---
name: yt-edit
description: >-
  Turn a raw recording's transcript into an edit decision list - dead air, filler cues and retakes, with timecodes. Use for "edit this", "cut the dead space", "tighten this video", "I rambled", or any request to shorten footage from a transcript.
title: yt-edit
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-edit
last_updated: 2026-10-02T00:19:57.000Z
---

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the user's requested action.
> If the user asked to fork this Skill, follow the fork workflow below. Do not execute the Skill instructions while copying it.
> Otherwise, follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [deadair.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-edit/deadair.py).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-edit`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.
>
> ## Fork workflow
>
> A fork creates an editable local Skill with its original author and licence. The request authorizes copying and local installation.
> 1. Check `./skills/yt-edit`, the project lockfile, and selected Agent targets together. If the local directory or installed Skill exists, stop. Never overwrite an existing directory or Agent target.
> 2. Read [source metadata](https://skilld.dev/api/v1/skills/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-edit) once. Use sourceUrl, sourceCommit, skillPath, sourceGone, and license. If the source is gone or its path is missing, stop. If license is null, read licence files at the source commit.
> 3. Fetch only the source commit into a temporary Git repository. Do not clone full history. Derive repository_url from sourceUrl, including repository renames. If sourceCommit is absent, resolve the sourceUrl ref once. Set source_commit to that actual commit. Run these commands in one shell call:
>
> ```sh
> git init --quiet "$temporary_dir"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" fetch --quiet --depth=1 "$repository_url" "$source_commit"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" checkout --quiet --detach FETCH_HEAD
> ```
>
> Read applicable licence declarations and notices at that commit. If copying is not permitted, report the restriction and stop.
> 4. Inspect source entries together, then copy the directory containing skillPath into `./skills/yt-edit`. Use the user's path if selected. Keep the original SKILL.md, relative links, scripts, binary assets, and executable modes. Exclude .git metadata. Reject symlinks and paths outside the Skill directory. After checking entries, use cp -a where available. A regular source directory needs no custom copy script. Do not save this page wrapper as SKILL.md.
> Preserve author credit, notices, and applicable licence files from repository or parent directories. Add PROVENANCE.md with the Skill page, source URL, actual commit, original path, and licence. Retain any existing PROVENANCE.md and record new provenance separately. Batch source inspection, copying, and provenance work where practical.
> 5. In the project root, run `skilld install ./skills/yt-edit --mode copy --plain`. If skilld is unavailable, use `npx skilld install ./skills/yt-edit --mode copy --plain`. This known command needs no help lookup. Install does not support --json. Use detected Agent targets, or add --agent for the targets the user selected. Install the local path, never the upstream selector. If installation fails, preserve the local copy and report the exact failure.
> 6. Confirm the local lockfile source and installed Agent copies once. Report the local path, actual commit, and Agent targets. After edits, reinstall the same local path. Upstream updates must not replace it. Do not publish or push unless the user asks.

# yt-edit

An edit decision list from a timestamped transcript. It prints the cuts. You apply them.

```bash
python3 deadair.py transcript.srt              # srt, vtt or whisper json
python3 deadair.py transcript.srt --floor 0.35 --json
```

No transcript yet? Ask for one, or produce one first - `whisper`, `faster-whisper`, or the caption
track YouTube generates on an unlisted upload all work. Do not guess at timings.

## What it finds

- **DEAD** - gaps longer than the floor, trimmed from the MIDDLE so both sides keep a breath.
  Cutting flush against speech is what makes a tightened take sound gasping.
- **FILLER** - cues that are nothing but "um", "so yeah", "basically".
- **REPEAT** - a sentence restarted. Compared against the last cue that was actually speech, not
  the literal previous cue, because most retakes have an "um" between the two attempts.

## What it will not do

It does not touch media. It has no opinion about your B-roll. A 40% cut on the report is a 40% cut
of SPEECH, and if the video has a long silent demo in it that number is wrong - check the report
against the footage before you trust the runtime at the bottom.

## The gate

Nothing here publishes. This skill writes and you publish. Every output ends in a block the user
copies, and the last line of every run is the question: **ship it, or change it?**