DaVinci Resolve First Project Setup for Beginners (Free)

Objective

You will be able to create a new Resolve project with the right settings, bring in your footage, organize it, and set up saving so you do not lose work.

Before you start

• DaVinci Resolve 19 free version installed on Windows
• A few video clips copied to a folder on your drive
• Basic idea of what a timeline is

Overview

Most early frustration in Resolve comes from setup, not editing. A project made with the wrong frame rate, footage scattered across random folders, or no backup plan will cause problems later, when fixing them is harder. A few minutes of setup at the start saves hours.

Resolve is built around separate pages, each for one job. You will spend your first minutes in the Project Manager, then the Media page and the Edit page. This guide follows that order: create the project, check its settings, import footage, organize it, make a timeline, and protect your work.

You do not need the paid Studio version for any of this. Where Studio differs, this guide says so. Resolve updates often, so if a label looks different on your screen, look for the option that does the same job.

Step-by-step

1. Create a new project in the Project Manager

   When you open Resolve, you land in the Project Manager, a window that lists your projects. Look for the option to create a new project, give it a clear name, and confirm. Use a name you will recognize in six months, such as the video title plus a date.

   Open the new project to enter the main workspace. At the bottom of the screen you will see a row of page buttons. Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight and Deliver are the pages in the free version. You will use only a few of them today.

   In other editors: Every editor starts with a project or session file. Name it before you do anything else so you can find it later.

2. Open Project Settings and check the basics

   Find the Project Settings button, usually a gear icon near the bottom right of the window. Open it and look at the master settings. The two values that matter most are the timeline resolution and the timeline frame rate.

   Set the resolution to match what you plan to publish. For a standard YouTube video that is often 1920 x 1080. For vertical clips for Shorts, Reels or TikTok, 1080 x 1920 is the common frame size. Set the frame rate to match most of your footage, such as 24, 25, 30 or 60 frames per second. If you are unsure, check your camera or phone settings first.

   Resolve may restrict some timeline settings once you have added clips, so decide early. If you need to change them later, look in the settings for the option that controls timeline format and expect to check your clips afterward.

   In other editors: In other editors this is called sequence settings or project settings. The idea is the same: pick the frame size and frame rate before you edit.

3. Go to the Media page and find your footage

   Click the Media page button at the bottom. The upper left area is a browser for your drives and folders. Navigate to the folder that holds your clips. This browser only looks at files. Nothing is imported yet.

   Before you import, make sure the folder is where the files will stay. If you move or rename the folder later, Resolve will lose track of the clips and show them as offline. A dedicated project folder on a drive with free space is the safest choice.

   In other editors: All editors link to your files instead of copying them into the project. Keep the folder stable and the links will keep working.

4. Import clips into the Media Pool

   Select your clips in the browser and add them to the Media Pool, which is the area that lists everything available to your project. You can drag clips in, or right-click and look for the add-to-pool option. Folders can be added too.

   If Resolve asks about a frame rate mismatch, it is telling you that a clip does not match your project setting. For clips close to your project frame rate it is usually fine to keep the project setting. For a very different frame rate, read the prompt carefully and choose the option that keeps your project settings, unless you have a reason to change them.

   Click a clip in the pool and press the play control in the viewer to confirm it plays and has sound.

   In other editors: The name changes (project bin, browser, media library), but the step is the same: bring files into the project so you can use them.

5. Organize clips into bins

   A bin is a folder inside the Media Pool. Create a few bins and name them by purpose, not by date. A simple set works well: Interviews or Talking, B-roll, Music, Graphics, and Sound Effects.

   Drag clips into the matching bin. This takes a minute for a small project and prevents the common problem of scrolling through 80 unnamed clips while you are trying to edit.

   If you have a lot of footage, rename clips with plain descriptions. The goal is to know what a clip contains without opening it.

   In other editors: Bins, folders, collections and smart folders are the same idea. Organize by purpose so you can find shots quickly.

6. Create a timeline

   A timeline is where you arrange clips in order. In the Media Pool, right-click in an empty area and look for the option to create a new timeline. Give it a name and check that its settings match your plan. You can also create one by dragging a clip onto an empty timeline area, which uses that clip to guide the settings.

   For your first project, one timeline is enough. Later, you can duplicate it to test a different version without losing the first.

   In other editors: Sequence, composition and timeline all mean the same thing. Most editors let you duplicate it to keep a safe copy.

7. Switch to the Edit page and learn the layout

   Click the Edit page button. You will see the Media Pool on the upper left, a viewer for the selected clip, a viewer for the timeline, and the timeline along the bottom. Take a minute to hover over each area and play a clip.

   The Cut page also exists and offers a faster, simplified layout. Many beginners find the Edit page easier to learn first because it shows the full timeline structure that most other editors use. You can switch between pages at any time without losing work.

   In other editors: Nearly every editor has a source viewer, a program viewer, a media area and a timeline. Once you know that layout, you can move between programs.

8. Turn on automatic saving and backups

   Resolve saves your project to a database, and you can also save manually from the File menu. Make it a habit to save often. Press Ctrl + S after each major change.

   Look in the Preferences window for the options related to project saving and backups. Resolve offers a way to save automatically and to keep backup copies of your project at set intervals. The exact labels can change between releases, so search that area for the words save or backup and turn the options on. Choose a backup location on a different drive if you can.

   Project files are small compared with video. A backup costs almost nothing and can rescue a day of work.

   In other editors: Autosave exists in most editors, but the setting is rarely on by default in every case. Check for it and save manually too.

9. Do a quick test before you start the real edit

   Add one short clip to the timeline, play it, and look at the Deliver page to confirm that the output settings match your plan. You are not exporting yet. You are checking that the pipeline works from start to finish.

   A test now can reveal problems with missing audio, wrong resolution or an unsupported file. Fixing one clip is easier than finding the cause after 40 minutes of editing.

Examples

Common mistakes

• Ignoring the timeline frame rate. A wrong setting can cause stutter or odd motion, and it can be awkward to change after you add clips. Decide before importing, and check your camera if you are not sure.
• Keeping footage in a temporary folder. Downloads folders and USB sticks get cleaned out or unplugged. If Resolve cannot find the files, clips appear offline. Copy footage to a permanent project folder first.
• Never saving or backing up. A crash with no recent save can cost you hours. Save often, and turn on backups in Preferences.
• Importing everything into one pile. A flat list of clips slows you down. Make bins by purpose before you begin cutting.
• Treating the project file as the video. The project only stores your edit decisions. If you delete the source clips, the project cannot play them. Archive both the project and its media.

Shortcuts

Windows shortcuts for DaVinci Resolve 19 with default settings. They can change if you use custom shortcuts or another version.

Best practices

• Name the project and timeline with a version number, such as v1, so you can duplicate and compare.
• Keep one folder per video with subfolders for footage, audio, graphics and exports.
• If playback is rough on a slower computer, fix the playback settings after setup instead of lowering your project resolution. See the laggy playback guide.
• Close other heavy programs while you work. Video editing uses a lot of memory and disk speed.
• Do not rely on this guide for exact menu wording. Hover over icons and use the page headers to confirm.