# Timeline and tracks

> How the Slicer editor timeline works — the strip under the playhead, seven tracks, markers, selection and tool sets, zoom and the “+” button.

Source: https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/timeline/

The timeline is the editor's main mode. It shows the reel over time: the ruler on top, then tracks with video clips, captions, graphics, audio, music and voice recordings. The playhead stays in the center and the strip moves under it: scroll the strip and the preview follows; play the preview and the strip moves by itself.

Almost everything happens on the timeline: select a clip and open its tools, trim edges, reorder clips, pick a transition at a cut, add music, text or a new piece of a source.

**Demo (Web):**

1. Scroll the strip with the mouse wheel — the preview seeks along with it
2. Ctrl/⌘ + wheel zooms: the clips get wider
3. Click the ruler — the playhead jumps there
4. Click a clip on the video track — it is selected, with handles and its duration
5. Click a phrase on the captions track — the phrase tools appear at the bottom
6. Click “+” on the right — the “Add” sheet opens

## Tracks

From top to bottom. Each track has an icon to the left of the reel's start.

| Track | What is on it | Click or tap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Video** | The reel's clips with frame thumbnails. To the left of the start — the **Cover** tile. Transition marks at the cuts. Setting badges on a clip: speed (“1.5×”), freeze frame, color, animation, mask, reverse, stabilization, background removal, manual frame, effect, muted; diamonds are keyframes | Select a clip; at a cut — the **Transition** panel; on the cover tile — the **Cover** sheet |
| **Inserts** | Your photos and videos over the frame. The track appears once the reel has at least one insert | Select an insert |
| **Captions** | Caption phrases with their text | Select a phrase |
| **Elements** | Top row — hook, plaques, [titles](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/titles/) and media cards; bottom row — emoji and zooms. An empty track shows **Add text** | Select an element; on an empty track — the **Text** sheet |
| **Audio** | The waveform of each clip. A badge if the sound is muted or processed | Select a clip's audio |
| **Music** | The background track for the whole reel: “name · 25%”, beat marks. An empty track shows **Add music** | Select the music; on an empty track — the **Music** sheet |
| **Voice** | Your voice recordings from the microphone: length and volume. An empty track shows **Record voice** | Select a recording; on an empty track — the **Voice recording** panel |

Above the tracks, at the bottom of the ruler, are [marker](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/markers/) flags — your notes on the reel. Clicking a flag opens the **Marker** sheet with its note and color; clicking elsewhere on the ruler seeks.

On the right, over the strip, is a round “+” button (**Add media**). It opens the **Add** sheet:

-   **Source clip** — a piece of any video or photo of the project: its first 3 seconds go after the clip at the playhead, and you can trim them afterwards;
-   **Photo or video overlay** — your photo or video for 3 seconds from the playhead ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/media/));
-   **Picture in picture** — a photo or video in a window over the video: move, rotate and resize it right on the preview ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/pip/));
-   **Music** — a background track ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/music/));
-   **Text** — **Captions from speech** (when the project has speech not transcribed yet), caption editing, **New title**, hook and plaques, caption style, translation.

## Selection and tools

Click or tap an object on a track to select it — the toolbar at the bottom shows its tools. Clicking it again or the “‹” button on the left clears the selection and brings back the main set.

| Selected | Tools |
| --- | --- |
| Nothing | **Edit**, **Audio**, **Voice**, **Text**, **Marker**, **Transcribe** and **Cut pauses** (in a manual project), **Effects**, **Transitions**, **Overlay**, **Captions**, **Elements**, **AI assistant**, **Filters**, **Adjust**, **Background**, **Cover**, **Media**, **Keyframes**, **AI avatar**, **Aspect ratio** |
| Clip | **Split**, **Transcribe** (if the source's speech isn't transcribed yet), **Cut pauses** (on a time-based clip), **Volume**, **Speed**, **Animations**, **Effects**, **Transition**, **Frame**, **Keyframes**, **Duplicate**, **Copy look**, **Paste look**, **Filters**, **Adjust**, **Mask**, **Background**, **Freeze frame**, **Replace**, **Reverse**, **Stabilize**, **AI video**, **Fine-tune**, **Slip** (on a time-based video clip), **Restore cut words** (if words inside are cut), **Delete**, **Remove background** |
| Clip audio | **Volume**, **Mute** or **Unmute**, **Sound FX**, **Speed**, **Reduce noise**, **Enhance voice**, **Isolate voice**, **Extract audio** |
| Caption phrase | **Edit text**, **Accent**, **Style**, **Position**, **Cut out**, **Hide captions** or **Show captions**, **Translate** |
| Music | **Volume**, **Ducking**, **Replace**, **Delete**, **Beats** |
| Voice recording | **Volume**, **Record more**, **Delete** |
| Element | **Edit** (except zooms; for a title — the **Title** sheet); for an insert — **Fit** or **Fill**; for a zoom — its type: **Push in**, **Pull out** or **Punch**; **Delete** |

Main-set tools that need a clip (**Edit**, **Effects**, **Filters**, **Adjust**, **Background**, **Keyframes**) select the clip at the playhead by themselves. **Audio** selects the music, or opens the track picker if there is no music yet. **Marker** puts a flag at the playhead ([Markers](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/markers/)).

Where to read more about the newer tools:

-   **Copy look** and **Paste look** — carry a clip's color, effect, animations and other settings over to other clips ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/fragments/#copy-look));
-   **Slip** — show other frames of the source without changing the clip's length or place ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/fragments/#slip));
-   **Transcribe** and **Cut pauses** — captions from speech and cutting out silence ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/speech/)).

The tool row scrolls: with the mouse wheel on the web, with a finger on iPhone and iPad.

## Scrolling and zoom

**Web**

-   Mouse wheel or a horizontal trackpad swipe — scroll the strip; the preview follows.
-   `⌘ wheel` (Mac) / `Ctrl wheel` (Windows) or a trackpad pinch — zoom.
-   `Shift` + wheel — scroll the tracks vertically when they don't fit.
-   Dragging an empty spot of the strip scrolls it too.
-   Clicking the ruler seeks there; clicking a marker flag opens its sheet.

On a touchscreen it works like the app: the strip scrolls with a finger and keeps its momentum, two fingers zoom.

**iPhone and iPad**

-   Swipe the strip — it scrolls with momentum and the preview follows.
-   Two fingers — zoom.
-   Vertical swipe — scroll the tracks when they don't fit.
-   Tapping the ruler seeks there; tapping a marker flag opens its sheet.
-   On iPad and Mac with a trackpad: a two-finger scroll moves the strip, a trackpad pinch zooms.

Starting playback stops the strip's momentum.

## The cover and transitions on the strip

To the left of the first clip is the **Cover** tile with the cover frame. Click it to pick another frame ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/format-cover/)).

Every cut between clips has a small mark. Without a transition it is a dot; with one — a transition icon. Click it to open the **Transition** panel for that cut ([more](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/transitions/)).

**Demo (iPhone):**

1. Swipe the strip — the preview follows
2. Tap a clip — its tools appear at the bottom
3. Tap the mark at a cut — “Transition” opens
4. Tap “Add music” on the empty track — the “Music” sheet opens

## Good to know

-   Edits on the strip are animated: clips glide to their new places after a delete, split or speed change.
-   A selected clip shows its duration in seconds and edge handles for trimming ([Clips](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/fragments/)).
-   If the selected clip disappears after an edit (deleted or undone), the selection clears by itself.
-   A reel longer than 180 seconds cannot be exported — a warning appears above the timeline.
-   When you trim, clip and element edges snap to words and [markers](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/markers/#snapping).

## What's next

-   [Markers on the timeline](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/markers/)
-   [Gestures and shortcuts](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/shortcuts/)
-   [Clips: trim, split, reorder, duplicate](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/fragments/)
-   [Captions: text, accents, style, position](https://docs.slicer.media/en/guide/editor/captions/)