How To Unlink Audio In Davinci Resolve (3 EASY Steps)

To separate the audio file from a video in DaVinci Resolve 18+, simply right-click on the clip and select "Unlink" from the context menu once you have selected the particular media channel that you wish to separate. For a more detailed guide on how to separate audio tracks from video layers in your DaVinci Resolve timeline, continue reading this post.

March 8, 2024
How To Unlink Audio In Davinci Resolve (3 EASY Steps)
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Separating Audio tracks from your video tracks in DaVinci Resolve is a helpful ability to have during the editing process. By separating the audio track, you can edit each layer individually however you like. You may also want to replace the audio track with another if the original sound does not fit the video. Some DaVinci users also prefer to add alternative audio or a musical score to enhance the overall presentation of their films and increase its appeal to viewers. Therefore, in order to professionally edit your video in DaVinci Resolve, you'll almost always need to separate the audio from the video sometime during your editing process.

Separating Audio And Video In Davinci Resolve 17 - 18+ (How To Cut Audio In DaVinci Resolve)

The process of separating and individually editing audio and video layers that were previously connected in DaVinci Resolve is a fairly easy process, depending on what you're ultimately trying to achieve. Editors may want to independently make changes to audio and video tracks so they can:

  • Process visual and auditory aspects of a video separately
  • Add another audio track such as a field recording instead of the one recorded with the clip
  • Achieve greater flexibility and editing controls

Having said that, here is how you can unlink and isolate audio from video tracks in DaVinci Resolve 17 and beyond.

Removing The Audio From A Video Clip In Davinci Resolve

Edit tab opened in DaVinci Resolve

Open up the edit tab, then select the option to silence the audio from the video volume button. You can also just drag the slider handle all the way to the bottom to mute the sound completely. Now here's what you should do if you needed to remove the entire audio track itself:

How Do I Separate Audio Channels In Davinci Resolve?

Once your clip is in the timeline, the real magic begins. You'll notice that the video and audio are linked, which means any alteration to one affects the other. However, there are moments in the editing process where you might need to manipulate them separately. Here's how:

Link/unlink button in DaVinci Resolve timeline
  1. Direct your attention to the timeline, where your video clip resides. You'll observe a chain link icon located on the toolbar above the timeline. This icon represents the linkage between the video and its corresponding audio.
  2. Clicking on this chain link icon will break the connection between the audio and video, thus allowing you to edit them as individual entities. To confirm this, I often drag the audio slightly to the left or right; if it moves independently of the video, the detachment was successful.
  3. For keyboard shortcut enthusiasts, pressing "ctrl + shift + I" accomplishes the same goal. I find myself using this combination frequently, especially during extensive editing sessions where efficiency is key.

Inspecting Your Work

  1. After detaching the audio, it's crucial to ensure that everything is in order. On the timeline, just beside the audio waveform, you'll find an equalizer symbol. Clicking on it will bring up the audio's properties. For my interview clip, I usually check if the voice levels are consistent and if there's any background noise that needs addressing.

Exporting Your Edited Clip

DaVinci Resolve export settings close-up
  1. Once you're satisfied with the changes you've made, it's time to export the clip. This step is paramount, as it allows you to save a version of your project that can be played outside of DaVinci Resolve. To do this, navigate to the 'File' tab once again, and from the dropdown, select 'Export'. Choose your desired format and location. I typically export my interview clips in MP4 format at 1080p resolution for optimal quality and compatibility.

Here's a video for the visual learners:

How do I isolate parts of an audio in DaVinci Resolve?

If you're trying to remove or enhance parts of your recording, we'd recommend you use a more advanced software such as Izotope RX7 or the FL Studio Equalizer + compression effects. However, if you are not willing to purchase any additional software, sound isolation can be done to some extent in the newer versions of DaVinci Resolve. Here's how:

DaVinci Resolve Remove Background Music

Here's a summary of what was explained in the video:

  1. Import your audio track into the software.
  2. Head over to the Fairlight page and select the audio clip.
  3. Hit the Source/Record tab and choose "Separate."
  4. Pick the "Music" option for separation.
  5. DaVinci Resolve will then give you a new track with just the background music.
  6. Flip the polarity of the new track to remove the music.
  7. Mix the new track with the original audio to get rid of the background music.

Removing the background noise can be a strenuous and time-consuming process especially when there are different sounds in the background, but by following the steps above, you'll be able to achieve the greatest clarity you can achieve in an audio track edited in DaVinci Resolve 17. Once again, for a better result, we'd recommend using proper audio editing software. Adobe Audition is a great example among others like the ones we mentioned above.

How To Isolate Vocals From A Song In DaVinci

If you're looking to isolate vocals in DaVinci Resolve, it involves the same steps as removing background noise, but with one minor difference. Here's how to do it with vocals instead of background noise:

  1. Import your audio track into the software.
  2. Go to the Fairlight page and select the audio clip.
  3. Hit the Source/Record tab and choose "Separate."
  4. Pick the "Vocal" option for separation.
  5. DaVinci Resolve will then work its magic and give you a new track with just the vocals.
  6. If needed, you can tweak the separation settings to get the vocals just right.

Just keep in mind that the clarity of the isolated vocals will depend on the audio and how well the separation algorithm works. Some audio may separate better than others.

And once again, here's a video with a more in-depth explanation:

Davinci Resolve Delete Audio Without Deleting Video

If you don't need the audio track all together, follow the steps above to unlink the audio layer. Once your audio and video layers are separated, you can delete (DEL) either channels individually without deleting the other. See step 4 in the section above to learn how to do this with more context.

So, to wrap it up, separating audio from video in DaVinci Resolve is an essential skill to learn that can come in handy in almost every single video project. Whether you're looking to isolate vocals, take out background music, or just want more control over your audio and video, DaVinci Resolve has got you covered. The process of separating audio is simple, and even if you're new to video editing, you can give it a shot. Of course, the quality of the separated audio will vary depending on the audio track itself, but that's just part of the fun. All in all, if you're looking to step up your video game, audio separation in DaVinci Resolve is definitely worth exploring.