I Built a Local AI Podcast Editor Because I'm Done Renting My Own Workflow

The author built DarkRoom, a local-first multi-camera podcast editor that processes everything on the user's machine using Whisper for transcription and FFmpeg for rendering, requiring no cloud services or subscriptions. The only external dependency is an optional text-only Claude API call for generating edit decisions. The project reflects a growing preference for local-first architecture where users own their data and workflow rather than renting access through SaaS platforms.