Using industry-standard tools can be daunting as hell for beginners. Adobe Premiere, for example, is not about a bright, cheerful, easy-to-use interface; it’s all about customization. This may be a turn-off if you’re just starting out in the world of video editing. But once you’ve gotten the hang of just a few efficiency tricks, the software will open up a world of video customization and control unmatched by other platforms like CapCut or iMovie.
Time-Saving Adobe Premiere Keyboard Shortcuts Everyone Should Know
Here are my top suggestions for anyone who wants to save time and edit their videos like a pro.
1. Cut (Command + K)
For the longest time, I used the shortcut C to bring out the slicing tool, freehand selected where I wanted to cut, and then hit V to return to the standard select tool. Talk about a timesuck! Everything changed when I eventually learned that you can hit Command + K and slice exactly where your playhead (that thin blue line) is on your timeline.
Pro Tip: If you select multiple layers (for example, a video file with a graphic on top), you can use this shortcut to cut all of them in one fell swoop.
2. Insert (,) / Override (.)
These two go hand in hand with Mark In (I) and Mark Out (O), which select a portion of your file when viewing in your Source Panel. (Source Panel opens automatically when you double-click on any file in your project bin.) Instead of dragging an entire clip into your timeline and cutting the excess, keep your timeline clean by marking the portion of the clip you want to insert into your timeline, then hit (,) to insert or (.) to override. By keeping your timeline free of stray clips, you’ll save time because you won’t have to scan through unwanted footage. You’ll also avoid accidentally deleting the portions you want to use. Be aware: This shortcut only works if you are in the timeline panel. After selecting your in and out points, make sure you click back on your timeline. You should see a thin blue box highlighting the workspace you are currently selecting.
Pro Tip: The insert shortcut moves all your other clips to create space for the new one, while the override shortcut simply overrides them. I like to hit either (,) or (.) in a fully blank area of my timeline (usually past the end of all my clips) and then manually move the media to exactly where it is supposed to go to avoid messing with my previous placements.
3. Paste Attributes (Option + Command + V)
This is the holy grail of Adobe customization features. I cannot tell you how many times, in my early days with Premiere, I would add adjustments to one clip and manually copy and paste the number value in the Effect Controls to every other clip. If you have a similar M.O., this shortcut will change your life.
- Make all your edits (position, scale, volume, and even effects) on one clip,
- Hit Command + C to copy,
- Select all the clips to which you’d like to apply the same edits, and
- Hit Option + Command + V (or right-click and hit Paste Attributes).
Pro Tip: Once you’ve pasted the attributes, a window will pop up where you can select and deselect individual attributes. So, say you’ve already got everything sized correctly and just want to copy the audio effects onto the other clips; simply pause on the pop-up window and hand-pick which attributes you’d like to paste.
This Is Just the Beginning
Adobe Premiere is like an onion—with each new project, you will peel back the layers and learn more about how to make higher quality and efficient edits to your workflow. If there’s something you can’t figure out or is taking a tedious amount of time to complete on Premiere, leave a comment below. Who knows… maybe I’ll write about how to solve that challenge in my next blog 🙂
