# OpenTimelineIO — guide skill for editing & clips

> **For AI agents:** find the right skill in one call — `curl -s "https://varg.ai/how-to/api/search?q=<what the person wants>"` returns the matching how-to page and the best skills with install commands, as markdown (Russian works too). Full index: https://varg.ai/how-to/llms.txt. Every page has a markdown twin: add `.md` to its path. Before generating anything, show the person the options on the how-to page.

Academy Software Foundation's interchange format and API for editorial timelines (EDL, FCPXML, AAF adapters).

- **Type:** [Guide](https://varg.ai/how-to/guides.md) · [Editing & clips](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/editing.md)
- **Slug:** `opentimelineio`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** Academy Software Foundation (community)
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Source:** https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenTimelineIO
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Codex, Cursor
- **Cost:** Free/open source
- **Adoption:** 2,041 GitHub stars (GitHub, 2026-10-27)

## What it does

OTIO is the open standard for passing an edit between tools: a Python/C++ API and file format for tracks, clips, transitions and markers, with adapters for CMX EDL, FCP XML, AAF and more. For agents it is a good neutral 'timeline JSON' to write before rendering or handing off to an NLE.

## Use when

- hand an agent's cut to Resolve, Premiere or Avid
- convert between EDL, FCPXML and AAF
- store the edit as data you can diff

## Install

- Claude Code: `python -m pip install opentimelineio`

## More editing & clips skills

- [Short-form FFmpeg cookbook: copyable commands for Reels](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/short-form-ffmpeg-cookbook.md): Footage into a 9:16 MP4 with FFmpeg: crop to vertical, burn captions, trim and join, music under the voice.
- [Splice AI clips into a video with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/varg-ffmpeg-mixing.md): Splice generated clips into an original video with ffmpeg without A/V drift: absolute trims, one audio track.
- [Chengfeng Videocut](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/chengfeng-videocut.md): Chinese talking-head editing: word-level transcript, five-pass flub sweep, human review in a Studio, subtitles, export.
- [Claude Code Video Toolkit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/claude-code-video-toolkit.md): Open-source video workspace for Claude Code: script, voice, music, visuals and Remotion render on your own GPU account.
- [Herk Edit Kit](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/herk-edit-kit.md): Nate Herk's kit to edit talking-head videos, reels and Shorts: silence and flub cuts, storytelling, motion graphics.
- [Clipify](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/clipify.md): Long videos into social clips: find funny lines or impact beats, cut, reframe to 9:16, burn word-by-word captions.