Kdenlive MCP Server — Claude Code MCP server for video editing
An MCP server that lets an AI agent build a Kdenlive project: import clips, edit the timeline, add filters and transitions, render through melt.
claude mcp add kdenlive-mcp-server -- uvx kdenlive-mcp-serverWhat Kdenlive MCP Server does
The server wraps cli-anything-kdenlive and exposes its operations as tools an agent can call. Calls go straight through the Python API rather than spawning subprocesses, so session state persists between calls: place a clip on the timeline and the next tool already sees it there. Every change is saved automatically.
Tools are grouped by area: project, bin, timeline, filters, transitions, guides, export and session. Two batch tools stand out. timeline_build_from_segments lays out several kept ranges of one clip back to back in a single call, and clip_reframe_vertical center-crops a widescreen clip into a vertical frame with a horizontal pan. Export produces XML or renders video through melt.
Python 3.10 or newer is required, along with uv for dependency management. Without uv installed the server command will not run. Rendering through melt needs melt present on the system.
What it helps with
- cut a long take down to the parts worth keeping
- turn a widescreen clip into a vertical frame for social posts
- apply a filter or transition to a clip without touching the editor by hand
- export a project to XML or render it through melt
- undo a bad edit using the session history
Example prompts for the agent
- Create a project
my_project.kdenlive-cli.jsonwith thehd1080p30profile and importvideo.mp4 - Build the timeline from segments of
clip0: 0.5 to 1.5 and 3.0 to 4.5 seconds - Reframe
clip0for vertical video and render the project
How to install Kdenlive MCP Server
Platform CLI
claude mcp add kdenlive-mcp-server -- uvx kdenlive-mcp-serveruvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from kdenlive-mcp-server <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add kdenlive-mcp-server -- uvx kdenlive-mcp-serveruvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from kdenlive-mcp-server <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"kdenlive-mcp-server": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"kdenlive-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from kdenlive-mcp-server <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"kdenlive-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"kdenlive-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from kdenlive-mcp-server <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add kdenlive-mcp-server uvx kdenlive-mcp-serveruvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from kdenlive-mcp-server <command>
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 Kdenlive MCP Server
How do I install Kdenlive MCP Server in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add kdenlive-mcp-server -- uvx kdenlive-mcp-server. You need Python 3.10+ and uv installed first.
What does Kdenlive MCP Server do?
It gives an agent tools for Kdenlive projects: creating a project, importing clips, editing the timeline, filters, transitions, guides and export. Session state carries over between calls.
How is timeline_build_from_segments different from ordinary cutting?
It takes a list of ranges and places them in one call, while repeated timeline_split_clip and timeline_remove_clip shift the clip indexes after each removal. Segments are sorted, clamped to the clip duration and merged when they overlap.
