From raw talking-head footage to a frame-accurate rough cut
Passcut is a transcript-first Mac app: import or capture, pick the language spoken in the clip, transcribe on-device, run a command card, Accept the cut, then export. Extra files transcribe when you ask. Custom typed instructions are Pro. First transcription may download Apple speech assets.
Step 1: Import
Drag talking-head files from Finder into Passcut, or record a display, window, or region on Lite or Pro. Project state, media path references, transcript indices, and cut decisions live in local .passcut bundles with background autosave.
Passcut indexes camera files via AVFoundation on your Mac. Source files are not rewritten; the app records non-destructive cut points.
Step 2: Transcribe
Apple SpeechAnalyzer transcribes speech on-device. You pick the language spoken in the clip: ask every time (default), last selected, or always use one. Extra clips transcribe only when you ask, each with its own language. Captions follow each clip’s language on a mixed Storyline.
Click a transcript line to seek. Reject a line to remove those frames from the cut. Footage does not go to a Passcut cloud. First transcription may download Apple speech assets.
Step 3: Run a command card
Use Clean up, Remove silence, Make concise, or Main story on Free. Lite adds Filler only and Retakes only. Pro adds custom typed instructions in chat and via ⌘K, plus a ~60s short cut.
The model selects transcript spans. A deterministic engine snaps those spans to silence energy and frame boundaries so cuts land on frames, not LLM timestamps.
Step 4: Accept the cut
Review the proposed rough cut on the assembly timeline, trim or reorder clips, then Accept. Connected clips stay linked as you edit, with split, volume, and overlay lanes available.
Undo and redo are full-history. Nothing is burned into the source media until you export.
Step 5: Export
Free and Lite export MP4 (H.264 / HEVC) with YouTube 1080p and social frame sizes. Generate captions and a sidecar .srt on all plans. Pro adds ProRes 422, YouTube 4K / 2K, and FCPXML plus EDL handoff to Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Premiere Pro.
Free is limited to 5 exports per month and about 50 MB per export. Lite and Pro remove those caps. Interchange files reference original media on disk.
#Frequently Asked Questions
Does Passcut modify original raw video files?
No. Passcut is non-destructive. Source files stay on disk; cut points live in .passcut project bundles.
How do cuts stay frame-accurate?
The language model never emits timecodes. A deterministic engine snaps transcript selections to silence gaps and video frame edges.
What language can I transcribe?
You pick it. Ask every time (default), reuse the last language, or always use one. One language per media file — Apple’s speech model does not switch mid-file.
Does a second clip upload or auto-transcribe?
No. Extra clips transcribe when you ask, each with its own language. Footage does not go to a Passcut cloud. Captions follow each clip’s language on a mixed Storyline.
Download Passcut for Mac
Native macOS. Apple Silicon. Transcript-first rough cuts, then hand off to Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Premiere Pro.
Requires macOS 26 or later and Apple Silicon. Footage does not go to a Passcut cloud.Compare plans.