The Advanced Timeline Tools let you fine-tune how you trim, split, and adjust clips and layers in your Descript project. These tools are especially useful for detailed audio or visual editing.
What each timeline tool does
| Tool | Shortcut | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select Tool | A | Move, trim, or combine clips and layers. | Move or reposition content in script or layer tracks. Drag media between script and layer lanes. Use Shift + click to multi-select adjacent script clips. |
| Range Tool | R | Highlight a section or "range" of the script track. | Replace a section with a gap clip, remove content, apply visuals, or re-align words. You can also use the Add label to range option to mark non-speech sections (like “cough” or “laugh”). Labels behave like words: you can copy, delete, or move them in the script. |
| Blade Tool | B | Split clips or layers at a specific time. | Break a clip into two parts so you can trim, move, slip, or delete sections independently. |
| Slip Tool | S | Change which portion of a clip plays. | Shift the visible portion of media inside a fixed-duration clip without changing its position or length. |
| Hand Tool | H | Move around the timeline. | Move around large or zoomed-in timelines without selecting or editing anything. |