How to Copy an Effect to Multiple Clips in Final Cut Pro

This is one of those things you'll use constantly once you know it: copying a color grade, a scale adjustment, an effect, or any combination of clip attributes from one clip to several others in one shot. Here are the three ways to do it.

Method 1: Paste Attributes (⌘C → ⌘⇧V)

This is the most powerful method because it lets you choose exactly what gets transferred. Select the clip that has the settings you want to copy and press ⌘C. Then select the destination clip (or multiple clips), and press ⌘⇧V. The Paste Attributes window opens showing a list of everything available to copy: effects, color corrections, transforms, crop, and more.

Hit paste to transfer everything, or if you only want to copy one specific thing, hold Option and click that one item. It automatically deselects everything else. Then hit paste.

Method 2: Inspector Drag

With your inspector open, select an effect from the inspector panel and drag it directly onto the clip you want to paste it to in the timeline. To copy multiple effects at once, hold Shift to select them all before dragging. You can also drag an effect from the inspector directly onto the viewer window. If your playhead is parked over a different clip, that clip gets the effect.

This method is more visual and intuitive, but it works one clip at a time.

Method 3: Adjustment Clip

For video effects you want applied across many clips, press Option A to add an adjustment clip and place it above the clips in your timeline. Any effect you add directly to the adjustment clip will apply to everything underneath it. Ideal for applying a LUT, a color grade, or an effect to an entire section of your edit at once.

Note: adjustment clips don't work for audio effects, and they'll affect everything below them (including titles and transitions), so keep that in mind.