Video Release Mixer — User Manual

This manual covers the VRM web application at app.videoreleasemixer.com and the Windows Desktop app (Electron). Features available on both platforms unless noted with Web or Desktop.

1. Introduction

Video Release Mixer (VRM) is a title engineering system for YouTube creators. It does not invent titles — it recombines words from titles that already went viral into rated, new combinations.

The core principle: if every word in your title has proof-of-concept from a viral video, your title carries the DNA of proven performance. VRM calls this proof-of-concept vocabulary.

Key Features

• Title Engineering: Enter three viral titles. VRM breaks them into words and recombines them into every semantically coherent permutation.
• Three Strictness Modes: Ultra Strict (zero added words), Strict (small connectors allowed), Exploration (AI can freestyle).
• Automatic Scoring: Every generated title is rated 0–100% based on anchor preservation, word origin, length, and structural coherence.
• Channel Criteria: Define measurable parameters (subscribers, views, age) to select only proven inspiration channels.
• PDF Export: Export your session — inputs, screenshots, top-rated titles — as a professional PDF document.
• BYOK (Bring Your Own Key): Use your own API key from any of the 7 supported providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, xAI, DeepSeek, Mistral). VRM never stores your key on any server.
• Web + Desktop: Available as a web app and a native Windows desktop application with auto-update.

How VRM Differs from AI Title Generators

2. Getting Started

VRM uses Auth0 for secure authentication. You can sign up with email or continue with Google.

Creating an Account

1. Go to app.videoreleasemixer.com.
2. Click Sign Up and enter your email and a password — or click Continue with Google.
3. Verify your email address (check your inbox for the verification link).
4. After verification, log in. You will be greeted with a 48-hour free trial that gives you full access to all features.

Your First Mix in 5 Minutes

1. Log in to the app.
2. Scroll to the Video Workspace section.
3. Enter a Video Topic title — a high-performing title from your primary reference channel.
4. Enter Inspiration 1 and Inspiration 2 — viral titles from competitor or cross-niche channels.
5. Leave the mode on Strict with Allow Glue Words enabled (recommended for beginners).
6. Click Generate Mixed Titles (Rated).
7. Review your results — sorted by score, highest first. Titles in the Strict bucket (85–100%) use only proven words.

During the 48-hour trial you can run up to 5 mixes. After that, choose a subscription plan to continue.

3. Account & Billing

VRM uses Stripe for payment processing. All major credit cards, SEPA, and 8+ payment methods are supported globally.

Subscription Plans

Billing Portal

Click Billing Portal in the navigation card to manage your subscription, update payment methods, view invoices, or cancel. The portal is powered by Stripe and opens in a new window.

Grace Period

If a payment fails (expired card, insufficient funds), you have a 24-hour grace period to update your payment details before your account is locked. This applies equally to all plan types.

License Status

Click the License badge in the top bar to see your current license state:

• ACTIVE: Full access, subscription current.
• EXEMPT: Trial active or admin-granted access.
• PAST_DUE: Payment failed, grace period running.
• LOCKED: Grace period expired — update billing to regain access.

4. App Overview

The VRM interface is a single-page application with these main areas:

Top Bar

Contains the app version, your profile name, and the VRM brand logo.

Navigation Card

Your central control panel with:

• Email — your logged-in account.
• License Status — click to see details.
• Settings — AI key configuration (BYOK).
• Billing Portal — manage your Stripe subscription.
• Reset — clear all input fields and return to defaults.
• Change Password — sends a password reset email via Auth0.
• Legal — links to Imprint, Privacy Policy, and Contact.
• Logout — sign out of your session.

Main Sections (top to bottom)

5. Channel Criteria

Channel Criteria define the measurable parameters a YouTube channel must meet to be considered a valid inspiration source. These are not arbitrary filters — they identify channels with a proven growth profile.

Parameters

Saving and Loading Profiles

You can save your current criteria as a named profile and load it later:

1. Enter a name in the Criteria Set Name field.
2. Click Save Criteria.
3. To load, select the profile from the dropdown and click Load Criteria.

Profiles are stored in your browser's local storage — they persist across sessions but are device-specific.

Run Criteria Defaults

Click Run Criteria Defaults to reset all parameters to VRM's recommended values and set the mode to Strict with Glue Words enabled.

6. Mixing Modes

VRM offers three strictness modes that control how much creative freedom the algorithm has when recombining your titles.

Ultra Strict

The purest mode. Only the exact words from your three input titles are used. No connectors, no fillers, nothing added. Every word in the output has a direct viral track record.

• Best for: Maximum proof-of-concept purity.
• Trade-off: Some combinations may sound grammatically incomplete.

Strict (Recommended)

Words from your three titles, plus minimal connectors like "the", "about", "in", "by", "how". These are glue words — they make titles grammatically smoother without adding content words.

• Best for: Everyday use. Balances proof-of-concept with readability.
• Trade-off: A few non-proven connectors appear, clearly marked in the rating.

Exploration

The AI can add context, rephrase, and expand beyond your input words. Useful for brainstorming, but results are no longer strictly proof-of-concept.

• Best for: Creative brainstorming, discovering angles you hadn't considered.
• Trade-off: Output words may not have viral proof. Clearly labeled as "Exploration" in results.

Allow Glue Words (Checkbox)

When enabled alongside Strict mode, small connector words are permitted. When disabled, only Ultra Strict behavior is active regardless of mode selection.

Developer Mode

A hidden mode for testing. Pre-fills all fields with demo data and images. Not relevant for regular use.

7. Video Workspace

The Video Workspace is where title engineering happens. It has three columns — one for each input title.

Video Topic (Left Column)

Your primary reference. This is the anchor — the thematic foundation every generated title must respect.

Inspiration 1 & 2 (Middle and Right Columns)

Two additional viral titles that contribute proven vocabulary to the mix.

Strict LEDs

Green/red indicator lights next to channel metrics. They show at a glance whether each channel meets your current Channel Criteria thresholds. Green = passes, Red = below threshold.

Set Strict Video Values

Click this button to auto-fill the numeric fields with values that pass your current Channel Criteria. Useful for quick setup when you already know the channels meet your standards.

8. Title Presets

Title Presets let you save and quickly load your three input titles.

Set 3 Titles

Click Set 3 Titles to open a modal where you can enter or paste your three titles (Video Topic, Inspiration 1, Inspiration 2). Click Save to store them. Next time you open VRM, these titles are pre-filled automatically.

Change 3 Titles

Click Change 3 Titles to modify your saved preset. The modal opens with your current saved titles, and you can edit and re-save them.

Presets are stored in your browser's local storage. They persist across sessions on the same device.

9. Generate Mixed Titles

This is the main action. Click Generate Mixed Titles (Rated) to start the title engineering process.

What Happens When You Click

1. Validation: VRM checks that all three title fields are filled and your criteria are set.
2. Word Extraction: The three titles are broken into individual words.
3. Permutation: The algorithm generates all semantically coherent recombinations according to your strictness mode.
4. AI Augmentation (if applicable): In Strict/Exploration mode, AI may be used to refine or expand combinations.
5. Automatic Scoring: Every generated title is rated 0–100% based on multiple factors (see §10).
6. Results Displayed: Titles appear in the Results List, sorted by score (highest first).

BYOK vs. Server-Side

If you have configured your own API key in Settings, VRM uses BYOK mode: the AI call happens client-side using your key, and no data passes through VRM's servers. If no key is configured, the server handles the AI call.

BYOK is the recommended setup for maximum privacy. Your key is encrypted locally and never sent to VRM.

Trial Limits

During the 48-hour free trial, you can run up to 5 mixes. After that, a subscription is required.

10. Results & Scoring

After every mix, VRM automatically rates and ranks all generated titles.

Score (0–100%)

Each title receives a composite score based on:

• Anchor Preservation: How well the topic's anchor words are retained.
• Word Origin: Percentage of words that come directly from the three input titles.
• Title Length: Optimal YouTube title length (40–60 characters).
• Structural Coherence: Grammatical and semantic quality of the combination.
• Token Fit: How efficiently the words fill the title space.

Buckets

Why-Tags

Each title shows small tags explaining why it scored the way it did — for example: anchor, length, token-fit, glue. These help you understand the rating at a glance.

Results Modal

Click Open popup to view the full results list in a draggable, resizable modal. This is useful for comparing titles side by side while keeping the workspace visible.

Ratings are heuristic estimates based on structural analysis — not guarantees of YouTube performance. They indicate how well a title preserves proven vocabulary and follows good title patterns.

11. PDF Export

Click Export PDF to generate a professional PDF document of your current session.

What the PDF Contains

• Cover page: Session configuration — mode, criteria, anchor override, timestamp.
• Video Topic section: Channel name, metrics, title, uploaded screenshot.
• Inspiration 1 & 2 sections: Same structure as Video Topic.
• Top Titles: Your highest-rated generated titles with scores.
• Thumbnail page: All uploaded thumbnail previews (Template, Mine, ThumbsTV variants).
• Full Results: Complete list of all generated titles with ranks and score pills.

The PDF downloads automatically as VRM_Export_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.pdf.

12. Thumbnail Previews

The Thumbnail Previews section lets you upload and compare different thumbnail designs in context.

Available Slots

All uploaded thumbnails are included in the PDF export for a complete session snapshot.

13. AI Key Settings (BYOK)

VRM supports Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) — you use your own API key from any of 7 supported AI providers. This ensures maximum privacy: your key stays on your device and is never sent to VRM's servers.

Choosing Your AI Provider

VRM supports 7 providers across 4 tiers. Which one should you pick? It depends on your budget, your privacy needs, and how much quality you need from the mixing engine.

Our recommendation: Start with Groq (free, no credit card). If Groq's quality isn't enough for your niche, upgrade to Budget tier. Only use Standard / Premium if you verify through testing that a cheaper tier is insufficient.

Accessing Settings

Click Settings in the navigation card to open the AI Key configuration page.

Key Slots

VRM supports up to 10 key slots. Each slot stores:

• Provider: One of 7 supported AI services.
• Model: The specific model to use — each tagged with a Tier badge (Free / Budget / Standard / Premium).
• API Key: Your secret key (AES-256-GCM encrypted locally).
• Alias: An optional label for easy identification (e.g. your e-mail address).

Adding a Key

1. Select the Provider from the dropdown.
2. Select the Model. The tier label (Free / Budget / Standard / Premium) is shown in parentheses next to each model.
3. Paste your API Key.
4. Optionally enter an Alias.
5. Choose which Slot to save to (Auto picks the next free slot).
6. Click Save.

Testing Keys

Click Test Active Key to verify your currently active key works. Click Test All to validate all configured slots at once.

Security

Keys are encrypted in your browser's local storage using key-manager.js. They are never transmitted to VRM's backend. In BYOK mode, AI calls go directly from your browser to the provider's API — no proxy, no middleman, no server-side storage.

Settings Backup & Migration (.vrm File)

VRM stores every API key encrypted with a machine-specific seed (browser user-agent, locale, screen, timezone). A raw copy of local-storage is therefore not portable — on another machine those keys would be unreadable. To move your keys between devices (e.g. Web → Desktop, or old PC → new PC), VRM offers a dedicated, portable .vrm backup file.

What's in a .vrm file?

• All 10 AI key slots (provider, model, alias, API key) plus your currently active slot.
• Always encrypted with a password you choose — using AES-256-GCM with a PBKDF2 (SHA-256, 100 000 iterations) key-derivation. Without your password the file is unreadable, even to us.
• Not included: UI preferences, expand/collapse states, language, license state, device IDs. These are ephemeral or re-established on each device.
• The file is byte-identical between Web and Desktop. A .vrm file created in the browser imports cleanly into the Desktop app and vice-versa.

Exporting your keys

1. Open Settings and scroll to the Settings Backup & Migration card (marked with the BACKUP badge).
2. Click Expand to reveal the export & import panels.
3. In the Export panel, choose a password of at least 8 characters. Use something you will remember — if you lose it, the file becomes permanently unreadable.
4. Re-enter the password in the Confirm password field. Use the eye icon to reveal what you typed if you're unsure.
5. Click Export .vrm. Your browser (or the Desktop app) opens a native Save As… dialog. The default filename is vrm-settings-YYYYMMDD-HHmm.vrm — pick any location you like.
6. Store the file in a trusted location: an encrypted disk, a password manager's file attachment, or a private cloud folder. It is already encrypted, but treat it like any other credential file.

Importing on another machine

1. Sign in to VRM on the target machine (Web or Desktop) and open Settings → Settings Backup & Migration.
2. In the Import panel, click Choose .vrm file… and pick the file you exported earlier.
3. Enter the same password you used for export.
4. Choose an import mode:
   • Replace all — wipes every slot first, then writes everything from the file. Recommended on a brand-new machine.
   • Merge — keeps existing slots on this machine; only fills slots that are currently empty. Recommended when mixing keys from two devices.
5. Click Import .vrm. Every key is decrypted in memory and immediately re-encrypted with this machine's seed, so it's native to the new device.
6. A summary tells you which slots were restored and which were skipped (e.g. already occupied in merge mode).

Troubleshooting

• "Wrong password or corrupted file" — either the password is wrong, or the file was edited / truncated. Re-download or re-export the file and try again.
• "This file is not a VRM settings file (.vrm)" — you picked a file that is not a VRM backup (for example a .nrv or .ttm file from one of our sister apps). Only files whose internal magic header starts with VRM1 are accepted.
• "No keys configured — nothing to export" — you haven't saved any API key yet. Add at least one slot first.
• Lost the password? There is no recovery path — this is by design. The file is mathematically protected, not access-list protected. Re-export from a machine where the keys are still accessible.

Security notes

Your password is used only as the input to PBKDF2 on the device where the file is produced or consumed. VRM never sends it anywhere, never stores it, and never logs it. The .vrm file you save to disk contains only: a 4-byte ASCII marker (VRM1), a 16-byte random salt, a 12-byte random initialisation vector, and the AES-GCM ciphertext of a JSON object with your keys — all Base64-encoded as a single ASCII line. Even if the file is stolen, brute-forcing a good password is computationally infeasible.

14. Desktop App Desktop

VRM is available as a native Windows desktop application built on Electron.

Installation

1. Log into the web app at app.videoreleasemixer.com.
2. Click Download & Install Windows Desktop App in the navigation area.
3. Run the downloaded installer. The app installs and creates a desktop shortcut.

Auto-Update

The desktop app checks for updates automatically after each login (approximately 3 seconds after startup). When an update is available:

1. A notification appears showing the new version.
2. The update downloads in the background.
3. After download completes, you can install immediately or wait until the next restart.

Updates are served from the production server. The desktop app always stays in sync with the latest web version.

Desktop-Specific Features

• Menu bar: New Mix, Export PDF, Check for Update actions available from the app menu.
• Native window: Runs as a standalone window without browser UI.
• Offline-capable login: Uses token-based authentication for persistent sessions.

15. Troubleshooting & FAQ

Common Questions

I forgot my password — how do I reset it?

Click Change Password in the navigation card. Auth0 will send a password reset email to your registered address.

My trial has expired — what now?

Choose a subscription plan on the pricing page or click Buy License in the lock screen. Your data and settings are preserved.

The "Generate Mixed Titles" button does nothing

Check that all three title fields (Video Topic, Inspiration 1, Inspiration 2) are filled in. The button only activates when all required inputs are provided.

My BYOK key is not working

Go to Settings and click Test Active Key. Common issues:

• Key has expired or been revoked by the provider.
• Insufficient credit/quota on the provider account.
• Wrong provider/model combination selected.

Results look grammatically off

This is expected in Ultra Strict mode, which uses no filler words at all. Switch to Strict + Glue Words for more natural-sounding results while keeping proof-of-concept integrity.

How many devices can I use?

Your VRM subscription includes access from multiple devices. The license tracks device registrations but does not limit simultaneous use for standard plans.

Can I export my results?

Yes — click Export PDF to get a complete PDF of your session, including inputs, screenshots, and all rated titles.

What data does VRM store?

VRM stores your account information (email, license state, subscription) on the server. Your API keys, criteria profiles, and title presets are stored locally in your browser. In BYOK mode, your AI requests go directly to your chosen provider — VRM never sees your titles or API key.