Premiere Pro Trimming and Transitions (beginner guide)

Refine your edit by trimming clips precisely and adding transitions between them. Here’s how to do it in Premiere Pro on macOS, step by step — part of the free Premiere Pro beginner curriculum.

Lesson 4 of the Premiere Pro curriculum. Next up: Effects and Color Grading.

What you’ll do

• Understand the difference between the Selection tool (V) trim — leaves a gap — and the Ripple Edit tool (B) trim — closes the gap automatically
• Switch to the Ripple Edit tool (B) and drag a clip edge to trim without creating gaps
• Use the Rolling Edit tool (N) to adjust the edit point between two clips simultaneously — one gets shorter, the other gets longer, total duration stays the same
• Use keyboard trimming: Q trims the previous edit point to the playhead (ripple), W trims the next edit point to the playhead (ripple)
• Use E to extend the selected edit point to the playhead position
• Apply a Cross Dissolve video transition: select an edit point between two clips and press Cmd+D
• Apply an audio transition (Constant Power crossfade) with Shift+Cmd+D
• Find the Effects panel (Window > Effects) and browse Video Transitions — drag a transition onto a clip edge to apply it
• Adjust transition duration by double-clicking the transition in the Timeline

Do it hands-free with Skilly

Reading steps is one thing; doing them while the menus are in front of you is another. Skilly is a voice-first tutor for macOS: you ask out loud — “where’s the trimming panel?” — and it answers while moving your cursor to the exact button, watching your actual Premiere Pro window. It’s the same Premiere Pro curriculum these lessons come from, taught live instead of read. Free to start.

Keep going

This is one stage of the full Premiere Pro beginner curriculum. Continue with Effects and Color Grading.