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Free step-by-step guide

OpenMontage: your free AI video studio

You tell an AI what video you want. It writes the script, adds a voice, finds footage, adds captions and edits the whole thing for you.

CostFree and open source

First setupAbout 1 hour, copy and paste

Works onMac, Windows, Linux

Proof65,000+ stars on GitHub

Checked on 9 Oct 2026. Tools change fast, so the official page always wins if it says something different.

What it does

Turns an idea into a finished video. Example: "Make a 60-second explainer about how neural networks learn."
Copies the style of a video you love. Paste a YouTube Short, Reel or TikTok and ask for something like it about your topic.
Does the boring parts: research, script, voice-over, music, word-by-word captions and the final edit.
Checks its own work before you see it (sound levels, captions, frames).
Makes real videos with zero paid keys using a free voice, free archive footage and free stock clips.

What you need first

1A Mac or Windows computerIt runs on your own computer, not in the browser.

2An AI coding assistantClaude Code (paid Claude plan, from about $20/mo, US price), or Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf or Codex. Step 3 shows Claude Code.→

3Python, FFmpeg, Node.js and GitFree. Step 1 installs all four for you.

Step by step

Install the free tools it needs

Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Enter). Paste the first box and press Enter. It installs Homebrew, the free Mac app installer, and asks for your Mac password (you won't see it as you type, that's normal). Then do the other boxes one at a time.Click Start, type PowerShell and open it. Paste the box and press Enter. Say yes if Windows asks for permission. When it's all done, close PowerShell and open a new one so it can see the new tools.

Mac · box 1: install Homebrew

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Mac · box 2: only if Homebrew says "add Homebrew to your PATH" (newer Macs)

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Mac · box 3: the four free tools

brew install python ffmpeg node git

Windows (PowerShell)

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned -Force
winget install -e --id Python.Python.3.12 --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
winget install -e --id Gyan.FFmpeg --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
winget install -e --id Git.Git --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements

Tip: Already have them? Skip this step. To check, type python3 --version (Windows: py --version), node --version and ffmpeg -version. On Windows, the first line just lets PowerShell run the setup scripts for your user account.

Download OpenMontage and set it up

Paste this in the same window. It downloads OpenMontage into a folder called OpenMontage and installs everything inside it. This is the slow part, so leave it running.

Mac (Terminal)

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git
cd OpenMontage
make setup

Windows (PowerShell)

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git
cd OpenMontage
py -3 -m venv .venv; .\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1; python -m pip install -r requirements.txt; cd remotion-composer; npm install; cd ..; python -m pip install piper-tts; Copy-Item .env.example .env

Tip: Windows doesn't have make, so the Windows line does the same job by hand (it's the official command from the OpenMontage page).

Install Claude Code (or open your own AI assistant)

Claude Code is Anthropic's AI assistant for your computer. Paste the line, then sign in with your Claude account when it asks. Using Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf or Codex instead? Just open the OpenMontage folder in it and skip to step 4.

Mac (Terminal)

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Open OpenMontage with your AI assistant

Go into the folder and start Claude Code. OpenMontage already has instructions inside it for Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf and Codex, so the assistant knows what to do.

Mac and Windows

cd ~/OpenMontage
claude

Ask for your first video

Type what you want in plain English (or copy one of the prompts below). It shows you a plan and the cost first, and asks before it makes anything. Your finished video is saved inside the OpenMontage projects folder.

Tip: Start short (30–60 seconds). Short videos are faster and cheaper while you learn.

Prompts to try (no paid keys needed)

These use the free voice and free footage that come with OpenMontage.

Make a 45-second animated explainer about why the sky is blue

Create a 60-second video about the history of the internet, with narration and captions

Make a 90-second documentary montage about what a city feels like at 4am. Use real footage only, no narration.

Here's a Reel I love: [paste the link]. Make me something like this, but about [your topic].

Want it to look better? (optional, paid)

Free mode uses a free computer voice and free stock or archive footage. For AI-generated images, video clips, music or premium voices, you add API keys from services like fal.ai, ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Google, Runway or HeyGen.

Open the file called .env inside the OpenMontage folder and paste your key next to the right name (for example ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=). Every key is optional.

OpenMontage's own estimates: about $0.15–$1.50 per video with one image or video service, about $1–$3 with the full setup. It shows you the cost before it starts.

The catch

Setup takes time the first time. It's copy and paste, but give it an hour.
Your AI assistant isn't free. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan. Some other assistants have free tiers with limits.
Free mode looks simpler. The best-looking videos use paid AI image and video services, so expect a few dollars per video.
You still check the result. AI can get facts or timing wrong. Watch it before you post.
Licence: it's open source under AGPL-3.0. Fine for making your own videos; if you build a product on top of its code, read the licence.

Stuck?

It says "command not found"

Close the window and open a new one (Terminal on Mac, PowerShell on Windows), then try again. New installs only show up in a fresh window. Still stuck? Go back to step 1.

Windows: npm install fails with ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE

Run npx --yes npm install instead of npm install inside the remotion-composer folder. That fix comes from the OpenMontage page.

Windows: "running scripts is disabled on this system"

Run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned -Force once in PowerShell (it's the first line of step 1), then run step 2 again.

Mac: it asks to install "command line developer tools"

Click Install. That's Apple's free toolkit (it includes make and git). Run the step again when it finishes.

Do I need a powerful computer?

No for the normal mode: the heavy AI work happens online or with the free tools. Only the optional local video generation needs a strong graphics card.

Official links

OpenMontage on GitHub ↗openmontage.video ↗Prompt gallery ↗Claude Code setup ↗

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