ClipWhat is ClipLogger?
ClipLogger is a free Apple silicon Mac app for browsing, logging, searching and preparing media for an edit. Open an accessible folder on your Mac, SSD or mounted storage. Name people, items and places, review suggestions, find useful moments and keep a log you can search again. Projects organize references to the media; they do not move the originals.
What do I need to run it?
Use an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 15 or later and a readable media location. Confirm the requirements of the particular installer before updating a production machine. Local reasoning models have additional memory and storage requirements; basic browsing and manual logging do not require a large vision model. Mounted storage must remain accessible for playback and file operations.
What's free and what costs money?
The base app is free for browsing, searching, organizing and logging on your Mac. Supported local models have no per-clip service fee. Rush uses credits. Your API requires an eligible paid plan, and your provider bills usage separately. See Pricing and Settings → Account for current plans and allowances.
Do I need an account?
You can begin browsing and manually logging local media without an account. Sign-in is used for Rush and account-based features. Bring-your-own cloud API reasoning is entitlement-gated, so possessing a provider key alone does not make that route available. Check Settings → Account and the engine chooser before planning a batch.
What happens on first launch?
Open a representative media folder and let the browser populate. Work through playback, a rating, and a short note before configuring a project palette. Use the Welcome Tour for orientation, then open Settings to review analysis, storage, and sharing choices. Set up large models only when you are ready to evaluate local reasoning.
Can I point ClipLogger at footage I already have, without copying anything?
Yes. Open a readable folder with Command-O, or use Add Location to keep it pinned across launches. Your media can stay on your Mac, an SSD or accessible mounted storage. Use Drill-down to include nested folders, then browse, log and search the footage in place. Sidecar writing and rename need write access. Storage options.
Does ClipLogger ever modify my original files?
Browsing does not require moving or transcoding your originals. Explicit operations such as renaming, offloading, and recycling do affect files or locations, and enabled metadata exports can write beside media. Read the operation's preview and result before assuming that it completed. A playback proxy is a derivative; it does not replace the camera original.