There are two main uses for the Clips browser in the Editor window:

1. Reusing existing clips
2. Creating new clips from content in the timeline

Reusing existing clips

You have two options how to reuse a clip in the Editor.

1. Add to an existing track. Dragging and dropping a clip from the browser on an existing track will add this clip to a location on the timeline where you released the mouse button, snapping options apply. Audio clips can only be placed on audio tracks, MIDI clips can only be placed on MIDI tracks. Additionally, placing a single-channel (mono) clip on a multi-channel track will create a clip where only one channel is filled with the content of the original clip, the rest of the channels will be silent.
2. Create a new track. Dragging and dropping a clip below the bottom track will create a new track from the clip and name it after the clip's file name. Ardour will make a few judgements based on clip properties: the track will contain as many channels as the audio file has. And for a MIDI clip, Ardour will automatically add the "preview" virtual instrument of choice to the processor box.

Creating new clips

You can create new clips for further reuse in the Editor window. Please see the Managing Custom Clips page for more detail.