Run Dropisode locally

The same studio runs on your computer for free. You use your own fal.ai key and pay fal directly, at fal's price. No account, no markup.

What you need

Node.js 22 or newer.
A fal.ai key, from your fal.ai dashboard. Not needed for --mock.
ffmpeg. Dropisode uses yours if it can burn in subtitles, and otherwise the copy bundled with the package. If neither works, it tells you how to install it. You can point it at a specific ffmpeg with REEL_FFMPEG.

Start it

npx dropisode

This starts the studio on 127.0.0.1 and opens it in your browser. Add your fal.ai key on the Settings page. Options:

--dir <path>: where projects are kept (default ~/Dropisode).
--port <n>: the port (default 4320).
--no-open: don't open the browser.
--mock: no key and no cost. Placeholder clips are made on your computer, so you can try the whole workflow first.

Where things are stored

Each project is a plain folder in your projects folder: project.json, a media/ folder, a jobs/ folder and exports/. No database server.
Your fal.ai key is saved in ~/.config/dropisode/config.json (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/reel/config.json, or the path in REEL_CONFIG), readable only by you. It is never sent to the browser. You can also set FAL_KEY in the environment.
Optionally add a fal key with billing access, so Dropisode can record what fal actually billed for each request instead of the published price.

Keeping a copy

Export a project as a zip from the project list. See keeping a copy.

Moderation in local mode

Local mode has no moderation layer of ours: nothing is checked by Dropisode before it is sent. fal.ai's and the model providers' own filters still apply, and their terms still bind you. fal.ai requires end users to be 18 or over.