Tutorials Video

Multicam Editing in DaVinci Resolve

By Infinite Creation · Intermediate · ~45 min

Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A 1960s mid-century comic book style editorial illustration showing a video editor and a director reviewing the cut together, with a camera on a tripod, an audio waveform display, an edit timeline on a large screen visible in the frame.

Overview

Video podcasts and interview content shot on multiple cameras need a fast way to switch angles without manually aligning clips shot-by-shot. DaVinci Resolve's free Multicam Clip tool does this, sync once, then cut live between angles like a TV control room.

What You Need

DaVinci Resolve (free version is sufficient)
Footage from 2+ camera angles, ideally with a shared reference audio track
The site's How to Sync Audio and Video guide if your cameras weren't jam-synced

Steps

Import and organise all camera angles

Bring in every camera's footage into separate bins named by angle (Wide, Host, Guest), clear naming saves significant time once you're inside the Multicam editor.

Create a Multicam Clip

Select all angle clips, right-click, and choose "New Multicam Clip". Resolve will offer sync options. This bundles every angle into one clip you can switch between live.

Sync by audio waveform or timecode

If your cameras share timecode (see the LTC Timecode Generator), sync by timecode for frame-accurate results instantly. Otherwise, sync by audio waveform. Resolve analyses each camera's guide audio and aligns them automatically.

Cut live in the Multicam viewer

Drop the Multicam Clip on your timeline, open the Multicam viewer, and click between angle thumbnails while playing. Resolve records your angle switches as cuts on the timeline in real time, like directing a live broadcast.

Fine-tune and finish

Once your rough cut exists, right-click any section and "Expand Multicam Clip in Place" to fine-tune individual cut points and trim on a standard timeline, then colour grade and finish as normal.

Pro Tips

Include a reference clap or slate at the start of a recording session. It gives waveform sync an unambiguous spike to lock onto if timecode sync isn't available.
Cut on reactions and questions, not just talking-to-listening switches, anticipating who's about to speak next feels more natural than reacting to it.
Keep a wide "safety" angle available at all times. It's your fallback for any moment where a tighter angle doesn't quite work.

Knowledge Base

Why Free Resolve Is Enough for This

Multicam editing was once a Studio-tier (paid) Resolve feature. The free version now includes the core Multicam Clip and live-cut workflow, making this genuinely accessible for independent video podcasters without a software upgrade.

Timecode Sync vs. Audio Sync

Timecode sync (via jam-synced cameras or an LTC generator feeding all recorders) is instant and frame-perfect regardless of noisy audio. Audio waveform sync works with zero extra hardware but needs each camera to have a usable reference audio track and can occasionally mis-sync on very quiet or heavily processed audio.

Directing Live vs. Editing After the Fact

Cutting live in the Multicam viewer while re-watching the full session feels more like directing a broadcast than traditional editing. Many editors find they make faster, more natural angle decisions this way than manually placing cuts clip by clip on a standard timeline.

Where This Fits

Multicam editing depends on how the cameras were set up, and Video Production Fundamentals explains that link between stages.

FAQ

Q: How many camera angles can Resolve handle in one Multicam Clip?
A: Considerably more than most creator setups need, 2-4 angle video podcasts run comfortably even on modest hardware.

Q: Does multicam editing work for audio-only podcast video (static camera + waveform)?
A: Yes. Treat a waveform/static graphic as one of your angles alongside host and guest cameras for variety during long answers.

Sources

The manual confirms the shape of the workflow described here, including that after syncing, a new Multicam clip appears in the Media Pool, and covers what to do when a shot goes out of sync with the timeline.

Blackmagic Design, DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual (PDF, 4,444 pages). Read 11 September 2026. Judgements on this page about what is worth doing are the author’s and are not attributed to Blackmagic.

Vocabulary

Multicam clip. A container holding several synchronised angles as one item, letting an editor cut between them in real time. Built once at the start and used for the whole edit.

Angle. One camera's view within a multicam clip. Switching angles changes which is visible without altering the position in time, which is what makes multicam editing fast.

Sync point. The identifiable moment used to align separate recordings, such as a clap or a shared sound. Everything downstream depends on it, so verifying it before building is worth the minute it takes.

Cut and switch. Cutting places a permanent edit at the playhead, and switching replaces the angle for the whole existing clip. Confusing the two is the usual reason a multicam edit ends up with angles nobody chose.