YouTube Trimmer

A command-line tool that downloads YouTube videos, trims them to a specific timeframe, and saves the clip. Now with MCP (Model Context Protocol) server support for natural language interaction!

Features

• 📺 Download and trim YouTube videos to specific timeframes
• ⚡ Fast, lossless trimming using FFmpeg (no re-encoding)
• 🤖 MCP Server for natural language interaction
• 📊 Get video information without downloading
• 🔧 Both CLI and programmatic interfaces

Prerequisites

Installation

🚀 Super Easy Installation (Recommended)

The easiest way to install is directly from PyPI:

# Install the complete package with MCP support
pip install youtube-trimmer-mcp

That's it! The package will be available globally with all dependencies.

Alternative Installation Methods

From Source (Development)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/manuelgomez/youtube-trimmer-mcp.git
cd youtube-trimmer-mcp

# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Using pipx (Isolated Installation)

# Install in isolated environment (recommended for CLI tools)
pipx install youtube-trimmer-mcp

Usage

1. Command Line Interface

Trim a video:

youtube-trimmer trim <youtube_url> -s <start_time> -e <end_time> [-o output.mp4] [--keep-temp]

Get video information:

youtube-trimmer info <youtube_url>

Start MCP server:

youtube-trimmer mcp-server

2. MCP Server (NEW!) 🚀

The YouTube Trimmer now supports the Model Context Protocol, allowing you to trim videos using natural language through any MCP-compatible client!

Starting the MCP Server

# Using the CLI command
youtube-trimmer mcp-server

# Or using the direct entry point
youtube-trimmer-mcp

MCP Client Configuration

Add this to your MCP client configuration (e.g., in Claude Desktop):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-trimmer": {
      "command": "youtube-trimmer-mcp",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Alternative configuration using the module:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-trimmer": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "youtube_trimmer.mcp_server"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

MCP Tools Available

• trim_youtube_video: Download and trim YouTube videos
• get_youtube_video_info: Get video information without downloading
• convert_timestamp_to_seconds: Convert timestamps to seconds
• download_full_youtube_video: Download complete videos

Arguments and Options:

• <youtube_url>: Any normal or shortened YouTube link
• -s, --start: Start timestamp (HH:MM:SS[.ms] format)
• -e, --end: End timestamp (HH:MM:SS[.ms] format)
• -o, --output: Output filename (auto-generated if not provided)
• --keep-temp: Keep the full downloaded file
• --quiet: Suppress most output

Examples:

CLI Examples:

# Trim from 1 minute to 2 minutes
youtube-trimmer trim "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -s 1:00 -e 2:00

# Get video information
youtube-trimmer info "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

# Custom output filename
youtube-trimmer trim "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" -s 1:00 -e 2:00 -o my_clip.mp4

MCP Natural Language Examples:

With the MCP server running, you can use natural language:

• "Trim the YouTube video at https://youtube.com/watch?v=abc123 from 1:30 to 2:45"
• "Get information about this YouTube video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xyz789"
• "Download the first 30 seconds of https://youtube.com/watch?v=example"

Project Structure

YotubeTrimmer/
├─ src/
│  └─ youtube_trimmer/
│     ├─ __init__.py          # Package initialization
│     ├─ core.py              # Core trimming functionality  
│     ├─ cli.py               # Command-line interface
│     └─ mcp_server.py        # MCP server for natural language
├─ setup.py                   # Package setup
├─ pyproject.toml            # Modern Python packaging
├─ requirements.txt          # Dependencies
└─ README.md                 # This file

Development

Running Tests

# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[mcp]"

# Test the CLI
youtube-trimmer trim "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw" -s 0:00 -e 0:05

# Test the MCP server
youtube-trimmer mcp-server

Notes

• Timestamp formats: SS, MM:SS, or HH:MM:SS[.ms]
• Uses FFmpeg's copy mode (fast and lossless)
• Auto-generates output filenames from video title and timestamps
• MCP server runs on stdio for seamless integration

Legal Notice

Downloading YouTube videos may violate YouTube's Terms of Service. This tool is for educational purposes only. Users are responsible for how they use this software.