A YouTube upload is more than the video. There is the long edit, the captions, a thumbnail that has to work at a tiny size, a Short cut from the best moment, and a sound level that matches last week's episode. cinemaOS handles all of that in one project on your Mac, with transcription and captions running locally and no credits to buy.
The jobs you actually do
- Cut long recordings down to a tight episode.
- Remove filler words, false starts and dead air.
- Add captions, and sometimes a translated subtitle track.
- Keep the voice clear over music and episodes at the same level.
- Keep a consistent look across a channel.
- Make a thumbnail from a frame.
- Turn the best moment into a vertical Short.
- Blur faces or details you cannot show.
How cinemaOS handles each
Cutting long recordings
Transcribe the recording with J.A.R.E.D., find a line in the Text Editing tab and cut the timeline from the words. See Transcribe and edit by text and our guide to editing an interview by text on a Mac. For the fine cut, the trim tools and the command palette keep your hands on the keyboard.
Filler and dead air
Searching the transcript makes ums, repeated starts and long pauses easy to find and remove. Our article on removing filler words from an interview covers how far to go before speech stops sounding natural.
Captions and translations
Generate captions, correct them and export SRT for upload, or burn them in for Shorts. Translate them offline for a second-language track. See French subtitles with Wi-Fi off.
Voice and levels
The SOUND console puts dialogue, music, effects and ambience on separate buses with loudness meters, so the voice sits on top and every episode lands at a similar level. See The SOUND console.
A channel look
Grade one episode in Finisher, then use Shot Match to bring the next episode's footage close to a reference still. You can also ask J.A.R.E.D. for a look in plain words and keep what works.
Thumbnails
Pull a frame into Atelier, add an editable title with a text layer and an image inset, and apply your brand kit. See Build an editable photo cover.
Shorts
Reframe turns the 16:9 episode into 9:16, with Track Main Subject proposing a camera move you can refine. See 16:9 to 9:16.
Faces and details
Cover a face or a licence plate with a tracked blur, bar or pixelate and review the whole shot. Read how to blur faces in video on a Mac.
Keeping a back catalogue safe
Channels live on old projects: a re-upload, a compilation, a sponsor asking for a new version of last year's video. Projects in cinemaOS are local .mntm files with recovery and snapshots, so an old episode opens as you left it, and a crash during a save does not cost you the edit. Our guide to what to do when a software update breaks a project explains how to protect a cut mid-edit.
Where to start
- Download cinemaOS and start the 60-day free trial, with no card.
- Import last week's raw recording and transcribe it.
- Cut the episode by text, then tighten it with the trim tools.
- Add captions, balance the voice and make a thumbnail.
- Reframe one moment as a Short and compare the time it took with your current workflow.
Do it on a real episode with a real deadline. A demo project hides the moments that decide whether an editor suits you, like a late change after the thumbnail is already done.
Honest limits
- No direct upload to YouTube; export the file and upload it yourself.
- No trend template marketplace.
- Mac only, on Apple silicon. Windows is planned for November 2027.
- It is version 0.2, build 9. Try a full episode before switching your channel.
- No real-time shared editing with a remote editor; share XML or EDL instead.
Our comparison of the best video editor for YouTube creators on Mac covers the alternatives.
FAQ
Does cinemaOS upload my footage for transcription?
No. Transcription, captions and translation run on your Mac, and nothing is uploaded for them.
Can I make Shorts from a long video?
Yes. Reframe turns a 16:9 edit into 9:16 with a tracked camera move you can adjust, inside the same project.
What does it cost?
60 days free with no card and no automatic charge, then $9.99 USD a month excluding VAT if you subscribe.