Palmier Pro Guide: An AI Video Editor with MCP Server — Your Agent Edits Videos Directly on the Timeline

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Imagine this: you are writing a script in Claude, and you say “turn this into a video.” Claude calls Palmier Pro’s MCP tools, generates the footage, places it on the timeline, adds sound effects, and finishes the edit - all without you leaving the AI chat. That is not a future concept. It is what Palmier Pro does today.

Palmier Pro is a native macOS video editor unlike anything else on the market. It is not another CapCut clone or Premiere alternative. It is the first desktop application that fuses generative AI with a video editing timeline in a single window. It ships with a built-in MCP server, so your AI Agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) can directly read and write timeline assets, trigger AI generation, and manage clips - giving your agent hands that can actually edit video.

The editor itself is completely free. All you need is macOS 26 on Apple Silicon.

What is Palmier Pro? An open-source macOS video editor (GPL-3.0) by Y Combinator S24 startup Palmier, built natively in Swift. It features a built-in MCP server and AI generation engine supporting Seedance, Kling, Nano Banana Pro and other SOTA models for in-timeline video and image generation. Compatible with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and other AI agents via MCP.

Key Data:

  • 🌟 GitHub Stars: 9,423+ (Repository)
  • 🚀 Growth: Launched April 2026, 9,400+ stars in under 3 months
  • ⚖️ License: GPL-3.0 (editor open source, AI processing closed source)
  • 🧠 Core Feature 1: Swift-native macOS video editor inspired by Premiere Pro workflow
  • 📦 Core Feature 2: Built-in MCP Server at http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp for direct AI agent timeline access
  • 🤖 Core Feature 3: Supports Seedance2, Kling3, Grok, Veo for in-editor generation
  • 🏢 Background: Y Combinator S24, README in 16 languages

Prerequisites

  • Hardware: Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3/M4)
  • System: macOS 26 (Tahoe) or newer
  • Optional: Claude Code / Codex / Cursor (for MCP features)
  • Optional: AI generation subscription (for generative features)

Overview

This Palmier Pro guide covers:

  1. Download and installation
  2. Basic video editing
  3. Connecting the MCP Server for AI agent timeline control
  4. Using built-in AI generation
  5. Comparison with other AI video tools

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Download and Install

Installation is straightforward with no registration required:

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# From GitHub Releases, or via command line:
curl -L https://github.com/palmier-io/palmier-pro/releases/latest/download/PalmierPro.dmg -o PalmierPro.dmg

Open the DMG file and drag Palmier Pro into Applications. Right-click and select “Open” on first launch to bypass the Gatekeeper warning for unsigned apps.

💡 Tip: The app supports automatic updates via appcast.xml. Future versions can upgrade directly from within the app.

Step 2: Basic Video Editing

Launch Palmier Pro and you will see a Premiere Pro-inspired interface. While it does not yet support transitions, masking, or graphics (the team is actively working on these), the core editing workflow is complete:

  1. Import media: Drag videos and images into the media panel
  2. Timeline editing: Drop media onto the timeline, trim, split, reorder
  3. Export: Export the final video when done

If you need a lightweight macOS video editor for basic tasks, Palmier Pro is free, requires no login, and can directly replace CapCut or iMovie.

Step 3: Connect the MCP Server

This is Palmier Pro’s killer feature. After launching the app, it automatically exposes an MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp. Your AI agent can directly control the timeline through this interface.

Configure Claude Code

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claude mcp add --transport http palmier-pro http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Configure Codex

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codex mcp add palmier-pro --url http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Configure Cursor

Easiest: In-app Help → MCP Instructions → Install in Cursor.

Manual: Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

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{
  "mcpServers": {
    "palmier-pro": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Configure Claude Desktop

The app bundles mcpb for one-click extension install: Help → MCP Instructions → Install in Claude Desktop.

💡 Tip: The MCP server is free and does not require an AI generation subscription. You can use Claude Code / Codex / Cursor to control the timeline for basic editing at no cost.

Practical MCP + AI Agent Examples

Once connected, you can:

  1. Script → video: Write a script in Claude, have it call Palmier Pro MCP tools to generate matching footage and assemble it on the timeline
  2. Multi-MCP orchestration: Pull sound effects from an Epidemic Sound MCP server, import them into Palmier Pro’s timeline
  3. Team collaboration: Pull creative ideas from Slack’s #marketing channel, rapidly prototype in Palmier Pro
  4. Automated editing: Have Codex analyze a recording, auto-cut silences, add captions, and export the finished product

Step 4: Use Built-in AI Generation

Palmier Pro integrates SOTA generation models directly into the timeline. You can generate video clips or images without ever leaving the editor:

Supported models (continuously updated):

  • Video: Seedance2, Kling3, Grok, Veo
  • Image: Nano Banana Pro, GPT-image-2

How to use:

  • MCP / External Agent: Trigger generation through Claude Code / Codex via MCP. Cost-effective and uses your preferred AI client
  • In-app Chat: Type prompts directly in Palmier Pro’s built-in agent chat. Supports @-referencing media files, which is ideal for iterative generation scenarios

💡 Tip: The in-app agent supports @-referencing existing media assets. This is particularly useful for iterative generation - for example, “replace this clip with a new version in a similar style.”

Step 5: Install in Your AI Tool

Palmier Pro’s tight AI agent integration is a core differentiator. The MCP server is the bridge:

Claude Code (recommended):

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claude mcp add --transport http palmier-pro http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Codex (OpenAI):

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codex mcp add palmier-pro --url http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Cursor:
In-app Help → MCP Instructions → Install in Cursor, or manually edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json.

Claude Desktop:
One-click install via Help → MCP Instructions → Install in Claude Desktop.

Universal approach: Copy this description to your AI agent:

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I have Palmier Pro running on my machine with its MCP server active. You can connect to it and directly operate my video timeline: generate, import, and edit video assets through MCP tools.

Tool Comparison

Palmier Pro occupies a unique space in the AI video editing landscape. It is neither a pure AI generation platform (like Runway, Pika) nor a traditional editor (Premiere, CapCut) - it is a fusion of both.

Feature Palmier Pro CapCut Adobe Premiere Pro Runway VibeFrame
Type AI-native desktop editor + MCP Traditional desktop editor Traditional pro editor Web AI generation CLI editor
Platform macOS 26 only, Apple Silicon Windows/macOS Windows/macOS Web Cross-platform CLI
Pricing Free editor, AI gen subscription Free basic, premium tier Subscription Subscription Free open source
AI Generation Built-in Seedance/Kling/Grok etc. Basic AI effects None built-in Proprietary models None
MCP Support ✅ Native built-in ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ MCP-ready
Agent Collaboration ✅ MCP + in-app agent ❌ ❌ ❌ CLI-based
Open Source ✅ GPL-3.0 (editor part) ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅
GitHub Stars 9,423+ N/A N/A N/A 140
Best For AI video creators, agent workflows Short-form video Professional production AI video generation CLI automation

FAQ

Q: How do I install Palmier Pro?
A: Download the DMG from GitHub Releases and drag it to Applications. No registration or login required.

Q: Is Palmier Pro completely free?
A: The video editor is entirely free with no login required. The MCP server is also free. Only generative AI features (Seedance, Kling models, etc.) require a login and subscription. See the official FAQ for details.

Q: Does Palmier Pro support Windows or Intel Mac?
A: No. It requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later on Apple Silicon only. This is a pure native macOS app with no current plan for other platforms.

Q: Where is the Palmier Pro tutorial?
A: This article is the complete Palmier Pro guide. You can also check the official GitHub repository README and FAQ. The official Discord community is also very active.

Q: What is the MCP server for?
A: MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets your AI agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, etc.) directly control the Palmier Pro timeline. You can have AI handle video generation, asset import, clip editing - all from within your AI chat, without touching the editor manually.

Q: How do I connect Claude Code to Palmier Pro?
A: Run claude mcp add --transport http palmier-pro http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp. Once connected, Claude Code can directly operate your video timeline.

Q: How is this different from Runway/Pika?
A: Runway and Pika are pure web-based AI generation platforms without timeline editing. Palmier Pro’s core philosophy is “AI generation + video editing in one scene” - generate and immediately refine on the timeline, no back-and-forth between web and local apps.

Q: What AI models are supported?
A: Video: Seedance2, Kling3, Grok, Veo. Image: Nano Banana Pro, GPT-image-2. The team continuously updates support for more models. In-app chat only supports Anthropic currently, but you can use other models through MCP.

Advanced Tips

  • MCP orchestration workflow: Palmier Pro MCP can chain with any MCP server. For example, have Claude pull sound effects from an Epidemic Sound MCP server, then import them into the Palmier Pro timeline - creating a complete “idea → asset → edit” one-stop agent workflow
  • Iterative generation best practice: The in-app agent supports @-referencing media. Workflow: generate → inspect → @-reference with modified prompt → regenerate. Much more efficient than web-to-desktop round trips
  • BYOK (Bring Your Own Key): The in-app agent supports your own Anthropic API Key, ideal for users with existing API credits to avoid duplicate subscriptions
  • Cross-session MCP reuse: As long as Palmier Pro is running, the MCP server is available. You can share the same video project across different AI sessions

Conclusion

This is the complete Palmier Pro setup guide and usage tutorial. From one-click download to MCP server configuration, from basic editing to AI generation workflows, you now have a native macOS tool that genuinely embeds AI into the video editing process. Whether you are having Claude Code auto-edit your footage or generating Seedance clips directly on the timeline, Palmier Pro collapses what used to require five different tools into a single window.

How to cite this article: This article is based on the Palmier Pro official GitHub repository (verified 2026-06-29, 9,423+ Stars) and the official FAQ. All installation commands and configuration details are verified against the main branch.

Tutorial web pages referenced: