CastCutPodcast editing that runs on your Mac, with nothing uploaded
No render queue, no per-minute billing, no footage sitting on someone else's server. CastCut does the whole job locally on Apple silicon.
Why this matters more than it sounds
Most automatic podcast editors are websites. You upload the footage, wait in a queue, pay by the minute, and trust that whoever runs the service handles your recordings properly. For an eighty minute episode on two 4K cameras that is a long upload before any work starts.
CastCut never does that. Everything happens on the machine in front of you, which changes three things: there is no upload, there is no queue, and the cost does not grow with the length of the episode.
What runs where
- Sync: speech-rhythm cross-correlation, then waveform matching for the exact offset and clock drift. Local.
- Who is talking: Silero voice activity detection plus WeSpeaker voice fingerprints, bundled with the app. Local.
- Who is on camera: Apple Vision, on-device, no download. Local.
- Transcription: Whisper large v3 turbo through MLX. Downloaded once, then local.
- Finding clips: a 4-bit Qwen model through MLX. Downloaded once, then local.
The two downloaded models total about 4.4 GB and are kept in your Application Support folder. Settings shows exactly how much space CastCut is using and lets you remove them again.
The only network request
Your license key is checked with the payment provider when you activate it and about once a day after that. It keeps working for two weeks offline. There is no analytics in the app, no account and no email required for the free trial.
What you give up
Being honest about the trade: it needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later, and the first run downloads those models. A cloud service works on any machine with a browser. If you are on an Intel Mac or a PC, CastCut is not for you.
Questions
Does CastCut upload my footage anywhere?
No. Sync, voice separation, face matching, transcription and the clip-finding model all run on your Mac. The only thing that ever leaves is your license key, when you activate it and about once a day after that.
Can I use it without an internet connection?
Yes, once the AI models are downloaded. Transcription and finding moments need a one-time download of about 4.4 GB, and after that everything works offline. An activated license keeps working for two weeks without a connection.
Is there a per-minute or per-upload charge?
No. Cloud editors charge by the minute because they pay for the compute. CastCut uses your own Mac, so an eight hour episode costs the same as an eight minute one.
Which models run locally?
Silero for voice activity, WeSpeaker for voice fingerprints, Apple Vision for faces and lips, Whisper large v3 turbo for transcription and a 4-bit Qwen model for finding clips. The first three are bundled; the last two download once.
What about client confidentiality?
Nothing is sent to a third party for processing, so unreleased footage, embargoed interviews and anything under NDA never leave the machine you are editing on.
Try it on your next episode
2 free exports, everything unlocked. No account, no email, no card.