# How to clip a YouTube video Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/how-to-clip-a-youtube-video By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31. To clip a YouTube video, open it, select Clip (under More on a computer, or in the row below the Subscribe button in the app), drag the slider to pick 5 to 60 seconds, then select Share clip. To cut your own video, use Trim & cut in the YouTube Studio editor, or the Clips and Shorts tool to turn a section into a Short. Clipping a YouTube video can mean three different things, and YouTube has a separate tool for each. You might want to share a short piece of any video with a friend. You might want to turn part of your own long video into a Short. Or you might want to cut a section out of your own upload for good. This guide covers all three from YouTube's help pages, plus sharing from a timestamp, remixing other creators' videos into Shorts, why the Clip button sometimes isn't there, and what the copyright rules mean for reposting. ## The short answer Pick the tool by what you want to end up with. A Clip is a link to a short section of someone's video. A Short made from your own video is a new upload. A trim changes your existing video in place. **What do you want to do?** - Share part of any video → Use Clip: pick 5 to 60 seconds and share the link. It plays from the original video. - Turn part of my own video into a Short → Use Clips and Shorts in YouTube Studio, or Edit into a Short in the app. - Use a bit of someone else's video in my Short → Use Remix: Cut, Green screen or Collab, if the creator allows it. - Remove part of my own video → Use Trim & cut in the YouTube Studio editor. The URL, views and comments stay. *Four goals, four different YouTube tools.* | Tool | Whose videos | Length | Where | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Clip | Any video with clipping on | 5 to 60 seconds | YouTube app, youtube.com, YouTube Studio | A public link that plays a section of the original | | Clips and Shorts tool | Your own long-form videos | Your selection | YouTube Studio on a computer | A new Short or video clip, saved as a draft | | Edit into a Short | Your own public long-form videos | Up to 60 seconds | YouTube app | A new Short | | Remix | Other creators' videos that allow it | Depends on the option | YouTube app | A new Short credited to the original | | Trim & cut | Your own videos under 6 hours | Any section | YouTube Studio on a computer | The same video, edited, at the same URL | ## How do I clip a YouTube video on a computer? YouTube's [Clips help page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10332730?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop) gives these steps for a computer. Clipping is on by default, so it works on most videos unless the creator has turned it off. 1. **Sign in**: Sign in to YouTube in your browser. YouTube's steps start with signing in, so do that first. 2. **Open the video**: Go to the video you want to clip. 3. **Select More, then Clip**: Under the video, select More, then Clip. 4. **Add a title**: Give the clip a title of up to 140 characters. 5. **Pick the section**: Drag the slider to choose between 5 and 60 seconds of the video. 6. **Share it**: Click Share clip, then choose Embed, a social network, Email, or Copy the link. YouTube: More › Clip › Add a title › Drag the slider › Share clip *From YouTube Help's Create and share clips page, computer version.* ### Which sharing option to pick - Copy the link: paste it into a message, a document or a post. Anyone who can watch the original video can watch the clip. - Social networks: send it straight to a service such as Facebook or X. - Email: opens your default email program with the link. - Embed: gives you code to put the clip on a website. ### Write a title people will understand The clip's title is what people see before they press play, so say what happens in the clip rather than repeating the video's title. You have 140 characters. If you also write titles for your own videos, the [YouTube title checker](/tools/youtube-title-checker) counts characters against YouTube's 100-character video title limit. ## How do I clip a YouTube video on my phone? YouTube's [Clips help page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10332730) gives these steps for the YouTube app: 1. **Open the video**: Open the YouTube app and go to the video. 2. **Find Clip**: Below the Subscribe button, slide the row of options to the right and tap Clip. 3. **Pick the section**: Drag the slider to select the part you want, between 5 and 60 seconds. 4. **Share it**: Tap Share clip, then choose a social network, copy the link, or send it by email. ### Can't see Clip in the row of buttons? The buttons under a video scroll sideways, so Clip may be off screen. Slide the row to the right before you decide it's missing. If it still isn't there, the section on why you can't clip a video below covers the reasons YouTube gives. ### Creators can clip their own videos too YouTube says creators can clip their own videos or live streams in YouTube Studio or the YouTube Studio app. That's handy for sharing a highlight from a long stream without making a new upload. ## How long can a YouTube clip be? Between 5 and 60 seconds. The slider won't let you pick less than 5 seconds or more than 60. The clip's title can be up to 140 characters. ### Picking the right section Start the selection a moment before the part you care about, so whoever opens the link has enough context to follow it, and end it once the point lands. A clip that starts mid-sentence is harder to understand than one that's a few seconds longer. If the moment you want runs past 60 seconds, a timestamp link is usually the better choice. ### What if I need more than 60 seconds? Share the video from a timestamp instead. The link starts playback where you want, and the viewer can keep watching as long as they like. If it's your own video, you can also make a longer video clip with the Clips and Shorts tool in YouTube Studio, covered further down. ## How do I share a YouTube video from a specific time? YouTube's [sharing help page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57741) describes a Start at option for this. It works on any video you can watch, has no length limit, and creates nothing new. 1. **Click Share**: On youtube.com, click the Share button under the video. 2. **Check Start at**: Check the Start at box and enter the time you want, for example 2:30 for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. 3. **Copy the link**: Click Copy. The link starts the video at that point. **Clip** - 5 to 60 seconds - Has its own title - Shows up in your clips library - Removed if the original goes private or is deleted **Start at link** - No length limit - Plays the full video from your timestamp - Nothing to manage afterward - Works on any video you can watch *Use a clip for a moment, a timestamp link for a starting point.* ## Why can't I clip a YouTube video? YouTube's Clips page gives a short list of reasons. Check them in order: **If the Clip option is missing** - [ ] Slide the button row under the video to the right - [ ] Sign in to your Google Account - [ ] Check whether it's a live stream without DVR - [ ] Check whether you're past the stream's DVR window - [ ] Wait for a live stream to end and be posted - [ ] Accept that the creator may have turned clipping off *Reasons from YouTube Help's Create and share clips page.* ### The creator turned clipping off Clipping is on by default, but creators can turn it off for their channel. If they have, there's no way around it from the viewer's side. You can still share the video from a timestamp. ### It's a live stream YouTube says you can't create clips from live streams without DVR, or from parts of a live stream longer than the DVR timeframe. Clips made from a live stream only appear after the stream ends and is posted as a video, and clips outside the DVR window of a long stream aren't playable until then. ### The original video is private, deleted or removed A clip can only exist while its source video can be watched. YouTube removes clips when the original is deleted, set to private, or taken down for breaking the Community Guidelines, so you can't clip a video in any of those states either. Unlisted videos are different: clips made from them stay available to anyone with access. ### None of these apply YouTube's page doesn't list any other reasons, such as video length or audience settings. If none of the above fits, try updating the YouTube app or using youtube.com on a computer, where Clip sits under More. ## Where do I find my clips, and how long do they last? ### Finding clips you made - On a computer: the clips library is at youtube.com/feed/clips, and Your clips is in the left menu under You. - In the app: tap the You tab, then Your Clips. You can also tap your profile picture, scroll down and tap Your clips. ### Deleting a clip you made In the YouTube app, go to Your clips, tap More on the clip, tap Delete clip, then Delete forever. In YouTube Studio, find the clip under the video's Latest clips, tap More, then Delete Clip and Delete forever. As the name says, either way is permanent. ### What happens when the original video changes Clips are public: anyone can watch and share one, as long as they can also watch the original video. YouTube removes clips if the original video is deleted, set to private, or found to break the Community Guidelines. Clips made from unlisted videos stay available. So a clip is only as permanent as the video it comes from. If a clip you saved stopped working, [how to find deleted YouTube videos](/blog/how-to-find-deleted-youtube-videos) covers what you can still do. ## How do I manage clips people make of my videos? If you're a creator, YouTube Studio shows how many clips were made from each video, the views on each clip, who made it and other details, under Clips. ### See and moderate clips In the YouTube Studio app, tap Content, tap the filter, select Video contains clips under Clips, tap Apply, open a video and tap View More under Latest clips. On a computer, go to Content, select a video, then Clips. From a clip's More menu you can share it, play it, hide the user from your channel or report the clip. ### Turn clipping off YouTube Studio: Settings › Channel › Advanced settings › Clips › Save *Uncheck Allow viewers to clip my content under Clips.* If you'd rather keep clipping on but stop particular people, add them to your Hidden users list. To stop certain words appearing in clip titles, add them to your blocked words list. ### Turn a clip into a Short YouTube says the owner of the source video can convert an entire clip into a Short. If your video allows remixing, its remix tools apply to its clips as well. ## How do I turn part of my own video into a Short? YouTube Studio has a Clips and Shorts tool for this, described on YouTube's [video clips and Shorts page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15824265). It cuts a section out of one of your long-form videos and makes it a new Short or a new video clip, without touching the original. YouTube says you won't be penalized for reusing your own content this way. 1. Go to Content, then Videos, and open a video 2. Select Clips and Shorts, then Create clip or Short 3. Choose Short or Video clip 4. Pick the section from the transcript or timeline 5. Preview, then Create draft and publish *From YouTube Help's Video clips and Shorts in YouTube Studio page.* ### Making a Short 1. **Open the video**: In YouTube Studio, go to Content, then Videos, and click the video you want to use. 2. **Start a Short**: In the left menu, select Clips and Shorts, click Create clip or Short, and choose Short. 3. **Pick the section**: Select text in the transcript and click Confirm selection, or enter timestamps in the timeline. You can also start from an AI suggestion where it's offered. 4. **Preview it**: Click Preview Short. Autocaptions are added where available, and you can restyle, move or turn them off with Captions. The preview may look lower in quality than the final video. 5. **Publish**: Click Create Draft, then finish the usual upload steps. Your Short appears under Content, then Shorts. YouTube adds the source video as the Short's related video automatically, unless the Short is private, unlisted or made for kids, so viewers can go from the Short to the full video. ### Making a longer video clip Choose Video clip instead of Short in the same tool. You can add an eligible video as an intro or outro with Add intro/outro, then click Create draft. YouTube suggests linking to the source video in the clip's description. Video clips appear under Content, then Videos. ### Studio tool or app: which should I use? Use the Studio tool when you're at a computer and want to find the moment from the transcript, make a horizontal video clip as well as Shorts, or add an intro or outro. Use Edit into a Short in the app when you're on your phone, want up to 60 seconds, and might add new camera footage to the end. Both leave your original video untouched, and both only work on your own videos. ### Where the AI suggestions work AI-suggested sections and outlines are only offered in some countries, which YouTube lists as Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US, and in English, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Picking a section by hand works everywhere the tool does. ### Edit into a Short from the YouTube app On your phone, YouTube's [Create Shorts from your videos page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12836917?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) describes another route. Open the watch page of one of your videos, tap Remix, then Edit into a Short. Select up to 60 seconds, tap Next to add text or filters, and upload. If you pick less than 60 seconds, you can fill the rest with the Shorts camera, for example 45 seconds of the video and 15 seconds of new footage. - Only public, long-form videos you uploaded work. Private and unlisted videos, and videos with third-party copyright claims, can't be used. - You can't add music or other sounds from YouTube's Audio Library to Shorts made this way. - If Edit into a Short is missing, the video may not allow sampling. Turn it on in YouTube Studio as shown below. YouTube Studio: Content › Your video › Show more › Shorts remixing › Save *Check Allow people to sample this content under Shorts remixing.* ## How do I use part of someone else's video in my Short? Use Remix, not a screen recording. YouTube's [remix page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10623810?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) describes four options, and every Short made with them is credited back to the original, with a link in the Shorts player. | Option | What it does | Limits YouTube states | | --- | --- | --- | | Cut | Takes a segment of another Short or video into yours | From a music video, 1 to 5 seconds of audio and video | | Green screen | Uses another video as your background | Visual only, or audio and video | | Collab | Puts your Short alongside another Short | Not stated | | Sound | Reuses a video's audio | From a music video, up to 90 seconds; some limited to 30 | 1. **From a long-form video**: Under the player, tap Share, then Remix, and choose Cut, Green screen or Collab. 2. **From a Short**: Tap Remix and choose Cut this video, Green screen or Collab. For audio, tap Sound in the lower right, then Use this sound. 3. **Adjust the layout**: Tap Layouts to change how your footage and theirs are arranged, then finish your Short. Some videos can't be remixed: private videos, videos where a rights holder hasn't allowed use in Shorts, and videos whose creators limited remixing or deleted them. Some music remixes may also be blocked by music licenses. ### Stopping others from remixing your videos For your own videos, the Shorts remixing setting is in each video's details in YouTube Studio: open Content, click the video, click Show more, choose whether to allow remixing under Shorts remixing, and save. You can also change it in bulk or set it while uploading. YouTube says limiting remixing stops future remixes, and that only Content Manager partners can opt out of both audio and video remixing. ## How do I trim my own YouTube video? Use the editor in YouTube Studio on a computer. YouTube's [trim help page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9057455) says you don't need to re-upload: the video's URL, view count and comments stay the same. 1. **Open the video in Studio**: Sign in to YouTube Studio, select Content in the left menu, and click the video's title or thumbnail. 2. **Open the editor**: Select Editor in the left menu. 3. **Trim the start or end**: Select Trim & cut. A blue box appears. Drag its sides so it covers only the part you want to keep. 4. **Save**: Use Preview to check, then click Save. YouTube Studio: Content › Your video › Editor › Trim & cut › Save *From YouTube Help's Trim your videos page.* ### Remove a section from the middle Select Trim & cut, then New Cut. A red box appears. Drag its sides over the part you want to remove, confirm with the check icon, then click Save. You can type exact times into the boxes, remove a cut with Undo or the trash icon, or throw away everything with Discard changes. ### Limits to know before you save - Trimming works on videos shorter than 6 hours. - Unedited videos with over 100,000 views may not let you save changes, other than blurring faces. YouTube says this doesn't apply to channels in the YouTube Partner Program. - Since June 2025, changes saved in the Studio editor can't be undone with Revert to original. Keep your original file if you might want the full version back. ### Why not upload a new, shorter version instead? You can, but you'd lose what the old one built up. YouTube's [replace or delete page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/55770) says you can't swap the file behind an existing video, because a new upload gets a new URL. Editing in place with trims, info cards, or a new title, description or privacy setting keeps the URL. Deleting the old video is permanent, so only do it once you're sure. ## Can I download a YouTube clip or video? It depends whose it is and how. YouTube's [Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms), dated January 5, 2022, say you can't download content except where the service expressly allows it or YouTube gives prior written permission. Third-party downloader sites aren't one of those. ### Videos you uploaded YouTube's [download page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) says you can download your own uploads from YouTube Studio: go to Content, open the video's menu and select Download. You get an MP4 at 720p or 360p depending on the video's size, and each video can be downloaded up to five times a day. To get everything at once, use Google Takeout. Downloads aren't available for removed videos, videos with a copyright or Community Guidelines strike, or videos using a preapproved audio track. You can't download other people's videos this way. ### Why your Studio download looks softer than the upload Studio downloads come as 720p or 360p MP4 files, whatever resolution you uploaded. That's fine for re-cutting a quick clip, but if you need the full-quality file, Google Takeout exports videos in their original format. Better still, keep the original file from your camera or editing project, which is the only copy you fully control. ### All your videos at once with Google Takeout Google's [Takeout help page](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190) says to sign in at takeout.google.com, choose the data to include, then pick how to receive it: an emailed link, or Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box. Videos come in their original format, or as MP4 files with H264 video and AAC audio. Most people get the link the same day, though large accounts can take a few days. Each archive expires in about 7 days and can be downloaded 5 times. If videos are missing, your channel may be on a Brand Account: sign in with the owning Google Account and switch to the Brand Account before exporting. ### Other people's videos, with YouTube Premium YouTube's [offline viewing page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/11977233) says Premium members can click Download below a video to save it for offline playback in YouTube, for up to 29 days before reconnecting, or 48 hours in some places. Those downloads play inside YouTube while you're signed in, and a video that's no longer available is removed at the next sync. They're for watching, not for reposting. ## Is it legal to repost a clip of someone else's video? Sharing a Clip link or remixing with YouTube's tools is fine, because the creator allowed it and the result points back to them. Downloading someone's video and re-uploading part of it is different. YouTube's [fair use page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9783148) says courts decide fair use case by case, and US courts weigh four things: the purpose of your use, the nature of the original, how much you used, and the effect on the original's market. ### Myths YouTube corrects - Giving credit doesn't by itself make a copy fair use, and phrases like I do not own don't grant permission. - Disclaimers such as no infringement intended aren't magic words. - A short clip isn't automatically safe. YouTube notes a claim can block monetization even if you only use a few seconds. - Calling a video entertainment or non-profit doesn't make it fair use on its own. ### Outside the US YouTube's fair use page notes that exceptions differ by country. In the EU, a use has to fit specific categories such as quotation, criticism, review, caricature, parody and pastiche, and other places use fair dealing, which works differently again. YouTube says it considers local rules when it reviews copyright removal requests. The page recommends getting legal advice before uploading videos that use someone else's copyrighted content. ### If your clip gets a copyright claim YouTube says automated systems can't decide fair use, so a Content ID claim can land on a video that might qualify. You can contest it through the Content ID dispute process, and in some cases go further with an appeal or a counter notification. While both you and the claimant are trying to monetize a disputed video, it keeps earning, and the money goes to whoever wins once the dispute is resolved. ### Monetization rules are stricter than copyright Even with permission, YouTube's reused content policy can stop a channel earning if it mostly reposts other people's material without adding commentary or a new story. Shorts that are unedited clips or reuploads don't earn from the Shorts Creator Pool either. [When does YouTube start paying you](/blog/when-does-youtube-start-paying-you) covers how reviewers judge this, and [how much YouTube pays for 1 million views](/blog/how-much-does-youtube-pay-for-1-million-views) covers which Shorts views count. ## What should I do with my clips next? If you've turned a long video into Shorts, a few things help them do well: - Give each Short its own title rather than the long video's. The [YouTube title generator](/tools/youtube-title-generator) and [description generator](/tools/youtube-description-generator) can help. - Space the Shorts out instead of posting them all at once. [Best time to post on YouTube](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-youtube) covers when to publish. - If you post the same clips on other networks, check each one's format first: [how to post a YouTube video on Instagram](/blog/how-to-post-a-youtube-video-on-instagram) and [how to schedule TikTok videos](/blog/how-to-schedule-tiktok-videos) cover two of them, and [does cross-posting hurt engagement](/blog/does-cross-posting-hurt-engagement) covers reposting the same clip. - Keep the original files of your long videos. Trims can't be reverted, and [how to find deleted YouTube videos](/blog/how-to-find-deleted-youtube-videos) explains why a backup matters. If you want to cut and schedule clips in one place, PostMesh has Clip Factory, which makes short clips from YouTube videos, with 10, 50 or 200 Clip Factory videos a month depending on the [plan](/pricing). Use it on videos you own or have the rights to, for the reasons above. PostMesh then [uploads to YouTube](/platform/youtube) through the YouTube API, marks vertical videos up to 3 minutes as Shorts automatically, and can schedule them up to 30 days ahead. The [YouTube scheduling guide](/blog/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos) covers YouTube's own scheduling as well. ## Questions ### Can I clip any YouTube video? Most of them. Clipping is on by default, but creators can turn it off, and live streams without DVR can't be clipped. ### What's the longest a YouTube clip can be? 60 seconds. The shortest is 5 seconds. For longer sections, share the video from a timestamp with the Start at option. ### Does clipping a video notify the creator? YouTube's help page doesn't say creators get a notification, but creators can see in YouTube Studio how many clips were made from a video, who made them and how many views each got. ### Do clip views count toward the original video? YouTube's help pages don't say. They do say creators can see views per clip in YouTube Studio, and that clips play from the original video. ### Why did my clip stop working? YouTube removes clips when the original video is deleted, made private, or found to break the Community Guidelines. Clips from unlisted videos keep working. ### Can I clip a YouTube video without signing in? YouTube's steps for creating a clip start with signing in, so plan to sign in first. Watching a clip someone shared with you only needs access to the original video. ### Can I turn someone else's clip into my own Short? Only through Remix, if the creator allows it. Converting a whole clip into a Short is reserved for the owner of the source video. ### Does trimming my video reset its views? No. YouTube says trimming in the Studio editor keeps the same URL, view count and comments. ### Can I undo a trim? Not after you save. Since June 2025, YouTube says Studio editor changes can't be undone with Revert to original, so keep your original file. ### Is it legal to download YouTube clips with a website? YouTube's Terms of Service don't allow downloading except where YouTube's service expressly allows it or YouTube gives written permission. You can download your own uploads from YouTube Studio. ## Sources - [YouTube Help: Create and share clips (computer)](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10332730?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop) - [YouTube Help: Create and share clips (app)](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10332730) - [YouTube Help: Share videos and channels](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57741) - [YouTube Help: Video clips and Shorts in YouTube Studio](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15824265) - [YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts from your videos](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12836917?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) - [YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts with remixed content](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10623810?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) - [YouTube Help: Trim your videos](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9057455) - [YouTube Terms of Service (effective January 5, 2022)](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) - [YouTube Help: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) - [YouTube Help: Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/11977233) - [YouTube Help: Fair use on YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9783148)