qencode — Claude Code MCP server: video transcoding
Wires your agent into the Qencode Transcoding API: submit jobs, check status, get HLS or MP4 out. Handy when video work happens inside the chat.
claude mcp add --transport http qencode https://mcp.qencode.com/mcpWhat qencode does
The server hands the agent a set of transcoding tools. transcode_video takes a source URL and one or more outputs; start_encode2_raw accepts the full query JSON the way the Qencode API expects it. Job state comes from get_job_status or the fuller get_job_status_detailed, and list_jobs renders a card for the current conversation with per-rendition progress, refreshing itself while anything is still running. Analysis output — transcripts, VMAF reports, metadata — is read with fetch_job_result.
A second group covers Media Storage: list buckets, create one, browse objects, get a time-limited download link, or copy a public URL server-side into a bucket. open_player renders a playable result inline, though which origins are allowed follows the calling host's sandbox. There is also a knowledge base of recipes and reference docs, reachable through search_qencode_docs and fetch_qencode_doc on URIs like qencode://docs/best-practices.
Auth is browser-based OAuth 2.1, so no API key goes into client config. You need a Qencode portal account with at least one project: on first use the client opens a browser, you sign in, pick the project and approve scopes. Writing needs transcoding:write, reading needs transcoding:read. The client keeps the token until it expires; refreshing it requires offline_access.
What it helps with
- send a video link off to transcode and wait for it to finish
- build an HLS ladder at chosen resolutions
- see which rendition a job is stuck on
- pull a transcript or VMAF report out of a finished job
- copy a public URL into a bucket without transcoding
Example prompts for the agent
- Check the job behind this
task_tokenand tell me how many renditions are done - Find the
hls_abrrecipe in the Qencode docs and build the job from it
How to install qencode
Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http qencode https://mcp.qencode.com/mcpPlatform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add qencode --url https://mcp.qencode.com/mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"qencode": {
"url": "https://mcp.qencode.com/mcp"
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"qencode": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.qencode.com/mcp"
}
}
}Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http qencode https://mcp.qencode.com/mcpStep 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 qencode
How do I install qencode in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add --transport http qencode https://mcp.qencode.com/mcp. The first call opens a browser where you sign in to Qencode and approve access.
What does qencode do?
It exposes Qencode Transcoding API tools to your agent: submitting jobs, tracking status, reading analysis results, and managing Media Storage buckets. It also searches a built-in recipe and reference knowledge base.
Do I need a Qencode API key?
No. Authentication runs through browser-based OAuth 2.1; your keys stay in the portal and the server derives a short-lived session token per request.
