Rate Stretch Tool
Change clip speed and duration simultaneously by stretching or compressing clips to fit specific timeline durations.
Advanced Tools
Shortcut: RAdvanced10 min readQuick Reference
Rate Stretch Tool
Adobe Premiere ProKeyboard Shortcut
Rkey
Toolbar Location
Tools panel — advanced editing group
Best Used For
- ▸Fine-tune clip timing without changing source footage
- ▸Create multi-camera edits from multiple angles
- ▸Replace clips while preserving effects and position
Advanced⏱ 1–2 hours to master
Key Settings
Stretch:Compress:Read speed:Match duration:
The Rate Stretch Tool lets you change a clip's speed and duration by dragging its edge. It stretches or compresses the clip to fit a specific duration, automatically calculating the required speed percentage.
Where to Find It
Press R or select the Rate Stretch Tool from the toolbar, grouped with the Slip and Slide tools.
How to Use
- Stretch: Drag the edge of a clip outward to slow it down (longer duration, slower speed).
- Compress: Drag the edge inward to speed it up (shorter duration, faster speed).
- Read speed: The speed percentage appears in a tooltip and in the Effect Controls panel.
- Match duration: Drag to snap to the edge of another clip for seamless matching.
Pro Tips
- Use to quickly match the duration of B-roll to fill a gap in your timeline.
- Extreme speed changes (below 50% or above 200%) may look unnatural — use Time Remapping for complex speed effects.