Final Cut Pro has a keyboard shortcut for a lot of what you click every day. Here are 54 that work on Mac, grouped by what you’re trying to do.
We checked every one against Apple Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Final Cut Pro for Mac on October 21, 2026.
General
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd + N | Create a new project |
| Cmd + I | Import media |
| Cmd + E | Share using the default destination |
| Cmd + Z | Undo |
| Cmd + Shift + Z | Redo |
| Cmd + C | Copy |
| Cmd + X | Cut |
| Cmd + V | Paste at the skimmer or playhead |
| Cmd + Shift + V | Paste attributes |
| Cmd + A | Select all clips |
Playback
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Start or pause playback |
| J | Play in reverse (press again to go faster) |
| K | Stop playback |
| L | Play forward (press again to go faster) |
| Left Arrow | Move the playhead back one frame |
| Right Arrow | Move the playhead forward one frame |
| ; | Go to the previous edit point |
| ‘ | Go to the next edit point |
| / | Play the selection |
| Cmd + Shift + F | Play full screen |
| S | Turn skimming on or off |
Tools
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| A | Select tool |
| B | Blade tool |
| T | Trim tool |
| P | Position tool |
| R | Range Selection tool |
| Z | Zoom tool |
| H | Hand tool |
Editing
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| I | Set the range start |
| O | Set the range end |
| Option + X | Clear the range selection |
| E | Append the selection to the end of the storyline |
| W | Insert at the skimmer or playhead |
| Q | Connect to the primary storyline |
| D | Overwrite at the skimmer or playhead |
| Option + W | Insert a gap clip |
| Cmd + B | Blade the clip at the skimmer or playhead |
| Option + [ | Trim the clip start to the playhead |
| Option + ] | Trim the clip end to the playhead |
| Option + Up Arrow | Move selected connected clips up |
| Option + Down Arrow | Move selected connected clips down |
| Cmd + T | Add the default transition |
| V | Enable or disable the selected clip |
| M | Add a marker |
| N | Turn snapping on or off |
Audio
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Control + = | Raise the volume by 1 dB |
| Control + – | Lower the volume by 1 dB |
| Control + S | Expand audio and video into separate parts |
| Option + S | Solo the selected clips |
Window and View
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shift + Z | Zoom to fit the timeline |
| Cmd + Control + 1 | Show or hide the browser |
| Cmd + Control + 2 | Show or hide the timeline |
| Cmd + 4 | Show or hide the inspector |
| Cmd + 5 | Show or hide the Effects browser |
Good to know: Final Cut Pro runs only on Mac. You can change any shortcut in Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (Option + Cmd + K).
Get the Excel and PDF Version
Everything above is free. Bookmark this page and use it anytime.
If you’d rather have it on your desk, the download below is a sortable Excel file plus a printable one-page PDF of all 54 shortcuts, for $0.99.
Want One Key to Do More?
Built-in shortcuts only work while Final Cut Pro is the active window, and you can’t add new ones. These tools let you pick your own hotkeys:
- Prompt Assistant: if you also work on a Windows PC, paste your standard video description or credits text with a hotkey you pick
- YouTuber Tools: more of our picks for people who record and edit videos

