Editing to Sound, Not Picture

Cutting to sound instead of picture is the fastest way to make a montage feel intentional. Here's how to line up sound-driven edits without fighting your NLE.

Start with the beat map

Import the audio first. Mark every downbeat with a marker. Only then bring in picture and slide clips to the markers.

Rise, peak, release

Every 30-second sequence needs a shape: risers into hits, hits into release. Without the shape, cuts feel arbitrary.