What is the shortcut to reverse a clip in Premiere Pro?
There isn’t a single reverse key. Press Ctrl+R (Cmd+R on a Mac) to open Speed/Duration, tick Reverse Speed and press Enter.
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How to reverse a video in Premiere Pro
One checkbox in the Speed/Duration dialog plays a clip backwards. The details that trip people up are the linked audio, reversing only a section, and slow reverses that stutter.
To reverse a clip in Premiere Pro, select it on the timeline, right-click and choose Speed/Duration (or press Ctrl+R on Windows, Cmd+R on a Mac), tick Reverse Speed and click OK. The clip now plays backwards at the same speed and length. Its linked audio is reversed too unless you unlink it first.
That’s all most edits need. The sections below cover reversing just part of a clip, keeping the sound forwards, and choosing Time Interpolation so slowed reverses don’t judder. If you only need one reversed file and don’t have Premiere open, the online video reverser makes an MP4 in the browser; drop it back onto your timeline afterwards.
How to reverse a clip with Speed/Duration
Select the clip
Click the clip in the timeline. To reverse several at once, select them all; each one is reversed in place.
Open Speed/Duration
Right-click the clip and choose Speed/Duration, or use Clip → Speed/Duration, or press Ctrl+R (Cmd+R on a Mac).
Tick Reverse Speed
Tick Reverse Speed. Leave Speed at 100% for a straight reverse, or lower it for a slow-motion reverse. Tick Ripple Edit, Shifting Trailing Clips if changing the speed should push later clips along.
Click OK and play it back
Click OK. The clip shows a negative speed (for example -100%) in its label and plays backwards. Render the section if playback is choppy.
Reverse only part of a clip
Speed/Duration applies to a whole clip, so cut out the part first:
- Move the playhead to where the reversed section should start and press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac) to add an edit, or cut with the Razor tool (C).
- Do the same where the reversed section should end.
- Select the middle piece and reverse it with Speed/Duration → Reverse Speed.
For the classic “forwards, then backwards, then forwards” move, Alt-drag (Option-drag on a Mac) a copy of the section, reverse the copy and place it right after the original. That forward-and-back pair is a boomerang; for a quick one outside Premiere, see how to make a boomerang from a video.
Audio: reversed, forwards or muted
Keep the sound playing forwards
Right-click the clip and choose Unlink before reversing, then reverse only the video part. The audio stays where it was and plays normally. Re-link the two afterwards if you like.
Reverse the sound with the picture
Leave the clip linked and reverse it; the audio runs backwards too. If you also change the speed, tick Maintain Audio Pitch in the dialog so voices don’t shift up or down.
Mute it
Select the audio part and press Delete, or turn its track off, and add music on a separate track.
Smooth reverse: Time Interpolation
A reverse at 100% plays every frame and looks clean. A slowed reverse needs frames that were never filmed, and the Time Interpolation menu in Speed/Duration decides how Premiere fills them:
- Frame Sampling repeats frames: crisp but steppy at low speeds.
- Frame Blending cross-fades neighbouring frames: smooth with a little ghosting, quick to render.
- Optical Flow invents in-between frames from the motion: the smoothest, but it can warp edges and takes longer to render.
High-frame-rate footage (60 or 120 fps) slowed down and reversed needs no invented frames at all, so it always looks best. The browser reverser offers the frame-blending approach as Smooth frames, and slow motion without reversing as its own mode.
Premiere Pro reverse questions
Why is my reversed clip choppy in Premiere Pro?
Usually because playback isn’t rendered, or because the clip is slowed down. Render the work area, and for slow reverses set Time Interpolation to Frame Blending or Optical Flow.
How do I reverse a clip without reversing the audio?
Right-click the clip and choose Unlink, select only the video part and apply Reverse Speed. The audio keeps playing forwards.
Can I reverse a clip with the Rate Stretch tool?
No. The Rate Stretch tool (R) changes a clip’s speed by dragging its edge but can’t reverse it. Use Speed/Duration, or Time Remapping for speed ramps.
How do I reverse a whole sequence?
Nest the clips (right-click → Nest), then apply Reverse Speed to the nested sequence. Everything inside plays backwards as one clip.
Can I reverse a video without Premiere Pro?
Yes. The video reverser on this site works in any modern browser, needs no account and saves an MP4 you can import back into Premiere.