The playhead is a visual marker in the editing timeline that indicates the current frame being viewed or played back. It moves as the video plays or when scrubbed manually by the editor.
The playhead lets editors preview specific moments in real time, make precise cuts, and align visuals or audio accurately. It’s central to navigating and managing a timeline. Without it, editing would be guesswork.
Use the playhead to scrub through your timeline, set in/out points, or review effects. Most editing software allows snapping, frame-by-frame movement, and shortcuts to speed up workflow.
Use markers – Place timeline markers to quickly navigate key playhead positions.
Scrub efficiently – Move the playhead smoothly to preview edits without overloading playback.
Align precisely – Position the playhead at exact in/out points to avoid frame errors in cuts.