How to move multiple regions together in Reaper

To move multiple regions at the same time in Reaper, select all the regions you want to move, then drag them to a new position on the timeline. The fastest way is to click the first region, hold Shift, and click the last region in the group you want to move — this selects everything between them. Then click and drag any of the selected regions to slide them all to a new time position together.

If your regions are not consecutive, use Ctrl+Click (Windows) or Cmd+Click (Mac) to select individual regions one at a time while keeping the previous selections active. Once you have all the regions you need selected, a single drag operation moves them all while preserving the spacing between them.

Key Takeaways

  • Shift+Click selects a range of regions from the first click to the second, which is the fastest method for consecutive regions.
  • Ctrl+Click or Cmd+Click lets you select non-consecutive regions individually while keeping earlier selections active.
  • Dragging any selected region moves all selected regions together while keeping their relative distances unchanged.
  • The Move Cursor tool in the toolbar lets you move regions by clicking and dragging without accidentally selecting or editing them.
  • You can also move selected regions by typing a number into the Region Properties panel to set an exact start time.

Selecting regions with Shift+Click for consecutive groups

When your regions sit next to each other or close together on the timeline, Shift+Click is the quickest selection method. Click on the first region you want to move, then hold Shift and click on the last region in that group. Reaper highlights all regions between those two clicks, including the ones you clicked.

This method works whether the regions are touching or have gaps between them — Reaper selects based on position in the list, not on whether they are adjacent. After you have the group selected, click and drag any of the highlighted regions to move the entire selection to a new time position.

Selecting non-consecutive regions with Ctrl+Click

If the regions you want to move are scattered across the timeline, use Ctrl+Click (or Cmd+Click on Mac) to add them to your selection one at a time. Click the first region, then hold Ctrl and click each additional region you want to include. Each click adds that region to the selection without removing the ones you already picked.

This approach takes longer than Shift+Click for large groups, but it gives you complete control over which regions move together. You can skip over regions you want to leave in place and select only the ones that need to move as a unit.

Dragging selected regions to a new position

Once you have selected the regions you want to move, position your cursor over any of the highlighted regions and click and drag to slide them all to a new time position. The regions move together as a block, and Reaper maintains the exact spacing between them — if two regions were 100 milliseconds apart before the move, they remain 100 milliseconds apart after.

The drag operation snaps to the grid if grid snapping is enabled in your project settings. If you need to move regions to a specific time without snapping, you can disable grid snapping temporarily by holding Alt while dragging, or turn it off in the View menu before you move.

Using the Move Cursor tool to avoid accidental edits

Reaper's toolbar includes a Move Cursor tool that lets you move regions by clicking and dragging without the risk of accidentally selecting or editing them. This tool is useful when you have a crowded timeline and want to be certain you are moving regions, not stretching them or selecting a different tool.

To use it, click the Move Cursor icon in the toolbar (it looks like a hand with a pointing finger), then click and drag any region to move it. If you have multiple regions selected before you switch to this tool, the drag operation moves all of them together. Switch back to the default selection tool when you are done moving regions.

Setting exact start times in the Region Properties panel

For precise positioning, you can move selected regions to an exact time by typing a number into the Region Properties panel. Select the regions you want to move, then open the Region Properties panel from the View menu. Look for the Start field, which shows the start time of the first selected region in minutes:seconds.milliseconds format.

Type a new start time into this field and press Enter. Reaper moves all selected regions so that the first one starts at the time you entered, and the rest shift by the same amount to maintain their relative spacing. This method is slower than dragging for quick adjustments, but it is the only way to move regions to a time you cannot easily see on the timeline.

Undoing a move if regions end up in the wrong place

If you move regions and realize they are not where you intended, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo the move. Reaper returns all regions to their previous positions. You can undo multiple moves in a row by pressing the undo shortcut repeatedly, which steps backward through your recent actions one at a time.

If you move regions and then make other edits before realizing the move was wrong, you may need to undo several actions to get back to the state before the move. The Undo History panel (View menu) shows a list of recent actions and lets you click on any earlier state to jump back to it without undoing everything in between.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do regions stay locked to their original positions if I move one?

No. Regions are independent objects on the timeline. Moving one region does not affect any others unless you have selected them together before dragging. If you want to prevent accidental moves, you can lock regions by right-clicking them and selecting Lock from the context menu.

What happens if I move regions past the end of my project?

Reaper allows you to move regions anywhere on the timeline, including past the current project length. The project length does not change automatically. If you need the project to extend to the end of your regions, you can adjust the project end time in the Project Settings or by dragging the project boundary in the timeline ruler.

Can I move regions to a different track?

No. Regions exist on a single timeline track and cannot be moved to a different track. If you need to move audio or MIDI to a different track, you must select the items (audio clips or MIDI notes) instead of the regions, then drag them to the new track.

How do I move regions without moving the items inside them?

Regions are containers that mark time ranges, but they are separate from the audio or MIDI items they contain. Moving a region does not move the items inside it. If you want to move both the region and its contents together, you must select and move the items themselves, not the region markers.

What is the difference between moving regions and moving items?

Regions are timeline markers that define named time ranges. Items are the actual audio clips, MIDI notes, or other content on your tracks. Moving a region changes where the marker sits on the timeline but does not affect the content. Moving items shifts the actual audio or MIDI data to a new time position.