DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP — Claude Code MCP server: what it does
Lets Claude drive DaVinci Resolve, including free Lite builds that still run Python menu scripts. Setup is manual.
Open on GitHubWhat DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP does
The server does not sit outside Resolve. It runs as a Python script launched from the Workspace > Scripts menu, and exposes Resolve's Python API over a local endpoint at 127.0.0.1:8765/mcp. Free builds forbid external scripting but still execute scripts from their own menu, which is the path this project takes. Queued commands are handed to the main script thread and then to the global resolve object.
There is nothing to install into Resolve's interpreter: the code uses only the Python standard library. Pick one route — clone the repo and run ./install.sh, or pip install davinci-resolve-lite-mcp followed by davinci-mcp-install. Both copy the launcher scripts into Fusion/Scripts/Utility and the resolve_mcp package into Fusion/Scripts/MCP, a folder Resolve does not scan. The Lite container path is found automatically.
Version is where this falls apart. On Lite 21.1+ from the App Store, Python menu scripts are blocked: Workspace > Scripts opens, yet Utility, Comp, Edit, Color and Deliver are all empty and the server never starts. Reinstalling changes nothing. You need a pre-21.1 Lite build or Studio. One more thing: Lite is sandboxed and reads only its own container, ~/Movies and files you pick by hand, so a symlink pointing at a clone under ~/Projects will not resolve.
What it helps with
- build an opening title and style a Text+ node from a plain-language request
- run edits and color work from Claude
- queue a render without touching Resolve panels
- sort clips into media pool bins
- script a free Lite build where external scripting is closed off
Example prompts for the agent
- Add a title to the timeline with a gold Text+ node and glow, then keyframe a zoom-in
- Set up a render job for the current timeline and add it to the queue
- Move the selected clips into media pool bins
How to install DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP
Install
The MCP registry has no launch command for it: see the repository README
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP
How do I install DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP?
Clone the repo and run the installer: git clone https://github.com/2sem/davinci-resolve-lite-mcp.git, then cd davinci-resolve-lite-mcp and ./install.sh. You still have to start the server by hand from Resolve's menu.
What does DaVinci Resolve Lite MCP do?
It gives an AI client access to Resolve's Python API through a local HTTP endpoint. Editing, color, render, media pool and Fusion title styling are all reachable that way.
Why won't the server start on Lite 21.1+?
Those builds block Python menu scripts, so the folders under Workspace > Scripts stay empty. The server can only be launched from that menu, so use a pre-21.1 Lite build or Studio.
