DaVinci Resolve 21 MCP Server

An MCP server providing full API coverage for DaVinci Resolve 21. Exposes 88 tools and 20 resources for project management, timeline editing, media import, color grading, rendering, export, AI analysis (transcription, audio classification, Intellisearch, Slate ID, motion deblur, speech generation), and composite workflows like automated dailies creation.

Built for macOS. Requires DaVinci Resolve Studio with scripting enabled.

Installation

Prerequisites

• DaVinci Resolve Studio 21
• Python 3.10+
• An MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, etc.)

Install

git clone https://github.com/apvlv/resolve-mcp.git
cd resolve-mcp
pip install -e .

Configure MCP Client

Add to your MCP client config (e.g. ~/.claude/settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "davinci-resolve": {
      "command": "resolve-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Or without installing:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "davinci-resolve": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["-m", "resolve_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/path/to/resolve-mcp/src"
      }
    }
  }
}

Resources

Resources provide read-only access to current Resolve state.

URI	Description
resolve://system/status	Connection state, version, current page
resolve://project/current	Project name, resolution, frame rate, timeline count
resolve://project/list	All project names in current database
resolve://project/settings	Full project settings
resolve://project/timelines	All timelines with index and name
resolve://timeline/current	Current timeline details (frames, tracks, TC, FPS)
resolve://timeline/tracks	Track list with type, name, enabled, locked, item count
resolve://timeline/markers	All timeline markers
resolve://timeline/items	All timeline items across video tracks
resolve://mediapool/folders	Recursive folder tree with clip counts
resolve://mediapool/current-folder	Current folder contents
resolve://mediapool/clips	Clip details for current folder
resolve://mediapool/selected-clips	Currently selected clips
resolve://storage/volumes	Mounted media storage volumes
resolve://gallery/albums	Gallery still albums
resolve://gallery/stills	Stills in current album
resolve://render/jobs	Render job list
resolve://render/formats	Available formats and codecs
resolve://render/presets	Render presets
resolve://render/is-rendering	Render status

Tools

Project (6)

create_project, load_project, save_project, close_project, set_project_setting, disable_background_tasks

Navigation (1)

open_page - Switch between media, cut, edit, fusion, color, fairlight, deliver

Timeline (13)

create_empty_timeline, create_timeline_from_clips, set_current_timeline, set_current_timeline_by_name, delete_timeline, duplicate_timeline, add_track, delete_track, set_track_name, enable_track, lock_track, append_clips_to_timeline, set_timeline_start_timecode

Media Pool (4)

create_bin, set_current_folder, move_clips_to_folder, delete_clips

Media Import (5)

import_media, import_media_to_bin, scan_directory, import_camera_roll, import_timeline_from_file

Metadata (8)

get_clip_metadata, set_clip_metadata, set_clip_metadata_batch, set_clip_property, set_clip_color, add_clip_flag, extract_qc_notes_from_markers, calculate_clip_file_sizes

Clips (2)

rename_clips (token patterns: {CAM}, {REEL}, {REEL:N}, {N}, {N:N}, {DATE}, {TIME}, {UID}), rename_clip

Markers (6)

add_timeline_marker, delete_timeline_marker, delete_timeline_markers_by_color, add_clip_marker, get_clip_markers, delete_clip_marker

Color Grading (9)

apply_drx_grade, set_cdl, apply_cdl_from_file (CCC/EDL), set_lut, search_and_apply_lut, copy_grade, reset_grades, get_node_graph_info

Audio (4)

import_audio, auto_sync_audio, add_audio_track, generate_speech (AI Speech Generator: text-to-speech clip, optionally placed on the timeline)

Render (8)

set_render_settings, set_render_format, add_render_job, start_render, get_render_progress, wait_for_render, delete_render_jobs, load_render_preset

Export (9)

export_timeline, export_ale, export_edl, export_fcpxml, export_aaf, export_csv, export_otio, export_drt

Dailies (1)

create_dailies - End-to-end pipeline: scan camera rolls, create bins (OCF/{Cam}/{Roll}), import media, build timeline, apply DRX/CDL/LUT grades, import and sync audio

Stills (1)

extract_stills_from_markers - Extract single-frame clips from timeline markers, create stills timeline with grade copy

Fusion (3)

add_fusion_comp, create_fusion_node, create_fusion_node_chain

AI Analysis (8)

Resolve 21 AI tools. Each operates on a single clip (clip_name), a folder and its nested folders (folder_path), or the current Media Pool folder. Require Resolve Studio and, in most cases, packages from the Extras Download Manager.

transcribe_audio (optional speaker detection), clear_transcription, perform_audio_classification, clear_audio_classification, remove_motion_blur (AI motion deblur → new clips), analyze_for_intellisearch (face ID + Faster/Better mode), reset_intellisearch_analysis, analyze_for_slate (AI Slate ID, places markers)

Execute (2)

execute_python, execute_lua - Run arbitrary code with stdout/stderr capture and pre-populated Resolve API objects

Examples

"What project is open and how many timelines does it have?"
"Import all media from /Volumes/Media/A001 as a camera roll"
"Create a timeline called 'Assembly' from all clips in the current bin"
"Apply the DRX grade at /Volumes/Grades/show.drx to all timeline clips"
"Export the current timeline as ALE with CDL values"
"Set up dailies from /Volumes/OCF/A-Cam/A001 with grade /Volumes/Grades/dailies.drx"
"Render the current timeline as ProRes 422 HQ to /Volumes/Deliveries/"
"Transcribe audio for all clips in the Interviews bin with speaker detection"
"Analyze the A-Cam folder for Intellisearch and identify faces"
"Run Slate analysis on the current folder and place green markers"
"Generate speech 'Scene 12, take 3' and add it to the timeline at 01:00:05:00"

License

MIT