Mastering the Blade: How to Split Clips in Final Cut Pro

Footage often outstays its welcome or features an awkward pause you don’t want. If you’ve ever wondered how to split a clip in Final Cut Pro to remove an awkward pause, the Blade tools are here to help. They let you decide exactly where each cut lands, whether you prefer neat, single-clip slices or timeline-wide incisions. A small command here, a quick shortcut there, and suddenly, your timeline is cleaner without you fighting with endless adjustments. 

Splitting Clips with Blade Tools

You have imported a clip into Final Cut Pro, and your timeline is ready. Now, you’re likely wondering “‘How do you split a clip in Final Cut Pro without turning the timeline into a mess?’ Fortunately, you also have the Blade tools.

The Blade Tool (B)

If you want quick details on how to split a clip in Final Cut Pro, click the little icon in the top-left corner of the timeline or press B on your keyboard. The pointer becomes scissors, which seems kind of obvious when you think about what we’re about to do. 

Move the skimmer or playhead to whichever frame you wish to slice, then click in the timeline to execute the cut. Done. If you want to blade something momentarily, press and hold B, make your cut, and release B. It reverts to your previous tool and keeps you from too many extra clicks.

Note: For those who prefer not to reach for the toolbar, line up your playhead and press Command-B. The clip splits at that exact frame. You can even do this while your project plays. 

Blade All (Shift-Command-B)

How do you split a clip in Final Cut Pro if you’ve stacked multiple layers of B-roll or audio? In that case, select Trim > Blade All or press Shift-Command-B. This creates a cut across every layer under the playhead, primary storyline, connected clips, audio, and the works. It is convenient if you need every piece to split simultaneously, perhaps for a scene change or a sudden shift in action.

Blade Selected Clips

Sometimes, you only want to slice certain items, not the entire timeline. Highlight the clips you need to cut, move your skimmer to the desired frame, and press Command-B. Only your selected clips are divided, leaving the rest of the timeline untouched. This approach is perfect when you want to isolate a background track or a particular B-roll shot while ignoring everything else stacked above or below. 

Alternate Ways to Split

Not every edit calls for a direct blade. At times, you will need alternate methods for splitting clips in Final Cut Pro — for instance, you might want to insert a clip mid-scene rather than apply the Blade to everything. Final Cut Pro can do that too if you know where to look.

• Inserting a Clip: When you insert a clip (for example, by selecting it in the Browser and pressing W, or using Insert Edit), Final Cut Pro neatly slices the current clip where your playhead sits, creates room for the new shot, and shifts everything downstream. 
• Cut and Paste (Command-X and Command-V): You can also slice a segment out of your timeline by selecting a portion of a clip and pressing Command-X. This removes the selected section, leaving a neat cut where it used to be. Then, position your playhead where you want it inserted, press Command-V, and your paste operation creates two fresh edit points around the newly inserted content. 

Rejoining or Removing a Through Edit

A “through edit” happens when you split a clip, but the media are still continuous underneath. In the timeline, it appears as a dotted line where the clip was cut. If everything else is the same (like the timing of the footage), you can merge the two sides back into one smooth piece as if you never sliced it in the first place.

Join Clips

To remove that dotted line, select both clip segments on either side of the through edit, then go to Trim > Join Clips. If it’s a single through edit, you can also press Delete after selecting the cut itself. 

Both segments must come from the same source media and share matching timing, so if you cut the middle out of your clip or if you’re using two completely different files, rejoining them this way does not work. Once you join them, you’re back to a single uninterrupted clip, as if you never brandished the blade at all.