Export one continuous movie from DaVinci Resolve with readable timeline timecode, a guide mix and the original timeline frame rate. Start with 720p H.264 for a compact file; consider ProRes Proxy when playback responsiveness matters more than transfer size.

This workflow is for a Mac editor preparing picture reference for someone editing or mixing audio. It covers choosing an export format, adding useful identification, rendering the correct range and checking synchronization in the receiving application. The Resolve and Fusion instructions below follow Blackmagic Design’s current 21.1 manuals; earlier versions may arrange controls differently.

Choose settings that suit the receiving audio application

Before exporting, establish which video format the receiving application accepts, the exact timeline frame rate, the first-frame timecode and the required picture version. Also establish whether the recipient needs an embedded guide mix or a silent movie accompanied by separate audio. These are handoff decisions: a small file is useful only if the recipient can open it and place it correctly.

For a normal widescreen reference, use this decision table. The suggested dimensions and H.264 bitrate are starting points for testing, rather than a delivery standard.

Your priority Suggested export What to check
Compact file for transfer H.264 at 1280 × 720; try 3,000–5,000 Kb/s Small text and graphics remain readable during motion
More visible detail H.264 at 1920 × 1080, with a higher bitrate if needed Added detail justifies the larger file
An alternative for local editing playback QuickTime with Apple ProRes 422 Proxy The receiving application supports it and playback improves on that Mac
Quick reduction of an existing movie QuickTime Player’s 720p export Timing, framing and existing timecode burn-in survive the conversion

Resolve’s macOS codec documentation lists ProRes 422 Proxy encoding and decoding, and its render documentation supports H.264 movie output. Apple describes ProRes Proxy as a codec for offline workflows and gives a target video data rate of approximately 45 Mb/s at 1920 × 1080 and 29.97 fps. That figure applies to those conditions; a lower-resolution export has different requirements. ProRes Proxy should therefore be considered an editing-format option, without assuming it will be smaller than a low-bitrate H.264 reference. Blackmagic Design’s supported codecs, Apple’s ProRes format descriptions.

Test a short representative section if the recipient has no established preference. Include a moving graphic, a detailed frame and a title. Compare actual playback and scrubbing in the audio application before rendering the full programme. This is a practical selection method, not a claim that one codec performs best on every Mac.

Prepare an identifiable picture version and guide mix

Use the exact timeline that the audio work will follow. Record its frame rate and starting timecode, and decide whether the reference includes any opening or closing material. Keep that range consistent with separately supplied audio. Avoid changing the timeline frame rate merely to reduce file size; use resolution and compression controls for that purpose.

Choose a clear filename such as ShapesDemo_v03_25fps_ref.mov. This is an illustrative naming convention: the useful elements are a project identifier, picture version and exact frame rate. Keep a new export under a new version name so that an older reference remains distinguishable.

Listen to the intended guide mix in Fairlight, including the opening and ending. Then identify the bus carrying that mix. Resolve’s audio export controls allow you to choose a main or submix bus through Output Track #; they also allow separate timeline-track outputs. For a straightforward reference, choose the intended stereo bus and verify its channels instead of assuming that every timeline track should become a separate embedded track. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, “Audio Panel”.

The guide mix supplies listening context. If the recipient needs editable audio clips or stems, prepare those as a separate, explicitly agreed handoff. A rendered stereo guide combines its contributing sounds, so it cannot preserve their individual editability.

Add timeline timecode that survives the handoff

A visible timecode burn-in gives both people a common picture reference even when their applications display different counters. Use timeline, or record, timecode for locating events within the assembled programme. Source timecode can be useful additional information, but it identifies positions within source material.

In Resolve 21.1, open Workspace > Data Burn-In. The documented interface has three columns: metadata selection, burn-in fields and overlay controls. Search for the timeline or record timecode metadata and add it with the + control. Add a separate plain-text field for the picture version, such as ShapesDemo v03. Enable the required fields and the master toggle, adjust their appearance and click Save to activate the burn-in. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, “Data Burn-In”.

Place the text where it remains readable without covering details needed for sound timing. Use a contrasting background if necessary, then inspect the result at the intended output size. A label that looks comfortable in a large viewer may become difficult to read in a small video panel.

In the render settings, check Data burn-in. The documented Same as Project option includes the active project burn-in, while None disables it for the export. Render a short test and inspect the resulting file; seeing timecode in Resolve’s viewer alone does not verify the exported movie. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, “Rendering Media”.

Export one continuous reference from Resolve

Open the Deliver page and select Custom Export. Use the following sequence for an ordinary 16:9 reference. Preserve the composition’s aspect ratio when preparing other frame shapes.

  1. Set Render to Single clip. This renders the selected timeline range together. Individual clips produces separate media files and uses different source-oriented timecode and frame-rate behavior.
  2. Keep Export Video enabled. Choose QuickTime with H.264 for the suggested compact .mov workflow. Alternatively, choose MP4 with H.264 when that container is requested.
  3. Set Resolution to 1280 × 720 for the initial test. Change the output resolution here without rebuilding the edit at a different size.
  4. Keep Frame rate at the timeline rate. Preserve the exact value rather than substituting a nearby integer rate.
  5. Where the selected encoder exposes Restrict to, try 4,000 Kb/s as an illustrative starting point. Available compression controls depend on the codec and encoder.
  6. Enable Export audio when a guide mix is required. Choose the intended stereo bus using Output Track #. Use AAC for a compact guide when available for the selected container, or Linear PCM when requested and supported.
  7. Confirm that Data burn-in includes the intended overlay. Choose Entire Timeline, or deliberately mark and inspect the agreed range.
  8. Enter a filename and destination, then click Add to Render Queue. Inspect the queued job and start rendering.

These controls and their conditions are documented in the manual’s “Rendering Media” chapter. If Single clip or Entire Timeline is unavailable, check clip filtering: the manual states that filtering prevents single-clip selection and affects the available range options. Clear the filter with All Clips before continuing. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual.

For a ProRes alternative, use QuickTime, select Apple ProRes and choose 422 Proxy. Keep the same picture range, frame rate and identification. Resolve’s macOS support table includes this profile, but the recipient’s application must also accept it. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Supported Formats and Codecs.

Estimate size before the full render

For an illustrative ten-minute export averaging 4 Mb/s of video plus 192 Kb/s of audio, the estimated payload is (4 + 0.192) × 600 ÷ 8 = 314.4 MB, using decimal megabytes. Container overhead adds to that figure, and actual encoder output can differ. A maximum bitrate setting does not establish the exact average bitrate.

If the test file is too large, reduce the video bitrate and inspect the result. If fine text becomes unreadable, increase the bitrate or resolution. Keep frame rate and duration consistent throughout these comparisons so that the size experiment does not change the timing reference.

Use the supported path for Fusion or QuickTime Player

When the picture includes Fusion graphics

For graphics built in Resolve’s Fusion page, complete the image through MediaOut and export the assembled timeline through Deliver. The integrated Fusion page’s Saver nodes render OpenEXR files only; they do not provide the same movie-export workflow as standalone Fusion Studio. Fusion 21.1 Reference Manual, “Rendering Using Saver Nodes”.

Standalone Fusion Studio supports movie output through a Saver node: connect it, choose a filename and location, configure the format, and open the render controls. That is a separate application workflow. For this task, assembling picture and guide audio in Resolve and exporting through Deliver keeps the reference movie’s range and audio routing together. Fusion 21.1 Reference Manual.

When you already have a suitable reference movie

QuickTime Player provides a shorter path when an existing movie already contains the correct picture, timing and visible labels. Open it, choose File > Export As > 720p, enter a new filename and destination, and save. Apple documents this option as H.264 in a QuickTime .mov file, up to 1280 × 720. The exact resolution and data rate depend on the original movie. QuickTime Player export instructions.

QuickTime Player does not export MP4 video. Its 1080p and 4K options offer Greater Compatibility for H.264 or Smaller File Size for HEVC. Use Resolve when you need the explicit range, burn-in, bitrate and audio-routing controls described above, and check the converted movie before handing it over. QuickTime Player export formats and limitations.

Check the exported movie in the receiving application

First open the finished file and check its beginning, middle and ending. Confirm the picture version, readable timecode, correct framing, audible guide mix and complete final frame. Compare identifiable graphic changes against their matching audio events at several positions. A short synthetic test can use a square changing colour alongside a brief tone.

Then import the reference into the actual audio application. In Adobe Audition, position the insertion point in the Multitrack Editor and choose Multitrack > Insert File. Select a supported video file and use Window > Video to display the picture. Audition supports one video clip per session, which makes a continuous reference appropriate for this workflow. Adobe’s video import instructions.

For frame-based placement in Audition, choose the matching SMPTE format under View > Time Display, then enable Edit > Snapping > Snap To Frames. Take care when moving imported material: Adobe documents that the video and its original audio can move independently, so select both with Command-click when moving them together. Adobe’s synchronization controls.

Use the pattern of any mismatch to guide the next check. A consistent offset suggests checking insertion position and first-frame alignment. An offset that grows across the programme calls for rechecking exact frame rates and duration. An abrupt mismatch after one edit calls for comparing picture versions and ranges. These are diagnostic starting points, not proof of a particular cause.

Deliver the checked movie with a brief note stating its picture version, exact frame rate, first-frame timecode, included range and guide-audio contents. The task is complete when the recipient can identify the cut, read the timing reference and play it in sync throughout the required range.

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