Guess what’s common between your favorite Hollywood movies Dune, Black Widow, Godzilla, Thor: Love and Thunder, Frosty, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Eternals (other than the fact that they are super awesome movies). It’s DaVinci Resolve.

In this guide, I’ve selected the 9 best free and paid DaVinci Resolve online courses for you from the 60+ DaVinci Resolve courses on our catalog by following a well-defined methodology that you can find below.

But if you want to jump straight to the results, here are my top 9 picks. You can click on a course to jump to the corresponding section:

What is DaVinci Resolve?

As Blackmagic Design says on their website:

DaVinci Resolve is the world’s only solution that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and audio post production all in one software tool!

This means that you don’t have to learn and use multiple applications for different post production tasks – you can carry out the entire process in DaVinci Resolve itself, faster and at a higher quality.

DaVinci Resolve (originally da Vinci Resolve) was developed by da Vinci Systems in 2003 which was later on acquired by Blackmagic Design in 2009. The commercial version of the software is known as DaVinci Resolve Studio, while its free version (with reduced functionality) is simply called DaVinci Resolve.

With DaVinci Resolve, you get DaVinci’s Emmy award winning image technology with 32‑bit float processing, patented YRGB color science, a wide gamut color space for HDR workflows. and Fairlight audio processing for the best in class sound.

Why are DaVinci Resolve Skills Important?

DaVinci Resolve is a popular choice for creating visual effects and motion graphics, as well as post-production workflows. As such, professionals who have skills in this software are in high demand in the industry.

DaVinci Resolve is considered one of the leading video editing software in a market that’s projected to reach a value of USD 3.24 Billion by 2030. It’s a popular choice among professional editors and colorists in the film, television, and video production industry.

The job market for professionals with skills in DaVinci Resolve is generally strong, as the software is widely used in the film and television industry, you can easily find job openings on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork with an average salary of USD 54,946 in US, according to Glassdoor. However, the level of competition for jobs can vary depending on the specific role and location. Generally, the more specialized and in-demand the role, the higher the competition.

Having skills in DaVinci Resolve is an important asset for any professional in the video editing industry, but it is not the only skill that is needed to get a job. Employers also look for candidates who have a solid understanding of the technical aspects of video editing, such as color correction, visual effects, and audio mixing, as well as experience working on real-world projects. Additionally, a strong portfolio and a good understanding of the industry are important factors when looking for a job.

What is My Experience with DaVinci Resolve?

I am a Guided Project Instructor and a Beta Tester at Coursera, having tested many courses before they’re officially launched. I have taken over 50 online courses in various subjects.

My experience as an online learner and teacher has given me some perspective on what to look for in an online course. I used my experience to evaluate each course in this list.

Course Ranking Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology I used in previous rankings (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 60+ DaVinci Resolve courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, release date, affordability, ratings and enrollments.

The end result is a unique selection of courses that combines a decade of Class Central data and my own experience as an online learner to try to get the best of both worlds. So far, I’ve spent more than 11 hours building this list, and I’ll continue to update it.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some statistics regarding this course ranking:

• Combined, these courses have accrued over 57.8K enrollments.
• 5 courses are free or free-to-audit and 4 courses are paid.
• The most-represented course provider in the ranking is YouTube, with 4 courses.
• All 9 courses are in English.
• The DaVinci Resolve subject is followed by over 500 learners on Class Central, and accounts for over 60 courses in Class Central catalog.

So without further ado, let’s get to my picks for the best DaVinci Resolve online courses.

1. DaVinci Resolve 18 – Training (Blackmagic Design)

My first pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is a collection of free courses DaVinci Resolve 18 – Training, offered by Blackmagic Design.

Blackmagic Design, the developer of DaVinci Resolve, provides their very own, professional-standard courses and books to learn the software for both beginners and professionals alike. With their exclusive training, you’ll be able to become a DaVinci Resolve certified editor, colorist or sound editor quickly and easily.

What You’ll Learn

Blackmagic Design offers both training videos and training books for learning DaVinci Resolve:

1. Training Videos (4 sections)

• DaVinci Resolve Edit with Chris (4 videos)
• DaVinci Resolve Color with Daria and Cullen (5 videos)
• DaVinci Resolve Fairlight with Mary (7 videos)
• DaVinci Resolve Fusion with Tony and Matt (4 videos)

2. Training Books (5 books)

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 20 training videos and 5 training books. Each video involves about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours of work. You can download the PDFs of the books or buy them online. Downloadable project files are also provided along with each video and book. After completing each book, you can try an online exam.

Fun Facts

• Roberts is an award-winning video editor, trainer and writer based near Birmingham, UK.
• Fissoun is a freelance colourist and VFX compositor.
• Kelly is a seasoned professional in both film and commercial color grading.
• Gallardo is a father, creative director, editor and mographer.
• DeJohn is a VFX/Editorial Workflow Manager at Blackmagic Design.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the courses and how to enroll here.

2. RESOLVE 18 CRASH COURSE – Davinci Resolve 18 Walkthrough [BEGINNER] (Casey Faris)

My second pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is the free course RESOLVE 18 CRASH COURSE – Davinci Resolve 18 Walkthrough [BEGINNER], offered by Casey Faris on YouTube.

If you’ve used any editing software before and would like to learn DaVinci Resolve, then this free course is for you. Within a matter of a couple of hours, you’ll learn about the different components and functionalities of DaVinci Resolve 18 and get started with the software.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll cover the following topics:

• What is Resolve and how to download it
• The Layout and Page 
• The Edit Page
• The Cut Page
• The Media Page
• The Fusion Page
• The Color Page
• The Fairlight Page
• The Deliver Page

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 10 videos. Each video involves about 5 to 30 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through video lectures only.

Fun Facts

• Faris teaches video editing, color grading, and visual effects in DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and more.
• He also gives courses on editing, color grading and effects in DaVinci Resolve on his website, groundcontrol.film.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

3. DaVinci Resolve for Beginners (Domestika)

My third pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is DaVinci Resolve for Beginners on Domestika.

This course is spread out into 6 subcourses. Throughout these courses, you’ll learn how to add balance and stylize your video footage with the basic and advanced features of the free version of DaVinci Resolve. A basic understanding of video formats and non-linear editing software will be helpful but is not required in order to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

First, you’ll learn about why we color grade, opening DaVinci resolve for the first time, exporting your film from Premiere, importing footage with xml or flattened qt, finding still images as references, log and raw terminology, exploring nodes, and playback speed and creating caches.

Then, explore preparing media for grading, primary controls, learning to use scopes, changing levels, changing color, matching color and contrast between shots, giving your film a feel, balancing then giving shots feeling, and secondaries and using the qualifier.

Next, you’ll understand power windows and drawing shapes, tracking with power windows curves as secondaries, parallel vs. serial nodes, alpha channels, using keyframes, keys, trackers and keyframes, LUTs, teal and orange split tone look, and bleach bypass look.

After that, you’ll take a look at cross processed look, low contrast vintage film look, assessing and recreating looks from TV, using color theory in your work, experimenting with creative looks, remote grades, groups and colourtrace, organizing the node tree, and useful terms.

Finally, you’ll learn about grading control surfaces, delivery interface and exporting, exporting with handles to return to Premiere, export colors and why they change, databases and project archiving, and exporting your work.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 6 subcourses (41 lessons). Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, exercises and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• Berry is a professional colorist from the UK.
• He co-founded his own creative studio in East London in 2010.
• He has worked with brands like McLaren, Nintendo, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Airbnb, Clarks, the NHS, FIFA, and more.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

4. DAVINCI RESOLVE 18 (FREE COURSE) (Sergio Mota | Academy)

My fourth pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is the free course DAVINCI RESOLVE 18 (FREE COURSE), offered by Sergio Mota | Academy on YouTube.

This short, free course is a great option for beginners to get started with video editing in DaVinci Resolve 18. Within a matter of a couple of hours, you’ll become familiar with DaVinci Resolve and learn how to use popular Resolve tools and techniques to edit your videos. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to work with text, reduce noise and create effects in Resolve.

What You’ll Learn

First, you’ll use magic mask, put text behind moving objects, optimize DaVinci Resolve 18 for faster editing (proxy and render cache), stabilize your videos, ramp speed, give clone effect, 3D track text, and create animated neon lines.

Next, you’ll add video inside text, give typewriter effect, reduce noise, zoom, change the color of any object, do ink transition, split screen, make VHS effect, replace skies, blur objects and faces, give ghost effect, and remove green screen.

Finally, you’ll give locked-on stabilization effect, turn videos to drawing, give cloning effect, export videos, install LUTs, do super slow motion, export videos without background, add camera shake in your videos, add text, and refine faces.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 40 videos. Each video involves about 3 to 12 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through video lectures only.

Fun Facts

• Mota is from Spain and he runs a second YouTube channel where he also shares his videos and DaVinci Resolve tutorials in Spanish.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

5. Color Grading with Da Vinci Resolve: Beginner to Advanced (Udemy)

My fifth pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is Color Grading with Da Vinci Resolve: Beginner to Advanced on Udemy.

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to using DaVinci Resolve 17. As a beginner, you’ll start from scratch and go all the way to high-end and professional color grading, while practicing through real-world hands-on projects. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to take a grading project from start to finish and deliver it to a professional standard.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn to use the tools found in each panel, import projects from other editing software such as Premiere Pro and Final Cut, read images using scopes, use the calibrating tools, work on a short sequence from a short film shot on a Blackmagic Cinema camera, and apply the skills learned in the course to a project shot on a Sony 700 camera.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 20 sections. Each section involves about 30 minutes to 5 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and readings.

Fun Facts

• Falconer is a freelance colorist with nearing 6 years of experience in using DaVinci Resolve,
• He has produced work for the web, broadcast and cinema as well as music videos, short films and drama projects.
• He teaches editing, visual effects and color grading at the Met Film School in London.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

6. Video Editing in DaVinci Resolve 18/17: Beginner to Advanced (Udemy)

My sixth pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is Video Editing in DaVinci Resolve 18/17: Beginner to Advanced on Udemy.

This beginner-friendly course will teach you visual effects, motion graphics, color correction and grading, and audio editing in DaVinci Resolve ( both 17 and 18 versions). You’ll work on your first video step by step from start to finish right from importing your video clips all the way to color correction and grading, while adding music, graphics, text and transitions. 

What You’ll Learn

First, you’ll understand the workflow in DaVinci Resolve, import and organize your media from Bins to Power Bins, video edit in the Edit Page, create your first short video, multiple ways to assemble your video (from inserts to swaps), and fine edit your clips a frame at a time.

Next, you’ll re-time your clips with speed graphs (slow motion and fast motion), create your own transitions, add graphics, lower thirds and titles, create an intro and outro, work in Fusion Text, apply and customize Effects from ResolveFX, and achieve perfect color correction.

Finally, you’ll use Power Windows, Cloud and Point Trackers, understand and work with advanced tools such as Curves, Qualifiers and Keys, color grade like a colourist, and learn advanced editing techniques like the tree point edit, J cuts and L cuts.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 24 sections. Each section involves about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• This course is a bestseller on Udemy.
• Zambarakji loves teaching video editing, animation, motion graphics and visual effects.
• He has a 4.6 instructor rating on Udemy with over 394K students.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

7. DaVinci Resolve Fundamentals (LinkedIn Learning)

My seventh pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is DaVinci Resolve Fundamentals on LinkedIn Learning.

This course will teach you post production in DaVinci Resolve using a 60 seconds commercial that you’ll work on. You’ll go through all the steps of the process, starting from importing your media, building a rough cut, refining your rough cut, adding titles and transitions, correcting colors, organizing and mixing sound clips, and exporting your final product.

What You’ll Learn

The course starts with the setup essentials, including an overview of the interface, essential system and user preferences, and creating your first project. You’ll then learn about organizing media on the Media and Cut pages, including importing footage, organizing it into bins, and building a rough cut. Finally, you’ll learn about rendering and delivering your final project on the Deliver page, including rendering for online streaming platforms and managing the Render Queue.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 7 modules. Each module involves about 30 minutes to 2 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and practice exercises.

Fun Facts

• Inhofer is a professional film and video colorist with a pedigree in editing and finishing.
• He has over 30 years of professional experience in delivering high-quality programming for broadcast, commercial, corporate and indie clients.
• For over 10 years, he has also developed a career in  teaching others how to digitally color correct moving images.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

8. DaVinci Resolve Color Grading for Beginners | FREE COURSE (Envato Tuts+)

My eighth pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is the free course DaVinci Resolve Color Grading for Beginners | FREE COURSE, offered by Envato Tuts+ on YouTube.

Whether you are a beginner or even an intermediate colorist looking to improve your skill level, this short, free course will teach you color grading within a matter of a couple of hours. Even if you’ve never opened DaVinci Resolve before, after taking this course, you’ll get up and running with color grading in Resolve.

What You’ll Learn

First, you’ll get started in Resolve, get to know the layout, set up your project, use Scene Cut Detection to import your footage, get an in-depth overview of the color tab, read scopes (Waveform, Parade, Histogram and Vectorscope), and understand pro color grading workflow.

Next, you’ll learn what the Primaries Color Wheels do, color correct skin tone, use Noise Reduction to clean up the image, motion track your grade using the Tracker Window tool, color grade the background of your image, and dial in ‘the look’ for your color grade.

Finally, you’ll add finishing effects like Film Grain to your footage, use the Halation effect on background lighting, produce the final product, deliver your grade to the editor, and create a custom LUT from your grade.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 19 videos. Each module involves about 1 to 5 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through video lectures only. Useful links are also provided in the YouTube description of the course. Just click on Start Learning and go to Direct link.

Fun Facts

• Graham is a content creator with a background in commercial filmmaking.
• He has worked as a Director, DoP, Producer, Editor and Creative Director across television commercials, feature films and large-scale corporate video events.
• He creates post-production and filmmaking content for the Envato Tuts+ YouTube Channel.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

9. DAVINCI RESOLVE 18 for BEGINNERS – 2023 Guide | Everything You NEED to KNOW to get STARTED (Jason Yadlovski)

My ninth pick for the best DaVinci Resolve online course is the free course DAVINCI RESOLVE 18 for BEGINNERS – 2023 Guide | Everything You NEED to KNOW to get STARTED, offered by Jason Yadlovski on YouTube.

This free course is the shortest one on this list. But don’t let that fool you. One hour is enough to get started with DaVinci Resolve 18. Step by step, you’ll go through all the necessary tools and techniques in order to become familiar with Resolve and start editing your videos.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll store and organize projects, create a project library, import media, get an overview of the various tabs and functionalities such as the Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, and Deliver tabs, and explore the Edit Tab interface.

You’ll also learn how to set in/out points, create a timeline, add clips, make cuts, explore various timeline view options, edit effects, perform transitions, move around the timeline, and color and export videos using Deliver presets and export settings.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 98 videos. Each video involves about 1 minute of work. Concepts are taught through video lectures only. Useful links are also provided in the YouTube description of the course. Just click on Start Learning and go to Direct link.

Fun Facts

• Yadlovski shares tips, tricks and tutorials in DaVinci Resolve on his YouTube channel.
• He also talks about some gear that can help make your videos better.
• You can find more of his work on his website.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.