DaVinci Resolve Media Offline on a YouTube Video: Fix
In short
Media Offline on a YouTube clip in DaVinci Resolve has two causes: the file moved, or Resolve cannot decode it. Undecodable files are usually VP9 in a WEBM or AV1 your graphics card cannot decode. Relink a moved file; replace an undecodable one with a DNxHR or ProRes .mov, which B-ROLL converts automatically after the download.
On this page
What does Media Offline mean for a YouTube clip in Resolve?
Media Offline means DaVinci Resolve has a clip in the project but cannot show its picture. Media Offline on a YouTube clip is usually a decode failure or a moved file, and the red frame in the viewer looks the same for both.
The two causes need opposite fixes. Relinking does nothing for a file Resolve cannot decode, and converting does nothing for a file Resolve cannot find. So test first, then fix. The table pairs each symptom with its likely cause, a test you can run in under a minute and the fix.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Test | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clip played yesterday, now red | File moved, renamed or on a disconnected drive | The file is not at the path Resolve shows | Relink Selected Clips to the new folder |
| Red from the moment of import, file plays in VLC | Resolve cannot decode the video codec or container | Codec reads VP9 or AV1, or the file ends in .webm |
Replace it with a DNxHR or ProRes .mov |
| Audio plays, picture is red | Video stream undecodable, audio stream fine | Same codec test on the video stream | Replace it with a DNxHR or ProRes .mov |
B-ROLL .mkv went red after a while |
You imported the MKV master before the conversion finished; B-ROLL deletes it once the .mov is ready |
A .mov with the same name sits in the folder |
Import the .mov and replace the clip |
| AV1 clip offline on one PC, fine on another | The graphics card has no AV1 decoder | Check the GPU maker’s decode specs for AV1 | Replace it with a DNxHR or ProRes .mov |
Is Media Offline caused by the codec or a moved file?
Media Offline is caused by a moved file when the clip once played, and by the codec when it was red from the moment you imported it. The history of the clip is the fastest test.
For a moved file, read the path. Switch the Media Pool to list view and look at the file path for the clip, then open that folder in File Explorer. If the file is gone, renamed or on a drive that is not plugged in, you have your answer. B-ROLL can show you where the file really is: click the folder icon on its card, and File Explorer opens with the file selected.
For a codec failure, the file is right where Resolve expects it and still plays in a media player such as VLC. Read the codec in the Media Pool list view.
According to Blackmagic Design’s supported codec list for DaVinci Resolve 20 (July 2025), Resolve on Windows decodes VP9 in MOV and MP4 and inside MKV, and AV1 in MOV, MP4 and MKV with GPU acceleration. WebM appears nowhere in that list; the same document adds that Resolve also reads most formats the operating system supports natively, so a WEBM that imports on one PC can fail on another.
How do you fix a codec problem in Resolve?
A codec problem in Resolve is fixed by replacing the file with an intraframe DNxHR or ProRes .mov, not by changing Resolve settings. Resolve decodes both families natively in the free and Studio editions.
The codec comes from how the file was downloaded, not from Resolve. As of September 2026, a YouTube download made with yt-dlp’s default format ranking usually holds AV1 or VP9 video and Opus audio, whatever the container. B-ROLL’s MP4, MKV and WEBM formats keep those codecs as YouTube delivered them. Choosing an MP4 does not guarantee H.264 inside it, as MOV vs MP4 vs MKV vs WEBM for video editing explains.
The edit-ready route is DNx or ProRes in B-ROLL’s Format menu. B-ROLL downloads the best streams into an MKV master, then ffmpeg converts it to a .mov with the same name, keeping resolution and frame rate and writing uncompressed 16-bit PCM audio. The tier is picked for the source, and download YouTube videos in ProRes or DNxHR lists every tier. If the conversion fails, the log reads “DNx transcode failed; keeping the MKV.” and the master stays.
AV1 that Resolve can decode but plays badly is a different problem, covered in YouTube video choppy in DaVinci Resolve. Ema Zamboni, the video editor who built B-ROLL, saw AV1 and VP9 downloads crash DaVinci Resolve Studio on Windows 11 at times; that is why the conversion exists.
How do you relink a moved file in Resolve?
A moved file is relinked in Resolve with Relink Selected Clips in the Media Pool. Resolve then looks for files with the same names in the folder you choose, and every timeline use of the clip comes back online.
Select all the red clips in the Media Pool, right-click and choose Relink Selected Clips. Point the dialog at the folder that now holds the files, and Resolve searches it for matching names. Relinking works only when the file name is unchanged, so rename a file back before you relink it.
A file that was re-downloaded as a different format has a different extension, so it is a replacement, not a relink. Import the new .mov and replace the old clip with it from the Media Pool’s right-click menu, so the edit keeps its in and out points.
How do you prevent Media Offline on YouTube clips?
Media Offline on YouTube clips is prevented by two habits: download in an edit-ready format, and never move files after import. Both take a minute to set up once.
- Choose DNx or ProRes before you paste links. Every file then arrives as a
.movthat Resolve decodes on any Windows PC. - Import only finished files. Wait until the B-ROLL card reads done. An
.mkvin a folder where you expected a.movmeans the conversion is still running or failed. - Save into the project folder first. Set B-ROLL’s save folder to the project’s footage folder, so nothing needs moving later. Folder and naming habits are in how to organize downloaded YouTube clips.
- Move folders, not files. When a project must move, move the whole folder and relink once.
The full setup, from the Format menu to the Media Pool, is in download YouTube videos for DaVinci Resolve. For download errors before a file ever reaches Resolve, see YouTube downloader not working? Fixes for editors.
How to fix Media Offline on a YouTube clip in DaVinci Resolve
-
Find the file on disk
Read the clip's file path in Resolve's Media Pool list view, then open that folder in File Explorer. If the file is missing or renamed, the cause is a moved file.
-
Relink a moved file
Select the offline clips in the Media Pool, right-click, choose Relink Selected Clips and pick the folder that now holds the files.
-
Check the codec of a file that is still in place
If the file is where Resolve expects it, read its codec and container in the Media Pool list view. VP9 in a WEBM, or AV1 on a graphics card without an AV1 decoder, is a decode failure.
-
Download an edit-ready copy
In B-ROLL, choose DNx or ProRes in the Format menu and download the video again. B-ROLL downloads the streams, then converts them to a .mov with the same name.
-
Replace the clip in Resolve
Import the .mov, or right-click the offline clip in the Media Pool and replace it with the .mov, so every use on the timeline points to the new file.
Frequently asked questions
Why is only the video offline but the audio plays?
Resolve decoded the audio stream but not the video stream. A YouTube file carries two separate streams, and Resolve judges each one on its own, so Opus or AAC audio can play while a VP9 or AV1 picture stays red. The fix is the same as for a fully offline clip: replace the file with a DNxHR or ProRes .mov that holds both streams in formats Resolve reads.
Does DaVinci Resolve Studio decode AV1 and VP9 files that the free version shows as offline?
No, not on Windows by edition alone. Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve 20 codec list gives AV1 and VP9 decoding no Studio-only note there; Studio adds profiles and GPU acceleration for H.264 and H.265. A VP9 file in a WEBM container, which the list omits, or an AV1 file on a card without AV1 decode support gets no extra help from Studio.
Can I convert the file inside Resolve?
Only when Resolve can already decode it. Optimized media, proxies and renders all start from a decoded picture, so a clip that shows Media Offline because of its codec has nothing to convert. Convert an undecodable YouTube file outside Resolve instead, for example to DNxHR or ProRes, as described in download YouTube videos in ProRes or DNxHR.
Sources
- Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve 20 supported codec list (PDF, July 2025) documents.blackmagicdesign.com
