Varchiver

Varchiver is a desktop app for organizing snowboard and action-footage trips, cutting highlights quickly, building simple compilations, and uploading straight to YouTube without turning the workflow into a full NLE.

It is built for a single operator handling lots of 4K footage and wanting a fast loop:

1. Import a trip
2. Mark highlights and cut clips
3. Build a compilation if needed
4. Export or upload

Varchiver is currently in release-candidate stabilization. The core workflow is implemented and actively being hardened before public beta.

Screenshots

Library and Grid

Clip Editor

Compilation Editor

What It Does

• Organizes footage by trip with simple Raw and Highlights structure
• Imports local files and folders into a desktop-first library
• Preserves original footage and supports reference-in-place storage
• Creates trimmed highlight clips as real assets in the grid
• Builds compilations from multiple assets
• Exports with presets or advanced controls
• Uploads directly to YouTube with playlist support
• Tracks upload state and keeps generated artifacts local

Product Scope

Varchiver is intentionally focused on lightweight, repeatable trip workflows.

Included in the current MVP:

• Trip library with asset grid and inspector
• Clip trimming
• Static reframe / crop
• Simple zoom presets
• Whole-clip mute
• Compilation building
• Bulk export and upload from the trip view
• YouTube OAuth and upload queue

Workflow

1. Import

• Create or open a trip
• Import files or folders
• Browse footage in the grid

2. Find Highlights

• Mark assets as highlights
• Open the clip editor for precise trim and framing
• Save clips back into the grid as highlight assets

3. Build a Compilation

• Select multiple assets
• Create a compilation from the toolbar
• Reorder and preview the full sequence

4. Export or Upload

• Export assets locally with presets or advanced controls
• Upload directly to YouTube
• Reuse matching exports when appropriate
• For untouched source assets, choose between uploading the original file or preparing a compressed upload

Tech Stack

• Electron
• React + TypeScript
• Vite
• SQLite + Drizzle ORM
• FFmpeg + FFprobe
• YouTube Data API v3

Local Development

Requirements

• Node.js 20+
• pnpm 10+

Install

pnpm install

Run

pnpm dev

Validate

pnpm typecheck
pnpm build

Package

pnpm package:mac
pnpm package:win

YouTube Setup

The app uses the YouTube Data API for uploads and playlist creation.

You will need Google OAuth credentials:

• OAuth Client ID
• OAuth Client Secret

Those are configured inside the app’s Settings panel before connecting a YouTube account.

Default upload visibility is Unlisted.

Data and Generated Files

Varchiver keeps app data in the standard OS app-data location.

On macOS that includes folders like:

• ~/Library/Application Support/varchiver/exports
• ~/Library/Application Support/varchiver/proxies
• ~/Library/Application Support/varchiver/thumbnails

Original source footage is never deleted automatically.

License

MIT