Australia-based Blackmagic Design has long been known for democratizing access to high-end video production tools. With its industry-standard color grading suite and robust free tier of DaVinci Resolve, the company has carved out a unique position, serving everyone from hobbyists to Hollywood professionals.
With the release of DaVinci Resolve 20, Blackmagic Design continues this trend, offering over 100 new features — many of them AI-powered — aimed at streamlining the post-production process across editing, audio, VFX, and color workflows.
What’s New in DaVinci Resolve 20?
DaVinci Resolve 20 introduces several notable improvements across its core workspaces:
- Cut and Edit Pages: These now feature a dedicated keyframe editor, a voiceover palette with cue and teleprompter tools, and enhanced trimming and editing workflows. Features like live overwrite and source viewer timeline editing aim to speed up common editing tasks.
- Color Page: A new Chroma Warp feature enhances the Color Warper tool, while the updated Magic Mask and Depth Map provide greater precision for isolating and modifying subjects in a scene.
- Fusion Page: Visual effects workflows get a boost with deep image compositing, OpenEXR multi-layer support, and enhanced 3D tools including 180 VR support and a Scene Dome Light.
- Fairlight Page: Audio tools are further improved, including an AI Audio Assistant that can auto-mix dialogue and effects, and IntelliCut which detects silences and organizes speaker transitions in dialogue tracks.
These updates emphasize workflow efficiency while keeping the Resolve interface familiar and accessible.
AI-Powered Tools Across Every Workspace
Resolve 20 brings a strong emphasis on AI integration, continuing Blackmagic’s approach of blending automation with creative control:
- AI IntelliScript: Lets editors generate rough cuts based on a user-provided script. It matches spoken dialogue from media clips to the script to build a timeline automatically.
- AI Animated Subtitles: Automatically generates animated text synced to dialogue, useful for accessibility or stylized presentations.
- AI Multicam SmartSwitch: Analyzes speaker activity and automatically switches camera angles in a multicam timeline, ideal for interviews and panel content.
- AI Dialogue Matcher: Matches tone, volume, and reverberation across clips to improve audio consistency.
- AI Audio Assistant: Creates a balanced final audio mix with automatic adjustments for speech clarity and dynamics.
- AI IntelliCut: Removes silences and checkerboards speaker dialogue for faster dialogue assembly.
These AI tools aim to reduce tedious manual tasks while providing a smart foundation editors can refine further as needed.
Watch the New AI Features in Action
For a hands-on look at some of the AI features in DaVinci Resolve 20, check out this demo video:
I’ve been a long-time Premiere Pro user and will likely continue to be into the future — at this point in my editing journey I’m perhaps just too accustomed to the user interface and the overall editing workflow to consider making a change. However, from time to time I do download a free trial of Resolve. I’m curious and want to see what’s going on there (and I really like Blackmagic cameras and the company overall, including the CEO Grant Petty). I’m always struck by how modern and fluid the Resolve interface is, and the power, in particular, of the color grading section.
In any case, it’s a great time for video editors, filmmakers and YouTubers and influencers to have so many tools at their disposal. AI is just going to make everything even faster for turnarounds in competitive industries.
Pricing and Availability
DaVinci Resolve 20 is available now and can be downloaded directly from Blackmagic Design’s website.
- DaVinci Resolve 20: Free
- DaVinci Resolve Studio 20: $295 (includes free upgrade for existing Studio users)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DaVinci Resolve 20?
The latest major release from Blackmagic Design, packing 100+ new editing, color, VFX, audio and AI-powered features into both a free and Studio tier.
How much does DaVinci Resolve 20 cost?
The core DaVinci Resolve 20 is free. Resolve Studio 20 (adds advanced noise reduction, motion blur, multi-GPU, etc.) is $295. Upgrades are free if you already own Studio.
Can I use the AI features in the free version?
Yes. Tools like AI IntelliCut, Animated Subtitles, SmartSwitch and Dialogue Matcher are available in the free tier. Some high-end noise reduction and motion-blur effects require Studio.
What are the key AI upgrades in Resolve 20?
Highlights include AI IntelliScript (auto-cut from scripts), AI Animated Subtitles, AI Multicam SmartSwitch, AI Dialogue Matcher, AI Audio Assistant and more.
What are the system requirements for Resolve 20?
Minimum 16 GB RAM (32 GB+ recommended), a discrete GPU with 4 GB VRAM, 8-core CPU, and Windows 10 (1903+) or macOS 10.14+.
How do I install or upgrade to DaVinci Resolve 20?
Download the installer from Blackmagic’s site, run it, follow the prompts, then restart. Your existing projects and settings will carry over seamlessly.
How do I use AI IntelliScript?
In the Cut page, open the AI palette, paste or import your script, then click “Generate Timeline” to auto-assemble a rough cut matching your dialogue.
How do I enable AI Multicam SmartSwitch?
On the Edit page, right-click your multicam clip, choose “Enable SmartSwitch,” or find it under the Timeline → AI Multicam menu to auto-switch angles based on speaker activity.
What if my hardware can’t handle all the AI tools?
You can selectively disable individual AI modules in the preferences. The free tier also offloads much processing to optimized GPU shaders where available.
Where can I find tutorials for these new AI features?
Check Blackmagic’s official YouTube channel and user manual, plus community deep-dives on sites like NoFilmSchool, PremiumBeat and the DaVinci Resolve forum.