An editor first, AI second
The full non-linear editor stays useful with or without AI. Touch clips, tracks, trims, transitions, captions, and export settings by hand at any time.
AVE 1.1.3 is live · See what’s new Describe the cut.
Describe the cut.
AVE makes the edit.
AVE is a local-first, Mac-native AI video editor. Your footage, project files, timeline edits, and exports stay on your Mac by default, with external AI only when the job calls for it.
macOS 14.0 or later. Apple Silicon, M1 or later.
An editor with AI inside. Not an AI with an editor bolted on.
AVE is built on three convictions about how AI belongs in real editing work.
AI plans, tools execute
AVE can turn a rough brief into a reviewable plan or execute a complete reversible request directly. Either way, the work lands as visible timeline edits you can inspect and change.
Local-first, private by default
Project files, imported media, local analysis, timeline execution, and exports stay on your Mac unless you explicitly connect an external assistant or API.
From raw footage to finished cut.
The same loop an editor runs, now with AI handling the mechanical passes while you keep the final call. See the full workflow.
Import and analyze
Bring in video, audio, or graphics. AVE builds useful project context from filenames, metadata, transcripts, visual notes, and timeline state.
Ask or Plan
Use Ask for direction, search, and complete bounded edits. Use Plan when broader project-aware work should be previewed before execution.
Review real edits
AVE can create sequences, select clips, trim, add transitions, build captions, style graphics, and close gaps. Reversible actions stay undoable; broader plans remain reviewable before execution.
Export locally
Refine by hand, run gap-aware export preflight, and render finished deliverables at up to 4K UHD from the native Mac app.
Plan the edit. Review every change.
Plan mode previews a multi-step edit before anything touches your timeline. AVE drafts the steps, you approve the direction, and every change stays visible for review.
AVE · Plan mode
Make a 30-second vertical TikTok cut from the launch footage. Keep it punchy and add captions.
Edit plan Running
- Analyze footage, transcript and shots
- Select the strongest 30 seconds
- Assemble a 9:16 vertical sequence
- Add fast cuts and captions
Result Social Reel ready to review
Ask anything… Plan
Your coding assistant can edit with AVE. Without leaving the local editing loop.
Connect Codex CLI or Claude Code once, then ask for video work from the assistant you already use. AVE provides the project context, editing tools, review frames, permissions, and local execution.
Connections Local assistant access
Ready on this Mac Codex Codex plans · asks before changes · 9/9 access
Connected Claude Code Claude Code plans · asks before changes · 9/9 access
Connected - Tool surface
- 22 AVE tools
- Permission model
- 9 access scopes
- Connection
- Local authenticated bridge
Everything you expect from an editor. Plus an AI that can drive it.
A modern non-linear editor at the core, with footage intelligence and AI-assisted timeline work you can review. Browse the full feature list, see real use cases, or compare AVE with other video editors.
Real timeline edits
Trim, split, Ripple, Roll, Slip, retime, swap, and snap clips on an editable timeline. Browse and preview transitions and graphics, then add fades, captions, alignment, audio automation, and motion.
Timeline toolsFootage intelligence
Search and rank footage across the current project and local AVE Library with transcripts, visual notes, metadata, and timeline context. The Assistant can suggest matching assets and bring chosen footage into the active edit.
Transcript + visionMedia generation
Generate video and images with Google Veo, Google Nano Banana, Runway, Luma, Kling, fal.ai, Seedance. AVE adapts the setup to the selected provider, then saves completed results directly into Assets.
Video + imageFootage Memory
Teach AVE the people, places, products, and subjects you recognize, then recall confirmed source moments across your local projects.
Semantic + localMulti-format editing
Create 16:9, 4:5, 1:1, 9:16, social, web, and custom deliverables, then export at up to 4K UHD with resolution-aware bitrate choices and clear upscaling warnings.
Platform formatsGraphics and finishing
Browse previewable titles, lower thirds, and graphics, then build solid, gradient, grained mesh, or image sequence backgrounds with direct canvas, color, camera, mask, and motion tools.
Design toolsLocal AI included
AVE includes its Local AI engine plus starter vision and caption models. Project files, media analysis, timeline edits, and native exports stay on your Mac by default.
Private + on-deviceSmart asset organization
Turn camera filenames into collection-aware AVE names using visual, transcript, metadata, and project context. Review, edit, or exclude every proposal while original files stay unchanged.
Smart RenameAVE is the agentic editor: it understands the footage, builds and finishes the sequence, and leaves every decision on a real timeline you can keep editing.
The AVE thesis
Questions, answered.
The short version of what AVE is and how it works.
What is AVE?
AVE is a local-first agentic video editor for Mac. Ask, Plan, the AVE CLI, Codex CLI, and Claude Code can understand footage, find exact moments, assemble and finish edits, and leave the result on a real non-linear timeline.
Is AVE available to download?
Yes. AVE 1.1.3 is available for Apple Silicon Macs. Download the DMG from GitHub Releases and install it by dragging AVE into Applications.
What Mac do I need?
AVE 1.1.3 requires macOS 14.0 or later and Apple Silicon, M1 or later. The current release asset is AVE-1.1.3-mac-arm64.dmg.
Does AVE actually edit the timeline, or just add effects?
It performs real edits. Complete reversible requests can execute directly through validated tools for sequence creation, footage retrieval, trims, Ripple, Roll, Slip, transitions, fades, captions, graphics, audio, color work, review, and export.
Can Codex or Claude Code work directly with AVE?
Yes. AVE MCP connects local Codex CLI or Claude Code installations to a controlled set of AVE project, search, edit, review, and export tools. Each assistant has its own access and approval settings.
Is AVE local-first and private?
Yes. Project files, imported media, local analysis, timeline execution, and exports stay on your Mac by default. External assistants, API providers, and BYO generation services are optional connections you choose.
What is AVE Pro?
AVE Pro Lifetime is a $79 lifetime purchase for the local Mac app. Start free to edit and try the local AI workflow; Pro unlocks the full project, analysis, Ask, Plan, search, agent, and Global Asset Library workflow without an editor subscription.
Does Pro include hosted AI credits?
No. Pro unlocks the local app workflow. Hosted compute, managed generation credits, team infrastructure, and future cloud services may be separate if they are introduced later.
Download AVE for Mac. Upgrade when the work gets serious.
AVE 1.1.3 is ready for Apple Silicon Macs. Start free to edit and try the local AI workflow. Unlock the full agentic editor with AVE Pro Lifetime for $79 lifetime.