If audio jumps back to the beginning of its original file after a timeline split, the later clip may have the wrong source in-point even though it sits in the right place on the timeline. Keep each segment’s project position separate from its position in the source media, and calculate source time consistently in preview, seeking, synchronization, and export. First, though, check that the audio clip was actually split: linked-track and selection behavior varies by editor.
Why a split can look right but play wrong
A timeline clip has at least two different time coordinates. Its timelineStart says where it begins in the edited project; its sourceStart (also called sourceOffset or an in-point) says where its content begins in the original media. Its duration gives the retained length.
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For normal-speed playback, resolve the source position from the clip-local timeline position:
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Here, clipLocalTimelineTime is the current project time minus that segment’s timelineStart. A segment can therefore be positioned correctly on the timeline yet play the wrong material if playback treats its source start as zero. An unsplit clip that begins at the start of its media may conceal this mistake.
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A title-matched case report describes this exact symptom: the second audio segment appeared in the expected timeline position, but playback restarted at the beginning of the original audio. The report attributes it to playback calculating timeline time minus the segment’s timeline start while omitting its non-zero source offset. That diagnosis describes the reported implementation; it is not proof that every editor with this symptom has the same bug.
What the source offset should be after a split
At a cut, the first segment keeps its existing source start. The later segment’s source start is the old source start plus the amount of that segment retained before the cut. If the original segment starts on the timeline at s, has source start o, and is cut at project time t, then the split-local duration is t - s, and the right segment starts at source time o + (t - s).
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For example, suppose a clip begins at project time 2.0 seconds with a source offset of 1.0 second, and is cut at project time 3.5 seconds. The first segment is 1.5 seconds long and retains source offset 1.0 second. The second segment is 2.5 seconds long and starts at source offset 2.5 seconds: 1.0 + 1.5 = 2.5. These are illustrative values, not measured performance figures.
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Check whether the audio actually split
Not every apparent offset problem is a playback-calculation defect. Some editors split audio together with video only when the audio is attached or linked; others require selecting both clips. In Google Web Designer’s documentation, linked audio and video edits propagate between clips unless the counterpart is locked or hidden. Microsoft Clipchamp’s personal-account instructions say to select both video and audio to split them together, and state that attached audio automatically splits with video. Those behaviors are editor-specific, not universal.
- Confirm that the audio has two separate timeline segments at the cut, rather than one continuous clip beneath a split video clip.
- Check whether the editor requires selecting both clips or linking/attaching them before splitting.
- Look for a locked or hidden audio track, which may prevent a linked edit from propagating.
- If the audio is detached, decide whether it should follow the video edit or remain continuous; do not assume the editor will infer that choice.
Debug the split from clip data through export
- Inspect both segments immediately after the split. Compare timeline start, source in-point or offset, duration, playback rate, and asset identity. The later segment should refer to the intended source range, not silently revert to zero.
- Test with a non-zero source start. Split a clip that already begins partway through its source. A zero-origin-only test can hide a source/timeline coordinate mix-up.
- Seek directly into the later segment. Calculate its expected source time from its in-point and clip-local timeline time, then compare that with the position the editor resolves.
- Play across the cut. Start before the edit and let playback cross it; also seek into the second segment independently. Passing one path does not show that both playback and seeking use the same mapping.
- Compare a rendered export with preview. Render the same range on both sides of the cut and listen for a restart, gap, or other mismatch. Offline mixing or a separate compatibility-export route can use a different calculation from real-time preview.
- Check waveform and source bounds. The displayed waveform slice should correspond to the segment’s source range, and neither segment should extend beyond available source media.
- Exercise edge cases. Test cuts at the segment’s beginning and end, short clips, repeated splits, non-zero initial offsets, and source-duration limits. If supported, include non-1x speed cases.
Use one source-time rule in every playback path
Once the clip model stores timeline position and source in-point separately, route every consumer through the same source-time resolver. Preview playback, explicit seeks, audio/video synchronization, offline mixing, and each export path should use the segment’s source offset and retained duration. Otherwise, fixing preview alone may leave a seek or rendered file restarting from the wrong place.
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Pass the correct source offset and trimmed duration to offline audio mixing, and verify the resulting render against preview around the cut. Keep waveform extraction tied to the segment’s source range too; a waveform that depicts different source material can make a broken split look plausible or a correct split look broken.
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WebCodecs does not define an editor’s clip model or automatically maintain a mapping between project time and source time. MDN contributors state in the Audio section of Using the WebCodecs API, last modified May 15, 2026, that “The WebCodecs API has no built-in audio playback.” The guide points to the Web Audio API for playback.
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When using WebCodecs, AudioData.copyTo()’s frameOffset identifies a frame in the source plane where copying begins; it defaults to zero. That is a sample-frame coordinate, not a project-timeline timestamp. Convert between seconds and frames deliberately, accounting for the relevant sample rate, rather than treating an API frame offset as the editor’s source offset.
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