Studio 21.1.1
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SETUP & MEDIA

How to create and use proxy media

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Proxies are lightweight stand-ins for editing demanding camera files. Keep the relationship to the originals intact so finishing can use the intended source quality.

Before you begin

Have a project open and a short source clip on a mounted drive.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Master Settings: proxy, cache, and working-folder settings
Master Settings: proxy, cache, and working-folder settings Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 207. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Open Project Settings and choose a proxy format and resolution suited to your computer. Set a writable proxy location with enough free space.
  2. Select source clips in the Media Pool, right-click, and choose Generate Proxy Media. Wait for generation to finish.
  3. Use Playback > Proxy Handling to prefer proxies. Play the same demanding section and compare responsiveness with the originals.
  4. Before final delivery, switch back to camera originals and inspect the Deliver options that can permit proxy use. Render a short quality check.

Check your result

Playback improves and the final output uses the source quality you explicitly selected.

If it doesn’t work as expected

A proxy file moved without its source relationship may need relinking. Lowering timeline preview resolution is a separate feature and does not create proxies.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Media, organized from the start

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.