How Recap cuts clips, what the limits are, and how to run your first recap.

What Recap is

Recap is a web app that cuts short clips from long recordings you already have. A recap is one upload. Recap either reads the transcript or watches the frames, then returns clips you can preview and download. It is not a timeline editor, caption tool, or publishing network.

What does Recap actually do?

Recap takes one long video and cuts short clips from it. You upload once, pick From speech or From video, then download the clips.

Is Recap a video editor?

No. There is no timeline, effects rack, or caption designer. Recap finds moments and trims them. Trim or brand the files in another tool if you need that.

Who is this for?

Podcasters, streamers, lecturers, and anyone sitting on long recordings. If the file is around two hours and you do not want to rewatch it, Recap is built for that job.

Do I have to rewatch the whole video?

No. Recap transcribes speech or scans frames and returns clips. You preview those clips instead of scrubbing the source.

Does Recap publish clips for me?

No. Clips stay private in your account. Download the files and post them wherever you already publish.

Getting started

Free accounts start without a credit card. After you confirm your email (or sign in with Google), the dashboard is empty until you upload. New recap opens a three-step wizard: video, title, then how to find clips.

1. 1

   Create an account with Google, or with email and a confirmation link.

2. 2

   Open the dashboard and click New recap.

3. 3

   Choose an MP4, MOV, WebM, or Matroska (.mkv) file. Recap reads the duration before upload.

4. 4

   Name the recap (up to 200 characters).

5. 5

   Pick From speech or From video. Add an optional prompt, reference photos, or clip-count limit.

6. 6

   Upload. The recap is queued. Open it from Recaps or Home and wait until clips appear.

7. 7

   Preview a clip, then download the video (and thumbnail, if you want it).

Do I need a credit card to try it?

No. Free accounts start without a card. A card is required only when you choose a paid plan.

How do I create an account?

Use Google, or email plus password. Email signups must open the confirmation link before the dashboard unlocks.

I signed up with email and nothing happened.

Check the inbox for the address you used, including spam. Open the confirmation link. You cannot upload until that step is done.

How old do I have to be?

You must be at least 13, or the higher minimum age in your region.

Recaps, clips, and versions

Three words do most of the work. A recap is one source video. A clip is a trimmed moment from that video. A version is another pass on the same upload with different instructions, without uploading again. Free allows source recaps only. Versions start on Basic.

What is a recap?

A recap is one uploaded recording plus the clips Recap cuts from it. A two-hour podcast file is one recap, not one recap per clip.

What is a clip?

A clip is a segment Recap selected, with a title, timestamp, thumbnail, and a downloadable video. Recap chooses in and out points. You do not set a timeline.

What is a version?

A version is a new cut of the same file: different prompt, clip-count target, or speech vs visual. Recap reuses the stored video, and reuses the transcript when the new pass is From speech.

Can I make versions on Free?

No. Versions require Basic ($5/mo) or higher.

Does a version use up one of my Free recap slots?

No. Free caps source uploads at 3. Versions attach to an existing recap and do not add a source slot.

Can one recap be both speech and visual?

No. Each recap or version is one mode. On Basic or higher, create a second version in the other mode on the same file.

Where do recaps and clips live?

Home is an overview. Recaps lists source uploads and their versions. Clips lists every generated clip, with search, filters, and grouping.

Can I rename a recap or version?

Yes. Open the recap. Edit next to the title changes the recap name. Edit next to a version name changes that version only.

From speech vs From video

Every recap and every version picks one path. From speech transcribes audio and cuts from what was said: quotes, stories, Q&A. From video scans frames and cuts from what appears: slides, demos, reactions, on-screen text. Prompts are optional in both modes. Blank means Recap auto-picks moments.

When should I use From speech?

Use it for podcasts, interviews, lectures, and voice-heavy streams. It ignores on-screen action unless that action is also spoken.

When should I use From video?

Use it for tutorials, demos, sports, and screen recordings. It ignores dialogue as the selection signal. Audio still ships in the downloaded clip.

Do I have to write a prompt?

No. Leave Focus or Visual cues blank to auto-pick. Fill the box (up to 2,000 characters) when you care about a topic, sponsor skip, or on-screen event.

What should I put in the Focus box?

Name the episode, what to keep, and what to skip. Example: skip the sponsor, keep pricing and early-customer stories. Vague prompts produce generic highlights.

What should I put in Visual cues?

Describe the on-screen event: a whiteboard rewrite, a scoreboard, a settings panel. Name brands, logos, or exact UI text when lookalikes would be wrong.

What are reference photos?

Optional JPEG, PNG, or WebP stills on From video only. Up to 3 photos, 8 MB each. Use a face, logo, or screenshot so Recap matches that subject instead of a similar one.

Can I cap how many clips I get?

Yes. Limit clip count sets a target from 1 up to your plan max (10 Free, 25 Basic, 50 Pro and above). Off uses that max as a ceiling.

Can I set an exact clip length?

No. Recap chooses length per clip, capped by your plan: 1 min on Free, 5 min on Basic, 10 min on Pro and above. You can ask for shorter clips in the prompt. That is guidance, not a hard duration control.

Why is From video disabled?

From video is unavailable for files larger than 2 GB (Gemini Files API limit). Use From speech, or split or compress the file under 2 GB.

Uploading

Recap accepts MP4, MOV, WebM, and Matroska. Duration is checked in the browser before the file is sent. Storage is a hard cap that includes the source, generated clips, and thumbnails. Free also has a per-file size cap and a source-recap count cap.

What file types can I upload?

MP4, MOV, WebM, or Matroska (.mkv). Other containers are rejected.

How large can a file be on Free?

Up to 50 MB per file, and 500 MB total storage across sources, clips, and thumbnails.

Is there a per-file cap on paid plans?

No separate per-file cap. The file must fit in remaining storage, stay under the plan’s source-duration cap, and stay at or under 12 hours.

How long can the source video be?

Free: 20 min. Basic: 1 hour. Pro and above: full-length, hard-capped at 12 hours.

What happens if my file fails to upload?

The wizard stops and shows the reason: wrong type, over size, over duration, storage full, usage full, or recap cap. No recap is created. Fix the file or the plan limit and try again.

I hit the 3 recap limit. Now what?

Delete an existing source recap, or upgrade. Free allows 3 source recaps. Paid plans have unlimited source recaps, still limited by storage and the 30-day processing allowance.

Does Recap keep the original file?

Yes, until you delete that recap or your account. You can download the source from the recap page. It counts toward storage.

Processing and retries

After upload, a worker picks up the recap. From speech goes queued, then transcribing, then clipping. From video goes visualizing, then clipping. Clipping is when Recap renders the clip files and thumbnails. Failed jobs can be retried a limited number of times. Recap does not promise a fixed wait time.

What do the status labels mean?

Queued: waiting. Transcribing: speech to text, then moment picking. Visualizing: frame scan. Clipping: rendering files. Completed: clips ready. Failed: that pass stopped.

How long does processing take?

It depends on duration, queue depth, and mode. Longer files and From video take more time. There is no SLA or countdown Recap can guarantee.

What happens if processing fails?

Open the recap and click Retry processing. You get up to 3 retries. If Recap found no clip-worthy moments, change the prompt and create a new version on Basic or higher.

Can I delete a recap while it is processing?

No. Wait until the job finishes or fails. Recap blocks deletion while a worker holds the file.

Does a retry spend more AI usage?

Yes, if models run again. Usage already spent is not refunded. A retry that cannot start because you are over the 30-day allowance will say so.

The recap completed with zero clips.

Recap did not find moments that cleared its bar. Rewrite the prompt, switch speech vs visual, or add reference photos, then run a version. Retrying the same settings often repeats the empty result.

Previewing and downloading

Clips are private until you download them. From a clip you can play it in the browser, download the video, and download the thumbnail. From a speech recap you can also download the full transcript. Recap does not host a public watch page for your clips.

How do I download a clip?

Open it from Recaps or Clips. Use the clip menu for Download video. Download thumbnail is there when a still exists.

Can I download the transcript?

Yes, on the recap page after From speech transcription finishes. Formats are VTT, SRT, JSON, and plain text.

Can I download the original upload?

Yes. The recap page has a source download while that file is still stored.

Can I delete one clip without deleting the recap?

Yes. Delete clip from the clip menu. That frees storage for that file. It does not restore AI usage.

What happens if I delete a recap?

That source, every version, every clip, and related thumbnails are removed. Download anything you need first. This cannot be undone.

Can I edit a clip after it is cut?

No. Create a version with different instructions, or edit the downloaded file in another tool.

Plans and pricing

Plans are monthly, in US dollars, billed through Stripe. Free is a tight trial: short sources, a per-file cap, three recaps, no versions. Basic unlocks versions and larger files. Pro unlocks full-length sources and the highest clip caps. Premium, Business, and Enterprise keep the Pro feature set and add storage plus a larger 30-day processing allowance. Recap never shows the internal processing cost in dollars. Higher plans are described as a multiple of Pro AI usage.

Full-length means up to the 12 hour hard cap. Compare the same grid on Pricing.

What is on Free?

$0, no card. 3 recaps, 50 MB per upload, 500 MB storage, sources up to 20 min, up to 10 clips per recap, clips up to 1 min, no versions.

What does Basic add?

$5/mo. Unlimited source recaps, versions, 2 GB storage, sources up to 1 hour, up to 25 clips per recap, clips up to 5 min, and uploads limited by remaining storage instead of a 50 MB file cap.

What does Pro add?

$10/mo. 8 GB storage, sources up to 12 hours, up to 50 clips per recap, clips up to 10 min, plus versions and unlimited recaps.

What are Premium, Business, and Enterprise?

Same product as Pro, more library space and more 30-day AI allowance. Premium is $25/mo (25 GB, 2× Pro AI usage). Business is $50/mo (50 GB, 5×). Enterprise is $100/mo (125 GB, 10×).

How should I pick a plan?

Start Free. Move to Basic when you need versions or files over 50 MB. Move to Pro when sources go past 1 hour or you want 10 min clips. Move above Pro only when storage or the 30-day AI bar is the blocker.

Is there an annual plan?

No. Plans are month to month.

Storage and AI usage

Two meters run in parallel. Storage is a hard disk cap: source videos, clip files, and thumbnails. AI usage is a trailing 30-day processing allowance for transcription, clip selection, and visual scans. Deleting files frees storage immediately. It does not give processing allowance back. Usage expires continuously as each run ages past 30 days. It does not dump to zero on a calendar date.

What counts toward storage?

Source uploads, generated clip videos, thumbnails, and visual reference photos. Watch the bar on Home and Usage.

What is AI usage?

A 30-day processing allowance. Longer videos and From video spend more. Recap shows a percentage, not a dollar amount.

When does AI usage reset?

It does not reset all at once. Each processing run drops off 30 days after it happened. Usage shows when the next chunk expires.

What happens when I hit the AI limit?

New processing is blocked until enough usage expires or you upgrade. You can still preview and download clips you already have.

What happens when I hit the storage limit?

Uploads and new versions that need space are blocked. Delete recaps or clips to free space immediately, or upgrade.

If I delete a recap, do I get AI usage back?

No. Only storage comes back. Processing already spent stays on the 30-day window until it expires.

Billing, upgrades, and downgrades

Paid plans need a default card in Settings before Usage will switch you. Upgrades start immediately and Stripe invoices the prorated difference. Downgrades are scheduled for the end of the current period, with no refund for time left. The lower storage cap applies as soon as that downgrade is scheduled. Active jobs must finish first, and you must already fit under the new storage cap.

How do I upgrade?

Add a card in Settings, set it as default, then choose a plan on Usage. The upgrade starts immediately. Stripe invoices the prorated difference.

How do I downgrade or cancel?

Choose a lower plan, or Free, on Usage. The change is scheduled for the end of the current billing period. There is no refund for the remaining time.

Does the cheaper storage cap wait until the period ends?

No. The lower storage cap applies as soon as the downgrade is scheduled. The current AI allowance continues until the effective date.

Why won’t Recap let me schedule a downgrade?

Either a recap is still processing, or your library is larger than the target plan’s storage. Wait for jobs to finish, or delete files until you fit.

Can I undo a scheduled downgrade?

Yes. On Usage, keep the current plan to cancel the scheduled change.

Are fees refundable?

No, except where law requires it or Recap states otherwise in writing. See Terms of Service.

Where is my card stored?

Stripe. Recap does not store full card numbers on its servers. Manage cards in Settings.

Account, privacy, and data

You keep ownership of what you upload. Recap processes that media to transcribe, find moments, cut clips, and store files for you. Recap does not train general-purpose models on your videos, and does not sell personal information. You must have the rights to upload the file. Recap is not liable for how you publish clips cut from it.

Do you train AI models on my videos?

No. Recap does not train AI or machine-learning models on your videos, transcripts, or clips to build general-purpose models for itself or others.

Do you sell my personal information?

No.

Who owns the clips?

You own the media you upload. You are responsible for having the rights to use it, and for how you distribute clips cut from it.

How long do you keep my files?

Until you delete them, close the account, or removal is required by the Terms or the law. Download copies before you delete.

How do I change my name, password, or theme?

Settings. Profile, password, and light / dark / system appearance are there.

How do I delete my account?

Settings, then hold Delete for 5 seconds. That removes your login, billing, and all videos. This cannot be undone.

Help

Product limits and plan numbers also live on Pricing and on Usage after you sign in. For account or billing problems, email support. For product ideas, email feedback.

How do I get help?

Email [email protected] for billing, login, and account issues.

Where do I send feature ideas?

Email [email protected].

Where are the legal terms?

Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are linked in the footer.