Step by step

How to use Astra Studio

A complete walkthrough of the studio workflow — from dropping your first clip in the media bin to rendering a finished MP4 with AI-generated cuts, effects and transitions.

1. Step 1

   Import your media

   Everything starts in the Media Bin on the left. The studio reads real files straight from your machine — nothing is uploaded.

   • Drag video or audio files onto the Media Bin drop zone, or click it to browse.
   • Each asset is decoded in the browser: duration, sample rate and audio peaks are analysed on import.
   • Audio files get a waveform automatically so you can cut to the beat later.
   • Drag an asset from the bin down onto a timeline track to place it at the playhead.

2. Step 2

   Cut on the timeline

   The timeline is multi-track: video tracks stack top-down, audio tracks sit below. Pick an edit tool in the top bar, then work the clips.

   • Select (V) moves and trims clips; Ripple (R) closes the gap behind an edit.
   • Slip (Y) shifts the media inside a clip, Slide (U) moves the clip between neighbours, Roll (N) moves a shared cut point.
   • Stretch (X) changes clip speed — the rate is shown on the clip and in the Inspector.
   • Press S to split at the playhead, I and O to mark a region, Delete to remove (Shift+Delete ripple-deletes).
   • Add tracks with + Video / + Audio, and use the zoom slider or + / - to scale the ruler.
   • Turn on Beat snap so every edit lands on the project BPM grid.

3. Step 3

   Apply effects

   The Library panel under the Media Bin holds 45+ GPU-style effects grouped by category (color, blur, stylize, distort, light, time).

   • Select a clip on the timeline first — effects always apply to the selection.
   • Search or browse the Effects tab, then double-click an effect to add it.
   • Open Inspector → Fx to tune parameters; changes render live in the Program Monitor.
   • Use the eye icon to bypass an effect and the trash icon to remove it.
   • Effects stack in order, top to bottom, exactly as they render.

4. Step 4

   Add transitions

   Switch the Library to the Transitions tab for 21 transitions — dissolves, wipes, slides, spins, zooms, glitch and 3D cube.

   • Select the clip you want the transition to start on.
   • Double-click a transition to drop it on the clip head; a badge appears on the clip.
   • Open Inspector → Transition to set duration and easing.
   • Scrub the playhead into the transition window to see both clips composite in real time.

5. Step 5

   Generate an AI music video

   The AI Music-Video Engine on the right turns a prompt plus your audio into a beat-cut storyboard on the timeline.

   • Write the concept — mood, location, subject, camera language.
   • Pick a visual style (Cinematic, Anime, Surreal, Neon, Fantasy, Urban) and the song sections to cover.
   • Set the BPM (or let the detected value from your imported track stand) and enable Auto-cut to beat.
   • Press Generate music video. The engine returns a shot list with per-shot effects and transitions and lays it onto the timeline.
   • Everything it creates is editable — treat it as a first assembly, then trim by hand.

6. Step 6

   Load and hot-reload plugins

   Plugins are JSON manifests that contribute extra effects and transitions to the library at runtime.

   • Open Plugins in the top bar to see installed packs.
   • Install the bundled sample pack, paste a manifest, or drop a .json plugin file.
   • Contributed effects appear in the Library immediately — no reload needed.
   • Toggle a plugin off to unmount its contributions, or remove it entirely.

7. Step 7

   Export MP4

   Export MP4 opens the render dialog. Renders are queued and processed one at a time so you can keep editing.

   • Choose a preset — 4K, 1080p or 720p — plus frame rate and bitrate.
   • The renderer composites effects, transitions and mixed project audio into a single file.
   • Watch progress in the render queue; finished jobs offer a download link.
   • MP4 is used when your browser supports it, otherwise WebM is written instead.