Premiere Pro · Play or stop
Playback
Windows · Linux
SpaceMac
SpaceBoth systems use the same combination.
Starts and stops playback of whichever panel has focus — the timeline plays in the Program Monitor, while the Project or Source panel plays the raw clip. That focus is why the same key sometimes plays the wrong thing.
- Group
- Playback
- Keys held
- 1
In Premiere Pro the same key does different things depending on which panel holds focus — when a shortcut seems to do nothing, focus is usually on the Program Monitor or the Project panel rather than the timeline.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Play or stop in Premiere Pro?
Starts and stops playback of whichever panel has focus — the timeline plays in the Program Monitor, while the Project or Source panel plays the raw clip. That focus is why the same key sometimes plays the wrong thing. It is Space on Windows and Space on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, Space on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
1 pressed together. The combination sits under Playback in Premiere Pro.