Stuck? Unstick in a minute.
Everything buyers and trial users actually ask — first launch, license keys, which timeline format to pick, captions, trial limits. If your question isn't here, reach us via killthefill.app and we'll sort it out.
🔒 Reminder: everything runs 100% on your Mac — no account, no upload, works offline.
Getting the app running
Download & open the DMG
Grab the notarized DMG from the site, double-click it, then drag Kill the Fill into your Applications folder.
Launch from Applications
Open it from Applications (not from inside the DMG window). First launch, macOS runs its standard Gatekeeper check on the notarized app.
Drop in a video
That's it. Drop a talking-head video in and hit Preview — the free trial gives unlimited previews and 3 exports, no account, no card.
macOS says the app "can't be opened" or is from an unidentified developer
The DMG is notarized, so this should be rare — but if Gatekeeper balks: right-click (Control-click) Kill the Fill in Applications, choose Open, then confirm Open in the dialog. Still blocked? Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to the message about Kill the Fill, and click Open Anyway. You only do this once.
The DMG won't open or looks damaged
Almost always an incomplete download — delete the DMG and download it again from the site. If a fresh download still won't mount, contact us via the site.
Which Macs does it run on?
Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or newer). It's built natively for Apple Silicon — Intel Macs aren't supported.
Do I need an internet connection?
No — transcription and editing are fully on-device and the app works offline. Your video never leaves your Mac. Internet is only useful for downloading the app, checking for updates, and buying a license.
Keys, activation, trial limits
Where is my license key?
Two places — it appears instantly on the thank-you page the moment your Stripe payment goes through, and a copy is e-mailed to you. Didn't get the e-mail? Check spam first; if it's truly missing, contact us via the site and we'll resend it.
How do I activate my license?
In the app: open the Help menu, choose Enter license, paste your key, done. Activation works offline too — no account needed.
What exactly does the free trial include?
Unlimited previews — see every proposed cut, listen to it, toggle it, fine-tune boundaries — plus 3 full exports. After that, the $29 one-time license unlocks unlimited exports.
I used my 3 trial exports — did I lose my work?
No — previews stay unlimited, so you can keep reviewing and adjusting cuts. You just need a license to export again: $29 one-time via Stripe, key shown instantly, paste it under Help → Enter license and export.
Can I use my license on my other Mac?
Yes — your license covers your own Macs. Install the app, then enter the same key under Help → Enter license.
Which format should I pick?
| Your editor | Pick this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Final Cut Pro | FCPXML | Final Cut's native interchange format — every cut arrives as a separate clip on your timeline. |
| DaVinci Resolve | FCPXML | Resolve imports FCPXML cleanly — prefer it over EDL for this workflow. |
| Premiere Pro | Premiere Pro XML | Purpose-built for Premiere's importer. |
| Anything else | EDL (CMX3600) | The universal fallback — the classic cut-list format most NLEs can read. |
Every export is the approved cut plan, not a baked file: each cut lands as a separate clip, so you keep final say in your editor. Prefer a finished file instead? Just render directly in the app.
My cuts imported but something looks off
First, re-check the plan in Kill the Fill — every cut can be previewed, toggled off, and boundary-tuned before you export, so fix it at the source and export again. If the import itself misbehaves in your editor, try the EDL fallback, or contact us via the site with your editor name and version.
Can I skip the editor entirely?
Yes — the app can render the cleaned video itself, in perfect sync, with retimed SRT/VTT captions alongside. Timeline export is for when you want the cuts inside Final Cut, Premiere or Resolve instead.
Using the SRT / VTT files
Which video do the captions belong to?
The edited one. Captions are retimed to the cleaned video — the ums are gone from the text and every timestamp is shifted to match the cuts. Pair them with the rendered output, not your original footage, or they'll drift.
SRT or VTT — which do I upload?
SRT is the safe default for YouTube and most platforms; WebVTT (.vtt) is the web-player flavour. The app gives you both, so upload whichever your platform asks for.
What's in the filler report?
A summary of what was cut — which fillers, and how many. Handy for a before/after sanity check (or bragging rights).
Cuts too aggressive? Too timid? Tune it.
It's cutting real words
Lower the sensitivity and add a touch more padding. And remember: nothing is final — untick any cut in the preview list before you render or export.
Cuts feel clipped or jumpy
Increase padding so a few extra milliseconds breathe around each cut, and drag the boundaries of any individual cut to taste.
Long video, only dead air
Use silence-only turbo mode — it skips transcription entirely and strips just the silences, which makes it very fast. Fillers need the normal (transcribed) mode.
It's missing my Turkish fillers (eee, ııı, şey…)
Check the filler word list — it's fully editable. Add your own crutch words, Turkish or otherwise, and the app cuts exactly those. The UI itself is available in English and Turkish too.
Silence-only mode didn't remove any ums
Correct — that's by design. Turbo mode skips transcription, so it only removes silences and dead air. Run the normal mode when you want filler words gone as well.
Staying current
How do I update the app?
Use the built-in update check — the app can tell you when a new version is out. You can also just download the latest DMG from the site and replace the app in Applications; your license stays activated.
What version am I on?
The current release is 0.2.1 — it includes timeline export (FCPXML, Premiere XML, EDL), retimed SRT/VTT captions, the filler report, silence-only turbo mode, the update check, and sharper English um/uh detection with safer defaults.
Still stuck?
Tell us what happened — we read everything. Reach us via the site, or if it's about a purchase, just reply to your purchase e-mail.
🔒 100% on-device · Works offline · Apple Silicon native · $29 one-time, no subscription