GETTING STARTED / MAC
Your first clip, from your own footage.
Create a workspace in your browser, then connect a worker on your Mac. The worker handles local files and rendering. It does not need access to anyone else’s Cutline account.
1. Check your Mac
Install Node.js 22.13 or later and FFmpeg with ffprobe. The worker installer checks both before it starts. No AI subscription, private GitHub access or developer API key is required.
You need free disk space for your original video and rendered clips. The worker listens only on your Mac’s loopback interface. Use the dashboard on the same Mac for file intake and previews.
2. Create your workspace
Register with Cutline and finish the email verification shown by the sign-up form. Your new workspace starts empty. Another creator’s videos and account connections will not appear in it.
3. Install and pair the worker
Open Local Worker, download the Mac worker archive and unzip it. Follow the included installation instructions. Create a pairing key in Cutline and enter it when the installer asks. Do not put the key in a shell command or share it with anyone.
The installer runs a background service under your own macOS user, with a separate Cutline data folder. It does not require administrator access. Return to Local Worker and select Check connection. Proceed when your own worker shows online.
Replacing the key invalidates the previous key. Disconnecting stops that credential accessing Cutline but does not delete local video files. The archive includes service-stop and uninstall instructions.
4. Cut and review a video
In New Video, choose footage you own or are licensed to use. Preview it, mark a 9–180 second section, add a title and post caption, and select the framing. Use full-frame framing for a chessboard or anything whose edges matter.
Confirm your rights and choose Render for review. Keep the Mac awake while it works. When the job finishes, open Review Queue, watch the clip and check the audio, framing and chosen moment. Approve good clips or edit and render again. Approval does not publish the video.
5. Export or prepare a TikTok post
Download the finished MP4 from your clip’s publishing review. You may connect your own TikTok account and prepare the caption and account-specific settings. Direct Post and automatic scheduling remain disabled while the TikTok audit is pending.
When sending becomes available, you must select each post’s audience and confirm its music and disclosure choices. A scheduled post depends on the worker being awake and online. Cutline reports TikTok processing status rather than treating an upload request as a confirmed publication.
Troubleshooting
- Worker is offline
- Check the installer completed, your Mac is awake, and Node.js and FFmpeg are installed. Use the logs and restart instructions in the downloaded package.
- Browser cannot reach local video
- Use the browser on the worker’s Mac and allow local-network access if your browser asks. Refresh the clip preview to obtain a fresh signed link.
- Rendering failed
- Read the job’s error in Library. Check the source is playable, the time range is within it, and there is free disk space before retrying.
- TikTok sending is unavailable
- This is currently an audit hold, not a missing creator API key. You can continue editing and exporting. Cutline cannot promise TikTok’s approval or timing.
Need help or want your account data deleted? Contact [email protected]. Include the account email and error message, but no passwords or keys.