The best examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro

Real examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro

Let’s start where it matters: real editing moves you do every day, and the Premiere Pro shortcuts that make them faster. These are not theoretical; they’re the exact keystrokes working editors hammer all day.

When people ask for examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro, they usually mean: “What should my hands actually be doing on the keyboard while I cut?” So let’s walk through a typical workflow.

Example: Building a rough cut from interview footage

You’ve got an hour-long interview and need a 3‑minute highlight reel. Here are some of the best examples of shortcuts that speed this up:

• Play / Pause – Spacebar
  Your main transport control. Tap to start/stop playback while you skim for soundbites.

• Play around current frame – Shift + K (default in many modern layouts; verify in Keyboard Shortcuts panel)
  Great for quickly hearing context before and after a cut.

• Mark In / Mark Out – I / O
  As you hear a good line, tap I to mark the start, O for the end. These are classic examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that every editor should internalize early.

• Insert / Overwrite edit – , (comma) / . (period)
  With In/Out points set in the Source Monitor, , drops the clip into the timeline and ripples everything after it; . overwrites whatever is there. These are some of the best examples of shortcuts that directly translate to saved time.

• Lift / Extract – ; / ' (apostrophe)
  Mark a bad line in the timeline with In/Out, then hit ; to lift (remove and leave a gap) or ' to extract (remove and close the gap). Real examples like this are why many editors rarely touch the mouse for basic assembly.

Example: Fast trimming and polishing a talking-head edit

Once the rough cut exists, you need to tighten it. Here’s where more advanced examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro start to shine.

• Selection Tool – V
  Your default tool for selecting and moving clips.

• Ripple Edit Tool – B
  Switch to B and drag an edit point to trim while automatically closing or opening gaps. Many editors tap B, trim, then tap V to go back.

• Rolling Edit Tool – N
  Adjust the cut point between two clips without changing overall sequence length. This is perfect for tightening dialogue without throwing off music timing.

• Trim Backward / Forward One Frame – Alt + Left Arrow / Alt + Right Arrow (Windows) or Option + Left/Right Arrow (macOS)
  With an edit point selected, nudge a cut one frame at a time. This is a subtle example of a keyboard shortcut that matters when lip sync or reaction timing needs to be perfect.

• Trim Backward / Forward Five Frames – Shift + Alt + Left/Right Arrow (Windows) or Shift + Option + Left/Right Arrow (macOS)
  Bigger adjustments, same idea. Editors often use these in combination with JKL playback.

• JKL shuttle controls – J / K / L
L to play forward, J to play backward, K to stop. Double-tap L or J to speed up. These are classic examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that dramatically reduce time spent scrubbing.

Example: Navigating long timelines without getting lost

If you cut long-form content—podcasts, documentaries, webinars—navigation shortcuts are where the real time savings live.

• Go to Next / Previous Edit Point – Page Down / Page Up
  Jumps the playhead between cuts on targeted tracks. These are underrated examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that keep you off the mouse.

• Go to In / Out – Shift + I / Shift + O
  Once you’ve marked a section, bounce to the start or end instantly.

• Zoom In / Out on Timeline – = / -
  Tap = to zoom into the timeline around the playhead, - to zoom out. A lot of editors map these to easily reachable keys because they use them constantly.

• Zoom to Sequence – \\ (backslash)
  Shows the entire sequence in the timeline view. This is a perfect example of a shortcut you use when you feel lost in a giant project.

• Toggle Full-Screen Program Monitor – ` (grave accent / tilde)
  Hover over the Program Monitor and tap this key to maximize it, then tap again to return. Great for checking focus and framing.

More examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro by task

Instead of memorizing a giant list, think in categories: selecting, trimming, navigating, marking, audio, and export. Below are more real examples organized by what you’re trying to do.

H2: Examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro: selection and editing

You probably spend half your time just selecting and moving things. These examples include the most-used commands:

• Select Clip at Playhead – D
  Instantly selects the clip under the playhead on targeted tracks. Perfect for quick trims or effect changes.

• Select All on Track – Alt + Click track header (Windows) or Option + Click (macOS)
  Useful when you need to shift everything on one track without touching others.

• Add Edit (Cut) at Playhead – Ctrl + K (Windows) / Cmd + K (macOS)
  Drops an edit point on all targeted tracks. This is one of the cleanest examples of a keyboard shortcut that replaces constant razor-tool clicking.

• Add Edit to Single Track – Ctrl + Shift + K (Windows) / Cmd + Shift + K (macOS)
  Same idea, but only on the active track.

• Toggle Track Targeting – Shift + track number key
  Helps control which tracks respond to Insert, Overwrite, and Add Edit.

These examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro might sound simple, but when you’re doing hundreds of cuts per timeline, they add up fast.

H2: Best examples of keyboard shortcuts for timeline markers and review

Markers are how you keep your future self sane when you revisit a project.

• Add Marker – M
  Tap once to add a marker at the playhead. Tap again while the marker is selected to open the dialog and add notes.

• Go to Next / Previous Marker – Shift + M / Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + M (macOS, depending on layout)
  Jump between important beats, client notes, or problem spots.

• Clear Selected Marker – Alt + M (Windows) or Option + M (macOS) if assigned
  Many editors customize this one; it’s a good example of a shortcut you might want to set yourself.

Real examples include using markers to:

• Mark “must-use” soundbites during the first listen.
• Flag spots for B‑roll or graphics.
• Note client feedback with timecodes during review.

Adobe’s own documentation on markers and shortcuts is worth a bookmark:
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/markers.html

H2: Examples of keyboard shortcuts for audio editing in Premiere Pro

Audio cleanup is where many beginners slow down. Here are examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that keep your audio workflow moving.

• Toggle Mute for Track – M on the track header (click-based) plus custom key assignments
  While not a default global shortcut, many editors map keyboard keys to toggle mute/solo on specific tracks.

• Increase / Decrease Clip Volume by 1 dB – Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow (Windows) / Cmd + Up/Down Arrow (macOS)
  Nudge volume in fine increments.

• Increase / Decrease Clip Volume by 3 dB – Shift + Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow (Windows) / Shift + Cmd + Up/Down Arrow (macOS)
  Bigger adjustments, same shortcut family.

• Toggle Audio Waveform Height – Shift + + or Shift + - (depending on layout)
  Helpful for syncing audio visually.

For deeper audio best practices (levels, hearing safety, etc.), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a solid overview of safe listening levels and hearing health:
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/preventing-hearing-loss

H2: Real examples of export and workflow shortcuts

No one wants to baby-sit exports. These examples include shortcuts that speed up the end of the pipeline.

• Render Effects In to Out – Enter (Return)
  Renders preview files for the selected range so playback is smooth.

• Export Frame (still) – Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows) / Cmd + Shift + E (macOS) if assigned
  Great for thumbnails or reference stills.

• Open Export Settings – Ctrl + M (Windows) / Cmd + M (macOS)
  Sends the active sequence to the Export dialog. This is a textbook example of a keyboard shortcut you’ll use on every project.

For up-to-date guidance on modern formats, codecs, and delivery standards, Adobe’s export documentation stays current with 2024–2025 workflows:
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/exporting-media.html

2024–2025 trends: How editors are using shortcuts now

The way editors use Premiere Pro in 2024–2025 looks a bit different than it did a few years ago. A few trends worth noting:

More keyboard-driven editing, less mouse wandering

Short-form content for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels means editors are cutting dozens of highly repetitive projects. That repetition pushes people toward heavy use of:

• JKL shuttle controls for fast review.
• In/Out plus Insert/Overwrite for rapid assembly.
• Add Edit and Ripple Delete for cleaning up jump cuts.

These are some of the best examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that scale well when you’re cutting similar formats all day.

Custom shortcut layouts for different roles

Agencies and larger teams increasingly maintain shared shortcut presets—one for editors, one for assistants, one for color/finishing. Real examples include:

• Mapping color-related actions (like toggling Lumetri scopes, bypassing effects) to nearby keys for colorists.
• Giving assistants fast access to markers, metadata, and label changes.

Adobe has leaned into this by improving the Keyboard Shortcuts panel, making it easier to search, remap, and export shortcut sets.

Cross-app consistency

Editors who bounce between Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop often customize shortcuts to feel similar across apps. For example:

• Using the same keys for zooming the timeline and canvas.
• Keeping Spacebar as play/pause and Ctrl/Cmd + M as export wherever possible.

This is a subtle trend, but it’s one reason examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro often show up in motion graphics and design workflows too.

For general guidance on repetitive strain and ergonomics when you’re doing this all day, the CDC has helpful resources on workstation setup and repetitive motion:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/

How to customize and memorize your own shortcuts

You don’t have to live with the defaults. In fact, many of the best examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro come from editors who customized them.

Opening the Keyboard Shortcuts panel

Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Keyboard Shortcuts (macOS).

From here you can:

• Search for a command by name.
• Click on a key in the visual keyboard map to see what’s assigned.
• Add, change, or remove shortcuts.
• Save your layout as a custom preset and share it with teammates.

Smart customization strategies

A few practical, real-world tips:

• Move your most-used editing shortcuts (Add Edit, Ripple Delete, markers) to keys near your left hand’s home row.
• Avoid conflicts with system-level shortcuts (like Cmd + Space on macOS) to reduce frustration.
• Keep families of shortcuts grouped logically. For example, use variations of the same key with modifiers for related audio or trim actions.

Actually memorizing them

Memorization works best when it’s tied to real tasks, not flashcards. Try this:

• Pick 5 shortcuts relevant to what you’re cutting this week.
• Put them on a sticky note next to your monitor.
• Force yourself to use them every time you do that action.

Within a week, those become muscle memory. Then you can add more. Over time, your own layout becomes a personal set of the best examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro for your specific style and workflow.

FAQ: examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro

Q: What are some basic examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that beginners should learn first?
Start with transport and selection: Spacebar for play/pause, I and O for In/Out points, , and . for Insert/Overwrite, V for Selection Tool, and Ctrl/Cmd + K for Add Edit. These examples of shortcuts cover 80% of what beginners do in a typical edit.

Q: What is one example of a shortcut that speeds up trimming dialogue?
A strong example of a trim shortcut is using Alt/Option + Left/Right Arrow to nudge an edit point by one frame. Combine that with Page Up/Page Down to jump between edits and you can tighten dialogue very quickly without touching the mouse.

Q: Are there examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro that help with audio levels?
Yes. Ctrl/Cmd + Up/Down Arrow adjusts clip volume by 1 dB, and Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + Up/Down Arrow adjusts by 3 dB. These are practical, real examples that make fine-tuning dialogue and music much faster.

Q: Can I import someone else’s shortcut layout into my Premiere Pro?
Yes. In the Keyboard Shortcuts panel, you can save and load preset files. Many teams share a standard layout so everyone uses the same examples of keyboard shortcuts for video editing in Premiere Pro, which makes collaboration and training easier.

Q: Where can I find an official list of Premiere Pro shortcuts?
Adobe maintains up-to-date shortcut references on its help site. Start with their Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts page and then customize from there to build your own best examples of shortcuts:
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/keyboard-shortcuts.html