reelmint-local-mcp

A tiny local MCP server for Claude Desktop (and any MCP client) whose one job is to download a video on your own machine — Instagram reels, YouTube, TikTok, or any yt-dlp-supported URL — and hand back the saved file path (plus a few preview keyframes).

Because it runs on your computer (a residential IP, optionally with your logged-in browser cookies), it reaches content a server can't: platforms block datacenter IPs, so a cloud service either fails or has to pay a proxy to fetch the bytes. On your laptop, the download is free and just works.

It does only the download. Understanding the video, transcripts, and building anything from it are done by whatever MCP/tools you hand the file to.

Built for ReelMint but depends on nothing from it — works with any MCP client.

Tools

Tool	What it does
download_video(url, frames=6)	Download a video to a local file → returns the saved .mp4 path + a few keyframe images for a quick look.
status()	Reports whether yt-dlp / ffmpeg are installed + the active cookie/save config.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• ffmpeg — for the preview keyframes. macOS: brew install ffmpeg (downloads still work without it; you just won't get frames)

Install

git clone https://github.com/HiteshR90/reelmint-local-mcp.git
cd reelmint-local-mcp
python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -U pip -r requirements.txt

# sanity check (expect ready: True)
.venv/bin/python -c "import server; print(server.status())"

Connect to Claude Desktop

Add this to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (merge into your existing mcpServers), using absolute paths, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reelmint-local": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/reelmint-local-mcp/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/reelmint-local-mcp/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "IG_COOKIES_FROM_BROWSER": "chrome",
        "IG_SAVE_DIR": "~/Downloads/reelmint-reels"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then just ask: "download_video this <url>" → you get the saved path (and a preview). Drag that file into your MCP client to do anything else with it.

Configuration (env)

Var	Default	Meaning
IG_COOKIES_FROM_BROWSER	chrome	Browser to read cookies from (chrome/safari/firefox/edge/brave); "" = public only. Unlocks private/followed content.
IG_SAVE_DIR	~/Downloads/reelmint-reels	Where downloads are saved.
IG_MAX_FRAMES	8	Hard cap on preview keyframes.

Notes & limits

• Private accounts need your browser cookies (IG_COOKIES_FROM_BROWSER) and that you follow the account. Reading cookies may prompt for OS keychain access; some browsers must be closed first.
• Platforms fight scrapers; keep it fresh with pip install -U yt-dlp.
• This is a client-side utility. You are responsible for complying with the terms of service of the sites you download from.

License

MIT — © 2026 Hitesh R (ReelMint).