How to Get Clips from YouTube Videos: 4 Methods That Work (2026)

To get a clip from a YouTube video, select Clip under the player and share a link to a 5 to 60 second section. For an actual video file, paste the link into an AI clip maker, screen record the moment and trim it, or download your own upload from YouTube Studio.

Pick the method by what you need at the end, because each one produces something different. The Clip button never gives you a file, only a link. And if you post a piece of someone else's video as a Short longer than one minute with an active Content ID claim, YouTube blocks it worldwide and it can't earn anything.

#Which way to get YouTube clips fits your goal

Use these rules to choose:

• If you only want to point a friend to a moment, use the Clip button.
• If you want to post short vertical clips from your own long videos, use an AI clip maker.
• If you need raw footage for an edit, screen record it, or download it from YouTube Studio when the video is yours.
• If the video belongs to someone else and you plan to post publicly, read the rights section below before you publish.

Clipping your own long videos is a reliable way to feed short-form feeds. YouTube said in July 2022 that Shorts sampling long-form videos generated over 100 billion views in April 2022 alone, and Alphabet said in October 2024 that 70% of channels uploading to YouTube each month were uploading Shorts (both sourced on our YouTube Shorts statistics page).

#How to clip a YouTube video with the Clip button

YouTube's built-in Clip tool is the fastest way to grab a moment, on desktop or in the mobile app.

1. Open the video on youtube.com or in the YouTube app.
2. Select Clip (the scissors icon) in the row of buttons under the player. On desktop it may sit behind the three-dot More menu.
3. Drag the selection handles over the moment you want, from 5 to 60 seconds.
4. Add a title so you and anyone you send it to know what the clip shows.
5. Select Share clip, then copy the link or send it to an app.

The clip plays that section of the original video in a loop. You can't download it, add captions or change the aspect ratio, so treat it as a sharing link, not as material for a post. For a screenshot walkthrough of the same steps, Timeskip has a short guide to YouTube's built-in Clip tool.

#Where to find your YouTube clips

YouTube saves every clip you make under Your clips: in the left menu on desktop, or in the You tab of the mobile app. From there you can replay, share or delete them. If the original video goes private or is deleted, the clip stops playing.

#Why the Clip button is missing

The creator can turn clipping off, and some videos aren't eligible (for example, videos made for kids). If you don't see the button on desktop or in the More menu, the video can't be clipped this way. Use screen recording instead, within the rights rules below.

#How to get clips from YouTube videos automatically with AI

When the goal is posting clips to TikTok, Reels or Shorts, finding the moments by hand is the slow part. Revid's YouTube clip maker reads the transcript and audio of a long video and suggests the segments most likely to hold attention: strong questions, quotable statements and shifts in energy.

1. Paste the YouTube link into the clip maker.
2. Get up to 3 suggested clips, each 10 seconds to 2 minutes long, reframed to vertical 9:16 and captioned.
3. Open a clip in the timeline editor and adjust the start and end points, or use the Transcript tab to cut the source by selecting words.
4. Check the captions for accuracy and restyle the font, colors and animation.
5. Export in 720p, 1080p or 4K, or publish and schedule straight to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube from one queue.

Sign-up is free and new accounts get free credits to try it, no credit card needed; regular clipping then uses the credits of a paid plan, which start at $39/month. For a full workflow that splits one recording into a week of posts, see how to turn one long video into multiple short videos. If cutting dozens of your own recordings every week is your only need, a dedicated clipper may fit better; our Revid vs OpusClip comparison lays out the trade-offs.

#How to get clips for edits from YouTube with screen recording

Screen recording gives you a real file of any moment, including live streams and videos with clipping turned off. OBS Studio is free on Windows, Mac and Linux and records desktop audio.

1. In OBS, add a source with the + button under Sources: Window Capture for the browser, or Display Capture for the whole screen.
2. In Settings > Output, set the recording format to MP4. In Settings > Video, set the output resolution to 1920x1080 and the frame rate to 30 or 60 to match the video.
3. In YouTube, set the quality to the highest option (1080p or 4K) and switch to full screen so no tabs or icons appear.
4. Check that the desktop audio meter moves when the video plays, then start recording a few seconds before your moment and stop a few seconds after.
5. Play back the first few seconds of the file before recording anything else, to confirm picture and sound are clean.

#Built-in recorders on Mac and Windows

For a quick grab without installing anything:

• Mac: open QuickTime Player, choose File > New Screen Recording, and drag the selection box over the YouTube player only. QuickTime may not capture system audio, so switch to OBS if your clip comes out silent.
• Windows: press Win + G to open the Xbox Game Bar over your browser, play the video and select record in the Capture widget.

#How to get clips for edits on your phone

On iPhone, add Screen Recording to Control Center, start it, then play the video in full screen. On Android, use Screen record in Quick Settings and choose to record media or device sound. Trim the recording in CapCut or your phone's photo editor before exporting.

#The mistakes that force a re-record

• Recording a low-quality stream. If YouTube drops to 480p mid-recording, your clip is blurry for good. Lock the quality manually instead of leaving it on Auto.
• Recording the microphone instead of system audio. You get room noise, keyboard clicks and echo. Pick desktop or device audio as the source.
• Leaving the cursor and player controls visible. Move the mouse off the player so the controls fade, and hide the cursor in the capture settings.
• Forgetting notifications. Turn on Do Not Disturb so a pop-up doesn't land in the middle of the take.

#How to download your own YouTube videos to clip them

If the video is yours, skip screen recording and download the original file:

1. Open YouTube Studio on a computer and go to Content.
2. Hover over the video, select the three-dot Options menu, then Download.
3. Import the MP4 into your editor or an AI clip maker.

Third-party "YouTube downloader" sites break YouTube's Terms of Service, often recompress the video, are ad-heavy and are a common source of malware. YouTube Premium downloads stay inside the YouTube app and can't be edited.

#Trim, reframe and export your clip

Any basic editor can cut a clip: DaVinci Resolve for frame-exact control, CapCut for fast captions and mobile editing, or iMovie on a Mac. If you are choosing your first editor, this comparison of video editing software for beginners covers the easier options. Import the recording, set your in and out points, delete everything else and export.

Most YouTube videos are 16:9, while TikTok, Reels and Shorts are 9:16. Reframing keeps only a narrow center strip of the original, so the speaker or action has to sit in that strip. Revid's free video resizer converts a clip to 9:16, 4:5, 16:9 or 1:1, and the YouTube Shorts safe zone checker shows where the app's buttons will cover your captions.

Length limits differ by platform:

#Fix audio that drifts out of sync

Audio drift is common with screen recordings and converted files. In your editor, unlink the audio from the video track, then nudge the audio a few frames left or right until speech matches the lips. If the drift grows over the clip, re-record with the frame rate set to match the source.

#How long should a YouTube clip be?

Cut each clip to one complete idea, then stop. Length alone barely moves results. In Revid's analysis of 176,367 TikToks with 1,000+ likes posted between October 2025 and October 2026, every length bucket from under 15 seconds to 10 minutes had a median between 58K and 76K views. Clips of 61 to 90 seconds reached a 70K median, and clips under 15 seconds drew the most shares per view (1.41 per 100). This is TikTok data on videos that already passed 1,000 likes, so it shows what successful videos have in common rather than what causes success. The full method is in our study of what makes a TikTok go viral.

Median viewsShare that passed 1M viewsShares per 100 views

50K100K150K

76.4K

Under 15 s16 to 30 s31 to 60 s61 to 90 s91 s to 3 min3 to 10 min10 min+

Length alone barely moves views: every bucket lands between 58K and 76K median views (the 790 videos over 10 minutes are a small, unusual group). Clips under 15 seconds get shared the most per view.

Source: Revid analysis of 176,367 TikToks with 1,000+ likes posted between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 16, 2026 (61,203 creators)

Show the data

	Median views	Share that passed 1M views	Shares per 100 views
Under 15 s	57.6K	11.6%	1
16 to 30 s	64.9K	12.3%	1
31 to 60 s	61.8K	11.8%	1
61 to 90 s	70.5K	12.2%	1
91 s to 3 min	63.4K	11.1%	1
3 to 10 min	76.4K	12.4%	1
10 min+	129.6K	13.8%	0

The practical rule: if the moment needs setup, keep the setup and let it run past a minute; if it's a single punchline or stat, cut it under 15 seconds so people share it. A clip that ends mid-thought gets skipped whatever its length.

#Make the clip worth finishing

A clip is not a random excerpt. It needs an opening line that makes sense without the full video, one payoff, and an ending right after that payoff.

• Start on the line, not the lead-in. Cut the "so, um, the thing is" and open on the claim or question. If the clip has no strong first line, add on-screen text; this list of TikTok hooks gives formats you can adapt.
• Add captions. Many people scroll with the sound off. Revid's caption generator adds styled, synced captions in 100+ languages. To transcribe on your own computer instead, this roundup of speech-to-text apps for Windows compares desktop options.
• Add a headline. A short line of text at the top tells viewers what the clip is about before the speaker gets there.
• Post variations. Cut the same moment with two different opening lines or headlines and compare the results on each platform.

To stitch several clips into one longer video instead, see our guide on making a video from YouTube clips.

#Can you post clips from someone else's YouTube video?

Sometimes. In the US, using a short excerpt for commentary, criticism or education can fall under fair use, but fair use is decided case by case. The test that matters most is transformation: are you adding a critique, an explanation or a new point? Reposting another creator's moment as your own content isn't covered. The safest options are your own videos, videos with a Creative Commons license, or written permission from the creator.

Credit the source either way:

1. Name the original creator or channel on screen or in the caption.
2. Link the source video in your description.
3. Mention them out loud when it fits the clip.

Platforms also limit reach and earnings for clips with nothing added. YouTube treats content that relies on other people's material without meaningful commentary of your own as reused content, which can't be monetized, and the policy applies to the whole channel. Since March 2026, Facebook deprioritizes clip-stitching reels and reposts that only add borders, captions or speed changes.

#FAQ

#Can you download a YouTube clip?

No. A clip made with YouTube's Clip button is a link to part of the original video, not a file. To get a file, download your own video from YouTube Studio, screen record the moment, or create the clip with an AI clip maker that exports MP4.

#How long can a YouTube clip be?

Between 5 and 60 seconds with YouTube's Clip button. Revid's clip maker produces clips of 10 seconds to 2 minutes, and a vertical or square video up to 3 minutes counts as a YouTube Short.

#Can I clip a YouTube live stream?

Yes. The Clip button works on many live streams and on the recording after the stream ends, unless the creator turned clipping off. For several clips from a long stream, paste the replay link into an AI clip maker so it finds the moments for you.

#Where can I get clips to use in my YouTube videos?

Use your own footage, videos with a Creative Commons license (filter YouTube search results by Creative Commons), stock footage libraries, or visuals generated with an AI video tool. Anything else needs the creator's permission or a solid fair use case.

#What is the best way to get clips from YouTube?

For posting clips of your own videos, an AI clip maker is the fastest, because it finds, reframes and captions the moments. For a precise edit of any video, screen record with OBS and trim in an editor; for sharing a moment, use the Clip button.