​Idea: A BYO-API-key clip generator so creators don’t have to pay monthly subscriptions

I noticed most “AI clipping” tools charge a monthly fee, even when the main cost is just the model usage. So I built a small tool where users bring their own Gemini API key, paste a YouTube URL, and it generates 6 to 7 short clips from a ~12 minute video.

Rough cost example (with my tests): about $0.008 for a 12-minute video, depending on the content and how many clips you ask for.

Flow:

User adds their Gemini key Paste a YouTube link It analyzes the transcript and picks highlight segments Exports clips in vertical format Optionally generates titles and descriptions

I’m trying to validate the business angle:

Would you prefer “bring your own key” tools over subscriptions? If you were to pay for something like this, what would you pay for (UI, hosting, storage, templates, team features, auto-posting, etc.)? What’s the main thing current clip tools do badly?

Happy to share implementation details if anyone’s curious, but mainly looking for feedback on the idea and what monetization would actually make sense.