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Use the Split button to divide your timeline into scenes, to trim existing layers, or to isolate sections of audio or video for fine-tuned editing.

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Where to find the Split button

The Split button appears at the top center of the timeline, to the right of the Record button. It’s visible in both collapsed and expanded timeline views. Image of the Split button in the Descript editor, above the timeline

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How Split works

The behavior of the Split button depends on your current selection in the timeline: a GIF demonstrating how to split all layers in a scene with the Split button
  • If there’s no specific layer selected: Splits the current scene at the playhead. This affects all layers and creates a new scene.
  • If a specific layer is selected: Splits only that layer within its current scene. Hold Shift or use Shift + S to split a media layer into separate clips.

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Why split a media layer?

Splitting a layer into clips lets you fine-tune adjustments to just one clip within the layer — like cutting out silence, applying effects to a specific section, or adjusting volume at one moment without changing the entire layer.