Help
Frequently asked questions
If it is not here, write to us — the address is in the footer.
General
Is Essence Cut AI really free? What is the catch?
It is free: no subscription, no watermark, no clip caps. The heavy work runs on your PC and the AI runs in your own account, so there is no per-minute cost for us to pass on. The cloud part (publishing, scheduling, 24-hour copies) is small and included.
Which Windows versions?
Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit. macOS and Linux are not supported yet.
Do I need a GPU?
No. An NVIDIA GPU (driver 528.33+) speeds up transcription and enables NVENC rendering. AMD / Intel machines use the CPU path. If a GPU kernel is incompatible the app falls back to CPU automatically.
Which languages does the app support?
Interface: English, French, Arabic (right-to-left). Transcription: the languages Whisper knows (99). Captions follow the spoken language, including RTL Arabic. Voiceover: ElevenLabs (dozens, incl. Arabic) or Gradium (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese).
AI & prompts
Which AI does the app use?
Yours. Connect Gemini and/or ChatGPT once (Integrations → AI Chat) and the app runs Master Prompts and picture requests in a hidden browser tab of your account. Or copy any Master Prompt into Claude, Mistral, DeepSeek, Grok or an AI IDE and paste the JSON back.
What is a Master Prompt?
A complete instruction the app writes for you: the transcript or shot map with IDs, your settings, strict rules and the exact JSON schema. The AI returns JSON; the app validates it against the real data before anything is rendered.
The AI returned something invalid.
The importer explains what it fixed or refused (unknown IDs, word budget, schema). For films and documentaries, the Script check lists weak beats and gives you a small "fix this beat" prompt; paste the tiny JSON back and only that beat changes.
Does the app send my video to the AI?
No. Only text (transcript, shot descriptions, your settings) goes into the prompt. Pictures are generated from text prompts.
Privacy & cloud
What is stored in the cloud?
Your account, linked social accounts (encrypted tokens), your ElevenLabs key pool (encrypted), finished videos you publish (24 h), scheduled posts, and — for Film / Documentary — a project snapshot without the film file. Source videos never leave your PC.
How long are my videos kept online?
24 hours after upload, then deleted automatically. Deleting a project deletes its cloud files at once.
Can I use two PCs?
Yes. Sign in with the same account: linked accounts, key pool and cloud copies are shared. Film / Documentary projects can be restored on the second PC; re-download the film with the same link to render new videos.
Publishing
Which platforms can I publish to?
YouTube (Shorts and videos), TikTok, Facebook pages, Instagram professional accounts (Reels), Blogger — via official OAuth — and Buffer channels.
Does scheduling work when my PC is off?
Yes. Scheduled posts live in your cloud space and fire from the cloud scheduler.
Why is the Publish button grey?
The video is not in your cloud space yet (upload in progress or the 24-hour copy expired). Wait for the upload or render again.
Can the first comment be posted automatically?
Yes, with an optional delay — or sent to your Telegram bot for you to post by hand, which is safer against Facebook comment limits on new pages.
Tools
Is Film To Story legal / safe to publish?
It is a recap or an original story built from short shots with your own voiceover, no original audio, and a copyright shield (zoom, mirror except readable text, grade, vignette, short cuts). Fair use rules differ by country and platform; the shield reduces automatic matches but you remain responsible for what you publish.
How original is a documentary?
The prompt forbids translating a source: the script must be original, fact-based, with a hook fact, idea blocks, a turn and a takeaway, shots from every source (≤ 50 % from one), no presenter, references listed. B-roll pictures and charts cover ideas footage cannot show.
Do posts and articles need ImgBB?
Facebook and Blogger fetch images from a public URL, so pictures are hosted on ImgBB (free key). Local-only pictures still work for Blogger drafts.
Download Essence Cut AI
Windows 10 / 11. Install, sign in, connect your AI and your accounts — your first clips are ten minutes away.
Free · No watermark · No clip limits · Runs on your PC