What Is Zella?

Quick answer: Zella is a native macOS app that records your screen and camera, then edits the footage with AI — all locally. It lives in your menu bar, opens straight into a full editor when you stop recording, and ships platform-ready videos (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram). No cloud, no account, no subscription. The workflow is always Record → Edit → Ship.

On this page: what Zella is · what you can make · the workflow · the two windows · where files go · requirements · 60-second start · FAQ

What is Zella?

Zella is two tools fused into one native Mac app: a screen + camera recorder in your menu bar, and an AI video editor (“Studio”) that opens the moment you stop recording. The entire pipeline — capture, edit, color, caption, reframe, export — runs locally on your Mac. There’s no account, no cloud render queue, and no subscription.

What can you make with Zella?

• YouTube tutorials and long-form explainers
• TikTok / Instagram Reels / YouTube Shorts (vertical)
• Product demos and feature walkthroughs
• Course lessons and onboarding videos
• Bug reports and async updates for your team
• GIFs for docs, changelogs, and pull requests

What is the Record → Edit → Ship workflow?

Everything in Zella follows three stages:

You don’t have to use every tool — a great clip can be just record → remove silences → export.

What are the two windows?

• The Setup panel (recording): opens from the menu-bar icon (“Ready to record”) — source toggles, Full/Region, aspect presets, quality, and Start Recording (⌘⇧R). See Recording Basics.
• The Studio / Editor: opens after a recording (or when you open a file) — left AI Tools sidebar, center preview, right inspector with eight tabs, and the bottom timeline. See Editor Overview.

Where does Zella save files?

• Recordings → your output folder (default ~/Desktop/Zella), named Zella_<date>_<time>.mp4.
• Exports → wherever you choose in the Export dialog.
• Imported images → converted to short clips, stored in Application Support → Zella → Stills so projects survive a reboot.
• Projects → autosave so you can close and reopen without losing work.

You own all of it — move, back up, or delete like any file.

What do you need to run Zella?

• macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.
• Apple Silicon or Intel. (A few extras — Vision face/saliency auto-tracking — are Apple-Silicon only and disable themselves on Intel, no crash.)
• A microphone for narration (built-in, AirPods, or USB mic).
• A webcam for a camera bubble (built-in, Continuity Camera, or external).

How do I start in 60 seconds?

1. Click the Zella icon in your menu bar.
2. Choose a source — Screen, Camera, or both — and a region/preset.
3. Press ⌘ ⇧ R (or click Start Recording).
4. Do your thing; press the Stop square when done.
5. The Editor opens automatically. Click AI Tools → Remove Silences → Apply, then Generate Captions.
6. Pick a platform (e.g. YT Shorts), click Export, choose 1080p, hit Export.

That’s record → edit → ship.

Getting started FAQ

Is Zella free / is there a subscription? Zella is a native app you run locally — no subscription, no cloud account.

Does my footage go to the cloud? No. Recording, transcription, editing, and export all happen on your Mac.

Do I need a separate editor after recording? No — the full editor opens automatically when you stop recording.

Will it run on my Intel Mac? Yes. Apple-Silicon-only extras (Vision auto-track) turn themselves off on Intel.

What’s the fastest way to a finished video? Record → Remove Silences → Generate Captions → pick a platform → Export.

Pro tips & gotchas

• Zella lives in the menu bar (top-right), not the Dock — click its icon to start.
• You don’t have to finish in one sitting: projects autosave and reopen from the Library (⌘L).
• Record a couple of extra seconds at the head and tail — ripple delete trims them later without leaving a gap.
• The fastest start from anywhere is the global shortcut ⌘⇧R.

Related: Installation & permissions → · Recording basics → · Editor overview → · Workflow recipes →