klo-mcp: the video editing MCP server

Give your coding agent a real video editor.

klo is a native macOS video editor you talk to. This is its MCP server: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Claude Desktop, or any MCP client can drive the whole timeline, with 83 tools, while your footage never leaves your Mac.

A real editor underneath. Not an ffmpeg wrapper: ripple edits, word-gap cuts, karaoke captions, color grades, generated music, ProRes export. Every edit lands on a normal timeline a human can open and adjust.
Media stays local. Piping video bytes through a text protocol fails (base64 versus context windows). klo holds the media on your machine and exposes semantic timeline operations instead. The agent sends intent and gets back compact results: timecodes, transcripts, real frames when it needs to look.
Local, token-gated, off by default. The server listens on 127.0.0.1 only, requires a bearer token, and does nothing until you turn it on in klo's settings.

Quickstart

Get klo for Mac (free tier included, macOS 13+).
In klo: Settings → Connections, turn the connection on, and copy the URL and token it shows.
Connect your client:

Claude Desktop (one click)

Download klo.mcpb and open it. Done.

Claude Code

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http klo http://127.0.0.1:41720/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Use the exact URL shown in klo's settings (the port can differ if 41720 is taken).

Cursor, Codex, and other MCP clients

Either point the client at the HTTP endpoint above, or use this package as a stdio server:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "klo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "klo-mcp"],
      "env": { "KLO_MCP_TOKEN": "YOUR_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

What your agent can do

Ask in plain language, or call tools directly. A few real prompts:

"Cut the boring parts and the filler words, then caption it word by word."
"Watch this folder and turn every new recording into a captioned vertical clip."
"Pick the best take of each line from the transcript and assemble the cut."
"Grade everything to match this reference and export ProRes for the client."

The 83 tools

group	tools
library	get_project_state, get_media_library, import_media, import_from_url, relink_to_sources, list_files, new_project
timeline	add_media_to_timeline, assemble_cut, insert_at, move_clip, split_clip, split_audio, trim_clip, delete_clips, ripple_delete, close_gaps, separate_audio, unlink_clip, link_clips, replace_audio, add_marker, set_in_out, set_track_lock, seek, verify_timeline
project	set_canvas_ratio, set_frame_rate, set_brand_kit
cuts	add_transition, remove_transition, preview_cut, generate_transition, refine_transition
type	add_text, update_text, add_captions_from_transcript, list_text_styles, list_fonts, search_fonts, use_font
motion	list_motion_templates, create_motion_clip, update_motion_clip
color	set_clip_grade, add_clip_effect, update_clip_effect, remove_clip_effect, list_luts, import_lut, set_clip_opacity, set_clip_blend
frame	set_clip_transform, set_clip_speed
audio	set_clip_audio, set_volume_envelope, duck_audio, analyze_audio, quantize_cuts_to_beats, isolate_voice_on_clip, measure_audio, measure_mix
generate	generate_music, generate_sfx, generate_voiceover, clone_voice_from_clip, fix_spoken_line, generate_video
read	get_transcript, find_repeated_takes, capture_frame, survey_footage, measure_frame, measure_clip
remember	write_footage_notes, get_footage_notes, analyze_reference, save_style_profile, list_style_profiles, apply_style_profile
out	delegate_research, web_search, export_video

Pricing

Driving the timeline over MCP is free: your agent brings its own model. The handful of tools that generate new media (music, voiceover, generated shots) use your klo account's credits, and the agent is told the price before it spends. New accounts get 10 free asks.

Security notes

Listens on 127.0.0.1 only. Nothing is exposed to the network.
Bearer token auth with constant-time comparison. Rotate the token from klo's settings anytime.
Off by default. If klo is running but the connection is off, the server tells your agent exactly that.
Voice cloning tools are consent-gated in the app.

Troubleshooting

"klo is running but is not accepting connections": turn the bridge on in klo → Settings → Connections, then copy the token into KLO_MCP_TOKEN (or the Authorization header for HTTP).

Port differs from 41720: klo falls back to an ephemeral port if the preferred one is taken. Always trust the URL shown in Settings.

About

This package is the thin connector; the editor itself is klo. The connector mirrors the copy bundled inside the app, and its major.minor version tracks the app release it shipped with.

FAQ

Can Claude Code edit videos? With klo installed, yes. Claude Code connects to this server and gains cutting, captions, grading, generated music and voiceover, and ProRes export on a real timeline. See what agentic video editing is.

Is this an ffmpeg wrapper? No. Tools operate on klo's timeline (ripple edits, word-gap cuts, undo), and nothing is re-encoded between steps. Why that design.

Does my footage get uploaded? No. Media stays on the Mac; the server exchanges timeline operations and compact results. Details in klo's privacy policy.

What does it cost? Driving the timeline is free with your own model. Generation tools use klo account credits. Pricing.

Klo MCP README