100 Reaper Tips and Shortcuts (for Beginners)

100 Reaper Tips and Shortcuts for beginners is here! This video is geared primary for folks who want to learn Reaper from the ground up. An excellent tutorial for budding podcasters, music producers and more.

Feel free to navigate around quickly with the timestamps below:

0:00 Intro

File Management Tips
1:52 Set path to save ‘media files’
2:45 Create Sub-Directory’ & ‘Move Media into Project Directory’
3:30 Disable ‘Select File to Save or Delete’ box
3:55 Create ‘Temp’ Folder for ReaPeaks and Backups

File Management Shortcuts
6:28 Project Settings
7:26 Open New Project
Open Existing Project
Save project
Save project as…
Render project to disk…
Quit REAPER

Display the windows for various settings and options
8:07 Preferences
8:50 Action List
9:26 Snap/grid Settings
9:35 Metronome Settings
9:47 Show Keyboard Shortcuts

10:00 Creating Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential Default Tips & Tweaks
11:01 Change ‘Transport: Go To Start of Project
12:13 Importing Audio & Media Files
13:23 Fix ‘Double Click’ item
14:42 Right click menus
14:58 Reverse Scroll Wheel Zoom Horizontally
16:25 Zoom on Mouse Cursor
17:05 Undock Mixer

Transport Control Shortcuts
17:39 Play/stop
17:48 Go to start of project
18:00 Go to end of project
18:10 Record
18:30 Toggle Looping

Screen Appearance
18:53 Full Screen View (toggle)
19:09 Grid Lines display (toggle)
19:21 Grid Lines on top of items
19:43 Show/Hide FX browser window
19:57 Show/Hide master in track view
20:09 Show/Hide media explorer
20:21 Show/Hide mixer
20:30 Show/Hide navigator window
20:50 Show/Hide video window

Navigate and Zoom within a project
21:12 Track, go to next
Track, go to previous
21:32 Track height, toggle maximum
Track height, toggle minimum
21:47 Zoom in horizontal
Zoom out horizontal
22:00 Zoom in vertical
Zoom out vertical
22:47 Zoom in/ Out of Selected Track(s)
22:59 Zoom In/ Out of Time Selection

Working with Media Items

23:45 Snapping, toggle
24:13 Temporarily Disable Snapping (Mouse Modifier)
24:23 Split item(s) at edit cursor
24:55 Split item(s) at time selection
25:24 Selecting items with mouse modifiers
25:43 Marquee select (Mouse Modifier)
25:56 Select all items
26:07 Copy selected item(s)
26:23 Paste selection from clipboard
26:39 Copy / Paste (Mouse Modifier)
26:57 Delete selected item(s)
27:02 Undo previous action
27:12 Group items
Ungroup items
27:38 Locking Items
27:56 Toggle items mute
28:18 Enable Crossfades
28:44 Crossfade Item(s)
29:01 Crossfade items within time selection
29:14 Ripple editing: cycle modes

Other navigating and editing mouse modifiers

30:48 Change behavior to zoom vertically on mouse (preferences)
31:14 Zoom vertically
31:31 Scroll horizontally & Vertically

Track controls and track management

32:03 Insert new track
32:26 Insert Multiple Tracks
32:44 Color tracks
33:04 Duplicate Track(s)
33:12 Delete selected track(s)
33:20 Go to next track
33:26 Go to previous track
33:32 Select all tracks
33:40 Show Master in track view
33:49 Volume & Pan Envelopes
34:06 Move Envelopes To Track Lane
34:16 Creating Envelope Points (Mouse Modifier)
34:27 Drawing automation with Pencil Tool (Mouse Modifier)
34:34 Zoom to max track height (toggle)
Zoom to min track height (toggle)
34:49 Show/Hide Track Manager

Mouse modifiers for tracks

35:10 Select a range of tracks
35:23 Toggle track’s selection status
35:32 Mixer: Fader Movement (Precise)
35:42 Mixer: Clears all mutes & solos

Working with Time Selections, Loops, Regions and Markers

36:24 Create Time Selection
36:38 Loop, set begin point
Loop, set end point
36:51 Clear time and loop point selection
36:57 Insert Marker
37:12 Insert Maker (Prompt to name/ edit)
37:23 Region, create from time selection

Mixer View FX Item Mouse Click Modifiers

37:49 Insert FX
38:01 Bypass FX
38:08 Delete FX
38:15 Float FX configuration
38:20 Show FX Chain

Useful Links:
Reaper Blog Vids:
File Management

Kenny Gioia Vids:
Preferences:
Mouse Modifiers:
Recording:
Zooming:
Editing Basics:
Ripple Editing:

If you enjoyed the video, please give it a like, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment below.

[ChadwickRider]

My DAW lifecycle ... Started with Cakewalk, then Garageband, then Pro Tools, then Ableton and now I'm on Reaper 6 licensed version. LOVE Reaper!
Thanks to all of you out there sharing tips, tricks and tutorials, building a community. Very much appreciated!

[DonaldWaughmusic]

I use Pro Tools everyday at work but nothing beats Reaper’s customization. Incredible!!! Thanks for the video.

[unclespooky]

Good sir. I stumbled down a Youtube Reaper Rabbit hole and found your 100 tips. I'm only a third of the way through and you've already saved me so much time in my work flow and file management. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together.

[originalskylark]

Excellent, well-organized tutorial! I've been at this for a long time and I still picked up a couple new tips that will enhance my workflow going forward. Thank you so much!

[ItsawonderfulWeenus]

Thank you! Just finished my first real project in Reaper. These tips are gonna save me a lot of time.

[RadioTeal]

coming from Ableton Live, Pro Tools and N-Track Studio. Since I alternate between Linux and Windows (11) I have decided to adopt Reaper as my DAW of choice. This video is helpful as I am launching my new YT channel.

[bcraigcraig]

I just starting Reaper coming from Logic Pro X this was so help God Bless Sir

[ROYALVIDEOS_ROYALVIDEOS]

Thank you so much this video so great and so easy to follow, I appreciate it so much wish you all the best god lock my dear friend and thank you!!

[dingo]

I watched it through, and used every function. I will also watch the videos you referenced. Thank you so much for making this!

[daviddahl]

I watch this video a few times along with reaper blog and reaper mania you guys are awesome I'm just a slow learner so I have to watch stuff a few times over to get it stuck in my head thanks again

[strangebones]

I'm not a real beginner, but i do play one sometimes. Holy Wow! Thanks a million. Time, heartache, and energy saving, for sure. Special thanks for including Windows options.
I will be passing this info and video on.
Preeshy ate it!!!

[andreasfranzmann]

Ha ha, I knew every single one exept for the last one!! 😜 Was worth sticking to the end indeed.
Thanks for the effort to make this video and especially for command+left click in the fx slots.
All the best, Andy

[scaramuccirecords]

Thank you so much for this video. You really master the art of explaining things clearly. You also found the relevant aspects for a person who is migrating from another daw to reaper. Thanks for making my life a bit easier. Wish you the best.

[sitgesstudio]

wow! let me get some coffee... this is good stuff!

[daviddahl]

I finally went through the whole video wrote everything down in a notebook there was a few of them in there that was trying to figure out oh thats how you do it. And I do watch reapermania and reaperblog a lot those 2 guys are awesome. thanks man great job

[exoduslnx]

Damn, this is legendary. Thanks dood!

[noompsieOG]

I taught myself reaper Over 2 years I wish this video was around when I started lol. This is a great video though as someone who has learnt the hard way good work

[TheTimeProphet]

The first tip was gold. Hated all the audio files in the root project

[sharingmyfun]

Thank you for the tips and keyboard shortcuts. This is a wonderful resource for those of us who are new. 20:11

[MonkeyDolphin]

This is absolute gold. Thank you very much!