Palmier Pro – AI-Powered macOS Video Editor Built In Swift

TL;DR

TL;DR: Palmier Pro is an open-source macOS video editor that lets you generate videos with Seedance, Kling, and other SOTA models directly in the timeline, and connect AI agents like Claude and Codex via MCP for collaborative editing.

What Is Palmier Pro?

Palmier Pro is an open-source video editor for macOS built from scratch in Swift. The project positions itself as “the video editor built for AI” — combining a native editing workflow with generative AI and agent integration.

From the official README:

Palmier Pro is an open source video editor for Mac. You and your agent can generate and edit videos together inside the timeline.

Key capabilities:

• Swift-native timeline editor — built from scratch with Premiere Pro as the north star
• Built-in generative AI — Seedance, Kling, Nano Banana Pro available inside the timeline
• MCP server — exposes a local HTTP MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp when the app is running
• Multi-agent collaboration — connect Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor to work on the same project as the editor

Setup

Prerequisites

• macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later
• Apple Silicon (M-series chip)
• Git (to clone the repo and install updates)

Installation

Download the latest .dmg from the GitHub releases page:

https://github.com/palmier-io/palmier-pro/releases/latest/download/PalmierPro.dmg

Open the .dmg, drag Palmier Pro into your Applications folder, and launch it. On first run, macOS may ask you to confirm opening an app downloaded from the internet.

Connecting an AI Agent via MCP

When Palmier Pro is running, it exposes an MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp. You can connect Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor to it.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http palmier-pro http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Codex:

codex mcp add palmier-pro --url http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

Cursor: Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "palmier-pro": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Or use the in-app guide: Help → MCP Instructions → Install in Cursor.

Built-in Generative AI Models

Palmier Pro ships with integrations for several SOTA generation models accessible directly from the timeline:

• Seedance — video generation
• Kling — video generation
• Nano Banana Pro — image/video generation

These models are invoked from within the editor’s timeline, allowing you to layer AI-generated content with manually edited clips in a single project.

Source and Accuracy Notes

• Project page: github.com/palmier-io/palmier-pro
• Official site: www.palmier.io (redirects to GitHub)
• License: GPL-3.0 (verified)
• HN launch thread: Show HN: Palmier Pro – Open-source macOS video editor built for AI — 191 points
• Y Combinator: YC S24 batch (ycombinator.com/companies/palmier)
• Source last checked: 2026-08-14 (commit main)

Practical Evaluation Checklist

• [ ] Download and install the .dmg on a compatible Mac
• [ ] Open the app and confirm it launches without errors
• [ ] Start a new project and import a video clip
• [ ] Connect Claude Code via the MCP command and verify the connection
• [ ] Try generating an image or video clip using the in-app AI panel
• [ ] Confirm the MCP server is responding at http://127.0.0.1:19789/mcp

FAQ

Q: Does Palmier Pro require an internet connection? A: The editor itself works offline for local editing. The built-in generative AI features (Seedance, Kling, Nano Banana Pro) require an internet connection to call the respective model APIs.

Q: Is the MCP server available when the app is in the background? A: The MCP server runs as long as the Palmier Pro window is open. Closing the app will stop the server.

Q: Can I use Palmier Pro for commercial projects? A: Palmier Pro is licensed under GPL-3.0. You can use it for commercial projects as long as you comply with the license terms, including disclosing source code for any modifications.

Q: What macOS version is required? A: macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later, on Apple Silicon.

Q: How does Palmier Pro differ from a traditional NLE like Premiere Pro? A: Palmier Pro is designed from the ground up with AI agent integration as a first-class feature. Rather than treating AI as a plug-in, the editor exposes an MCP interface that allows AI agents to read and modify the timeline programmatically.

Conclusion

Palmier Pro is a fresh take on desktop video editing — one that treats AI as a core part of the workflow rather than an add-on. The MCP server integration is particularly interesting for developers building AI-powered content pipelines, as it allows Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor to programmatically drive editing tasks. If you have a compatible Mac and want to experiment with an AI-native editor, the .dmg is a direct download with no build step required.