Proxy files transform DaVinci Resolve editing. These low-resolution duplicates of original footage let editors work smoothly on modest hardware. Setup requires accessing Project Settings, selecting resolution options (1/4 or 1/8), and choosing formats like ProRes or DNxHR. Generate proxies via right-click or the Blackmagic Proxy Generator app, then activate through the Playback menu. Store them in subfolders near source material—not internal drives. Unlike Optimized Media, proxies offer superior speed and collaboration potential. The performance difference is night and day.
What Are Proxy Files and Why You Need Them
Video files. Massive, unwieldy beasts that bring even decent computers to their knees.
Enter proxy files—smaller, lower-resolution copies of your original footage that don't make your system beg for mercy.
Proxy files: your footage's slimmer, faster twins that let your computer breathe while you create.
The concept's simple. Edit with lightweight proxies while your pristine 4K or 8K originals wait patiently in the background.
No more timeline lag. No more preview rendering that takes forever.
Professionals have used this trick for years. Why? Since time is money, and waiting for your computer to catch up is a waste of both.
Proxies mean smooth playback, responsive editing, and fewer crashes. Game-changing stuff.
These smaller files significantly enhance editing performance on lower-end hardware that would otherwise struggle with full-resolution footage.
The proxy workflow draws from a long post-production history where editors worked with intermediary versions to protect valuable source material.
Setting Up Your Proxy Workflow in Project Settings
Where does the magic happen? In Project Settings, of course. Open it via File menu or click that little sprocket icon lurking at the bottom right.
Head straight to the Master Settings tab. That's your proxy command center. Not to be confused with Optimized Media—they're different beasts.
Set playback preferences to "Preferred proxies" for blazing speed. Remember that properly configured Cache files location will significantly improve your workflow performance. Make sure to avoid H.264 and H.265 codecs for your proxies as they don't perform well during editing.
Don't worry—exports still use original media unless you instruct them otherwise.
How to Generate and Manage Proxy Media
Now that you've configured your project settings, it's time to actually make those proxies happen.
DaVinci Resolve offers two methods: right-click on clips and select "Generate Proxy Media" (classic but annoying as it freezes your editing), or use the Blackmagic Proxy Generator app (way better - keeps running in the background).
While you can right-click to generate proxies in Resolve, the Blackmagic Proxy Generator app keeps you editing without interruption.
Store proxies in subfolders next to your original footage. Not on internal drives. Seriously. Set this up in Media Storage settings.
For batch processing, select all clips at once. The Generator app handles new files automatically.
Choose lighter codecs like H.264 for speed, ProRes for quality. Your computer will thank you.
A small P X Y icon will appear on clips when their proxies are being used in your timeline.
Activating Proxies for Lightning-Fast Editing
Releasing the true power of your proxy workflow requires activating those lightweight files in Resolve.
Head to the Playback menu, select Proxy Handling, then "Prefer Proxies." Boom. Done.
You'll see proxy icons appear in your Media Pool. That's Resolve confirming it's using the small files instead of those massive originals.
Playback gets silky smooth. Scrubbing becomes effortless. Even 6K footage on a potato computer? No problem.
Need to check fine details? Toggle back to originals anytime.
The workflow remains identical—just faster. Way faster. Like, "where-have-you-been-all-my-life" faster.
Proxy Files vs. Optimized Media: Key Differences
While proxies supercharge your editing speed, it's worth understanding how they differ from Resolve's other performance-boosting feature: optimized media.
The differences are huge. Proxies are independent, lower-resolution copies stored separately—perfect for sharing. Optimized media? Stuck within your project structure. Not exactly collaboration-friendly.
Proxies absolutely crush it for remote workflows. Different editors, different machines, no problem. Plus, they're way smaller files. Seriously tiny.
Proxies are the secret weapon for remote teams—lightweight files that travel effortlessly between collaborators.
Optimized media maintains higher quality but doesn't give you that extreme speed boost proxies provide.
And relinking? Proxies need manual attention before export, while optimized media toggles off with a single click.
Expert Tips for Maximum Performance With Proxies
Every editor knows the frustration of watching that playback bar stutter across the timeline.
Pure torture.
The secret? Be cutthroat and aggressive with proxy resolution. Drop to 1/8 or even 1/16 for lightning-fast playback on dinosaur systems.
H.264 proxies are king for balancing quality and size. ProRes works beautifully cross-platform now, even for Windows users. Finally.
Store proxies separately, not mixed with originals. Rookie mistake.
For collaboration, extract them to external drives.
Toggle "Prefer Proxies" in Playback settings and batch generate everything at once.
No piecemeal nonsense.
And please, never forget to clean your proxy folders after projects wrap.
Storage isn't infinite.
