Using Clivie

Everything here also applies to the alpha. Where the alpha differs, it says so.

Install

Get the installer for your computer from the download page.

• macOS: open the .dmg and drag Clivie to Applications. If macOS says the app can't be opened (alpha builds may be unsigned), Control-click Clivie in Applications, choose Open, then Open again. You only do this once.
• Windows: run the setup .exe. If SmartScreen stops it, choose More info → Run anyway. The first launch can take a little longer while your antivirus scans the editor.
• Linux: make the AppImage executable (chmod +x Clivie-*.AppImage) and run it.

First launch

1. Enter your licence key. It looks like CLV-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX and came by email. It's stored in your system keychain, not in a file.
2. Choose a projects folder. The default is Clivie Projects in your home folder. Each project is a folder you can back up or move like any other.
3. Let it download. About 450 MB: ffmpeg, and the assistant that edits for you. Every file is checked against a checksum built into the app before it's used. If the download is interrupted, reopen Clivie and it tries again.

After that Clivie opens straight into the editor.

Editing by chat

Create a project, drop your videos into it, and ask the assistant to ingest them — it transcribes the speech so it can find things by what was said. Then describe what you want:

• “Cut the umms and the long pauses.”
• “Make this 9:16 and keep me in frame.”
• “Add captions.”
• “Put a counter at 0:42 that counts to 1,000.”

You watch the timeline change, and you can grab and adjust anything it did. When it's right, export — export always runs on your computer and never costs credits. The first title or graphic you ask for downloads the graphics pack once.

Credits

AI work — transcription, the assistant's replies, looking at shots, generating images and video — uses credits. Everything that runs locally is free. Pricing lists what counts.

• Before it spends: generating an image or video shows the estimated credits and waits for your OK.
• While it works: each reply sets credits aside when it starts and hands back what it didn't use when it finishes. Settings shows credits “held for work in progress” while that happens.
• When you run out: editing, playback and export carry on; AI features wait for a top-up. A reply that's already running finishes.
• Where they went: sign in to your account with your licence key to see every call, by day and by kind of work.

Alpha: credits are free and added by hand. Reply to the email your key came in when you need more.

Your own keys

On a plan that includes it, you can use your own provider accounts instead of credits. Open Settings → API keys and add any of:

With at least one key saved, Clivie calls providers directly with your keys and charges no credits. Keys are encrypted with your system keychain and never sent to Clivie. After a change, choose Restart now in the same panel so the editor picks it up.

Computers and seats

A licence covers two computers. To move to a new one, open Settings → Account → Deactivate this computer on the old one. If the old one is gone, sign in to your account and choose Sign out next to it — the seat is free straight away.

Offline and lapsed licences

Clivie never locks you out of your own projects. Without a connection, editing and export keep working and AI features pause; after three days offline the app asks you to reconnect. If a licence is suspended or ends, the editor still opens and a banner explains what stopped. Your projects are always on your disk.

Updates

Clivie checks for updates in the background and downloads them quietly. A new version installs when you quit; if you want it sooner, Clivie asks before restarting, because a restart stops a reply or export in progress. Help → Check for Updates… checks right away. On Linux, only the AppImage updates itself.

Getting help

• Help → Report a Problem… writes one file with your versions, the recent logs and any crash reports, and shows it. Keys, tokens and your home folder's path are removed before it's written. Read it, then attach it to an email. Nothing is sent automatically.
• Help → Open Log File shows the editor's log directly.
• Help → Open Downloaded Resources shows what first launch downloaded. Deleting it is safe; Clivie downloads it again.