How to Update DaVinci Resolve on Mac: Step-by-Step Guide

For over a decade, DaVinci Resolve has been redefining what‘s possible with post-production software. What began as a powerful color grading tool in 2004 has evolved into a full-fledged editing, visual effects, and audio solution used on everything from YouTube videos to Hollywood blockbusters.

It‘s no exaggeration to call DaVinci Resolve an industry standard. Blackmagic Design reported a 42% increase in Resolve downloads from 2021 to 2022, and the software now has over 10 million active users across Mac, Windows and Linux ^[1].

A key factor in that explosive growth is Blackmagic‘s relentless pace of development. They roll out major updates packed with new features and under-the-hood optimizations every year, with more frequent "dot" releases in between to address bugs and compatibility issues.

All those rapid-fire updates make it crucial for users to stay current. Nobody wants to get stuck troubleshooting R3D footage in an old version while the rest of their team is cranking away with the latest performance and stability improvements.

Fortunately, updating DaVinci Resolve is quick and easy, especially on macOS. As a professional colorist and editing instructor who‘s installed every release since version 12, I‘ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you confidently update Resolve and get back to creating.

What‘s New in DaVinci Resolve 18

Before diving into the update process itself, it‘s worth highlighting some of the major additions in DaVinci Resolve 18. This release is a perfect example of how each new version expands Resolve‘s creative potential and technical capabilities.

Here are some of the headline features, summarized from the official v18 release notes:

Feature	Description
Object Mask	A new tool for creating masks based on people or object detection, with tracking and Blackmagic Cloud AI-assisted rotoscoping powered by DaVinci Neural Engine
Depth Map Effect	Generates a 3D depth matte for any clip to simulate depth-of-field and portrait mode effects or to grade specific depth ranges
GPU Accelerated Paint	Huge performance improvements for painting strokes and tracking masks with write-on/write-off controls
DaVinci Resolve for iPad	A groundbreaking new iOS app that brings professional editing and color grading tools to Apple‘s flagship tablet

As you can see, AI-assisted tools are a huge focus in Resolve 18. The software‘s DaVinci Neural Engine uses state-of-the-art deep learning and neural networks to power features like facial recognition, speed warp retiming, and magic mask object isolation.

These cutting-edge capabilities are only available in the latest release, making it essential to stay updated if you want to ride the wave of AI innovation that‘s transforming the industry.

How to Update DaVinci Resolve on macOS

With that context in mind, let‘s walk through the update process step-by-step. Updating DaVinci Resolve on macOS is incredibly simple, but I‘ll include some extra commentary and tips along the way to set you up for success.

1. Make sure you‘re connected to the internet, then launch DaVinci Resolve. If you have multiple versions installed, start up the most recent one.
2. In the DaVinci Resolve menu bar, go to DaVinci Resolve > Check for Updates.



3. After a few moments, Resolve will display a prompt if a newer version is available. Click "Install Update" to proceed.



4. The update will automatically download and install. You can monitor its progress in the status window.



5. Once the update is finished, you‘ll see a confirmation dialog. Click "Close" then quit and relaunch DaVinci Resolve to start using the new version.

That‘s it! The actual update process is very straightforward. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind before and after updating.

Best Practices for Updating Resolve

By following some simple best practices, you can ensure a smooth update with minimal disruption to your workflow. I‘ve developed these habits over many years of working with Resolve.

Back Up Your Databases and Projects

Even though Resolve updates are reliable, I always recommend backing up your projects and databases beforehand just to be safe.

Exporting project backups is easy. Just use the File > Export Project option and save the resulting DRP file to a location outside of your local disk database.

It‘s also wise to back up your databases. Databases contain not only your project files, but also media location information, render cache files, and gallery stills ^[2].

To back up a database, go to the Project Manager, click the gear icon, and choose "Backup." Select the databases you want to save then choose a backup location.

For maximum redundancy, I keep my project and database backups in three places:

1. An external SSD that I can quickly plug in and restore from
2. A NAS (network-attached storage) device for automated local backups
3. A secure cloud provider like Dropbox, Google Drive or Blackmagic Cloud for offsite storage

Having that "3-2-1" backup system (three copies, on two different media, with one offsite) has saved me multiple times when an update or hardware issue threatened to take out a project. It gives me total peace of mind.

Optimize Your System for Performance

To get the most out of each new DaVinci Resolve release, it‘s important to optimize your Mac‘s hardware and software configuration. Here are a few key tips:

• Make sure you‘re using a supported GPU. Resolve relies heavily on graphics acceleration, so you‘ll want a beefy GPU from AMD or NVIDIA. I use an AMD Radeon Pro W6800X in my Mac Studio and it screams.
• Install the latest GPU drivers. Speaking of graphics cards, it‘s crucial to have the latest driver version for your GPU. This is especially important after a Resolve update, as new releases often bring optimizations that require the latest drivers.
• Configure your cache and scratch locations. By default, Resolve stores its render cache, gallery, and scratch files in the same location as your local disk database. To avoid slowdowns, set those paths to a dedicated SSD.
• Transcode camera originals to an edit-friendly format. H.264, H.265 and other highly-compressed camera formats are great for shooting but not so much for editing. I always transcode my source footage to a more digestible format like Blackmagic RAW or ProRes 422 before importing into Resolve.

Explore New Features and Expand Your Skills

Of course, one of the best parts of updating Resolve is getting to play with all the shiny new tools and capabilities. I like to set aside some time after each major update to deliberately explore what‘s changed.

Reading the full release notes is a great place to start. Blackmagic Design also puts out excellent videos introducing the marquee features, like this one on the AI-based depth map effect in Resolve 18.

Resolve‘s vibrant community of professional and amateur users is another incredible resource. I‘m constantly amazed by the creative techniques people share on forums, YouTube, and social media. Here are a few of my favorite places to learn:

• Blackmagic Design‘s official DaVinci Resolve forum
• Weem‘s DaVinci Resolve Tutorials on YouTube
• Cullen Kelly‘s Color Grading Central YouTube channel
• Alexis Van Hurkman‘s Mixing Light training site
• The Colorist Podcast interviews with industry pros

I‘m a firm believer that every colorist and editor has something to teach me, whether they‘re a veteran of the industry or just starting out. By embracing that beginner‘s mindset after each Resolve update, I‘ve been able to continually grow and stay inspired over my years with the software.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

In my experience, DaVinci Resolve updates are generally very stable, especially on Mac. However, nobody bats a thousand. Here are some tips for troubleshooting a few common issues that can crop up after updating.

Resolving "Failed to create table in database" Error

This error can occur during the update process if your disk permissions are not properly set. It indicates that the app was unable to create its database tables ^[3].

The fix is to manually update the permissions:

1. Navigate to your DaVinci Resolve application folder (default path is /Applications/DaVinci Resolve/).
2. Right-click on the "DaVinci Resolve" app package and select "Get Info."
3. Expand the "Sharing & Permissions" section at the bottom of the info panel.
4. Click the lock icon and enter your administrator password to enable changes.
5. Set the privilege for your user account to "Read & Write."
6. Click the action (gear) menu and choose "Apply to enclosed items," then confirm.

After updating the permissions, try relaunching DaVinci Resolve. The database error should be resolved (no pun intended).

Fixing RED Camera R3D OpenCL Error

In DaVinci Resolve 18, some users encountered an "OpenCL Performance Test Failed" error when importing R3D files from RED cameras ^[4]. This is caused by a bug in the specific build of RED‘s SDK used in that release.

Blackmagic quickly issued Resolve 18.0.1 to address the issue, so the first step is to make sure you‘ve updated to that version or later.

If you‘re still seeing the error, you can work around it by disabling GPU decoding for RED files:

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and go to Preferences > System > Memory and GPU.
2. Disable the "Use GPU for RED Debayer" option, then click "Save."
3. Restart Resolve for the change to take effect.

With that option disabled, you should be able to import and work with R3D files normally, though you may notice slightly slower decode performance since the CPU is doing the heavy lifting.

You‘re All Set!

By now, you should have a thorough understanding of how to update DaVinci Resolve on your Mac. We‘ve covered the benefits of staying current, walked through the streamlined update process, and shared some tips for getting the most out of each new release.

In my years as a professional colorist and DaVinci Resolve instructor, I‘ve found that regularly updating is one of the best things you can do to keep your creative potential growing and your projects running smoothly.

I‘ll leave you with a quote from Paul Saccone, Director of Marketing at Blackmagic Design:

"At Blackmagic Design, we believe that creativity is what powers the film and television industry. We think it‘s important that creative people get access to the best possible tools, so they can bring their visions to life. That‘s why we work hard to update DaVinci Resolve with new features and performance improvements every year. Our goal is to keep empowering that creativity."

By staying up-to-date with the latest version of Resolve, you‘re putting yourself in the best position to bring your own creative visions to life. So go forth, install those updates, and create something amazing! And remember, if you have any other questions, the DaVinci Resolve community is always here to help.