How to Make YouTube Shorts in DaVinci Resolve

Making compelling YouTube Shorts is one of the best ways to grow your channel, but getting that polished, professional look can feel like a challenge. If you're using DaVinci Resolve, you already have a powerhouse editor at your fingertips that can create stunning vertical videos. This guide will walk you through setting up your project, editing efficiently, and exporting your Short with the perfect settings for YouTube.

Start Smart: Setting Up Your DaVinci Resolve Project for Shorts

The single most important step for creating a YouTube Short is setting up your project correctly. Getting your timeline resolution and frame rate right from the start saves you from a world of frustration later. A YouTube Short must be a vertical video, and getting this wrong means it will likely be published as a standard video instead.

1. Create a New Project

When you first open DaVinci Resolve, you'll be greeted by the Project Manager. Click the New Project button and give your project a name - something like "My First Short" or the title of your video.

2. Adjust Project Settings for Vertical Video

This is where the magic happens. Before you import any footage, you need to tell Resolve you're making a vertical video.

• In the bottom right corner of the screen, click the gear icon to open Project Settings.
• Under the Master Settings tab, find the "Timeline Format" section.
• Change the Timeline Resolution from the default 1920x1080 to 1080x1920. Simply type the values in, and Resolve will automatically label it "Custom." This flips the horizontal 16:9 aspect ratio to the vertical 9:16 ratio required for Shorts.
• Check your Timeline Frame Rate. The most common frame rates for social media are 24, 30, and 60 fps. Match this to your source footage if you know what it is. If not, 30 fps is a safe and reliable choice for mobile content.
• Click Save.

That's it! Your project is now set up for vertical video. The viewer and timeline on the Edit page will now be formatted in the 9:16 aspect ratio, so you can see exactly how your final Short will look as you edit.

Your Core Editing Workflow: From Import to Timeline

With your project properly configured, the editing process is much more straightforward. You'll primarily be working in the Edit and Cut pages, which are found at the bottom of the screen. For most Shorts, the Edit page gives you everything you need.

Import Your Clips

First, you need to bring your raw footage, images, or graphics into DaVinci Resolve.

1. Navigate to the Media page or open the Media Pool on the top left of the Edit page.
2. Use the browser on the left to find the folder on your computer containing your video files.
3. Drag the files you want to use directly into the Media Pool panel. They're now available to use in your project.

If you get a pop-up message asking if you want to change the project's frame rate to match your clip's frame rate, it's generally best to click "Change" to ensure smooth playback.

Create Your Timeline and Start Cutting

Simply drag your first clip from the Media Pool down into the timeline area. Resolve will automatically create a new timeline with the vertical settings you established earlier.

Now, you can start assembling your Short. It must be less than 60 seconds long to qualify. Modern viewers have short attention spans, especially with vertical video, so aim for fast-paced, engaging edits.

• Trim Clips: Hover your mouse over the beginning or end of a clip in the timeline until the cursor changes to a bracket icon. Then click and drag to shorten or lengthen the clip.
• Make Cuts: Use the Blade tool (shortcut: "B") to cut clips in your timeline. Click on a clip to split it into two. Switch back to the Selection tool (shortcut: "A") to move the pieces around.
• Keep an eye on the clock. The total duration of your timeline is displayed at the top. Make sure it stays below 00:01:00:00!

Making Your Shorts Stand Out: Pro Editing Techniques

A simple cut is fine, but to truly capture attention, you need to add some polish. DaVinci Resolve offers incredibly powerful tools - many of them available in the free version - to level up your content.

Mastering the Reframe: Fit Horizontal Video into a Vertical World

Often, you’ll be working with footage that was shot horizontally (16:9). When you place it in your vertical timeline, you'll see black bars at the top and bottom. You need to reframe it so the most important action is visible.

Manual Reframing

This method gives you complete control.

1. Select a clip in your timeline.
2. Open the Inspector in the top-right corner. If it's not visible, click the "Inspector" button.
3. In the Transform controls, use the Zoom slider to punch in on your clip until it fills the vertical frame. You may need to zoom to 1.78 or more.
4. Use the Position X and Y sliders to move the clip left, right, up, or down, keeping the subject in the frame.

Smart Reframe (DaVinci Resolve Studio)

If you have the paid Studio version of DaVinci Resolve, you have access to a game-changing AI tool called Smart Reframe. It automatically analyzes your clip and repositions it to keep the action centered.

1. Select a clip in the timeline.
2. In the Inspector, scroll down and find the Smart Reframe section.
3. Click the "Auto" Reframing button.
4. Let Resolve analyze the clip. Once it's done, it will automatically create keyframes to follow the action in your shot. You can adjust these manually if needed.

Grab Attention with Dynamic Text and Captions

Most Shorts are viewed with the sound off, so text and captions are absolutely essential for engagement and accessibility.

Adding Titles and Text Overlays

1. In the top-left of the Edit page, open the Effects Library (if it isn't already).
2. Go to Titles >, Text+. The "+" version is much more powerful.
3. Drag a Text+ effect onto a video track above your primary clip in the timeline.
4. Select the Text+ title in the timeline, open the Inspector, and you'll find a world of options. You can change the font, size, color, add drop shadows, animate the text, and much more. This is great for creating calls to action or emphasizing key points.

Creating Burnt-in Captions

To add captions for dialogue, Resolve has a built-in subtitling tool.

1. In your timeline, go to the three-dot menu (...) on the far right and select "Add Subtitle Track."
2. Right-click on the new subtitle track and choose "Add Subtitle."
3. Select the blank subtitle in the timeline. In the Inspector, you can type your caption text and customize its appearance. Drag the ends of the caption to adjust its timing.
4. If you have DaVinci Resolve Studio, you can even use Timeline >, Create Subtitles from Audio and let the AI transcribe your dialogue automatically.

The Perfect Soundtrack

Audio is just as important as visuals. While YouTube has its own library you can add from in their app, baking your sound design into the edit gives you much more control. Find a copyright-free track from a service you trust, import it into your Media Pool, and drag it into an audio track on your timeline below the video. Use the Inspector to adjust volume and add simple fade-ins or fade-outs.

The Final Step: Best Export Settings for YouTube Shorts

Once your Short is edited, captioned, and under 60 seconds, it's time to export. Using the correct export settings ensures your video looks crisp and uploads to YouTube without any issues.

Navigate to the Deliver page at the bottom of the screen.

On the left, you'll see a panel called Render Settings. You can use one of Resolve’s presets as a starting point, but a custom export gives you the best results.

Custom Export Settings for YouTube Shorts:

• Filename: Give your file a clear name.
• Location: Choose where to save the exported video file.
• Format: MP4
• Codec: H.264 (this is the most universally compatible for web video)
• Resolution: Make sure this is still 1080x1920. If it's not, you might have an exporting setting overriding your project settings. Double-check your timeline resolution if this keeps happening.
• Frame Rate: Match your timeline frame rate (e.g., 30).
• Quality: Under "Encoding Profile," choose "High." In the Quality settings, you can either select "Automatic" and let Resolve manage the bitrate, or set a manual bitrate. A setting around 10,000 to 15,000 Kb/s is plenty for a high-quality vertical video.

Once your settings are dialed in, click "Add to Render Queue" at the bottom of the settings panel. Then, on the right side of the screen, click "Render All" to start exporting your video. When it's finished, you'll have a perfectly formatted file ready to be uploaded to YouTube.

Final Thoughts

DaVinci Resolve provides all the tools you need to create slick, engaging YouTube Shorts that stand out from the crowd. By starting with the correct vertical project settings and using its powerful reframing, text, and color tools, you can build a highly effective workflow for short-form video.

Once you've exported your masterpiece, the next step is getting it in front of your audience. At Postbase, we built our social media management platform specifically for the needs of modern creators, which means putting short-form video first. Instead of juggling native apps, you can schedule your creations across YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok all at once, saving you time and keeping your content strategy consistent across platforms.