it at the original recording's position, mute the replaced audio and check cues at both ends. A processed excerpt must return to its original offset, not automatically to the start of the timeline. See how to replace audio in video for the full workflow.

Common questions

Can DaVinci Resolve sync audio automatically?

Yes. Resolve offers synchronization using references including waveform and timecode. The relevant reference must be present and reliable in the selected files, and the result should be checked against picture.

Can I sync without camera audio?

Waveform matching needs shared recorded sound. Without it, align a visible clap or another event to the corresponding sound manually, or use genuinely matching timecode if available.

Why is my audio synced at the beginning but not the end?

The error may change over the length of the recording. Check source properties and any conversions; a single fixed move corrects a constant offset but not growing drift.

How do I detach audio from a video clip?

Detaching or extracting audio is different from synchronizing a separate recording. See how to separate audio from video in DaVinci Resolve.