Video & Audio Editor MCP server

The Video & Audio Editing MCP Server enables AI assistants to perform professional-grade video and audio editing operations through FFmpeg, including format conversion, trimming, overlays, transitions, and advanced audio processing.

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing the server, ensure you have:

1. Python 3.8 or newer
2. FFmpeg installed on your system
3. (Recommended) The uv package manager

Installation Options

Using Smithery (Easiest)

The simplest way to get started is through the Smithery MCP registry.

Local Installation

# Install uv if you haven't already
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/misbahsy/video-audio-mcp.git
cd video-audio-mcp

# Install dependencies with uv
uv sync

# Verify FFmpeg installation
ffmpeg -version

Running the Server

# With uv (recommended)
uv run server.py

# Or with traditional python
python server.py

# Or with specific transport
python -c "from server import mcp; mcp.run(transport='stdio')"

Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "VideoAudioServer": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/your/video-audio-mcp",
        "run",
        "server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Alternative configuration using Python directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "VideoAudioServer": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/video-audio-mcp/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor IDE

1. Open Cursor Settings: File → Preferences → Cursor Settings → MCP
2. Click "Add New Server"
3. Configure:
   • Name: VideoAudioServer
   • Type: command
   • Command: uv --directory /path/to/your/video-audio-mcp run server.py

Alternative command: /path/to/python /path/to/video-audio-mcp/server.py

Windsurf

Add to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "VideoAudioServer": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/your/video-audio-mcp",
        "run",
        "server.py"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Core Video Operations

• extract_audio_from_video - Extract audio tracks from video files
• trim_video - Cut video segments with precise timing
• convert_video_format - Convert between video formats (MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.)
• convert_video_properties - Comprehensive video property conversion
• change_aspect_ratio - Adjust video aspect ratios with padding or cropping
• set_video_resolution - Change video resolution with quality preservation
• set_video_codec - Switch video codecs (H.264, H.265, VP9, etc.)
• set_video_bitrate - Adjust video quality and file size
• set_video_frame_rate - Change playback frame rates

Audio Processing

• convert_audio_format - Convert between audio formats (MP3, WAV, AAC, etc.)
• convert_audio_properties - Comprehensive audio property conversion
• set_audio_bitrate - Adjust audio quality and compression
• set_audio_sample_rate - Change audio sample rates
• set_audio_channels - Convert between mono and stereo
• set_video_audio_track_codec - Change audio codec in video files
• set_video_audio_track_bitrate - Adjust audio bitrate in videos
• set_video_audio_track_sample_rate - Change audio sample rate in videos
• set_video_audio_track_channels - Adjust audio channels in videos

Creative Tools

• add_subtitles - Burn subtitles with custom styling
• add_text_overlay - Add dynamic text overlays with timing
• add_image_overlay - Insert watermarks and logos
• add_b_roll - Insert B-roll footage with transitions
• add_basic_transitions - Apply fade in/out effects

Advanced Editing

• concatenate_videos - Join multiple videos with optional transitions
• change_video_speed - Create slow-motion or time-lapse effects
• remove_silence - Automatically remove silent segments
• health_check - Verify server status

Usage Examples

Basic Video Editing

"Can you convert this MP4 file to MOV format?"
→ Uses: convert_video_format

"Trim the video from 30 seconds to 2 minutes"
→ Uses: trim_video

"Extract the audio from this video as MP3"
→ Uses: extract_audio_from_video

Advanced Editing Workflows

"Create a highlight reel by concatenating these 3 clips with fade transitions"
→ Uses: concatenate_videos with transition effects

"Add my logo watermark to the top-right corner of this video"
→ Uses: add_image_overlay

"Remove all silent parts from this podcast recording"
→ Uses: remove_silence

"Add subtitles to this video with custom styling"
→ Uses: add_subtitles

Professional Workflows

"Convert this 4K video to 1080p, reduce bitrate to 2Mbps, and change to H.265 codec"
→ Uses: convert_video_properties

"Create a social media version: change to 9:16 aspect ratio, add text overlay, and compress"
→ Uses: change_aspect_ratio, add_text_overlay, set_video_bitrate

"Insert B-roll footage at 30 seconds with a fade transition"
→ Uses: add_b_roll

Tool Reference

Video Format Conversion

# Convert MP4 to MOV with specific properties
convert_video_properties(
    input_video_path="input.mp4",
    output_video_path="output.mov",
    target_format="mov",
    resolution="1920x1080",
    video_codec="libx264",
    video_bitrate="5M",
    frame_rate=30
)

Text Overlays with Timing

# Add multiple text overlays with different timings
add_text_overlay(
    video_path="input.mp4",
    output_video_path="output.mp4",
    text_elements=[
        {
            "text": "Welcome to our presentation",
            "start_time": "0",
            "end_time": "3",
            "font_size": 48,
            "font_color": "white",
            "x_pos": "center",
            "y_pos": "center"
        },
        {
            "text": "Chapter 1: Introduction",
            "start_time": "5",
            "end_time": "8",
            "font_size": 36,
            "box": True,
            "box_color": "[email protected]"
        }
    ]
)

Advanced Concatenation

# Join videos with crossfade transition
concatenate_videos(
    video_paths=["clip1.mp4", "clip2.mp4"],
    output_video_path="final.mp4",
    transition_effect="dissolve",
    transition_duration=1.5
)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

FFmpeg not found

# Install FFmpeg
# macOS: brew install ffmpeg
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install ffmpeg
# Windows: Download from https://ffmpeg.org/

Permission errors

# Ensure file permissions
chmod +x server.py

MCP server not connecting

1. Check file paths in configuration
2. Verify Python environment
3. Test server manually: python server.py
4. Check client logs for detailed errors

Debug Mode

Run with debug logging:

python server.py --log-level DEBUG

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.