Shortcuts hub

Video editing shortcuts that carry across editors, and where they differ

Updated 2026-11-03 · by the mouzeclick team

The video editing keyboard shortcuts to learn first are playback on J, K and L, in and out points on I and O, frame steps on the arrow keys, and your editor's cut or razor key. Shotcut's quickstart documents the first three groups. OpenShot also uses I and O and publishes its Razor keys. For Premiere Pro, Resolve, Final Cut Pro and CapCut, use each editor's own list, linked below.

  • Shotcut's quickstart lists J K L for playback, I and O for in and out, and the arrow keys for single frames.
  • OpenShot's Razor splits on a click. Shift keeps the left side, Ctrl keeps the right, and adding Alt closes the gap.
  • Movavi's Mac release notes name four hotkeys. One is Ctrl + R on Windows and Cmd + R on Mac to start audio recording.
  • Final Cut Pro's user guide covers custom shortcuts in the Command Editor, including export and import.
  • mouzeclick (we make it) puts any shortcut on a mouse button, per app, on Windows and Mac.
  • Checked on 3 November 2026 against each maker's own pages.

Which video editing shortcuts should you learn first?

Learn five groups first: play and shuttle, mark in and out, step by frame, cut, and undo. They come up in every edit, so they repay the effort before anything else does.

Shotcut's own quickstart is the cleanest published example of the first three groups:

  • Shuttle. J, K and L control playback speed and direction. Tap J or L repeatedly to go faster.
  • Mark. I sets the in point and O sets the out point.
  • Step. The left and right arrow keys move one frame. Page Up and Page Down move one second at a time. Alt + Left and Alt + Right jump between start, in, out and end.

OpenShot also uses I and O, to set Start and End in its Preview File, Preview Clip and Split File windows.

Cutting is where editors differ most. OpenShot's Razor splits on a click and uses modifier keys to choose which side stays. Movavi's published notes don't name a split key at all. Premiere Pro has its own razor and ripple delete keys, covered in our Premiere Pro cut, razor and ripple delete shortcuts.

Undo is the fifth group. Movavi's Mac release notes list Cmd + Z. For every other editor, check its own list before you assume.

Which editors publish their shortcut lists, and where?

Shotcut, OpenShot and Movavi publish some keys on pages we could read. Each of the bigger editors has its own page here. This table shows what the makers' pages showed when we checked them on 3 November 2026.

EditorPlatforms on the maker's pageWhat the pages we checked publishFull list
Premiere ProNot covered in this checkAdobe's shortcut tables could not be read in our checkPremiere Pro keyboard shortcuts
After EffectsNot covered in this checkNot covered in this checkAfter Effects keyboard shortcuts
PhotoshopNot covered in this checkNot covered in this checkPhotoshop keyboard shortcuts
DaVinci ResolveNot published on the pages checkedBlackmagic's support centre hosts the instruction manuals; there is no shortcut list on the landing pagesDaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts
Final Cut ProMac (the guide lists 12.4 as newest)Topics for keyboard shortcuts, Touch Bar, Multi-Touch gestures and the Command EditorFinal Cut Pro keyboard shortcuts
CapCut DesktopWindows 7 or above (10 recommended), macOS 10.14 or aboveThe toolkit is said to include shortcuts; no list on the pages checkedCapCut keyboard shortcuts for PC and Mac
ShotcutWindows, Mac and LinuxQuickstart keys; editable keyboard shortcutsBelow
OpenShotWindows, macOS and LinuxText, Start/End and Razor keys in the release notesBelow
Movavi Video EditorWindows and MacFour hotkeys in the Mac release notesBelow
BlenderWindows, macOS and LinuxA Video Editor exists; no sequencer keys on the pages checkedNot listed
CanvaNot verifiedNot verifiedNot listed

What are the Shotcut video editor keyboard shortcuts?

Shotcut's quickstart gives five keys or key pairs for playback, marking and moving the playhead. They are copied exactly below. The quickstart lists one set of keys and gives no separate macOS keys, so both columns show the same keys.

ActionWindowsmacOSTask
Control playback speed and direction (tap J or L repeatedly to go faster)J, K, LJ, K, LPlayback
Set the in point / out pointI / OI / OMarking
Step frame by frameLeft / RightLeft / RightNavigation
Step one second at a timePage Up / Page DownPage Up / Page DownNavigation
Jump between start, in, out and endAlt + Left / Alt + RightAlt + Left / Alt + RightNavigation

Shotcut is free and open source. Its download page lists Windows 10 build 1809 as the minimum on Windows and macOS 12 to 27 on a Mac, and Shotcut also runs on Linux. The feature list includes editable keyboard shortcuts, so a machine set up by someone else may not match this table. It also includes low-resolution proxy editing, which Shotcut says improves the speed of seeking.

What are the OpenShot keyboard shortcuts for text and the razor?

OpenShot's release notes give keys for titles, Start and End marks, Auto-Optimize and the Razor tool. The 4.1 notes (25 October 2026) cover text, marks and Auto-Optimize. The 27 September 2026 post covers the improved Razor. Where the notes give no Mac key, the cell says so.

ActionWindowsmacOSWhere
Add a text clip at the playheadShift + TShift + TOr Title → Text, or Tt on the timeline toolbar
Edit an existing text clipEnterEnterWith the clip selected, or double-click it in the preview
Set Start / EndI / OI / OPreview File, Preview Clip and Split File
Auto-OptimizeCtrl + Alt + ONot publishedFile → Auto-Optimize
Razor: split and keep both sidesClickNot publishedRazor tool
Razor: keep the left side / the right sideShift + click / Ctrl + clickNot publishedRazor tool
Razor: close the gap (ripple cut)Add Alt to eitherNot publishedRazor tool
Keep one side and close the gap at the hovered Razor positionW or QW or QThe notes don't say which key keeps which side
Leave the RazorEscEscRazor tool

OpenShot is GPL software, free to download and use, and says it has no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits. On Windows the Microsoft Store version is paid and updates itself, with no price shown. The EXE installer is free, has the same features and is updated by hand.

Which Movavi Video Editor hotkeys are published?

Movavi's Mac release notes name four hotkeys. Only one of them is given for both systems. The table copies them as written and marks the gaps.

ActionWindowsmacOSNote
Start audio recordingCtrl + RCmd + RVersion 21.3 notes
UndoNot publishedCmd + ZVersion 25.9.0 notes
Zoom the timelineNot publishedCmd + scrollVersion 25.9.0 notes
Copy one or more clips while moving themNot statedNot statedThe Mac notes say hold down Ctrl while moving a clip, without naming a platform

On price, the Mac page showed ₹ 2,699 (incl. VAT) on 3 November 2026, with no billing period stated. Movavi sells a lifetime licence or an annual subscription. You can download and try the free version, but you need to buy the full version after 7 days. Depending on the build, the free version may add a watermark, limit video to 60 seconds or audio to half its length, or hold back some export features.

What about Canva video editing shortcuts and Blender's video editor?

We could not verify Canva's video editor shortcuts from Canva's own pages on 3 November 2026, so this page lists none. We only add an editor once its keys come from the maker. Browser work is covered on the mouse side: mouzeclick's buttons work in Chrome, which gets its own profile like any other app.

Blender is free, open source and GPL-licensed, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its features page says the Video Editor "offers a range of basic yet very efficient tools". The Blender pages we checked list no sequencer shortcuts, and the manual was not part of our check. On a Mac, Blender 5.0 and later need Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or later.

How do you change keyboard shortcuts in a video editor?

Change keys inside the editor itself, in its shortcut settings. Here is what the makers' pages confirm:

  • Shotcut lists editable keyboard shortcuts among its features.
  • Final Cut Pro has a Customize keyboard shortcuts chapter built on the Command Editor. There you can view and modify commands, and export or import a set.

Neither page spells out the menu path, so we don't print one here. Step-by-step guides for the big three are in changing keyboard shortcuts in Premiere Pro, changing shortcuts in DaVinci Resolve and changing shortcuts in After Effects.

Two habits save trouble. First, export your set before you change it, where the editor allows (Final Cut's Command Editor does), so you can roll back. Second, if you move between editors, decide which keys you want everywhere, such as shuttle, marks and cut. Then set the other editors to match, or put those actions on mouse buttons that send the right key in each app.

How do you put editing shortcuts on mouse buttons?

Map each shortcut to a button inside a per-app profile, so one button sends the right key in whichever editor is in front. These steps use mouzeclick (we make it). The mouse app runs on Windows and Mac.

  1. Install mouzeclick and paste your key. On a Mac, follow the four steps for installing mouzeclick on a Mac, including Accessibility and Input Monitoring.
  2. Press each mouse button once when asked. The settings page is then built around the buttons your mouse really has: up to five standard buttons, plus scroll and tilt.
  3. Pick the editor. Each app gets its own profile, and the editors come with ready-made ones.
  4. Choose a button and a slot. Each button has eleven slots: tap, hold and move in four directions, a chord with another button, or hold and scroll.
  5. Pick the action from the built-in library, or record the shortcut by pressing it, for example K or Alt + Right.
  6. Optionally press "Add editing gestures". It fills the empty directions: up plays, down splits, left undoes, and right moves one frame forward.
  7. Switch to the editor and try it. The mapping changes the moment you switch windows.

Here is a starting layout for Shotcut. It uses only Shotcut's published keys and the tap and direction slots:

Mouse slotKey sentWhat it does in Shotcut
Mouse 4, tapKThe K of Shotcut's J/K/L playback keys
Mouse 4, hold and move left / rightJ / LControl playback speed and direction; repeat to go faster
Mouse 5, hold and move left / rightI / OSets the in point / the out point
Mouse 5, hold and move up / downPage Up / Page DownSteps one second at a time

The same idea for Premiere Pro, with the 112-tool Premiere Pro Tool wheel, is in Premiere Pro mouse shortcuts on any mouse.

Where mouzeclick fits (we make it)

This is our section. mouzeclick is our mouse app for Windows and Mac. It puts shortcuts, macros, gestures and three wheels on any mouse, per app, with no driver. It covers one part of this page's question: getting the shortcuts above off the keyboard and onto the hand already on the mouse.

  • Per-app buttons. Mouse 4 can cut a clip in Premiere, switch tabs in Chrome and paste everywhere else.
  • 309 built-in shortcuts on Windows: 153 for Premiere Pro, 48 for Photoshop, 44 for After Effects, 41 for DaVinci Resolve and 23 for CapCut. On a Mac, don't count on Resolve or CapCut library entries. For those, and for Shotcut, OpenShot or anything else, record the shortcut yourself.
  • Options wheel (F8). It holds 48 favourites per app on three rings of 12, 16 and 20. It opens on F8, Ctrl + right click or a side button. Recent Windows and Mac beta builds add ready-made wheels for Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Photoshop and CapCut. A wheel you have already set up is never changed.
  • Tool wheel. This works only in Premiere Pro and After Effects, on Windows and Mac. The After Effects one is covered in our After Effects radial menu guide (114 tools in 13 groups).
  • Keyboard hotkeys. These put any action on any key combination, per app. They can also block a combination an app keeps stealing.
  • Macros. Chain keys, clicks, waits, typed text and launches into one button.

Platforms, plainly: the mouse app, wheels and gestures run on Windows 10 and 11, and on macOS 12 or newer. The workspaces, auto, styled and Hinglish captions, Retakes, cloud sync and in-app updates are Windows-only. The app needs an internet connection while it runs. There is no Linux app, so Shotcut or Blender users on Linux need another tool.

One caution: mouzeclick sends keys the editor already understands. If you have remapped a key in the editor, point the button at the new key. Plans and the 3-day trial (no card) are on the mouzeclick pricing section.

What should you check when a shortcut does nothing?

First check that the key matches the editor's current map. Then check the tool that sends the key. In order:

  • The map was changed. Shotcut's shortcuts are editable, so a shared or inherited setup may not match the quickstart keys.
  • You are inside a mode. In OpenShot's Razor, W and Q act at the hovered position. Press Esc to leave the Razor.
  • Mac keys aren't published. Several OpenShot and Movavi keys above have no published Mac version, so test them before you rely on them.
  • The editor runs as administrator (Windows). Apps running as administrator ignore apps that are not elevated. Pick Restart as administrator in mouzeclick's tray menu.
  • The connection dropped. mouzeclick's shortcuts pause and the mouse acts normally until the connection returns.
  • Mac permissions. Turn on mouzeclick under Accessibility and Input Monitoring, then quit it and open it again.
  • MacBook function keys. The wheels use Fn + F8 and Fn + F9, or turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys".
  • A mapping misfires. On Windows, Ctrl + Alt + F12 stops mouzeclick at once.

Put your editing shortcuts on your mouse buttons, free for 3 days. One plan with everything included, $25 a month, or $249 for a year.

See the price

Questions people ask

What is the shortcut for cutting video?It depends on the editor, because cut keys vary more than playback keys. In OpenShot, a click with the Razor splits a clip and keeps both sides. Shift-click keeps the left side, Ctrl-click keeps the right, and adding Alt closes the gap. Shotcut's quickstart names no cut key. Premiere Pro's razor and ripple delete keys have their own page in our shortcuts hub.
Does Shotcut use different keyboard shortcuts on a Mac?Shotcut's quickstart gives one set of keys and does not list separate macOS keys. That set is J, K and L for playback, I and O for marks, the arrows for frames, Page Up and Page Down for seconds, and Alt with the arrows to jump. Shotcut's shortcuts are editable, so check its shortcut settings if a key behaves differently on your Mac.
Are there Canva video editing keyboard shortcuts?We could not verify Canva's video editor shortcuts from Canva's own pages when we checked on 3 November 2026, so we list none. We don't print keys from memory. If you work in Chrome, you can still put keys on mouse buttons with a mouzeclick profile for Chrome, which works like the profile for any other app.
Can one mouse button do different things in different editors?Yes. That is what per-app profiles do. With mouzeclick, Mouse 4 can send K in Shotcut, a cut in Premiere Pro and paste everywhere else, and it changes the moment you switch windows. Each button has eleven slots: tap, hold and move in four directions, a chord with another button, or hold and scroll. This works on Windows and on macOS 12 or newer.
Do I need a special mouse to map editing shortcuts?No. mouzeclick works with any wired, wireless or Bluetooth mouse your computer sees. It uses up to five standard buttons (left, right, middle, Back and Forward) plus scroll and tilt, with no driver. It doesn't change DPI, polling rate or lighting. Those stay with the mouse maker's software.
Is OpenShot free, and does it have a paid version?OpenShot is free GPL software. The site says it has no subscriptions, watermarks or project limits. On Windows there are two installs. The Microsoft Store version is labelled paid, updates itself and helps fund development; no price is shown. The EXE installer is free, has the same features and is updated by hand. OpenShot also runs on macOS and Linux.
Does Movavi Video Editor's free version limit exports?It can. Movavi says that, depending on the build, the free version may add a watermark to exported clips, limit video to 60 seconds or audio to half its length, or hold back some export features. You also need to buy the full version after 7 days. The Mac page showed ₹ 2,699 (incl. VAT) on 3 November 2026, with no billing period stated.
How much does mouzeclick cost, and is there a free trial?mouzeclick is one plan with everything included. It costs $25 a month, $249 a year, or $499 once for one of the first 100 lifetime keys. The free trial lasts 3 days and needs no card. The days start the first time you open the app with the key, and every Premiere Pro and After Effects tool works fully. One key runs on one computer at a time, Windows or Mac.
Which parts of mouzeclick work on a Mac?The mouse app, per-app buttons, gestures, macros and all three wheels run on macOS 12 or newer, on Apple Silicon and Intel. The workspaces, auto, styled and Hinglish captions, Retakes, cloud sync and in-app updates are Windows-only. Apple has not notarized the Mac app yet, so macOS asks you to allow it the first time it opens.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03. Prices and features change: each link goes to the maker's own page.

  1. Shotcut: home and quickstart shortcuts
  2. Shotcut: features (editable shortcuts, proxy editing)
  3. Shotcut: download and system requirements
  4. OpenShot: home and licence
  5. OpenShot: download options
  6. OpenShot 4.1 release notes (25 Oct 2026)
  7. OpenShot Razor release post (27 Sep 2026)
  8. Movavi Video Editor for Mac: what's new (hotkeys)
  9. Movavi Video Editor for Mac: price
  10. Movavi for Mac: licence types and 7-day trial
  11. Movavi Video Editor: free version restrictions
  12. Blender: features
  13. Blender: FAQ (free, platforms)
  14. Blender: system requirements
  15. Final Cut Pro User Guide: table of contents
  16. Final Cut Pro User Guide: welcome and versions
  17. CapCut Desktop video editor
  18. Blackmagic Design support centre: DaVinci Resolve and Fusion