YouTube Clips: How To Make and Use Them

YouTube offers several unique ways to share your content with audiences, from Shorts to community posts. One great example is YouTube Clips, which are a simple way to showcase the best parts of your longer videos. These snippets link back to your full-length post, increasing your page’s engagement. 

Whether you're sharing highlights from a tutorial or capturing a funny prank from your vlog, Clips are a quick way to connect with viewers. Read on to learn all about using YouTube Clips to grow your channel.

What Are YouTube Clips? 

YouTube Clips are 5–60-second segments of longer videos on the platform. Think of them as quick previews or highlights of existing content. They could be a tutorial snippet, a funny reaction, or an exciting announcement. 

Both viewers and creators can clip a section of a video to create a shareable link. However, the clip has to be continuous — you can’t cut and merge different parts of the video. When someone clicks the link, they’ll land on the full-length YouTube post and see the snippet on a loop. But if people want to see more, they can simply click “Watch full video.”

You can extract Clips and post them across your social media platforms to reach more viewers. By offering a glimpse into your best content, these bite-sized Clips help you engage with your audience more while driving traffic back to your main videos.

YouTube Clips vs. YouTube Shorts

YouTube Clips are loops within existing videos, allowing you to share specific moments from longer content. The links lead directly back to the original video, helping you boost the engagement and watch time on your main uploads. 

On the other hand, YouTube Shorts are standalone vertical videos with a maximum length of 60 seconds. They’re similar to TikTok videos and Instagram Reels that people can scroll through. You can easily create these videos with Captions, as our AI Shorts feature automatically scans your posts and pulls out viral-worthy content.

Clips are just repeated snippets within the original video's format, so the posts maintain their dimensions and orientation. However, Shorts are always vertical (9:16 aspect ratio) so they’re easier to watch on a phone screen. 

3 YouTube Clips Benefits

Using YouTube’s Clip creator offers the following benefits.

Improved User Interface and Engagement

The YouTube Clips feature makes it easier for your audience to share video segments that resonate with them. As soon as something sparks viewers’ interest, they can click the Clip button, and YouTube automatically highlights the last 15 seconds. 

To extend the Clip or move it to a different part of the video, folks can just drag the selection bar. Sharing is simple, too — YouTube lets people copy the link or send one through their preferred platform. This simplicity encourages audiences to share Clips more often, which sparks conversations with friends and encourages them to check out the full video.

Increased Discoverability and Reach

Sharing Clips on other social media platforms helps you reach new audiences who might not have discovered your channel otherwise. This brings traffic to your YouTube channel, potentially increasing your view and subscriber counts.

Better Content Promotion

Clips are a great way to promote longer videos without needing to record new content. For example, if you have a gaming channel, you can clip your funniest fail as a teaser for your latest stream. Interested audiences might watch the playback or join your next livestream. 

How To Clip a YouTube Video

Whether you're on a computer or using the YouTube app, the platform makes it easy to make and share Clips. Follow these steps to start clipping.

How To Create YouTube Clips on a Desktop Browser

• Step 1 — Open YouTube on your browser, log into your account, and go to the video you want to clip.
• Step 2 — Under the video player, look for a scissors icon labeled "Clip" next to the download and share buttons. If you can't see it, click on the three dots for a dropdown menu to find the "Clip" option. If it's still missing, the feature might be unavailable for that channel.

• Step 3 — A new window will appear on the right side of your screen. You'll see a slider, which you can use to select the part of the video you want to snip.
• Step 4 — Write a title for your Clip using relevant keywords.
• Step 5 — Hit the "Share Clip" button. You can post the snippet on social media, embed it on websites, or share the link.

How To Create YouTube Clips in the App

• Step 1 — Open the YouTube app and sign into your account.
• Step 2 — Play the video and look for the "Clip" icon. It’s in the same row as the like, download, and save buttons.
• Step 3 — After tapping the "Clip" icon, a new window will appear with a slider. Adjust it to choose the specific part of the video you want to share.
• Step 4 — Add a title to your YouTube Clip.
• Step 5 — When you're done, tap the "Share Clip" button. Post the video on social media or copy the link for other uses.

Where Can I Find My YouTube Clips?

You can find and manage your YouTube Clips through the website menu or YouTube Studio. Studio is built into the website, while it's a separate app on mobile devices. Follow these steps to access your Clips.

How To Find Your YouTube Clips in the Menu

• Step 1 — Log into YouTube on your browser.
• Step 2 — Click on the hamburger menu in the top-left corner next to the YouTube logo.
• Step 3 — Find and click “Your clips” to access snipped content.

How To Find Your YouTube Clips in the YouTube Studio App

• Step 1 — Launch the YouTube Studio app on your phone or tablet.
• Step 2 — Tap the "Content" tab at the bottom of the screen to view your uploaded videos.
• Step 3 — Tap the "Filter" button. Choose "Video contains clips" from the list, and hit "Apply" to narrow down your content to videos with Clips.
• Step 4 — Scroll through the filtered videos and choose the one you want to see Clips for.
• Step 5 — Under the "Latest clips" section, tap "View more." Here, you’ll see all the Clips you and your viewers have created from that video.‍
• Step 6 — Tap on the Clip you want to manage. You can share the link, view the snippet, hide a user from your channel, or report the Clip.

How To Disable the YouTube Clip Button

If you'd prefer not to allow viewers to create Clips from your content, YouTube gives you the option to disable this feature. Here's how:

• Step 1 — Head to YouTube Studio. On the left side of the Studio dashboard, click on "Settings."
• Step 2 — Select the "Channel" tab in the settings window.
• Step 3 — Choose the "Advanced settings" tab within the "Channel" section.
• Step 4 — Scroll down until you find the "Allow viewers to clip my content" option and uncheck the box to disable the feature.

Trim YouTube Editing Time With Captions

YouTube Clips help you promote your content without putting hours into editing and marketing. Whether you share YouTube Clips on social media, embed them on websites, or pin them in comments, these posts are an effective way to reach new viewers. 

To save even more time, try Captions. YouTube Clips won’t let you pull from multiple parts of a video, but our Split & Merge tool can stitch several Clips together into one cohesive post. When you’re ready to add the finishing touches, use our AI features to insert subtitles, music, and translations into your video in just a few clicks. And if you’d rather create Shorts instead of Clips, try out our AI Shorts tool to repurpose existing content into new vertical videos.

Use Captions to edit YouTube videos faster so you can focus on growing your brand.