The boring part of
video editing, done for you.
MyFirstCut's AI cuts the silence, retakes, and rambling from your raw footage and delivers one coherent first cut automatically.
Three steps to a clean cut
Pick your footage
Choose a video from your computer. It stays there — only the audio is sent off to be transcribed.
Edit the text
Silence, retakes, and dead air are already flagged. Accept, adjust, or reject each cut like editing a document.
Export in your browser
Your final MP4 renders right on your machine and saves straight to disk. No render queue, no upload.
Non-Destructive
Your original video is never touched. You edit by ignoring sections, and exports create a brand new file.
Works Anywhere
Log in from any computer and your transcripts and edits are waiting. Just point to the local video file to resume.
Totally Private
We don't store your video. The video never even uploads — only the audio track is sent for transcription.
Your video never leaves your computer
MyFirstCut is local-first. Your footage is opened straight from your disk, edited in the browser, and exported back to your disk. Only the audio track travels — sent for transcription and deleted the moment your transcript is ready. We store your words and your edits, never your video.
Questions, answered honestly
What MyFirstCut does, what it doesn't, and what to expect before you start.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?+
No. Your video never leaves your computer — it's opened directly from your disk and edited in the browser. Only the extracted audio track is sent for transcription, and it's deleted the moment your transcript is ready. What we store is text and your edit decisions, never your footage.
Which browsers work?+
The full experience works in Chrome and Edge. Other browsers can transcribe and edit, but exporting the final video relies on technology (WebCodecs) that only Chromium-based browsers support today.
Why do I have to re-select my video when I reopen a project?+
Because we never store your video. Your transcript and edits are saved to your account, but the video itself only exists on your computer — so when you come back, we ask you to point at the file again and everything picks up where you left off.
How fast are exports? Can I export 4K?+
Exports render on your computer, not in a server queue — there's no waiting behind other users. That also means speed and maximum resolution depend on your hardware: 4K encoding is heavy and is our least-tested path, so on weaker devices pick 1080p or 720p in the export dialog instead. Keep the tab open until the export finishes.
What formats are supported?+
H.264 MP4 in, H.264 MP4 out. It's the format virtually every camera, phone, and screen recorder produces.
Do I need an internet connection?+
Yes — keep your connection on while you work. Transcription runs in the cloud, and the app itself is served from the web, so exports can fail if you go offline mid-session. Rendering still happens on your machine in Chrome or Edge, and your video is never uploaded — only the audio track travels, and it's deleted after transcription.
How is this different from Descript?+
MyFirstCut focuses on one thing: turning raw footage into a clean rough cut by editing text — silences, retakes, and filler removed. Your video never sits in anyone's cloud, there's nothing to install, and editing is text-first — the timeline is there to show your cuts, not something you have to wrestle with.
Ready to cut the dead air?
Get Started FreeStart transforming your content today.
Best in Chrome or Edge — video export needs technology only Chromium browsers support today.