How to Clip a YouTube Video: Share a Highlight or Export an Edit

To share a highlight from a YouTube video, select Clip, choose a 5–60-second section and share the link. For a separate video file to post on Shorts, TikTok or Reels, use an editor and footage you own or have permission to publish.

YouTube's native Clip plays a section of the original video. It is useful for sending someone a moment to watch, while an exported edit gives you a standalone file to upload elsewhere.

For paid clipping briefs, start with Content Rewards. Brands and agencies specify the footage, format and posting destination they need. The steps below cover sharing a YouTube highlight, trimming your own upload and making a separate edit for that kind of work.

Choose the right workflow

Use Clip to share a highlight inside the original video, YouTube Studio to trim your own existing upload, and a separate editor to create a new file with captions or different framing.

A funny interview answer for a group chat suits Clip. Removing dead air from your uploaded interview suits Studio. Three vertical highlights for a brand call for an editing project using an authorized source file.

Create a YouTube Clip on desktop

Open the video on YouTube and look for Clip, marked by a scissors icon in the actions below the video. Its position can vary with the interface.

Drag the timeline handles to select 5 to 60 seconds. Play the section back, checking that the first sentence makes sense on its own and the ending completes the thought.

Complete the requested details, select Share clip and copy the link or choose a sharing destination. Open the link once to check that it plays the moment you intended.

YouTube's official Clips guide covers availability and sharing if the option or result differs from what you expect.

If you cannot find the Clip button

The creator may have disabled clipping, or the video may be ineligible for the feature. Check the video's available actions and the official guide for the source's restrictions.

For live streams, clipping depends on DVR and the stream's timeframe. Some Clips become playable after the stream ends and the video is available.

Create a Clip in the YouTube mobile app

Open the video in the YouTube app. Below Subscribe, slide across the action row until you find Clip.

Drag the handles to choose a 5–60-second section, preview it and tap Share clip. Copy the link or select where you want to send it.

You can return to saved Clips through the Clips library. The official guide describes where to find it in the You tab and Studio.

Make the selected moment understandable

Keep enough setup for viewers to understand who or what the speaker means, and include any qualification that changes the point. A good excerpt lets the viewer follow a complete thought.

If the explanation needs more than 60 seconds, share the original video with a timestamp or make a separate authorized edit.

What happens when the original video changes?

YouTube says Clips are removed when the original video is deleted or made private. Clips from unlisted videos can remain available. Because the highlight depends on its source, check important shared links after a source change.

Changing a thumbnail leaves the video ID intact. For changes to the video itself, test the Clip link afterwards to see how it plays.

Trim your own uploaded video in YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio can trim the beginning, middle or end of your own upload. YouTube's trimming guide confirms that the URL, views and comments stay in place. The feature applies to videos shorter than six hours, with additional restrictions listed in the guide.

Open YouTube Studio, select Content and choose the video. Open Editor, then Trim & cut. To trim an end, adjust the blue box so it covers the portion you want to keep. Preview the edit before saving.

To remove a middle section, choose New Cut and mark the portion to remove. Preview the join so the sentence and sound flow naturally, then confirm the cut and save.

Save carefully

Keep your original source file and check the preview carefully. Since June 2025, YouTube no longer lets you undo saved Studio editor changes through Revert to original.

Once processing finishes, play the edited section on the normal video page. If the save fails, use the editor's error message to find the relevant troubleshooting instructions.

Export a separate clip from authorized footage

Import footage you own or have permission to edit and publish. For client work, ask for the original file and confirm that the intended use covers any music or other material included in it.

Mark the section and make a rough cut, then adjust framing, captions and pacing for the destination. Keep the speaker's meaning intact as you shorten the answer.

Watch the finished export on a phone. Check sound, captions, the opening and ending, and text that might sit behind the app's interface. Deliver the requested format and keep the project available for revisions.

Tools that can help

OpusClip can suggest short sections from longer videos and help with captions and reframing. Review the suggested cuts for context and caption accuracy before exporting.

Riverside combines recording, editing and repurposing, which can suit your own interviews or podcasts. Kapwing and VEED offer browser trimming and editing. Choose the tool that handles your files and export needs, then check its current limits and pricing.

If you already know the moment you want, start with a simple manual cut. Automated selection is most useful when you need help finding moments in a longer recording.

A practical editing example

Suppose an authorized interview contains a two-minute answer about a product feature. Start with the sentence that explains its benefit, then keep the demonstration and any qualification needed to understand it. Cut unrelated setup and pauses.

For a vertical version, keep the person or product visible and leave room for captions. Show diagrams at a readable size, and end once the explanation is complete.

Label alternate openings, languages or platform versions clearly so the reviewer can give feedback on the right file.

How paid clipping through Content Rewards works

Content Rewards connects clippers with campaigns run by brands and agencies. The operator supplies the brief and reviews submissions, while the platform handles the campaign workflow. Choose a campaign whose footage and format suit the edits you can make.

Before editing, read the approved-source instructions, account requirements, posting destination and deadline. They tell you which material to use and what you need to deliver.

The current payment guide covers CPM, per-post and retainer campaigns. For CPM, check the minimum views, per-clip cap, budget and earning window. Approval, fees and settlement timing affect the final amount and when you can withdraw it.

At a hypothetical $1 CPM, 20,000 qualifying views calculate $20 before fees, subject to those conditions. Compare that with the time the edit will take and the campaign's maximum payout before starting.

After posting, submit the correct link by the deadline. Follow its review status in Content Rewards and keep the payment record once it settles.

Frequently asked questions

Is a YouTube Clip a downloadable video?

The native Clip feature creates a shareable link. For a separate video file, use an editor with footage you are authorized to publish.

Can I turn a Clip into a Short?

YouTube supports remixing from eligible sources, and source owners can convert their own Clips with the available tools. Check the options offered for the video you want to use.

Will trimming my upload remove its views?

Studio trimming preserves the URL, views and comments. Preview the edit and keep your original file, because saved changes cannot be undone through Revert to original.

Can I earn money just by sharing a Clip link?

A campaign brief determines the paid deliverable. If it requests a TikTok, Reel or Short, publish that format and submit its link. A YouTube highlight link only qualifies when the agreement specifically asks for one.

Which tool should I use first?

Choose Clip for a highlight link, Studio for trimming your own upload, or an editor for a standalone file.