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What is Ripple Delete in Adobe Premiere?

Understanding and utilizing ripple delete is one of the most important tools and concepts to master as a video editor. In this article we will explore how to ripple delete in Premiere Pro.

Delete vs. Ripple Delete

Selecting a clip on the Premiere timeline and pressing the Delete key is the fastest way to delete something, but it leaves a big gap in the timeline. You can also hold the Alt key to select and delete an audio track, so that only the corresponding video remains. These basic delete functions are useful for certain edits, but if you want to move everything over and fill in the gaps, you’ll need to use Ripple Delete.


Using Ripple Delete in Premiere

First, open your current Premiere project, and locate the clip(s) that you wish to delete on the timeline. You can click on an individual clip to select it, or click and drag the mouse to create a lasso around multiple clips. 

Then, hold down Shift and press the Delete key to perform a Ripple Delete, Premiere style. You’ll know it was done properly if the remaining clips slide over and fill in the empty space. If you select the desired clips, right-click on the selection, and choose “Ripple Delete” from the list, you’ll get the same result as well-but learning hotkeys will drastically speed up your workflow.


Removing Multiple Gaps with the Ripple Delete Function

If you have a series of gaps that litter your editing timeline like swiss cheese, there’s a way to remove all of them with a clever Ripple Delete trick. First, create a new video track and drag in a video clip that spans the length of your entire project (or longer). Then, go back to your previous video track and select the entire series of clips that have unwanted gaps in between them. 

Drag this selection vertically onto your new video track, and it will make cuts where all the gaps are. Now, move the previously selected clips back to their original location. You’ll see that the new video track is chopped up to match the gaps. Select all of the chopped clips on your new track, and press Shift+Delete to perform a Ripple Delete on all of the gaps at once. Then, you can delete the new video track and get back to your project. 


Cover image via George Khelashvili.

For more Premiere tips and tutorials check out the articles below!

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