Your first YouTube video with Mecra: from install to publish, step by step

This guide walks through what someone who opens Mecra for the first time does, from installation to the first published video. If your accounts are ready the total time is about 15–20 minutes; the real wait is the video being produced. Names on screen may differ slightly by app version.

Before you start

• Computer: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).
• Google account: the one your YouTube channel is attached to. If you don't have a channel yet, see how to create one on YouTube Help.
• Internet connection: for topics, visuals and upload.

1. Download and install

Use the Download free button on the home page to get Mecra-Kurulum.exe and run it. Installation needs no administrator rights and takes about 40 seconds; you choose the folder and shortcuts and press Install. If Windows says it "protected your PC", that is the SmartScreen warning for a new app; see the install guide for the steps.

2. The setup wizard (about two minutes)

On first launch Mecra shows a short wizard. It asks for four things:

1. AI key (Gemini). It writes the video scripts. A free key is enough; the link in the wizard takes you to Google AI Studio. The key is stored only on this computer.
2. Image key (Pexels). It provides the stock footage; the key is free.
3. Your first channel. You enter the channel's name, language and topic (niche). The clearer the topic, the more accurate the suggestions.
4. YouTube connection. A browser opens; pick the Google account the channel belongs to and approve the permission. Google may show a "Google hasn't verified this app" warning at this point; the reason and steps are in the install guide. You can remove the connection at any time from your Google account permissions.

If you don't want to deal with keys, on AI Included plans no key is needed. You can also press "Skip for now" in the wizard and finish it later from Settings.

3. Set up the channel

The wizard (or Channels > Add new channel) asks:

• Publishing times: the times videos will be scheduled for; you can change them later.
• Narrator voice: choose one of the voices; try the one that fits your channel's tone.
• Fill the topic bank with AI: if you turn it on, Mecra generates about 60 starter topics for your channel's niche (needs the Gemini key).

4. Choose the topic: Trends

On the Trends page, topics matching your channel's niche are collected from YouTube, Google Trends, Wikipedia and Reddit and scored. Press Use as topic on one you like to send it to production. For the logic of choosing topics see how to find video topics.

5. Produce the video: the Produce page

1. Select the channel.
2. Choose the format: a short video (about 40 seconds, vertical) or a long video (a length between 3 and 10 minutes).
3. Type the topic or use the one sent from Trends.
4. Press Produce and publish.

Mecra writes the script, grounds it in Wikipedia and passes it through a separate fact-check, prepares visuals and voice, adds captions and music and uploads the video. You follow progress in the live log on the right of the page. A script that fails the fact-check doesn't become a video; in that case you see the reason in the log. For the logic of the steps see how to make YouTube videos with AI. (In the free trial the video isn't uploaded to YouTube; the watermarked file stays on your computer and you can upload it yourself.)

Watch the first video: open the published video on YouTube and check the sound, captions, visuals and accuracy. Note what you see and update the channel settings (voice, topic description) accordingly.

6. Turn on automation

Once you're happy with quality, set the daily publishing and weekly long-video times on the Automation page. Mecra runs scheduled jobs through Windows Task Scheduler: it wakes a sleeping PC, and a run missed while the PC was fully off starts when it is turned on. If the YouTube quota fills, it waits for the reset and continues where it left off (quota guide). Start with one video a day in the first days and increase it as you watch quality (limits of automation).

7. Follow the results

• Dashboard: subscribers, views, watch hours, likes and comments of all channels; how far you are from the YouTube Partner Program threshold.
• Channels: each channel's 90-day charts, gained and lost subscribers, videos and topic bank.
• Logs: overnight runs, production history and daily limits. If something goes wrong you can see why here.

Trial and license

The first install starts a free trial of 5 videos, 7 days and 1 channel; no credit card is needed. In the trial, produced videos are watermarked and aren't uploaded to YouTube automatically: the file stays on your computer and you can upload it yourself if you like. Automatic upload, watermark-free output and automation come with paid plans. When your trial allowance ends you pick a plan and paste the key you receive under Settings > License, then press Activate. Prices and plans are on the home page.

If you have problems

The app's Support page contains the frequently asked questions, the diagnostics file and contact details; you can also use our support page or write to destek@mecrastudio.com. You can restart the product tour from the Support and Settings pages.

Sources

• Install guide
• Apps with access to your Google Account