Download Free DaVinci Resolve 18 and 18.5 Manual

If you downloaded the new DaVinci Resolve version, this free manual will help you to get started.

Has Adobe Premiere Pro become too expensive for you? You can always check out DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic. The free version of the video editing software offers a ton of video editing and color grading features. The paid studio version ($295) offers even more functionalities.

For those who are new to this software, DaVinci Resolve combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics, and more. Currently, you can download DaVinci Resolve 18.5 for free. 18.5 is the newest version of the software, which was released on July 2023. As of this writing, this version is available for download worldwide. You cannot just download it with one click like before. Blackmagic requires to register – before your free download you will be asked to register your free version of DaVinci Resolve.

System Requirements

The system requirements for the 18 version are similar to the previous one:

For Mac:

Mac 10.15 Catalina or later.
16 GB of system memory
32 GB of memory (for Fusion)
Integrated GPU or discrete GPU (dedicated memory separate from the CPU) with at least 2GB of VRAM.
GPU to support Metal or OpenCL 1.2

For Windows:

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
16 GB of system memory
32 GB of memory (for Fusion)
Integrated GPU or discrete GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM
GPU to support OpenCL 1.2
NVIDIA/AMD/Intel GPU Driver version (as required by your GPU)
For NVIDIA, make sure to use the most recent driver version.

Check out our more detailed take on the minimum requirements for Davinci Resolve.

What’s New in DaVinci Resolve 18 and 18.5?

The new version include several new features. You can now host project libraries using Blackmagic Cloud and collaborate on the same timeline with multiple users. The new proxy generator creates proxies linked to camera originals. The new version supports Apple M1 Ultra, which gives the user a power image processing engine. The majority of the above features are available in the Studio version. You can check out all the new features here.

After the successful launch of version 18 in 2022, DaVinci Resolve 18.5 brings a host of new features in 2023. It introduces 4 new AI tools and over 100 feature upgrades. Here are the key highlights as of September 2023:

Automatic Speech-to-Text: You can now transcribe audio within clips for easy media search or subtitle generation.
Fairlight Page Updates: You are able to group audio tracks for quicker mix automation and editing.
New Relight FX: These are new virtual lighting effects for colorists.
USD File Support: Easier collaboration for VFX artists.
Intelligent Media Management: Simplifies media linking for remote collaboration.
Remote Monitoring: Stream to multiple devices using just a Blackmagic ID and session code.

Free Manual

As with the previous releases, Blackmagic updates the user manual with each new version. Resolve 18 and 18.5 is no different: the new 4,000 page manual has been thoroughly revised and update. Even though this manual includes a ton of details, it’s a valuable source of technical information and tips for both beginner and pro editors using Resolve. Download the free Resolve 18 and 18.5 manual here.

Content and Topics

In the DaVinci Resolve 18.5 user manual you will find a lot of useful information about how to use DaVinci resolve for all of these: video editing, color correction, audio post-production, motion graphics, and finishing/exporting. Here are the main topics covered in the manual:

DaVinci Resolve Interface
Setup and Workflows
Ingest and Organize Media
he Cut Page
Edit
Editing Effects and Transitions
Import and Conform Projects
Fusion Fundamentals
Fusion Page Effects
Color
Color Page Effects
Resolve FX Overview
Fairlight
Deliver
Advanced Workflows
Project Libraries, Collaborative, and Remote Workflows

The manual is a long 4,000 page document. We recommend downloading it and using it as a reference whenever you are blocked while using Resolve. The manual is filled with screenshots and short descriptions that are easy to follow.

Getting Started with DaVinci Resolve

In addition to the free user manual, here are 16 hours of free official tutorials that will allow you to get a better grasp of Resolve. They are all YouTube videos that you can watch at your own pace: