Buyer's guide ยท Channelsmith
AI YouTube documentary video maker: self-hosted source code
Channelsmith is a self-hosted, white-label studio for documentary and explainer videos for YouTube channels. You set up a channel once, and every episode runs through one pipeline: ideas, research with cited web sources, a narration script by chapter, a fact check, documentary scenes, licensed footage with credits, narration, a render on your own server, titles and chapters, thumbnails, Shorts and the upload to YouTube. Nothing is published without a person approving it.
What you get
The full source code
The Node.js and TypeScript server, the React studio app, the operator console, an episode command-line tool, a Dockerfile, tests and the documentation.
Rendering on your own server
Chrome draws every frame and ffmpeg encodes a 1080p MP4 (4K on plans that allow it), so there is no per-second video-model fee. Long renders resume where they stopped.
White label
Workspaces, team roles, brand kits and client review links. The operator console holds your brand, AI models, credit prices, plans and render settings.
Research you can check
Every fact in the dossier is tied to a numbered source that was actually retrieved. The fact check marks each claim supported, unsupported, contradicted or opinion before anything is spent on voice and render.
Documentary visuals
Ten style packs, maps from Natural Earth with no map API key, newspaper and document scenes, rankings, profile and quote cards, and footage from Pexels, Pixabay and Wikimedia Commons with the licence and attribution kept per clip.
Ready to publish
Three titles, a description with chapters that follow YouTube's rules and a credits block, thumbnails, Shorts from every long video, and the upload with captions, schedule, playlist and the synthetic-content disclosure.
Integrations
A REST API, signed webhooks and an MCP server.
How an agency resells it
Channelsmith fits creators who run their own channels, video agencies that run several clients' channels, and operators who offer a branded studio as a service.
A workspace per client
Each client's channels live in their own workspace, with roles, a brand kit and client review links.
Plans and credits
Sell plans and credit packs through your own Stripe account. Every AI step has its own credit price, and failed steps are refunded.
Plan limits
Episode length, Shorts, storyboards, a watermark on lower plans and a 4K multiplier are set per plan.
A fair render queue
One render per workspace at a time, with plan priority, so one customer cannot block the others.
Self-serve sign-up
An operator switch opens sign-up with welcome credits.
What it needs to run
Hosting and every service below run on your own accounts and are billed to you by the provider.
- Node.js 22.12 or newer, or Docker (the image includes Chromium and ffmpeg)
- Google Chrome or Chromium and ffmpeg on the server
- A Linux server or Docker host with at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB of memory and 40 GB of disk for one render at a time (about 1 more core and 600 MB for each extra parallel render), a domain and HTTPS. Shared hosting does not work.
- Your own Anthropic API key; web research is billed per search on top of tokens, and a console setting caps the searches per run
- Your own ElevenLabs API key for narration, or the optional local English voice add-on that runs on the server's CPU
- Free Pexels and Pixabay API keys; Wikimedia Commons needs no key
- Your own Google Cloud project and OAuth client with the YouTube Data API v3
- Optional: Stripe for plans and credit packs, Resend for e-mail
What it does not do
- It is not a text-to-video model and has no AI avatars. The visuals are designed scenes, maps and real footage from licensed sources.
- It never downloads or reuses other creators' YouTube videos.
- It never publishes on its own. The autopilot makes the next video from the approved idea queue and stops at Ready for review; a person presses Publish every time.
- Uploads stay private until Google audits your YouTube API project, which is requested through Google's own form and can take weeks.
- It promises no views, subscribers, monetisation or earnings. The originality report is a self-check, not a promise of how YouTube will judge a channel.
- The music library holds only tracks you upload, so use only music you hold the rights to.
- The live demo shows pictures of the app: nothing is generated, rendered or uploaded there.
Questions
Is Channelsmith a text-to-video AI?
No. It has no generative video model and no AI avatars. Every video is built from designed documentary scenes, maps and licensed footage, narrated through ElevenLabs or the optional local voice.
Can it publish to YouTube by itself?
No. Uploads use your own Google OAuth client, and a person approves every publish. Until Google audits your API project, uploads stay private.
What does an episode cost to make?
Only what your providers bill you: Anthropic for every AI call and web search, ElevenLabs per character of narration (a 10-minute script is roughly 8,000 to 9,000 characters), and your server. The console's AI usage page lists every call with its model and tokens.
What server do I need?
A Linux server or Docker host with at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB of memory and 40 GB of disk for one render at a time, a domain and HTTPS. Shared hosting does not work.
Can I run it for several clients?
Yes. Each client gets a workspace with roles, a brand kit and review links, and you can sell plans and credit packs through your own Stripe account.
How much does Channelsmith cost, and what does the licence allow?
$89, one payment, no subscription. One licence, no tiers: any number of projects and clients, a paid SaaS, every line changed. The only limit is reselling or publishing the source code itself. The services you connect bill you directly. See the licence.
Is setup included?
Yes. We install Channelsmith for you and put in your logo, colours and texts. Bigger changes or new features get a fixed price before we start.
What if it does not work?
Write to us within 14 days. We fix it, usually the same day. If we cannot fix it within 7 days, you get your money back. See the refund policy.