premiere-pro-mcp

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Detect Silence

detect_silence

Analyze audio in a media file to identify silent ranges and the remaining segments worth keeping, without changing the Premiere project or timeline. Requires ffmpeg.

Instructions

Find silent ranges in a media file and return both the silences and the complementary segments worth keeping. Analysis only — nothing in the project or on the timeline is modified. Requires ffmpeg on PATH: Premiere's scripting API exposes no audio-level or waveform data, so silence cannot be measured through the bridge.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "detect_silence"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`media_path`	No	Absolute path to the media file to analyse. Provide this or project_item_id.
`idempotency_key`	No	Optional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process, or the HTTP server process when Streamable HTTP is stateless per request) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
`project_item_id`	No	Node ID or name of a project item whose media path is resolved through Premiere. Provide this or media_path.
`noise_threshold_db`	No	Level at or below which audio counts as silence, in dBFS. Closer to 0 is more aggressive (default: -30).
`expected_cep_target`	No	Optional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.
`min_duration_seconds`	No	Shortest run of silence to report, in seconds (default: 1.5).
`expected_project_path`	No	Optional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`ok`	Yes	Whether the tool completed successfully.
`data`	No	Tool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it.
`tool`	Yes	The registered MCP tool name.
`error`	No	Failure detail when ok is false.
`receipt`	No	Versioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.
`idempotency`	No	Present when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv1.30.0Nov 14, 2026

TDQS

A3.8/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The ffmpeg-on-PATH prerequisite and the explanation of why it is needed (no audio-level data through the Premiere bridge) is genuinely useful operational context that annotations do not convey. However, it states 'nothing in the project or on the timeline is modified' while annotations declare readOnlyHint=false; although the description narrows rather than contradicts that hint, an agent could reasonably infer the call has no side effects at all, and the description does not reconcile that tension or mention runtime cost/complexity for long media.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three tight sentences with the core purpose front-loaded, followed by scope and prerequisite. Every sentence earns its place, though the ffmpeg sentence could be tightened slightly.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, the description need not document return values, and it still notes the dual return shape. It covers purpose, safety scope, and the key external prerequisite for a 7-parameter, nested-schema, zero-required tool; nothing an agent needs to invoke it correctly is absent.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so noise_threshold_db, min_duration_seconds, and the media_path/project_item_id alternative are already fully documented in the schema. The description adds no meaning about how thresholds or minimum durations affect results, so the baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description uses a specific verb+resource ('Find silent ranges in a media file') and clarifies the output is dual: the silences plus the complementary keep-segments. It does not explicitly name or contrast with siblings such as detect_audio_transients or plan_silence_review_markers, but the silence-specific framing is distinctive enough to select on.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It establishes clear context — this is the analysis step, not a timeline edit — which implicitly positions it before a marker/planning tool. What is missing is an explicit 'use this instead of X when...' routing statement against the closely related planning and transient-detection siblings.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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