Davinci Resolve MCP Server (Samuel Gursky)

DaVinci Resolve Studio control via a dedicated scripting API and browser panel.

Data last scanned today · Reviewed today

50 8 dangerous tools91 tools★ 1,848PythonMIT

Overview

This server bridges AI agents to DaVinci Resolve Studio, providing full coverage of the official Scripting API. It facilitates complex workflows including media pool management, color grading, Fusion composition, Fairlight audio processing, and automated render setups. Designed for local operation, it requires specific scripting configuration within Resolve Preferences to function. The installation includes a local browser-based control panel that allows users to monitor the state of their project, conduct source-safe media analysis, and perform inline editing of analysis output. It supports integration with various environments including Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and other development platforms.

Our verdict

With a security score of 50/100, this server is classified as high-risk. This rating stems from the fact that it is a community-maintained project rather than an official Blackmagic Design release, and its security posture regarding OAuth, authentication, and read-only modes has not been independently reviewed. It is suitable for power users comfortable managing third-party code in their local environment, but should be avoided in enterprise workflows requiring audited software.

Supports 34 core and 18 advanced offline-capable tools
Maintains 100% coverage of the DaVinci Resolve Scripting API
Includes a browser-based dashboard for real-time project state inspection
Low supply-chain risk with only 8 direct dependencies

Lacks an official security audit or editorial review
Authentication and read-only mode protocols are currently unreviewed
Not maintained by the official software vendor

Setup

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "samuelgursky-davinci-resolve-mcp": {
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "davinci-resolve-mcp"
      ],
      "command": "npx"
    }
  }
}

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows), then restart Claude Desktop. Some servers require API keys or tokens as environment variables — check the project's README and add an "env" object if needed.

No read-only mode — running this grants full read/write access.
No built-in authentication — anyone with access to this config can invoke every tool it exposes.

Tools

Tool	Description	Risk
timeline_versioning	An MCP-level workflow tool that surfaces the version-on-mutate hook that auto-archives the working timeline before any destructive op, plus rollback and brain-edit history.	medium
media_pool.setup_multicam_timeline	Prepares a stacked timeline for Resolve's multicam UI.	medium
media_analysis.detect_sync_events	A source-safe FFmpeg/FFprobe helper for advisory 2-pop and slate-clap sync points.	low
media_analysis.add_sync_event_markers	An explicit marker-write helper for standalone sync detections.	medium
media_analysis.publish_clip_metadata	Bridges source-safe analysis reports back into Resolve clip metadata.	medium
media_analysis.commit_vision	Finalizes per-clip visual analysis by merging the visual report, mapping shot descriptions onto Media Pool shot markers, and triggering metadata writeback.	medium
media_pool.append_to_timeline	Targets a track via MediaPool.AppendToTimeline's clipInfo trackIndex.	medium
LoadBurnInPreset	API accepts; preset must exist	medium
ExportCurrentFrameAsStill	API accepts; needs valid playhead position	low
GetColorGroupsList	Returns color group list	low

Compatibility

Client	Local	Docker	Remote	Read-only
Claude Desktop
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf
ChatGPT

Frequently asked questions

›Which version of DaVinci Resolve is required?

This MCP server requires DaVinci Resolve Studio version 18.5 or higher.

›Do I need to configure Resolve settings before connecting?

Yes, you must set Preferences > General > External scripting using to Local within DaVinci Resolve Studio.

›What is the difference between the Compound and Full server modes?

The Compound mode groups related operations to minimize context usage, while the Full mode provides granular access with one individual tool for every Resolve API method.

›How does the Advanced MCP server differ from the Python-based server?

The Python server controls a live, running instance of Resolve via the official scripting API, whereas the Node-based Advanced server allows for file-level reading and editing of .drp, .drt, and .drx files without Resolve running.

›What are the Python requirements for running this server?

The server requires Python 3.10 or higher.