Install Claude Motion on Mac: from prerequisites to the first MP4 (2026)

Choose a folder and a compatible toolchain

Use a dedicated folder in your home directory, with enough free storage for packages and video outputs. The repository asks for Node 20 or newer, Python 3, and FFmpeg. Prefer a supported Node LTS rather than an obsolete minimum. Check each installer’s current macOS and CPU requirements. Compatibility of one tool does not establish compatibility of the entire rendering chain. Keep the original project untouched until its example succeeds.

Install missing tools from maintained sources

Get Node from the official download page and Python from the Python macOS installer documentation. Use Git’s macOS installation page if git is missing. For FFmpeg, Homebrew documents the command below; run it only after Homebrew is installed and configured according to its own instructions. Homebrew has its own OS support policy, so older Macs may need another maintained distribution. Follow Python’s certificate-completion step when its installer requests it, and do not replace Apple’s system Python.

brew install ffmpeg

Verify everything in a new Terminal window

Open a fresh Terminal after installation and run the version checks below. Every command should return a version. If an installer finished but a command is missing, check its documented PATH setup before reinstalling. The repository explicitly invokes python3, so a working python alias alone is insufficient. On a machine with multiple installations, inspect which executable your shell resolves. Use the same terminal environment for installation, preview, and rendering to avoid conflicting runtimes.

node --version
npm --version
python3 --version
ffmpeg -version
ffprobe -version
git --version

Clone and build the original example

From your chosen parent folder, run the repository commands below. npm install obtains project packages; npm run build then generates sound, renders the silent video, and combines them. The documented final path is out/effort.mp4. Do not proceed straight to a custom scene if this fails. Record the first error and the failed stage. Missing Python affects sound generation; a missing FFmpeg binary can prevent final muxing even when video frames render successfully.

git clone https://github.com/whaleyxbt/claude-motion
cd claude-motion
npm install
npm run build

Open the output and inspect the preview

Use Finder to open out/effort.mp4 and play it completely. Confirm visible motion, audible sound, and a sensible ending. Then run npm run studio and open the local address printed by the terminal; the preview server must remain running while you use it. Stop it with Control-C when finished. A functioning preview and a valid exported file are separate checks. Save the working project state before giving your coding agent a new animation brief.

npm run studio

Continue with the correct agent or site workflow

Start Claude Code or Codex inside the cloned folder, ask it to read the project instructions, and request one small revision. If you wanted this website’s template workflow instead, start at our getting-started page. Its cm-skills installer requires Node 22 or newer and its local rendering uses Chrome, FFmpeg, and HyperFrames. Those commands belong to a different project. Do not substitute third-party npx claudemotion instructions or assume this site’s optional voice service is available.