If your audio is playing from only one speaker in DaVinci Resolve, you are not alone. This is one of the most common issues editors run into after importing footage recorded with a wireless mic or camera. The good news is that the fix is straightforward once you know where to look. This guide covers three methods — at the clip level, the Inspector panel, and the Fairlight page — so you can solve the problem no matter where you are in your workflow.
Why Your Audio Is Playing in Mono in DaVinci Resolve
There are two situations that cause this problem most often. The first is a single-channel mic recording. When you record with a lavalier, shotgun mic, or built-in camera mic, the audio is often saved as a single mono channel. When DaVinci Resolve imports it, the file plays from only the left or right output instead of both.
The second situation involves clips that actually contain two audio channels, but Resolve reads each channel as a separate mono track. This happens frequently with DSLR and mirrorless camera footage. The file has both a left and a right channel, but they are not linked as a stereo pair.
In both cases, the fix lives in one of three places: the clip attributes, the Inspector panel, or the Fairlight track settings. The methods below cover all three, starting with the quickest.
Method 1 — Change Clip Attributes to Stereo (Quickest Fix)
This is the right starting point for most users. Changing the clip attributes tells DaVinci Resolve how to interpret the audio data in your file without altering the file itself.
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Right-click the clip in the Media Pool or directly on the Timeline.
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Select Clip Attributes from the context menu.
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Click the Audio tab at the top of the dialog box.
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Under Channel Format, open the dropdown and change it from Mono to Stereo or Dual Mono (see the note below for which to choose).
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Click OK to apply.
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Play back the clip to confirm audio is now coming from both channels.
Note: This change affects how Resolve reads the clip across your entire project, not just on the current timeline. If the same clip is used elsewhere, it will update there too.
When to Use Dual Mono vs. Stereo
Choose Dual Mono when your clip has two independent mono channels recorded separately, such as a lavalier mic on one channel and a boom mic on the other. Most wireless mic systems and DSLR cameras record this way. Choose Stereo only when the file contains a true left/right stereo recording, such as audio from a stereo field recorder or music track. When in doubt, most camera and mic recordings are Dual Mono.
Method 2 — Use the Inspector Panel for Channel Mapping
If changing the clip attributes did not fully resolve the issue, or if you prefer to make adjustments without leaving the Edit page, the Inspector panel gives you direct control over how each channel is routed to the output.
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Click to select the audio clip on your Timeline.
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Open the Inspector panel by clicking the icon in the top-right corner of the Edit page (or press Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows / Cmd+Shift+I on Mac).
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Click the Audio tab inside the Inspector.
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Scroll down to find the Channel Mapping section and expand it.
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Locate the left channel (Ch 1) and check that it is mapped to the L output.
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Map the same source channel to the R output as well, so the single mono channel plays through both speakers.
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Play back the clip to verify the audio fills both channels.
This method is particularly useful when a clip has only one recorded channel and you need that channel to play in full through both the left and right outputs. It is a non-destructive, per-clip adjustment, so it will not affect other clips on your timeline.
Method 3 — Change the Track Type in Fairlight
If you are working inside the Fairlight page, or if you want every clip on a given track to behave as stereo without adjusting each clip individually, changing the track type is the most efficient approach.
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Navigate to the Fairlight page using the tab at the bottom of the screen.
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Locate the audio track you want to change in the track list on the left.
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Right-click the track header (the area showing the track name and controls).
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Select Change Track Type from the context menu.
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Choose Stereo from the submenu.
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As a final check, confirm that your Master Bus is also set to stereo by right-clicking the Master Bus header and reviewing its format.
Note: Changing the track type affects how the track processes all audio on it. If you have mono clips that were intentionally panned, review your pan settings after making this change to make sure nothing sounds unbalanced.
Double-Check Your Export Audio Settings
Fixing the audio in your timeline is only half the job. If your export settings are still set to mono, the problem will reappear in the final file. Before you export, run through this checklist:
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Go to the Deliver page and open your export settings.
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Under Audio, confirm the Codec is set to a format that supports stereo (such as AAC or PCM/WAV).
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Set the Channels option to Stereo (not Mono).
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If exporting to a specific platform preset (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), verify that the preset has not overridden your audio channel settings.
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Do a short test export of 10 to 20 seconds and play it back in a media player before committing to the full render.
FAQ
Q: Why is my audio still only coming from the left channel after changing Clip Attributes?
Clip Attributes tells Resolve how to read the file, but it does not automatically remap the channel to both outputs. If audio is still coming from one side only, go to the Inspector panel and use Method 2 to route that channel to both the L and R outputs. The two methods often work best together.
Q: What is the difference between making audio stereo and making it Dual Mono?
Stereo means one file that contains true left/right content recorded as a pair. Dual Mono means two separate mono channels assigned to the left and right outputs. Most lavalier microphones, shotgun mics, and camera mics produce Dual Mono recordings. If you are unsure, Dual Mono is usually the correct choice for mic-recorded dialogue.
Q: How do I make all clips on my timeline stereo at once?
Use Method 3. Changing the track type to Stereo in Fairlight applies the format change to the entire track, so you do not need to adjust each clip one by one. This is the fastest option when you have a lot of clips on a single track that all share the same audio problem.
Q: Does making audio stereo in DaVinci Resolve affect the original file?
No. Every change covered in this guide — Clip Attributes, Inspector channel mapping, and Fairlight track type — is a non-destructive metadata change stored inside your Resolve project file. Your original audio file on disk is never modified.
Next Step
Start with Method 1 if your problem is at the clip level, then follow up with Method 2 if a single channel still is not filling both outputs. If you are working in Fairlight or want a track-wide solution, go straight to Method 3. Always verify your export settings before the final render to make sure the fix carries through to the finished file.
Once your audio is routing correctly, you may also want to explore how to sync audio in DaVinci Resolve or how to remove background noise in DaVinci Resolve to further clean up your sound before delivery.
