Studio 21.1.1
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SETUP & MEDIA

How to import video, audio, and images

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Import puts references to your files in the Media Pool. It does not copy camera originals into the project, so give those files a permanent home before editing.

Before you begin

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

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Media page: source browser, viewer, and Media Pool
Media page: source browser, viewer, and Media Pool Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 21. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Copy the recording folder to reliable storage and preserve its folder structure, especially for camera formats with sidecar files.
  2. Open Media or Edit, reveal the Media Pool, then choose File > Import > Media and select your files.
  3. If Resolve offers to change the project frame rate, accept only when it matches the delivery rate you planned. Decide before building the edit.
  4. Double-click a video and play it in the source viewer. Check picture, sound, duration, and orientation before dragging it onto a timeline.

Check your result

The source plays correctly and remains available after you save and reopen the project.

If it doesn’t work as expected

If a file is invisible or will not decode, check its codec and your platform support. Renaming its extension does not convert it.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Media, organized from the start

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

Open module 02 →
NEXT GUIDE →Organize footage with bins

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.