Editing a 60-second Reel shouldn't take two hours. But between cutting pauses, typing captions, reframing to vertical and fixing audio, it usually does. That's why so many creators are searching for how to edit videos with claude code. The good news: claude code video editing genuinely works. Claude can transcribe your clip, cut silences and filler words, burn in captions, reframe to 9:16 and render a finished MP4, all from a prompt. This guide shows you the full manual method step by step, the exact commands and prompts, and the shortcut that skips the setup entirely: our ready-made Claude Video Editing Skills Pack.

Quick answer: To edit videos with Claude Code, install FFmpeg and Python, transcribe your clip with Whisper, then ask Claude to cut silences, add captions, reframe to vertical and normalise audio using FFmpeg. Or install a ready-made Claude video editing skill, like the Claude Video Editing Skills Pack ($29), and edit a raw clip with one prompt.

Can Claude Edit Videos? How Claude AI Video Editing Works

Yes, with the right setup. Claude doesn't edit on a timeline like CapCut or Premiere. Claude AI video editing works through code: Claude Code reads files, writes scripts and runs tools like FFmpeg on your computer. Claude Code is included with Claude's paid plans, Pro, Max and Ultra (Claude Help Center).

So video editing with claude, or more precisely video editing using claude code, looks like this: you drop raw.mp4 in a folder, tell Claude what you want, and it runs the edit. That's ai video editing without a subscription editor, and it's why video editing with ai through Claude is growing fast among YouTubers, podcasters and coaches.

There are two ways to do it:

What You Need Before You Start

Shortcut: setting all of this up by hand, then writing scripts that work every time, is where most people give up. The Claude Video Editing Skills Pack ships these scripts ready to use, with a 10-minute setup guide.

How to Edit Videos with Claude Code: The 8 Steps

Here's the full manual workflow. You don't need to type the commands yourself: describe each step to Claude and it will write and run them. We include the commands so you know what's happening.

Step 1: Put your clip in a project folder and start Claude Code

Create a folder, add raw.mp4, open a terminal there and run claude. Tell Claude: "We're editing raw.mp4 into a 1080x1920 Reel. Check FFmpeg and Python are installed."

Step 2: Transcribe the video with Whisper

To transcribe video with Whisper, Claude extracts the audio and runs Whisper with word timestamps, which every later step depends on:

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -vn -ac 1 -ar 16000 audio.wav
whisper audio.wav --model small --word_timestamps True --output_format json

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -vn -ac 1 -ar 16000 audio.wav
whisper audio.wav --model small --word_timestamps True --output_format json

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -vn -ac 1 -ar 16000 audio.wav
whisper audio.wav --model small --word_timestamps True --output_format json

Step 3: Ask Claude to plan the cuts

Prompt: "Read audio.json. List every pause longer than 0.5 seconds, every filler word (um, uh, like) and every repeated take. Keep full sentences. Save it as cuts.json."

Step 4: Remove silences and filler words automatically

To remove silence from video automatically, Claude can detect quiet sections with FFmpeg's silencedetect filter, then write a short Python script that keeps only the speech segments and joins them into cut.mp4:

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -af silencedetect=noise=-30dB:d=0.5 -f null -

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -af silencedetect=noise=-30dB:d=0.5 -f null -

ffmpeg -i raw.mp4 -af silencedetect=noise=-30dB:d=0.5 -f null -

This is jump-cut editing automation, the biggest time saver in video editing automation.

Step 5: Add auto captions

Claude turns the transcript into a caption file (captions.srt) with short lines, then burns it in. These are auto captions for video in their simplest form:

ffmpeg -i cut.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt" -c:a copy captioned.mp4

ffmpeg -i cut.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt" -c:a copy captioned.mp4

ffmpeg -i cut.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt" -c:a copy captioned.mp4

Step 6: Convert horizontal video to vertical

For a centred crop from 16:9 to 9:16:

ffmpeg -i captioned.mp4 -vf "crop=ih*9/16:ih,scale=1080:1920" -c:a copy vertical.mp4

ffmpeg -i captioned.mp4 -vf "crop=ih*9/16:ih,scale=1080:1920" -c:a copy vertical.mp4

ffmpeg -i captioned.mp4 -vf "crop=ih*9/16:ih,scale=1080:1920" -c:a copy vertical.mp4

Face tracking or a blurred background fill needs more scripting.

Step 7: Clean up the audio

Normalise loudness to around -16 LUFS for Reels, Shorts and TikTok with FFmpeg's loudnorm filter (FFmpeg docs):

ffmpeg -i vertical.mp4 -af loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11 -c:v copy final.mp4

ffmpeg -i vertical.mp4 -af loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11 -c:v copy final.mp4

ffmpeg -i vertical.mp4 -af loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11 -c:v copy final.mp4

Step 8: Check the result

Watch the whole clip. AI edits can clip a word or leave a caption out of sync, so ask Claude to compare the final transcript with the original and fix any gaps.

Why Use Claude Skills for Video Editing Instead of Prompting From Scratch

You can run the eight steps above with fresh prompts every time. But each video becomes a small debugging session, and the results vary. Claude skills for video editing solve that. A skill is a folder of instructions and scripts that Claude loads when the task needs it, so the same proven workflow runs every time. Anthropic introduced Agent Skills in October 2025 for the Claude apps, Claude Code and the API (Anthropic).

That's the real answer to how to edit videos faster: stop rebuilding the workflow and let a tested skill automate video editing from raw clip to finished Reel.

Free Claude Video Editing Skills on GitHub (and When to Pay)

Most people look for a claude video editing skill github repo or free claude skills first. That's a smart place to start. Here's what you'll find when you search claude skills github or claude code skills github:

How to install Claude skills from GitHub

1. Open the repo and read the SKILL.md file and any scripts. A skill runs code on your machine, so only install what you trust.

2. Download or clone the repo, then copy the skill folder into your Claude Code skills folder (~/.claude/skills), or install it through a plugin if the author provides one (Anthropic).

3. Start a new Claude Code session so it picks up the skill, then test it on a copy of your video.

Free skills vs a paid skills pack

Open source claude skills are great for learning and single jobs. Where they fall short is the finished look: most give you plain cuts and basic subtitles, one style at most, and no setup support. If you want free claude video editing skill options, start with the list above. If you want Reels that look designed from day one, a complete claude skills free download won't get you there. That's exactly why we built the pack: 10 tested styles, a core editing skill, playbooks, prompts and a setup guide in one claude video editing skill download.

Skip the Setup: The Claude Video Editing Skills Pack

The manual method gives you plain cuts and basic subtitles. It doesn't give you a look. That's the gap the Claude Video Editing Skills Pack fills. It's a claude video editing skill set (a core editing skill plus 10 premium styles) that runs all eight steps from one prompt and makes your Reels look designed, not templated.

Claude Video Editing Skills Pack: $29, one-time

• Removes silences and filler words automatically from word-level timings

• Animated auto captions designed for each of 10 styles: Editorial, Documentary, Broadcast, Swiss Grid, Blueprint, Riso Zine, Luxe Minimal, Retro Sunset, Market Terminal, Cinematic

• Long video and podcast to Shorts, auto reframe to 9:16, audio clean-up and sound effects

• Setup guide, prompt sheet, preview sheets and free future updates

Works with Claude Code and other tools that support Agent Skills and can run code. Needs free FFmpeg and Python 3.10+.

Get the Claude Video Editing Skills Pack →

Manual vs Skills Pack vs other tools

If you're looking for a capcut alternative or an opus clip alternative without a monthly fee, this is where the pack fits. You get the speed of an ai video editor, but the edit runs on your machine with your own Claude setup.

Claude Video Editing Prompts to Try

Five prompts to test the manual setup. Good claude video editing prompts are specific about input, output and rules:

1. "Transcribe raw.mp4 with word timestamps and save audio.json."

2. "Cut every pause over 0.5 seconds and every um or uh, without cutting mid-word. Save cut.mp4."

3. "Make captions of 1 to 3 words per line, white bold text with a black outline, placed in the lower third. Burn them into cut.mp4."

4. "Reframe to 1080x1920 with a centred crop, then normalise audio to -16 LUFS."

5. "Find the three strongest 30 to 60 second moments in podcast.mp4 by hook strength and export each as a vertical clip."

The pack includes a full prompt sheet for complete edits, Reel hooks, YouTube Shorts titles, captions, thumbnails and batch or agency work.

Who Uses Claude Code Video Editing

• YouTubers turning long videos into Shorts every week. This is YouTube Shorts automation without a subscription tool.

• Podcasters cutting clips from every episode.

• Coaches, founders and real estate agents filming talking-head videos on a phone. Talking head video editing with AI saves the most time here.

• Video editors and agencies looking for AI tools for video editors that speed up client work, with unlimited personal and client videos allowed.

If video editing takes too long, or you just want to edit YouTube videos faster with AI, start with the pack. Our guide to Claude video editing covers everything else Claude can and can't do, including Remotion, skills and MCP servers.

FAQ: How to Edit Videos with Claude

Can Claude edit videos for free?

Partly. FFmpeg, Python and Whisper are free, and the free Claude plan can help you write commands. Running the edits with Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan.

Is there a ready-made Claude code video editing skill?

Yes. The Claude Video Editing Skills Pack is a claude code video editing skill set with a core editing skill and 10 premium styles. It's an instant Claude video editing skill download: one ZIP (about 32 MB) with setup guide, prompts and free updates.

Does it work in the Claude desktop app?

The pack needs an assistant that supports Agent Skills and can run code. Claude Code is the most reliable option. The Claude desktop app can also use skills when code execution is available on your plan and turned on in settings.

Are there free Claude video editing skills on GitHub?

Yes. Search "awesome claude skills" lists, Anthropic's official skills repo for examples, Kapwing's free shorts skill and Remotion's skills. They're a good start for single jobs. For 10 designed styles, auto captions, silence removal and podcast to Shorts in one tested package, the Claude Video Editing Skills Pack costs $29 once.

How long does it take to edit a video with Claude Code?

Once set up, a 60-second Reel takes a few minutes of processing. The manual setup takes longer the first time; the pack's setup guide takes about 10 minutes.

Do I need editing software?

No. Claude Code runs FFmpeg for you. You only need a code editor or terminal.

Does it add music?

The pack adds sound effects and leaves headroom for your own licensed music. Add music separately to avoid copyright issues.

Is this an official Claude product?

No. The Claude Video Editing Skills Pack is an unofficial product, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. "Claude" is used only to describe compatibility.

Two ways to stop spending hours editing

Do it yourself, faster: the Claude Video Editing Skills Pack. 10 styles, auto captions, silence removal and podcast to Shorts for $29, one-time.

Have it done for you: BlazeVista Studio is a creative content agency. You film; we plan, edit and deliver your Reels, Shorts and YouTube videos with strategy included, from $499 a month. Book a free strategy call or email blazevistastudio@gmail.com.