Sony Vegas (VEGAS Pro) Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List
Sony Vegas now called VEGAS Pro has more than 260 keyboard shortcuts covering project files, timeline navigation, event editing, playback, mixing, and more. The most commonly used are Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V / Ctrl+X (copy/paste/cut), S (split event at cursor), Ctrl+S (save project), and Q (looped playback). Below is the complete, list organized by task, plus a free downloadable PDF.
What Happened to Sony Vegas? (VEGAS Pro Explained)
If you’re searching for “Sony Vegas shortcuts” in 2026, there’s something worth clearing up first: Sony Vegas doesn’t exist under that name anymore. Sony Creative Software sold the product line to MAGIX in 2016, and the software was rebranded VEGAS Pro. Ownership later moved to a dedicated studio, VEGAS Creative Software GmbH, which still develops and sells it today.
The good news: the keyboard shortcut layout has stayed almost entirely consistent across this transition. If you learned Sony Vegas Pro 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13, the shortcuts below still apply to modern VEGAS Pro (versions 17 through 21+), with only a handful of new commands added for features like color grading and motion tracking. Anyone still running a legacy “Sony Vegas Pro” install can use this same list without modification.
Top 10 Shortcuts Every Editor Should Know
Before diving into the full reference list, these are the shortcuts that account for most of the speed gain when you switch from mouse-only editing:
| # | Action | Shortcut |
| 1 | Split event at cursor | S |
| 2 | Save project | Ctrl+S |
| 3 | Undo / Redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z |
| 4 | Copy / Paste / Cut | Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V / Ctrl+X |
| 5 | Trim event to selection | Ctrl+T |
| 6 | Play/Pause | Enter or Spacebar |
| 7 | Looped playback | Q |
| 8 | Select all | Ctrl+A |
| 9 | Mute / Solo selected track | Z / X |
| 10 | Render to new track | Ctrl+M |
How to Customize Your Own Shortcuts
Every shortcut in VEGAS Pro can be reassigned. If a default combination conflicts with your workflow (or another app you use constantly), here’s how to change it:
- Open the Options menu and select Customize Keyboard.
- In the dialog, search for the command you want to remap (e.g., “Split events at cursor”).
- Click into the Press new shortcut key field and press your desired key combination.
- Click Assign, then OK to save.
- To restore everything to factory defaults, click Reset All at the bottom of the same dialog.
Custom layouts can also be exported and imported, which is useful if you edit on more than one machine or want to back up your setup before a software update.
Project File Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Create new project | Ctrl+N |
| Create new project and bypass Project Properties dialog | Ctrl+Shift+N |
| Open existing project | Ctrl+O |
| Project properties | Alt+Enter |
| Save project | Ctrl+S |
| Save project as | Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Save version (incremental save) | Ctrl+Alt+S |
| Close the current project | Ctrl+F4 |
| Exit VEGAS Pro | Alt+F4 |
Magnification & View Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Set focus to timeline | Alt+0 |
| Show Explorer window | Alt+1 |
| Show Trimmer window | Alt+2 |
| Show Master Bus window | Alt+3 |
| Show Video Preview window | Alt+4 |
| Show Project Media window | Alt+5 |
| Show Project Notes window | Alt+6 |
| Show Transitions window | Alt+7 |
| Show Video FX window | Alt+8 |
| Show Media Generators window | Alt+9 |
| Show Plug-In Manager window | Ctrl+Alt+1 |
| Show Video Scopes window | Ctrl+Alt+2 |
| Show Surround Panner window | Ctrl+Alt+3 |
| Show Edit Details window | Ctrl+Alt+4 |
| Show Mixing Console window | Ctrl+Alt+5 |
| Show Device Explorer window | Ctrl+Alt+6 |
| Show Loudness Meters window | Ctrl+Alt+7 |
| Show Dashboard | Ctrl+Alt+8 |
| Open Color Grading mode | Alt+G |
| Open Motion Tracking mode | Alt+M |
| Show/hide audio bus tracks | B |
| Show/hide video bus tracks | Ctrl+Shift+B |
| Show/hide event media markers | Ctrl+Shift+K |
| Show/hide active take information | Ctrl+Shift+I |
| Show/hide waveforms on events | Ctrl+Shift+W |
| Show/hide event buttons | Ctrl+Shift+C |
| Toggle event headers | Ctrl+Alt+M |
| Show/hide event fade lengths | Ctrl+Shift+T |
| Toggle frame-under-cursor / split-screen preview | Ctrl+Shift+O |
| Show/hide envelopes | Ctrl+Shift+E |
| Show next window | F6 or Ctrl+Tab |
| Show previous window | Shift+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+Tab |
| Recall window layout | Alt+D, then 0–9 |
| Save window layout | Ctrl+Alt+D, then 0–9 |
| Load default window layout | Alt+D, then D |
| Load VEGAS 14 default layout | Alt+D, then V |
| Load audio mixing window layout | Alt+D, then A |
| Load color correction window layout | Alt+D, then C |
| Toggle focus between track list and timeline | Tab |
| Switch focus to previous/next track | Alt+Shift+Up/Down Arrow |
| Zoom in/out horizontally (small increments) | Up/Down Arrow |
| Zoom in/out horizontally (large increments / zoom to selection) | Ctrl+Up/Down Arrow |
| Zoom until each video thumbnail = one frame | Alt+Up Arrow |
| Decrease height of all tracks | Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow |
| Increase height of all tracks | Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow |
| Minimize/restore track height | ` (grave accent) |
| Set track heights to default | Ctrl+` |
| Minimize/restore window docking area | F11 or Alt+` |
| Maximize/restore timeline | Ctrl+F11 or Ctrl+Alt+` |
| Minimize/restore track list | Shift+F11 or Shift+Alt+` |
| Zoom waveforms in/out vertically | Shift+Up/Down Arrow |
Cursor Placement, Loop Region & Time Selection Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Center view around cursor | \ |
| Go to | Ctrl+G |
| Set end of time selection | Ctrl+Shift+G |
| Go to beginning of time selection / viewable area | Home |
| Go to end of time selection / viewable area | End |
| Go to beginning of project | Ctrl+Home or W |
| Go to end of project | Ctrl+End |
| Select loop region | Shift+Q |
| Restore previous five time selections | Backspace |
| Move left/right by grid marks | Page Up / Page Down |
| Move left/right one pixel | Left/Right Arrow |
| Move to previous/next marker | Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow |
| Move one frame left/right | Alt+Left/Right Arrow |
| Move left/right to event edit points | Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right Arrow |
| Jog left/right | F3 / F9 |
| Move edit cursor to playback cursor during playback | Alt+Down Arrow |
| Move cursor to numbered marker/region | 0–9 keys (not numpad) |
| Move to previous/next CD track | Ctrl+Comma / Ctrl+Period |
| Move to previous/next CD index or region | Comma / Period |
| Set in / out points | I / O |
| Create time selection while dragging on an event | Ctrl+Shift+drag |
General Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Cut selection | Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete |
| Copy selection | Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert |
| Paste from clipboard | Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert |
| Paste insert | Ctrl+Shift+V |
| Paste repeat | Ctrl+B |
| Delete selection | Delete |
| Trim event to selection | Ctrl+T |
| Render to new track | Ctrl+M |
| Create nested timeline | Alt+C |
| Open nested timeline | Alt+N |
| Open parent timeline | Alt+P |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z or Alt+Backspace |
| Redo | Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y |
| Rebuild audio peaks | Shift+F5 |
| Switch to normal editing tool | Ctrl+D |
| Switch to next/previous editing tool | D / Shift+D |
| Enable multicamera editing | Ctrl+Shift+D |
Event Selection & Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Range select | Shift+click events |
| Multiple select | Ctrl+click events |
| Select all | Ctrl+A |
| Unselect all | Ctrl+Shift+A |
| Split events at cursor | S |
| Smart split selected event | Alt+S |
| Rename selected event | F2 |
| Trim/crop selected events | Ctrl+T |
| Move cursor to edge of previous/next selected event | Ctrl+[ / Ctrl+] |
| Trim start/end of selected event to cursor | Alt+[ / Alt+] |
| Time-select previous/next selected event | Ctrl+Shift+[ / Ctrl+Shift+] |
| Move selected events one frame left/right | Numpad 1 / 3 |
| Move selected events one pixel left/right | Numpad 4 / 6 |
| Enter edge-trimming mode, select event start | Numpad 7 or [ |
| Enter edge-trimming mode, select event end | Numpad 9 or ] |
| Trim left/right (in edge-trimming mode) | F3 / F9 |
| Enter/exit expanded edit mode | Numpad 5 |
| Time compress/stretch one frame left/right | Ctrl+Numpad 1 / 3 |
| Slip trim one frame left/right | Alt+Numpad 1 / 3 |
| L/J trim by frames | Shift+Numpad 1 / 3 |
| Slide transition/crossfade one frame left/right | Ctrl+Alt+Numpad 1 / 3 |
| L/J cut by frames | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Numpad 1 / 3 |
| Move selected events up/down one track | Numpad 8 / 2 |
| Raise pitch one semitone / cent / octave | = / Ctrl+= / Shift+= |
| Lower pitch one semitone / cent / octave | – / Ctrl+- / Shift+- |
| Reset pitch | Ctrl+Shift+= or Ctrl+Shift+- |
| Select next/previous take | T / Shift+T |
| Convert cut to transition | Numpad / , * , or – |
| Convert transition to cut | Ctrl+Numpad / |
| Open in audio editor | Ctrl+E |
Playback, Recording & Preview Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Arm track for record | Ctrl+Alt+R |
| Arm for record and set recording path | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R |
| Record | Ctrl+R |
| Looped playback | Q or Ctrl+Shift+L |
| Play from start | Shift+Spacebar or Shift+F12 |
| Start playback | Spacebar |
| Play from any window | Ctrl+Spacebar or F12 |
| Play/pause | Enter or Ctrl+F12 |
| Stop playback | Spacebar or Esc |
| Go to start/end of project | Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End |
| Go to previous/next frame | Alt+Left/Right Arrow |
| Dim (attenuate) master bus output | Ctrl+Shift+F12 |
| Preview cursor position | Numpad 0 |
| Scrub playback | J, K, or L |
| Selectively prerender video | Shift+M |
| Build dynamic RAM preview | Shift+B |
| Toggle external monitor preview | Alt+Shift+4 |
| Generate MIDI timecode | F7 |
| Generate MIDI clock | Shift+F7 |
| Trigger from MIDI timecode | Ctrl+F7 |
| Choose multicamera take | 1–9 |
| Choose multicamera take with crossfade | Ctrl+1–9 |
Timeline & Track List Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Insert new audio track | Ctrl+Q |
| Insert new video track | Ctrl+Shift+Q |
| Change track volume/compositing level | Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow |
| Change track panning/fade-to-color | Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right Arrow |
| Mute selected tracks | Z |
| Mute track, remove others from mute group | Shift+Z |
| Solo selected tracks | X |
| Solo track, remove others from solo group | Shift+X |
| Mute/solo selected track group | Ctrl+Alt+Z / Ctrl+Alt+X |
| Enable/disable snapping | F8 |
| Snap to grid | Ctrl+F8 |
| Snap to markers | Shift+F8 |
| Snap to all events | Ctrl+Shift+F8 |
| Quantize to frames | Alt+F8 |
| Post-edit ripple affected tracks | F |
| Post-edit ripple affected tracks + markers/regions | Ctrl+F |
| Post-edit ripple all tracks, markers, regions | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Auto ripple mode | Ctrl+L |
| Automatic crossfades | Ctrl+Shift+X |
| Group / ungroup selected events | G / U |
| Ignore event grouping | Ctrl+Shift+U |
| Clear group without deleting events | Ctrl+U |
| Select all events in group | Shift+G |
| Insert/show/hide track volume envelope | V |
| Remove track volume envelope | Shift+V |
| Insert/show/hide track panning envelope | P |
| Remove track panning envelope | Shift+P |
| Cycle through effect automation envelopes | E and Shift+E |
| Insert command marker | C |
| Insert marker | M |
| Insert region | R |
| Insert CD track region | N |
| Insert CD track index | Shift+N |
Trimmer Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Add media from cursor | A |
| Add media to cursor | Shift+A |
| Transfer time selection to Trimmer after/before cursor | T / Shift+T |
| Toggle selected stream (audio/video/both) | Tab |
| Toggle audio/video stream height | Ctrl+Shift+Up/Down Arrow |
| Sort Trimmer history | H |
| Clear Trimmer history | Ctrl+Shift+H |
| Remove current media from Trimmer history | Ctrl+H |
| Save markers/regions | S |
| Toggle automatic marker/region saving | Shift+S |
| Open in audio editor | Ctrl+E |
| Show video in Video Preview window | Ctrl+P |
Mixing Console Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Rename selected channel | F2 |
| Insert new audio track | Ctrl+Q |
| Cycle default/narrow/wide channel strips | D / N / W |
| Hide selected channel strip | Shift+H |
| Show Channel List pane | Shift+C |
| Show/hide all channel strips | Q |
| Show/hide audio bus channel strips | U |
| Show/hide audio track channel strips | A |
| Show/hide assignable effects channel strips | E |
| Show/hide master bus channel strip | T |
| Show/hide preview channel strip | P |
| Adjust selected fader | Up/Down Arrow |
| Adjust left/right channel of stereo fader | Shift / Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow |
Track Motion & Surround Panner Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Change 3D layout | 1–6 (not numpad) |
| Lock aspect ratio | A |
| Scale about center | C |
| Edit in object space | O |
| Prevent movement (X/Y/Z) | X, Y, Z |
| Enable snapping | F8 |
| Enable rotation | Shift+F8 |
| Constrain pan motion to a line through center | Shift+drag pan point |
| Constrain pan motion to constant radius | Alt+drag pan point |
| Move pan point forward/back | Up/Down Arrow or Page Up/Down |
| Move pan point left/right | Left/Right Arrow |
Red Eye Reduction Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Scroll left/right | Right/Left Arrow |
| Scroll up/down | Up/Down Arrow |
| Jump to top/bottom of image | Page Up/Down |
| Jump to left/right edge of image | Home/End |
| Jump to horizontal center of image | \ or Numpad * |
| Jump to vertical center of image | Shift+\ |
| Jump to horizontal and vertical center | C |
Miscellaneous & Multimedia Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Application Help | F1 |
| What’s This help | Shift+F1 |
| Shortcut menu | Shift+F10 |
| Make fine fader/slider adjustments | Ctrl+drag |
| Change relative keyframe spacing | Alt+drag keyframes |
| Move region without changing length | Alt+drag region tag |
| Play/Pause (multimedia keyboard) | Play/Pause key |
| Play from start (multimedia keyboard) | Shift+Play/Pause |
| Mute track (multimedia keyboard) | Mute key |
| Zoom in/out (mouse wheel) | Wheel |
| Scroll vertically/horizontally (mouse wheel) | Ctrl+wheel / Shift+wheel |
Download the Free PDF Cheat Sheet
Keep this full shortcut list on hand while you edit download the printable PDF version organized by category, ready to reference or pin next to your workstation.
Download the Sony Vegas / VEGAS Pro Shortcuts PDF →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most useful Sony Vegas keyboard shortcut?
For most editors, S (split events at cursor) delivers the biggest daily time savings, since it replaces a multi-step mouse operation used constantly during rough cuts.
Is Sony Vegas the same as VEGAS Pro?
Yes. Sony Creative Software sold the product to MAGIX in 2016, and it was rebranded VEGAS Pro. Ownership later transferred to VEGAS Creative Software GmbH. The underlying software and its keyboard shortcuts are functionally the same.
Can I customize keyboard shortcuts in Sony Vegas?
Yes. Go to Options > Customize Keyboard, search for the command, assign a new key combination, and click OK. You can also reset everything to default from the same dialog.
Do Sony Vegas shortcuts work the same in Vegas Pro 13, 17, 19, and 21?
Almost entirely, yes. The core shortcut layout has stayed consistent since early Sony Vegas Pro versions. Newer releases have added a small number of shortcuts for features that didn’t exist before, like Color Grading (Alt+G) and Motion Tracking (Alt+M) mode.
Is Sony Vegas available for Mac?
No. VEGAS Pro (formerly Sony Vegas) is Windows-only. Mac users looking for a similar timeline-based editor typically use Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or iMovie for lighter editing needs.
How do I download a Sony Vegas shortcuts PDF for free?
Use the download link in the section above for a printable, categorized PDF version of every shortcut in this guide.
Conclusion
Whether you’re still running a legacy Sony Vegas Pro install or you’ve moved to the latest VEGAS Pro release, the shortcuts above cover everything from basic project management to advanced mixing and motion tracking. Start with the Top 10 list if you’re new to keyboard-driven editing, then build up to the full reference as your workflow speeds up. Bookmark this page or grab the free PDF above so you always have the complete list on hand, and remember: every shortcut here can be remapped to fit your own editing style.
READ NEXT:
