DaVinci Resolve AI Music Editor Explained

What is the DaVinci Resolve AI Music Editor?

Found in the Audio tab of the Inspector panel, the AI Music Editor is designed to intelligently shorten or extend music clips to a specific duration you define. It analyzes the structure of the music and makes edits – like cuts and transitions – mimicking techniques a human music editor might use, all without altering the original pitch or tempo.

How to Retime Your Music

1. Select Your Clip: Click on the music clip you want to adjust on your timeline. Blackmagic recommends using beat-driven music (like pop or dance tracks) for the best results.
2. Navigate to the Inspector: Go to the Inspector panel and select the ‘Audio’ tab.
3. Find the AI Music Editor: Locate the section labeled ‘AI Music Editor’.
4. Set Target Length: In the ‘Target Length’ field, enter the exact duration you need the music clip to be. This can be shorter or longer than the original clip.
5. Let Resolve Analyze: DaVinci Resolve will then analyze the music.

Versions and Live Trim

Once the analysis is complete, Resolve presents you with four different retimed versions of your music. Each version uses a slightly different approach to achieve the target length. You can easily preview these by clicking the buttons numbered 1 through 4 to find the one that best suits your edit.

Look closely at the clip on the timeline, and you’ll see indicators showing where the AI has made cuts and added transitions.

There’s also a ‘Live Trim’ option. This gives you a more hands-on approach, allowing you to resize the clip directly on the timeline after the initial analysis.

My Experience and Tips

Initially, when I tested this, I didn’t always get perfect results straight away, even when switching between the different versions. I found a helpful trick:

• Re-Analyze: If the first attempt isn’t quite right, try removing the audio clip from the timeline completely and then adding it back. DaVinci Resolve will perform a fresh analysis.
• Limit the Analysis: I discovered I got much better and more predictable results when I first roughly cut the music clip down closer to my desired length before using the AI Music Editor. This limits the amount of audio the AI needs to analyze and manipulate.

Need Finer Control?

While the AI Music Editor is incredibly powerful, sometimes you might need to make manual tweaks.

• Elastic Wave: For fine-tuning timing adjustments without complex cuts, you can explore the ‘Elastic Wave’ tool on the Fairlight page.
• Decompose: If you want to see and adjust every single edit point and crossfade the AI created, you can right-click the retimed clip and choose ‘Decompose to Original Elements’. Be aware: This is a one-way action; you can’t easily go back to the single AI-retimed clip after decomposing.