AAIHow

Clip long videos into social shorts

You'll end up with: 3–5 viral-ready short clips from a single long video

Overview
10–15 min
Beginner
Free to start
2 tools
Cost breakdown
Opus Clip (clipping)Free tier
CapCut (editing tweaks)Free
TotalFree to start
Common mistake

Uploading a video with no clear "hooks" or topic changes. Opus Clip works best when the source video has distinct talking points or moments. If your clips all look the same, try a video with more variety in topics.

Related guides
Clip long videos into social shorts
Before you start
  • A long video (5+ minutes) — YouTube link or MP4 file
  • Free account on Opus Clip — takes 1 minute to sign up
  • No editing experience needed
1

Upload your long video to Opus Clip

Paste a YouTube link or upload an MP4 to let the AI analyze your video

Opus ClipFree tierOpen Opus Clip
Exact action

1. Go to opus.pro and sign in with your Google account 2. On the dashboard, click "Create new clips" 3. Paste your YouTube video URL into the input field — or click "Upload" to drag in an MP4 file 4. Select the target clip length (30s or 60s work best for Reels/Shorts) 5. Click "Get clips" and wait 2–4 minutes for the AI to process

You see a processing spinner and then a list of 5–10 suggested clips with preview thumbnails and AI-assigned "virality scores."
If you get a "video too short" error, your source video needs to be at least 2 minutes long. If processing stalls, refresh the page and try again — occasionally the queue backs up during peak hours.
2

Review and pick the best AI-selected clips

Watch through the generated clips and select your top picks

Opus ClipFree tierOpen Opus Clip
Exact action

1. Click on each clip to preview it in full 2. Look at the "virality score" — clips above 70 tend to perform well 3. Watch for clean start and end points — the AI sometimes cuts mid-sentence 4. Select 3–5 clips by clicking the checkbox next to each one 5. If a clip starts or ends awkwardly, click "Edit" to adjust the trim points by dragging the handles

You have 3–5 clips selected, each with a clean beginning (a hook or question) and a natural ending. No mid-sentence cuts.
If all clips feel low-quality or repetitive, your source video may lack variety. Go back and try a different video with more distinct segments or topics.
3

Customize captions and aspect ratio

Style the auto-generated captions and set the vertical format

Opus ClipFree tierOpen Opus Clip
Exact action

1. Click on a selected clip to open the editor 2. Under "Captions," toggle captions ON if they aren't already 3. Choose a caption style — bold centered text with a highlight color works best for engagement 4. Make sure the aspect ratio is set to 9:16 (vertical) for Shorts/Reels/TikTok 5. Preview the clip to make sure captions are readable and no important visuals are covered 6. Repeat for each selected clip

Each clip shows clean, readable captions overlaid on a 9:16 vertical video. Text doesn't overlap with the speaker's face or important visuals.
If captions are misaligned or show wrong words, click into the transcript editor and manually correct any errors. This is common with technical terms or names.
4

Export and post to social platforms

Download your finished clips and upload them to YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok

CapCutFreeOpen CapCut
Exact action

1. Click "Export" or "Download" on each clip in Opus Clip 2. Choose 1080p resolution (the free tier supports this) 3. Save the MP4 files to your computer 4. Optional: Open a clip in CapCut if you want to add music, transitions, or extra text overlays 5. Upload each clip to your platforms — YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and/or TikTok 6. Add a catchy title, relevant hashtags, and a call to action in the description

You have 3–5 MP4 files on your computer, each under 60 seconds, in 9:16 format with captions. They're uploaded and live on at least one social platform.
If the export has a watermark, you've hit the free tier limit. Opus Clip's free plan includes a limited number of watermark-free exports per month. Wait for your credits to reset or upgrade.

All done!

You now have: 3–5 viral-ready short clips from a single long video

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