Your first project
Open ReelChest, point at a folder, transcribe the first hour. We'll be editing in about ten minutes.
A ReelChest project is a folder. We don't lock your media into a database. Pick a folder where your footage already lives, or make a new one. Either works.
Make the project
Click New Project. Pick the folder. Name it. ReelChest scans what's inside, builds an index, and parks it in a hidden file alongside your media. Nothing moves, nothing copies.
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The New Project dialog with a folder picked and a name typed in.
1280 × 800px · Modal or sheet over the app
Drop in your footage
If your clips are already in the folder, you're done. If they're not, drag them in now. ReelChest watches the folder, so anything you add later just shows up.
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The Library populated with a fresh batch of clips, freshly indexed.
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Transcribe
Select the clips you want transcribed and click Transcribe. Long footage takes a minute. We run it on your Mac, not in the cloud, so no upload, no per-minute fees, and your footage doesn't leave the room.
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The status bar showing the transcribe queue running with 'done / total' progress and the Pause / Cancel buttons.
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And we're editing
Once the first hour is transcribed, the words are clickable. Click any word, the playhead jumps. We'll cover paper edits properly in the next article. For now: poke around, click words, get the feel.
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The Inspector showing a transcribed clip's words. Clicking any word seeks the player to its timestamp.
1280 × 800px · One panel only (sidebar, transcript, paper edit, etc.)
A note we owe you: long-form transcripts can take real time on older Macs. If you're on an M1 or newer, you're fine. On Intel Macs, give it patience and pick a single clip to start.