What is the Selects MCP?
The Selects MCP connects your AI agent directly to your footage in Selects. MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets AI agents control real software.
On its own, an AI agent like Claude can only read a transcript. It cannot watch your video, preview a cut, or handle multiple camera angles. Selects fills that gap: it analyzes your footage (every angle, every audio track, every scene change) and gives your agent full access to it. You describe the edit in plain language, your agent does the reasoning, and Selects makes frame-accurate cuts you can preview right away.
Think of it this way: the agent is the brain, Selects is the hands.
Which AI agents work with the Selects MCP?
The Selects MCP currently works with these agents:
Claude desktop app
Claude Code
Codex
OpenClaw
Note: Other AI tools, including Cursor, are not supported yet. We are adding more agents over time, so check the [Profile] screen in Selects for the current list.
MCP or the in-app Selects agent?
There are two ways to edit with AI in Selects, and they are billed differently:
In-app Selects agent: the chat built into Selects for the prep and timeline stages. Chatting is included in your Selects plan. Selects credits are used when the agent analyzes footage or creates and applies a draft. Learn more in AI Editing Tools and Shortcuts
MCP integration: you bring your own AI agent (Claude, Codex, and so on). Chatting with your agent is billed through that provider's own plan, separate from Selects. Selects credits are only used when the agent analyzes footage or creates and applies a draft in Selects.
In both cases, credit usage depends on the length of your source media and the drafts you generate. Learn more in Selects Plans and Pricing.
How to connect the Selects MCP
Setup takes about a minute, and the API key is free.
Download Selects for Mac or Windows from cutback.video/selects/install
Open Selects and click your profile, and then [Connect MCP] in the top right corner of the home screen
Choose your agent from the list (Claude Code, Claude desktop app, Codex, or OpenClaw) and follow the connection steps in your chosen app.
Open your agent and prompt your first edit, for example: "Make a 5-minute highlight reel from my interview footage."
Note: Keep Selects open while you work. You prompt from your agent's app (for example, the Claude Desktop app), and Selects does the editing in the background.
What can you do with the Selects MCP?
Once connected, your agent can use Selects to:
Organize and sync footage into a clean project structure, including multicam sync
Create edits from a prompt, a script, or a reference video, with instant previews
Search your footage in plain language and pull out only the scenes you want
Add captions, subtitles, and motion graphics to your edit
Cut short-form clips in batches from your existing videos
Export to your NLE as a Premiere project, Final Cut Pro XML, or DaVinci Resolve timeline. Learn more about exporting in Export to your NLE and other formats.
Ask your agent what the MCP can do
We ship new MCP features all the time, so the list above is only a snapshot.
Tip: The most up-to-date answer always comes from the MCP itself. Once connected, just ask your agent directly in chat, for example: "List all features in Selects MCP", "What can you do with Selects?" or "Can Selects do X?"
Your agent reads the live list of Selects tools, so its answer reflects exactly what your version supports today.
FAQs
Can I use the Selects MCP with Cursor?
No, Cursor is not supported at the moment. The Selects MCP currently works with Claude Code, Claude desktop app, Codex, and OpenClaw.
Can I use the MCP from the Claude website?
No, the MCP connection does not work through claude.ai in your browser. Use the Claude Desktop app or Claude Code instead, with Selects open on the same computer.
Selects says connected, but I do not see it in my agent. Is something wrong?
Nothing is wrong. The [Connected] status in Selects shows that the Selects MCP connection is set up. Your agent may not display it the same way. Just send a prompt that mentions Selects, and your agent will start using Selects.
Does using the MCP cost Selects credits?
Chatting with your agent does not use Selects credits. Selects credits are used when the agent analyzes your footage or creates and applies a draft, and the amount depends on the length of your source media. Your agent's messages are billed separately through your plan with that provider.
Do I need to know how to code?
No coding is needed to use the Selects MCP. You connect your agent from the [Profile] screen in Selects and then describe your edits in plain language.
Can I use the MCP without downloading Selects?
No, the Selects MCP requires the Selects desktop app. Selects does the footage analysis and editing work that your agent directs. Download it for Mac or Windows at cutback.video/selects/install.
Where can I learn more about the Selects MCP?
Visit cutback.video/selects/mcp for an overview, demos, and setup details.