If you’re a producer or mixer who works on FL Studio, shortcuts are key for working faster and more efficiently. Shortcuts save time because they allow you to access tools and features right from your keyboard without having to click through lengthy menus or leave your workspace.
As an audio producer, this can quickly become your superpower. The faster you’re able to do repetitive tasks in your DAW, the more time you have for creative thinking and experimentation. It also means you finish your projects faster and are able to take on more than before. This is critical for being able to scale your studio.
When used correctly, shortcuts become more like a dance that your fingers perform as you edit, allowing you to sink into that ever-elusive “flow state” during your editing and recording sessions. Soon you'll see your entire session fly by and be hitting "export" in no time.
We’ve compiled this FL Studio keyboard shortcuts guide so that you can speed up your editing and recording sessions.
60 handy FL Studio shortcuts
There are lots of different shortcut combinations that work with FL Studio, but first, let’s start with the basics:
*Note: These are all based on the standard qwerty keyboard
Quick tool hotkeys
Select tool: [E] key
Mute tool: [T] key
Playback tool: [Y] key
Pencil tool: [P] key
Delete tool: [D] key
Zoom tool: [Z] Key
Slice tool: [C] key
Paint tool: [Z] key
Paint tool: [B] key
F-key shortcuts
F1 – FL Studio reference manual
F2 – Name a pattern and assign it a color
F3 – Open file window
F4 – Create a new pattern in the channel rack
F5 – Open/close the playlist window
F6 – Open/close the channel rack
F7 – Open Piano Roll
F8 – Plugin picker
F9 – Open/close mixer window
F10 – MIDI settings
F11 – Project settings
F12 – Close everything
Playback/recording/transport shortcuts
Start/stop playback: [Spacebar]
Start/pause playback: [Ctrl/Cmd+ Spacebar]
Switch patter/song Mode: [L]
Enable or disable Recording: [R]
Fast forward: [0] (zero)
Previous bar: [/]
Jump 4 bars back: [Ctrl/Cmd+ /]
Next bar: [*]
Toggle metronome: [Ctrl/Cmd+ M]
Mixer shortcuts
Move selected mixer track left/right: [Alt + Arrow Left/Arrow Right]
Select channels linked to mixer track: [Alt + L]
Link selected channels to mixer track: [Ctrl/Cmd + L]
Solo current track: [S]
Render armed tracks to .wav: [Alt + R] (zero)
Create together remotely, in real time
Playlist shortcuts
Bypass snap: [Alt]
Ungroup selection: [Alt + G]
Open Piano Roll: [Alt + P]
Add time market: [Alt + T]
Jump to next/previous song marker: [Alt + * or /]
Audition selected clip: [Alt + Right Click]
Select all: [Ctrl/Cmd + A]
Duplicate selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + B]
Copy selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + C]
Deselect selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + D]
Toggle performance mode: [Ctrl/Cmd + P]
Add time marker: [Ctrl/Cmd + T]
Paste selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + V]
Cut selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + X]
Grid color: [Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + G]
Toggle resizing (from left): [Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Home]
Add space at start of timeline: [Ctrl/Cmd + Insert]
Delete space according to timeline: [Ctrl/Cmd + Delete]
Select time around selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + Enter]
Select: [Ctrl/Cmd + Left Click]
Add to selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Left Click]
Zoom to selected Ccip: [Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Right Click]
Zoom selection: [Ctrl/Cmd + Right Click]
Group selected clips: [Shift + G]
How to add or change shortcuts in FL Studio
Unfortunately, even after over 10 years on the market, FL Studio still does not have an integrated way to reassign hotkeys and shortcuts within the program, so you're pretty much stuck with the default layout.
This can be a big downside for producers who are used to other programs, such as the keyboard layout of Ableton, or just want to change things around because of personal preference.
We know keyboard shortcuts seem like the smallest part in the grand scheme of your larger editing project, but knowing them instinctively can help you have a more enjoyable editing experience.
Thankfully, we’ve found a couple workarounds you can try that will allow you to further customize your FL Studio shortcut workflow.
Solution #1: AutoHotKey (Windows)
AutoHotKey is an open-source program that allows for quick and easy keyboard automation. It has easy-to-learn commands built in so that even absolute beginners can dive in and start remapping buttons and creating new commands.
This will still take some self-educating and setup time to get comfortable using, but once you do you can fine tune your FL Studio commands to your heart's content, along with pretty much any other program.
Solution #2: Streamdeck (Windows and Mac)
While AutoHotKey is a software solution, Streamdeck provides a hardware solution for the less coding-savvy who don't want to deal with plug-ins or automation commands.
Originally designed for livestream hosts, the Streamdeck essentially performs as a separate shortcut keyboard where you can assign virtually any program or command to its buttons. You can also create a custom icon for each button to eliminate confusion (and maybe even add a little fun). If you’re looking for the easiest hotkey solution on the market, this is it.
So, whether you want to try the hardware or the software solution, both will allow you an extra layer of customization that will allow you to fine-tune your editing workflow to best meet your needs and preferences.
This customization, along with the pre-programmed hotkeys, can make a huge difference in the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of every mixing session. From using slice mode, to selecting notes, to adjusting zoom range, make the simple, intuitive.
Final thoughts
If you’re looking for a better way to bring your remote recording team closer together and collaborate more efficiently from a distance, check out Evercast. Evercast allows you to stream your audio edit sessions in HD while video chatting and exchanging notes with your team, all under one platform. It’s a way better experience than streaming FL Studio over Zoom, and that quality will show in the final product.
