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 Selects chat panel?
There are three ways to use AI in Selects, and they are billed differently:
Selects chat panel: the chat built into Selects. Chatting uses your Selects credits, though it is free at the moment while chat to edit is in Beta. See Edit with chat.
Selects chat panel on your own Claude subscription: the same chat, running on a Claude Pro or Max plan you connect. Chatting uses your Claude plan rather than Selects credits. See Edit with chat.
Selects MCP: you bring your own AI app, such as Claude, Codex, or OpenClaw. Chatting is billed through that provider's plan. Selects credits are only used when the agent creates and applies a draft in Selects.
For a full comparison of what each one costs and who it suits, see Which AI setup should you use in Selects?
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
Hand off to your NLE as a Premiere project, a Final Cut Pro XML, or a DaVinci Resolve project. Learn more in Hand off to your NLE.
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.
My agent still can't find Selects after I connect. How do I fix it?
If you have sent a prompt and your agent genuinely can't find Selects, it says it is not connected, or no Selects tools appear, work through these steps in order:
Keep the Selects desktop app open on the same computer as your agent. The MCP only works while Selects is running.
Use the desktop app, not the browser. The connection does not work through claude.ai. Use the Claude Desktop app or Claude Code.
Reconnect from Selects. Open [Profile], click [Connect MCP], and re-run the steps for your agent.
Fully restart your agent. Quit the agent app completely, not just the window, then reopen it so it reloads the Selects tools.
Check your agent's MCP settings. Make sure Selects is listed as an MCP server and is enabled.
If it still won't connect, reach out through the messenger in the Selects app by clicking [Feedback] on the home page, and let us know which agent and operating system you are using.
Does using the MCP cost Selects credits?
Chatting with your agent does not use Selects credits, because your agent's messages are billed through your plan with that provider. Selects credits are used when the agent analyzes your footage or creates and applies a draft in Selects.
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.
Should I use the MCP or connect my Claude subscription inside Selects?
Both keep your Selects credits for the editing work rather than the conversation, so pick on workflow, not cost. Connect your Claude subscription if you want to stay inside Selects with nothing to set up. Use the MCP if you already run your editing workflow through an AI app and want Selects to carry out those decisions, or if you want one prompt to reach other tools alongside Selects. See Which AI setup should you use in Selects?