How to Add Music to DaVinci Resolve: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding music to your video in DaVinci Resolve takes just a few minutes once you know where to look. The process involves importing your audio file into the Media Pool, placing it on the Edit page timeline, adjusting the volume, and adding fades for a polished finish. Whether you are cutting a YouTube video or a short film, this guide walks you through every step clearly.

Audio Formats DaVinci Resolve Supports

Before importing, confirm your music file is in a compatible format. DaVinci Resolve accepts all of the following:

• MP3 - the most common format; works reliably in most projects

• WAV - uncompressed; best quality for professional or export-sensitive work

• AIFF - Apple’s lossless format; common in macOS workflows

• AAC - compressed but higher quality than MP3 at similar file sizes

• FLAC - lossless compression; good balance of quality and file size

• OGG - open-source format; less common but supported

If your file is in one of these formats, you are ready to proceed. If you have a format that is not listed, use a free converter like HandBrake or VLC to convert it to WAV or MP3 first.

How to Import Music into the Media Pool

The Media Pool is DaVinci Resolve’s central library for all your project assets, including audio files. Importing a music file here is the first step before placing it on the timeline.

Method 1: Drag and Drop

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and load your project.

   

2. Navigate to the Media Pool panel in the upper-left corner of the Edit page.

3. Open your file explorer (Finder on Mac, File Explorer on Windows) and locate your music file.

4. Click and drag the file directly into the Media Pool panel.

5. The file will appear in the Media Pool, ready to use.

   

Method 2: Right-Click Import

1. Right-click anywhere inside the Media Pool panel.

2. Select Import Media from the context menu.

   

3. Browse to your audio file, select it, and click Open.

   

4. The file will appear in the Media Pool.

   

Note: Importing a file into the Media Pool does not move or copy the original file. DaVinci Resolve creates a reference link to its location on your drive. Avoid moving or deleting the original file after importing.

Organizing Your Audio in the Media Pool

For larger projects, consider creating a dedicated bin for your audio files. Right-click inside the Media Pool and select Add Bin, then name it “Music” or “Audio.” Dragging your imported files into this bin keeps your project organized and makes it easier to locate clips as your Media Pool grows.

How to Add Music to Your Timeline in DaVinci Resolve

With your music file in the Media Pool, the next step is placing it on the Edit page timeline.

1. Click the Edit tab at the bottom of the DaVinci Resolve interface to open the Edit page.

2. Look at the timeline area. You should see audio tracks labeled A1, A2, and so on below the video tracks.

   

3. f no audio track exists, right-click in the audio track header area on the left side of the timeline and select Add Track, then choose an audio track (Mono or Stereo).

   

4. Click and drag your music clip from the Media Pool down to an audio track in the timeline. Release the mouse where you want the clip to begin.

   

5. Use the playhead to preview the placement. Click anywhere on the timeline ruler to move the playhead to that position and press Space to play.

6. If the clip starts in the wrong place, click and drag it left or right to reposition it.

Pro Tip: If your clip snaps to unexpected positions while dragging, press N to toggle snapping on or off. Turning snapping off gives you finer control over clip placement.

Keeping Music on a Separate Track

Place your background music on a dedicated audio track, separate from dialogue or sound effects. For example, keep dialogue on A1 and music on A2. This setup makes it easy to mute one track without affecting the other, and it gives you precise control over each audio layer when adjusting levels.

How to Adjust Music Volume in DaVinci Resolve

Background music that competes with dialogue is one of the most common problems in beginner edits. DaVinci Resolve gives you two quick ways to fix this.

Method 1: Inspector Panel

1. Click on the music clip in the timeline to select it.

2. Open the Inspector panel by clicking the icon in the upper-right corner of the Edit page.

3. Under the Audio tab in the Inspector, locate the Volume slider.

   

4. Drag the slider left to reduce the volume, or type a value directly into the dB field.

Method 2: In-Clip Volume Bar

1. Hover your cursor over the music clip in the timeline.

2. A thin horizontal line will appear across the center of the clip’s waveform. This is the volume bar.

3. Click and drag the line downward to reduce the gain, or upward to increase it.

4. A dB value will appear as you drag, giving you real-time feedback.

   

Note: As a general guideline, background music behind dialogue typically sits around -18 dB to -25 dB. For sections with no dialogue, such as an intro or outro, 0 dB to -6 dB is a reasonable starting range. Always use your ears and check levels on headphones before finalizing.

How to Fade Music In and Out

A hard cut at the start or end of a music clip sounds abrupt and unprofessional. Fades fix this in seconds.

Method 1: Fade Handles (Fastest)

1. Hover your cursor near the very beginning of the music clip in the timeline.

2. A small curved icon will appear in the top corner of the clip. This is the fade handle.

   

3. Click and drag the handle inward (toward the center of the clip) to create a fade-in. The longer you drag, the longer the fade.

4. Repeat on the end of the clip to create a fade-out by hovering near the end and dragging the handle inward.

   

Method 2: Audio Transitions via Effects Library

1. Open the Effects Library panel on the left side of the Edit page.

2. Go to Audio Transitions.

3. Select Cross Fade +3 dB, Cross Fade -3 dB, or Cross Fade 0 dB (depending on your audio needs).

4. Drag the selected transition onto the beginning or end of your music clip.

5. Double-click the transition in the timeline.

6. Adjust its duration in the Inspector panel.

   

Both methods produce smooth results. The fade handle approach is faster for simple cuts, while the Effects Library method gives you slightly more control over transition duration.

Fine-Tuning Audio on the Fairlight Page

For most music placement tasks, the Edit page covers everything you need. The Fairlight page is DaVinci Resolve’s dedicated audio engineering environment, and it becomes useful when you need to go further. This includes applying EQ to shape the tone of your music, adding compression to control dynamic range, or managing a complex multi-track mix with multiple audio sources. If your project has background music, dialogue, and sound effects all running simultaneously, Fairlight gives you a proper mixing console to balance them. For basic music placement, however, the Edit page is sufficient.

Where to Find Royalty-Free Music for Your Projects

If you do not have a music file ready, these sources offer free or subscription-based royalty-free tracks:

• YouTube Audio Library - free tracks usable on YouTube without copyright claims

• Pixabay Music - completely free with no attribution required

• Free Music Archive - large catalog of Creative Commons-licensed music

• Epidemic Sound - subscription-based; widely used by YouTubers and content creators

• Artlist - subscription-based; high-quality tracks with straightforward licensing

Using unlicensed commercial music in your videos carries real risk, including copyright strikes, content ID claims, and potential monetization loss on platforms like YouTube. Stick to one of the sources above to keep your projects safe.

If you are also recording voiceover or on-camera dialogue to layer alongside your background music, capturing clean source audio from the start saves significant edit time. A compact wireless microphone like the Hollyland LARK M2 eliminates cable noise and room echo before your footage ever reaches DaVinci Resolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no sound when I play music in DaVinci Resolve?

Check a few things first: confirm the audio track is not muted (look for a speaker or “M” button in the track header), verify your audio output device is selected correctly under Preferences → System → Audio I/O, and ensure DaVinci Resolve’s playback volume is not at zero. Some MP3 files with unusual encoding may also need to be transcoded to WAV before they play correctly.

Can I add music to DaVinci Resolve Free (the non-Studio version)?

Yes. All audio import and timeline placement features described in this guide are available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve at no cost. The Fairlight page and its core tools, including EQ and the audio mixer, are also included for free. The Studio version adds certain third-party plugin formats and noise reduction tools, but none of those are needed for basic music addition.

How do I sync music to a specific moment or cut in my video?

Move the playhead to the exact frame where you want the music to begin. Then drag the music clip from the Media Pool and align its left edge to the playhead position. For more precise placement, zoom into the timeline using the scroll wheel or the Ctrl/Cmd + scroll shortcut. You can also hold the clip and nudge it one frame at a time using the arrow keys after selecting it.

Conclusion

Adding music to DaVinci Resolve follows a straightforward path: import your file into the Media Pool, drag it onto a dedicated audio track on the Edit page, adjust the volume to a level that suits your mix, and apply fade handles to smooth out the entry and exit points. Once those four steps feel natural, a logical next move is exploring the Fairlight page for more refined audio control, or learning how to record and layer a voiceover track alongside your music. Mastering these basics will noticeably improve the overall quality of every video you add music to in DaVinci Resolve.