DISKO

Overview

DISKO is a video media asset manager that helps production teams organize footage and find clips using AI-powered search. It suits filmmakers who want local analysis alongside optional cloud review, but the desktop app requires an Apple Silicon Mac.

Tagging, transcription, face recognition, and shot descriptions run on the Mac, with footage uploaded only when a project is synced to DISKO Cloud. That separation is useful for teams that want local processing but still need to share work for review or delivery. Search spans visual, audio, and multimodal queries, making DISKO more suited to footage-heavy workflows than to general file organization.

Key features

Search, playback, and handoffs

The desktop app plays ProRes, DNxHD, MXF, 10-bit HEVC, and formats FFmpeg can decode, with real-time LUT preview. It can index and preview clips in a Google Drive folder without downloading originals until they are needed for editing. That can reduce unnecessary transfers, though the originals still need to be fetched for editing.

DISKO exports selects, rough cuts, and multicamera sequences as XML for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. This gives editors a practical route from discovery to those editing tools, rather than leaving search results isolated in a catalog.

Review and planning

DISKO Cloud supports timestamped comments, frame drawing, synced side-by-side comparison, version stacking, branded client portals, and viewing analytics. Portfolio video pages can also be embedded in WordPress, Notion, and Squarespace. These features make the cloud plan relevant to client-facing teams, while those who only need local organization may find the cloud subscription unnecessary.

Free account tools include screenplay writing and shot lists, with imports from Final Draft, Fountain, and PDF. Make-a-Story sends project transcripts to the AI provider chosen by the user using their own API key. Location names are geocoded online, and bug reports send logs, so on-device processing does not mean every related operation stays local.

Pricing

DISKO has a free tier, a monthly cloud plan, and a separate one-time local license. The two paid options serve different needs rather than scaling the same feature set.

• DISKO CLOUD Free: free, with 2 GB, screenwriting and shot-list tools, and review links. It is a modest starting point for planning and lightweight sharing, but the 2 GB cap limits its use for footage-heavy projects.
• DISKO CLOUD Pro: $12 a month, billed at a Founders rate locked for life; $15/mo after launch. It includes 100 GB, desktop sync, review links, client delivery, and free external reviewers. This is the better fit for teams that need cloud collaboration and client delivery, though its storage is capped at 100 GB.
• DISKO LOCAL: $99, paid once, billed at Founders pricing; $149 after launch. It includes unlimited local storage and free updates for the current major version; future major versions are paid upgrades. This suits users who want local storage without an ongoing cloud plan, but it does not include the listed Cloud Pro benefits.

A 30-day trial is offered. The free plan is a useful way to try planning and review links, while the paid choice depends on whether cloud collaboration or unlimited local storage matters more.

Platforms

DISKO is available on macOS and the web. Its desktop app requires an Apple Silicon Mac with an M1 chip or later, which rules it out for Windows users and owners of older Macs. Email and live chat support are offered, with typical replies within a few hours.

Who it's for

The maker positions DISKO for wedding and event filmmakers, documentary editors, YouTube teams, and commercial production. Its combination of on-device search, editing handoffs, and optional review tools is most compelling for teams managing substantial video libraries. It is a poor fit for workflows that must run on Windows or older Macs.

Pros and cons

• Pros: On-device tagging, transcription, face recognition, and shot descriptions keep core footage analysis on the Mac; XML exports connect selects and rough cuts to Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
• Pros: Google Drive clips can be indexed and previewed without downloading originals until editing, and Cloud Pro adds client review and delivery tools.
• Cons: The desktop app requires an M1-or-later Apple Silicon Mac, excluding Windows and older Mac hardware.
• Cons: Cloud Free has only 2 GB, while Cloud Pro costs $12 a month and provides 100 GB; the Local license requires paid upgrades for future major versions.
• Cons: Make-a-Story shares transcripts with the selected AI provider, location names are geocoded online, and bug reports send logs.

Alternatives

AI Video Search Tools is a broader place to compare options in this category.

• FrameQuery is worth considering for a broader platform mix, including Windows, or for metadata search and local, Drive, or NAS sharing; its free plan has no monthly indexing hours, and face, voice, and AI-tag search require indexed video.
• Cinestar is a free alternative with an open-source core for Linux and macOS; its local AI services require Ollama.
• Twelve Labs may suit API or web workflows, with a free plan offering 600 minutes of video, 90-day index access, and limits of 10 hours and 100 videos per index.
• ViSearch is an API, self-hosted, and web option with a free tier for up to 20 minutes of video processing.
• Vivu offers a web app and connector, with a free plan capped at 20 indexing minutes and 50 search credits per month.
• MomentSearch is another free option, available across API, web, desktop, and self-hosted platforms.
• Coactive Content Discovery is a paid alternative for API and web use.
• Danbi is a paid API alternative with a free trial.

Verdict

Choose DISKO if you manage video footage on a recent Apple Silicon Mac and want local AI search connected to editing handoffs, with cloud review available when clients need it. Look elsewhere if your workflow depends on Windows or older Mac hardware, or if the cloud storage cap and separate Local upgrade terms do not fit.