Shotstack
Shotstack is a cloud-based platform that enables developers, marketers, and designers to automate the generation of videos, images, and audio at scale using a RESTful API.
Verdict
Common use cases
- Generate social media clips from blog posts
- Batch-produce video ads with brand overlays
- Assemble highlight reels from event footage
- Create personalized video messages at scale
- Automate recap videos from meeting transcripts
Integration
- Vendor
- Shotstack
- Category
- other
- Auth
- API_KEY
- Composio slug
shotstack
Tools
Setup
Setup guide
- 11. Open your Switchy workspace and navigate to Settings > Integrations > Add MCP Server. 2. Select Shotstack from the directory and click Connect. 3. Log into your Shotstack dashboard at shotstack.io, go to API Keys, and copy your production or sandbox key. 4. Paste the key into Switchy's prompt and confirm. 5. Switchy will verify the key and show a green checkmark when connected. 6. Open any Space, type '@Shotstack' in a message, and ask it to describe available video templates or render a simple test clip. 7. If the response includes render details or a status URL, the integration is live and ready for production workflows.
What teammates see: by default, memories from Shotstack are scoped to the Space (PROJECT visibility) - you can mark any memory PRIVATE or share it ORG-wide.
Works well with
Top models
Compatibility data appears once enough Spaces have used this MCP together with a given model.
How Switchy teams use it
Starter prompts
Render a Test Clip
@Shotstack create a 5-second test video with a solid blue background and white text that says 'Hello from Switchy'. Use 1080p resolution and return the render status.Open in a Space →
Social Media Teaser
@Shotstack generate a 10-second square video for Instagram. Use the headline 'New Feature Launch' over a dark gradient background, add our logo in the bottom corner, and include a subtle zoom animation.Open in a Space →
Batch Product Videos
@Shotstack take these three product images and generate a 15-second video for each, showing the image with a slow pan, our brand color background, and product name as overlay text.Open in a Space →
Event Highlight Reel
@Shotstack compile a 60-second highlight reel from the clips in this folder. Add crossfade transitions between each clip, overlay our event logo in the top right, and use an upbeat background track.Open in a Space →
Personalized Video Messages
@Shotstack create personalized welcome videos for these five customers. Use the template with our intro animation, replace the name placeholder with each customer's first name, and render in 720p.Open in a Space →
Example outputs
Illustrative - representative of the model's voice and quality, not literal recordings.
@Shotstack create a 15-second video montage from the last 5 product screenshots in our Figma, add our brand intro music, and export at 1080p
Render queued with ID rnd_abc123. The video will compile 5 images as 3-second clips with crossfade transitions, overlay the audio track you specified, and encode to 1080p MP4. Estimated completion: 90 seconds. You'll receive a download URL once processing finishes. Note that render time scales with video length and effect complexity.
This example shows Shotstack's core video-assembly workflow: you describe a timeline (images, audio, transitions), the MCP submits a render job, and you poll or wait for the output URL. Requires an active Shotstack API key with render credits. Large or complex edits may take several minutes to process.
@Shotstack check the status of render rnd_abc123 and give me the download link if it's ready
Render rnd_abc123 completed 30 seconds ago. Status: done. Download URL: https://cdn.shotstack.io/v1/abc123/final.mp4 (expires in 24 hours). Duration: 15.2 seconds, file size: 8.4 MB. The video is cached on Shotstack's CDN; download it now or re-host on your own storage before the link expires.
Shotstack renders are asynchronous. This example demonstrates polling a job by ID to retrieve the final asset. The CDN link is temporary, so teams should download or move the file to permanent storage. Useful for confirming a render succeeded before sharing externally.
@Shotstack generate a 10-second social-media teaser: our logo fades in, then show the text 'Launching March 2025' with a zoom effect, export as square 1:1 for Instagram
Render queued with ID rnd_def456. The timeline includes a 2-second logo fade-in, followed by 8 seconds of centered text with a scale-up animation. Output format: 1080×1080 MP4, optimized for Instagram feed. Estimated completion: 60 seconds. This example uses Shotstack's text and transform clips to build a simple motion-graphics sequence without external assets.
This example highlights Shotstack's ability to generate videos from scratch using text, shapes, and animations—no uploaded media required. Ideal for quick social posts or templated content. The MCP translates your description into a JSON timeline; complex animations may need manual timeline adjustments in Shotstack's dashboard.
Use-case deep-dives
When video templating beats manual editing for content teams
A 3-person marketing team publishing 20+ social clips per week hits a wall with manual editing tools. Shotstack's API-driven video rendering turns this into a data problem: feed it a CSV of copy variants and brand assets, get back a folder of rendered MP4s in minutes. The MCP integration means your team can trigger renders from Switchy without context-switching to a separate dashboard. This works when your video structure is repeatable—lower thirds, product demos, testimonial overlays. If every video needs custom motion graphics or frame-by-frame tweaking, you still need a dedicated editor. The threshold: if 70% of your video output follows 2-3 templates, Shotstack inside Switchy cuts production time by half.
How API video rendering scales 1:1 welcome experiences
A 6-person SaaS team wants to send each new customer a personalized walkthrough video with their company name, logo, and specific feature set baked in. Doing this manually means a designer queues up 40 renders per week in After Effects. Shotstack's API takes a JSON payload per customer and returns a unique video in under 2 minutes. The Switchy MCP lets your onboarding specialist trigger renders directly from the customer record conversation, no API docs required. This pays off when you're onboarding 30+ accounts per month and the video structure stays fixed. If your onboarding flow changes weekly or needs live-action footage per customer, the template overhead kills the ROI. Buy this if your welcome video is data-driven, not artisan.
When property marketers need 50 videos per week, not 5
A 2-person real estate marketing agency shoots 10 properties per week and needs 5 social cuts per listing—hero shot, neighborhood, floor plan, testimonial, CTA. Editing 50 videos manually takes 20 hours. Shotstack's rendering API turns each property's photo set and copy into a batch job that finishes overnight. The Switchy integration means the photographer uploads assets to a shared folder, tags the listing ID in chat, and the MCP triggers the render queue without opening a browser. This works when your video format is rigid and your asset library is organized. If half your listings need custom drone footage or the client wants to art-direct each cut, you're back to Premiere. The line: if your video output is formulaic and high-volume, Shotstack inside Switchy is the only way to stay ahead of the pipeline.
Frequently asked
What does the Shotstack MCP do in Switchy?
The Shotstack MCP connects your Switchy workspace to Shotstack's video editing API, letting AI agents render videos, add effects, and automate post-production tasks without leaving your chat. You describe what you want — trim a clip, overlay text, generate a social cut — and the agent calls Shotstack's rendering engine directly. No manual API calls or separate video editing software required.
Do I need a Shotstack account to use this MCP?
Yes. You'll need an active Shotstack account and an API key from your dashboard. Switchy stores the key securely and uses it to authenticate every request the MCP makes. If you're on a free Shotstack tier, rendering limits and watermarks apply exactly as they would if you called the API yourself.
Can the Shotstack MCP edit videos already stored in my workspace?
Not directly. The MCP sends rendering instructions to Shotstack's cloud, which pulls source assets from URLs you provide or from Shotstack's own asset library. If your video lives in Google Drive or Dropbox, you'll need to generate a public or signed URL first, then pass it to the agent for editing.
How is this different from using Shotstack's API directly?
You skip the code. Instead of writing JSON payloads and managing webhook callbacks, you tell an AI agent what you want in plain English. The agent constructs the API request, monitors the render job, and surfaces the final video URL in your thread. It's faster for one-off edits and prototyping, though a custom script still wins for high-volume batch jobs.
Who on my team should connect the Shotstack MCP?
Whoever owns your Shotstack account and has access to API keys. That's usually a developer, ops lead, or the person managing your video automation pipeline. Once connected, any Switchy workspace member can ask agents to render videos, but all usage counts against your Shotstack plan limits and billing.