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Show HN: Broll – an MCP server that gives coding agents a content studio

1 day ago
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broll

The content studio MCP for coding agents. broll gives Claude Code, Codex, and any MCP client real hands for content work: generate media with your own API keys, render videos and carousels deterministically with code, and publish through a draft-first outbox.

The model plans. Code renders. Nothing posts without confirmation.

Why

Every developer running a coding agent hits the same wall: the agent can write the marketing plan, but it can’t make the carousel, cut the video, or post it. Existing tools are credit-metered schedulers built for social media managers. broll is built for developers:

  • BYO keys, no markup. Image/video generation uses your OPENAI_API_KEY / GEMINI_API_KEY directly. broll never proxies your inference or resells credits. A built-in mock provider keeps every workflow runnable before you add any keys.
  • Deterministic rendering. Videos and slides are compiled from declarative plans into exact ffmpeg/sharp invocations. Same plan + same inputs = same output. When AI output drifts, the fix is code — so layout, fonts, captions, and branding live in code.
  • Draft-first publishing. Posts are reviewable JSON files in an outbox. publish_post requires confirm: true, validates per-platform rules (char limits, media counts, file sizes) before anything leaves the machine, and reports per-platform results. The export platform always works: it writes a ready-to-post bundle.

Install

Requires Node 20+ and ffmpeg (brew install ffmpeg).

cd broll
npm install && npm run build

Register with Claude Code (or use the checked-in .mcp.json when working inside this repo):

claude mcp add broll -- node /path/to/broll/dist/index.js

Optional environment:

VariablePurpose
OPENAI_API_KEYgpt-image-1 image generation
GEMINI_API_KEYImagen images + Veo video generation
BLUESKY_IDENTIFIER / BLUESKY_APP_PASSWORDlive Bluesky posting (use an app password)
MASTODON_ACCESS_TOKEN (+ optional MASTODON_INSTANCE)live Mastodon posting — no app review, any instance
X_API_KEY / X_API_SECRET / X_ACCESS_TOKEN / X_ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRETlive X posting (free API tier works)
BROLL_HOMEworkspace location (default ~/.broll)
BROLL_FFMPEG / BROLL_FFPROBEexplicit binary paths

Brand kit: drop a broll.config.json next to where the server runs (see this repo’s for an example) — name, handle, colors, font, logo. Every render picks it up automatically.

Tools

ToolWhat it does
broll_statusWorkspace, ffmpeg, provider + platform readiness. Call first.
generate_image / generate_videoBYO-key generation → workspace assets (mock fallback when keyless)
import_asset / list_assets / probe_assetBring in and inspect media
render_videoDeclarative RenderPlan → mp4: clips (video/image/color), trims, cover/contain fits, burned-in titles + timed captions, music bed, 9:16 / 1:1 / 4:5 / 16:9
render_carouselBranded slide sets (the Instagram/LinkedIn format): kicker, headline, body, accent bar, page numbers, watermark — layout is 100% code
extract_framePull a PNG frame so the agent can visually QA its own render
create_post_draftText + media + platforms → validated, reviewable draft in the outbox
list_drafts / publish_postInspect the outbox; publish with explicit confirm: true

Try it

npm run smoke

drives the real server through a real MCP client: generates a background, renders a 3-slide carousel and a 9:16 teaser video with captions, extracts a QA frame, then drafts and “publishes” an export bundle — all into ./.broll/.

broll cloud (waitlist)

The local server you’re looking at stays MIT and free. broll cloud adds the parts a local server can’t do well: the app-review-walled platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) through broll’s own approved credentials, schedules that run while your laptop is closed, and a swipe-to-approve inbox on your phone. ~$29/mo when it ships.

Join the waitlist → 👍 issue #1 — subscribers get the launch note; comments set the platform build order.

Safety model

  1. Nothing is published without a draft file on disk first.
  2. publish_post hard-requires confirm: true — agents are instructed to obtain the user’s explicit go-ahead.
  3. Constraint violations block publishing; they never auto-truncate your text.
  4. Keys are read from your environment and sent only to their own vendor’s API.

Status & roadmap

Early but real: 96 tests including real-ffmpeg integration renders and a full MCP round trip.

  • Bluesky video upload
  • X chunked video upload
  • LinkedIn adapter (needs app review)
  • Mastodon adapter
  • YouTube Shorts via user OAuth
  • Ken Burns / crossfade transitions
  • Word-level caption timing from transcripts
  • npx broll-mcp distribution

Development

npm test          # unit + integration (real ffmpeg)
npm run typecheck
npm run smoke     # end-to-end artifact check

MIT.

     
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