> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://captions.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Repurpose a Long Recording into Short Clips

> Turn any podcast episode, webinar, interview, or livestream into a week of short-form content using Long to Short and AI Shorts.

Every long recording you've made is a content library you haven't fully published yet. A single 45-minute podcast episode, webinar, or livestream typically contains 6–10 moments worth posting as standalone short-form clips. This guide walks you through extracting them, editing them, and posting them efficiently.

## What makes a good source recording

Not all long-form content converts equally. The best source material has:

* **Natural speech** conversational language clips better than scripted presentations
* **Clear topic shifts** segments that stand on their own without needing context from the rest
* **Moments of strong opinion, insight, or emotion** these are what stop the scroll
* **Good enough audio** background noise can be cleaned up, but clipping or distortion can't

Podcasts and interviews are the richest source material. Webinars and recorded presentations work well too. Raw livestreams work, but tend to have more dead air between usable moments.

## Step 1: Upload your recording

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="iOS">
    1. Open Captions and tap **[Long to Short](/help/docs/project/ai-shorts)** from the home screen
    2. Tap **Upload** and select your video file, or tap the link icon to paste a YouTube URL
    3. Tap **Generate** to start processing
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Web">
    1. Open Captions and select **[Long to Short](/help/docs/project/ai-shorts)** from the project options
    2. Upload your file or paste a public YouTube URL
    3. Click **Generate** to start processing
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Tip>
  You don't need to keep the app open. Captions will notify you when your clips are ready processing typically takes a few minutes for a 30–60 minute recording.
</Tip>

## Step 2: Review your clips

Once processing is complete, you'll see a set of generated clips. For each clip:

* **Preview it** watch the full clip before deciding to keep it
* **Check the hook** does it start in a strong place, or does it take too long to get to the point?
* **Check the ending** does it land cleanly, or does it trail off mid-thought?

Keep the clips that work on their own without needing context from the rest of the recording. A viewer who's never heard your podcast should be able to understand and engage with the clip immediately.

## Step 3: Tighten each clip

For each clip you're keeping:

1. **Trim the opening** if it takes more than 2–3 seconds to get to the interesting part
2. **Trim the ending** if it fades out or continues past the natural stopping point
3. **Apply [AI Edit](/help/docs/project/ai-edit)** to add captions, music, and polish automatically

→ See [Raw Footage to Finished Video](/help/guides/creators/ai-edit-workflow) for the full AI Edit walkthrough

## Step 4: Hook each clip for social

Repurposed content has a specific problem: it often sounds like the middle of a conversation. Before posting, add a hook that makes the clip feel self-contained.

→ See [How to Hook a Repurposed Clip](/help/guides/creators/hook-repurposed-clip) for the full guide

## Step 5: Export and schedule

[Export](/help/docs/settings/export) each clip as a separate video. For a 45-minute recording, aim to get 5–7 clips you're happy with enough for a full week of daily posts.

→ See [Build a Week of Content from One Recording](/help/guides/creators/week-of-content) for the scheduling strategy

## Tips

* **Don't try to save every clip** be selective. 5 strong clips beat 10 mediocre ones every time
* **The best clips usually surprise you** the moments AI Shorts surfaces are often ones you didn't notice during recording
* **Add [captions](/help/docs/captions/add-captions) to every clip** repurposed content is often watched without sound, especially on LinkedIn and Instagram
* **Post the clips spread out over the week** don't post them all at once. Space them out to maximize reach from a single recording

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Hook a Repurposed Clip" icon="bolt" href="/help/guides/creators/hook-repurposed-clip">
    Make your clips feel native to short-form, not like excerpts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Format for Each Platform" icon="mobile-screen" href="/help/guides/creators/format-for-platforms">
    Optimize length, aspect ratio, and captions for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build a Week of Content" icon="calendar" href="/help/guides/creators/week-of-content">
    Turn one recording into a full week of scheduled posts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Shorts reference" icon="book" href="/help/docs/project/ai-shorts">
    Full feature documentation for AI Shorts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>