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How to Fix Audio Delay in DaVinci Resolve

Direct methods for fixing Bluetooth latency, sample rate mismatch, and timeline sync.

The best way to fix audio delay in DaVinci Resolve is to disable Bluetooth headphone latency, match the timeline sample rate to your microphone, and manually slip the audio tracks.

Here are the direct methods to fix audio delay in DaVinci Resolve.

What is the fastest way to disable Bluetooth headphone latency?

If your video perfectly matches your voice on the timeline but you hear a massive half-second echo every time you press play or stop, DaVinci Resolve is transmitting the audio signal to your AirPods or Bluetooth speakers significantly slower than the video monitor updates.

To quickly disable Bluetooth headphone latency:

  1. Open DaVinci Resolve and go to the top menu bar.
  2. Click DaVinci Resolve > Preferences.
  3. Select the System tab, then click Video and Audio I/O on the left.
  4. Uncheck the box for Automatic speaker setup.
  5. Manually select your Device as the Mac's internal speakers (or a wired pair of headphones).
  6. Click Save and restart DaVinci Resolve. The software will bypass the Bluetooth transmitter completely, eliminating the wireless delay.

How do you fix sample rate mismatch drift?

If your audio perfectly syncs to your lips at the beginning of a 20-minute interview but slowly drifts out of sync by the end of the video, your camera recorded the video at 48kHz but your external audio recorder captured the sound at 44.1kHz.

To fix sample rate mismatch drift:

  1. Open the Media page (Shift+2) or the Edit page (Shift+4).
  2. Locate the external audio file in your Media Pool (not on the timeline).
  3. Right-click the file and select Clip Attributes.
  4. Go to the Audio tab.
  5. In the Audio Sample Rate dropdown, check if the file is listed as 44100 Hz instead of 48000 Hz.
  6. To fix the drift on the timeline, hold the Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) key and drag the right edge of the audio clip to stretch it slightly until it perfectly matches the video duration.

How do you manually slip out-of-sync audio tracks?

If the clapperboard visually connects on frame 10 but the sharp "clap" sound plays on frame 15, DaVinci Resolve is playing the audio exactly 5 frames late.

To manually slip out-of-sync audio tracks:

  1. Open the Edit page (Shift+4).
  2. Go to the top menu bar and click Timeline > Link Selection (or Shift+Cmd+L) to unlink the video from the audio.
  3. Zoom in tightly on the clapperboard spike in the audio waveform.
  4. Select the audio clip, hold the , (comma) or . (period) keys on your keyboard to nudge the audio left or right by exactly one frame at a time.
  5. Watch the video monitor. Stop nudging the exact moment the sound perfectly aligns with the visual clap.
  6. Select both the video and audio clips, right-click, and choose Link Clips to permanently lock them back together.