Settings > Player > Use JACK Audio

JACK (Jack Audio Connection Kit) is a low-latency audio system widely used on Linux in media workflows. It is designed for applications that require precise timing, flexible audio routing, and reliable synchronization.

When Use JACK Audio is enabled, Shotcut can:

• Participate in a JACK-based audio environment
  Shotcut’s audio output becomes available in the JACK graph, allowing it to be connected to other JACK-compatible tools such as digital audio workstations, audio processors, or monitoring utilities.

• Provide advanced audio routing control
  JACK offers a centralized way to manage audio connections across applications and devices. With a JACK control tool (for example, QjackCtl), users can explicitly route audio to specific physical outputs or processing chains, which can be difficult to achieve with standard desktop audio systems.

• Provide transport synchronization with other applications
  Transport control is playback control such as pause, play, rewind, fast forward, and seek. JACK lets applications that opt into this to control each other’s playhead and playback. Obviously, this only works well when there are similar projects in each application. For example, one can do the video editing in Shotcut without audio do and all of the audio work for the same movie in a digital audio workstation (DAW). Run both at the same time, possibly on different screens, and load the respective projects for the same super-project (your movie). Now, when you seek, scrub, or play the video in Shotcut the corresponding audio project in the DAW plays at the correct time as well.

This option is intended for Linux and macOS users who already have the JACK audio system installed and running.

Purpose

• Enables Shotcut to connect to the JACK audio server if your JACK setup does not allow sharing the audio device.
• Allows precise audio routing and transport control between Shotcut and other JACK-aware applications!
• May provide lower latency compared to standard system audio backends.

Behavior

When Use JACK Audio is enabled:

• Shotcut sends and receives audio through JACK
• Audio ports appear in JACK patch bays (e.g. qjackctl, Helvum)
• Audio routing is handled externally by JACK
• System audio devices are no longer managed directly by Shotcut

When disabled:

• Shotcut uses the default system audio backend (e.g. PulseAudio / PipeWire)

Typical use cases

• Professional audio workflows
• Synchronizing Shotcut with DAWs or audio tools (e.g. Ardour)
• Advanced audio routing and monitoring
• Low-latency audio playback and capture

Requirements and notes

• A running JACK server is required
• If JACK is not running, enabling this option may result in no audio
• Audio connections must be managed manually using a JACK control tool
• Not required for standard editing or playback

Limitations

• Not available on Windows
• No effect unless JACK is installed and running
• Increased complexity compared to default audio handling
• Not intended for casual or beginner workflows