Davinci Resolve on Linux: Easy Fix for Audio & Video Import Issues

If you’re having trouble importing footage into Davinci Resolve on Linux, you’re not alone. Many Linux users face compatibility issues (missing audio or video). But don’t worry there’s a simple fix!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through a fast and efficient workflow to ensure you can import most media without an itch!

You’ll learn how to configure OBS so that you don’t need to do any extra conversions. But if you are using external footage in MP4 from your camera that might not work!

So that’s why I will also show you how to convert video and audio formats using FFmpeg. You need to go through the initial setup and after that type a single command to bulk convert your files.

Why This Happens

DaVinci Resolve on Linux does not support all the same codecs used on Mac and Windows. Due to some licensing issues and libraries you will have to work around this issue.

What it lacks in this department it makes up in stability and smooth playback.

If your footage doesn’t match these specifications, you might run into:

• Video playback issues
• Missing audio
• Format incompatibility errors

The solution? Convert your footage or record in a format supported by Davinci Resolve.

Best OBS Settings

If you record with OBS Studio, setting it up with compatible formats is easy.

Here are some recommended settings:

• Container Format: MOV
• Video Encoder: MPEG4
• Audio Encoder: PCM (s16le)

You can either set it using “Type Standard” or “Type Custom Output” under the Recording tab on OBS.

Standard

1. Select Standard in Type
2. Set Recording Format to MOV
3. Set Audio Encoder to FFmpeg PCM

Custom Output

1. Change Type to Custom Output (FFmpeg)
2. Set Container Format to MOV
3. Set Video Encoder to MPEG4
4. Set Audio Encoder to pcm_s16le

These settings ensure that your footage is directly compatible with DaVinci Resolve.

Another alternative is to record audio using the Fairlight Tab inside Davinci Resolve.

If you’re already using different settings (like MKV or AAC audio), you’ll need to convert your files.

How to Install FFmpeg

To make is simple, we’ll use FFmpeg, a powerful command-line tool for handling multimedia files.

If you have installed other video packages this tool might be on your system already.

You can use the commands below to install it on the most popular Linux Distros. For Fedora, you might need to enable RPM fusion to install FFmpeg.

Debian

sudo apt install ffmpeg

Fedora

sudo dnf install ffmpeg ffmpeg-devel

Arch

sudo pacman -S ffmpeg

FFmpeg Scripts

If your files aren’t in the right format, you can use FFmpeg scripts to convert them.

Davinci Resolve Studio

Davinci Resolve Studio supports MP4 video. The problem is with AAC audio that won’t even show on your timeline!

For MKV video and AAC audio you will only need to encode the audio.

Same for MP4 video and AAC audio you will only need to encode the audio to WAV.

Convert MKV to WAV (Fix Missing Audio)

This script converts MKV files to WAV format. It Extracts the audio without re-encoding the video.

Create a script named mkv_to_wav.sh:

#!/bin/bash

# Loop through all .mkv files
for i in *.mkv; do
  # Remove the .mkv extension from the filename
  filename="${i%.mkv}"

  # Convert using ffmpegs
  ffmpeg -i "$i" -vn -acodec pcm_s16le "${filename}.wav"
done

Convert MP4 to WAV (Fix AAC Audio Issues)

This script converts MP4 files to WAV format. It extracts the audio without re-encoding the video.

Create a script named mp4_to_wav.sh:

#!/bin/bash

for i in *.mp4; do
  # Extract the filename without the extension
  filename="${i%.mp4}"

  # Use ffmpeg to convert the MP4 audio to WAV
  ffmpeg -i "$i" -vn -acodec pcm_s16le "${filename}.wav"
done

Davinci Resolve Free

For Davinci Resolve Free version MP4 video and AAC audio it will not work.

The easiest way to get your footage working is to convert to ProRes MOV and the audio to PCM. Plus this format is better for editing anyway.

Convert MP4 to ProRes MOV

This script converts MP4 files to ProRes MOV format, suitable for DaVinci Resolve Free Version.

Create a script named mp4_to_mov.sh:

#!/bin/bash

# Loop through all MP4 files
for i in *.mp4; do
  # Skip if no MP4 files exist
  [ -e "$i" ] || continue

  # Extract the filename without the extension
  filename="${i%.mp4}"

  # Convert MP4 to ProRes MOV (software encoding for ProRes)
  ffmpeg -i "$i" \
    -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 -qscale:v 9 \
    -c:a pcm_s16le \
    "${filename}_prores.mov"
done

Execute the Scripts

To execute the scripts place your video files in the same folder as the script.

Create a folder named Encoding or Conversion, inside your video folder like so: /home/desktop/Videos/Encoding

Make sure all scripts have “Run as executable” permissions. In some file managers you can enable this option by right-clicking the file.

To set the executable permission you can also use the following command:

chmod +x filename.sh

Do not forget to change “filename” to one of the script names you have in your folder.

Now you can run one of the following commands:

./mkv_to_wav.sh

or

.mp4_to_wav.sh

or

./mp4_to_mov.sh

Get The Scripts

By following these steps, you can fix missing audio and format compatibility issues in DaVinci Resolve on Linux.

You can copy paste the scripts or download them by visiting this Github link.

Whether you adjust OBS settings or use FFMPEG scripts, you’ll have a smooth workflow and focus more on editing rather than troubleshooting.