--- title: 'Create YouTube Shorts from Long Videos - OpenClip' description: "Use OpenClip's AI to automatically extract YouTube Shorts from long-form videos. Get vertical clips with captions ready to upload in minutes." canonical: 'https://openclip.app/use-cases/create-youtube-shorts' markdown: 'https://openclip.app/use-cases/create-youtube-shorts.md' --- YouTube Shorts # Create YouTube Shorts from Long-Form Videos Automatically OpenClip's AI finds your best moments and converts them into vertical, captioned YouTube Shorts — without touching a timeline editor. content-creation pro ## Scenario A YouTuber publishes long-form videos ranging from 15 to 60 minutes and wants to consistently feed the YouTube Shorts feed to grow a second audience and drive traffic back to their main channel. Manually clipping and reformatting videos is time-consuming, so they need an automated workflow that identifies the strongest moments and outputs Shorts-ready 9:16 clips with captions. ## Workflow 1 ### Upload your long-form YouTube video Paste a link or upload the video file directly to OpenClip. The platform accepts standard video formats and handles files of any length. 2 ### AI scans for Shorts-worthy moments OpenClip's AI engine analyzes the transcript and scores every segment for hook strength, narrative completeness, and viral potential — surfacing the best 5–15 clip candidates. 3 ### Review clip candidates Preview the suggested clips and select the ones you want to export. The AI highlights why each moment was chosen based on engagement scoring. 4 ### Auto-frame and caption Speaker tracking reframes your horizontal footage into a clean 9:16 vertical crop with the speaker centered. Word-level captions are applied automatically with your chosen preset. 5 ### Export and upload to YouTube Download your Shorts-optimized 9:16 clips and upload them directly to the YouTube Shorts tab. Each clip is sized and formatted to meet YouTube's requirements. ## Benefits Convert any long video into 5–15 YouTube Shorts candidates automatically AI identifies the highest-potential moments so you don't have to guess Auto-reframing produces clean vertical crops from horizontal footage Word-level captions increase watch time and accessibility Consistent Shorts output fuels the YouTube algorithm Repurpose your back catalogue for ongoing Shorts content ## Key Metrics 5–15 Shorts generated per video Under 10 min Time to first clip 3–6 hours Time saved vs manual editing 9:16 vertical Output format ## Features ### AI Viral Moment Detection AI scores every segment of your video for hook strength and engagement potential, surfacing the clips most likely to perform on Shorts. ### 9:16 Vertical Export OpenClip automatically reformats your horizontal footage into Shorts-ready 9:16 vertical clips optimized for the YouTube Shorts feed. ### Automatic Speaker Tracking AI face detection keeps the active speaker centered in every vertical crop — no manual keyframing or repositioning needed. ### Word-Level Captions Choose from 10 caption presets that sync to every spoken word. Captions are safe-zone positioned and styled for maximum retention on Shorts. ### Batch Video Processing Upload your entire back catalogue or multiple new uploads at once. OpenClip processes them all and returns clip candidates for each video. ### Feed the Algorithm Consistently Regular Shorts output signals activity to the YouTube algorithm. OpenClip makes it easy to publish multiple Shorts per week from existing content. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does OpenClip publish Shorts directly to YouTube? OpenClip exports your clips as downloadable files optimized for YouTube Shorts. It does not currently support direct publishing to YouTube — you upload the clips yourself through YouTube Studio. ### What length should my YouTube Shorts be? YouTube Shorts must be 60 seconds or under. OpenClip's AI targets clip-worthy segments in that range and flags the strongest self-contained moments that fit the Shorts format. ### My main channel videos are . Will the vertical crop look good? Yes. OpenClip's speaker tracking automatically reframes horizontal footage into a 9:16 vertical crop, keeping the active speaker centered throughout the clip. The result looks intentionally filmed vertical rather than awkwardly cropped. ### Can I use OpenClip to repurpose older videos in my back catalogue? Absolutely. Many creators use OpenClip's batch processing to work through their existing video library and generate a backlog of Shorts from content that's already been published. ### How many Shorts can I generate from a single 30-minute video? OpenClip typically surfaces 5–15 clip candidates per hour of content. A 30-minute video would likely yield 3–8 strong Shorts candidates depending on the density of engaging moments. ### Which caption preset works best for YouTube Shorts? The Beast and Pop presets tend to perform well on YouTube Shorts due to their bold styling and high visibility. All 10 presets support word-level highlighting which is particularly effective for Shorts viewers. ### What plan do I need to process multiple videos per week? The Pro plan is recommended for active YouTubers publishing multiple videos per week. It supports batch processing so you can handle several long-form uploads and their resulting Shorts candidates in one go. ### Can I use this to create Shorts from educational or tutorial videos? Yes. Tutorial and educational content often contains strong self-contained moments — tips, reveals, or demonstrations — that work extremely well as Shorts. OpenClip's AI is effective at identifying these segments. ## Start Turning Your Videos into YouTube Shorts Upload your next long-form video to OpenClip and have Shorts-ready clips in under 10 minutes. [Get Started Free](https://openclip.app/register) ## Related Pages ### Integrations [OBS Studio + OpenClip Integration | AI Clip Repurposing](/integrations/obs-studio) [OpenClip + CapCut Integration | Video Workflow](/integrations/capcut) [TikTok Integration for OpenClip | Export Viral Clips](/integrations/tiktok) ### Examples [Turn Course Videos into Promo Clips](/examples/course-to-promo-clips) [Interview to Highlights | AI Video Editing](/examples/interview-to-highlights) [YouTube to Shorts Converter | Turn Videos into Shorts](/examples/youtube-to-shorts) [YouTube Channel Trailer Clips](/examples/youtube-channel-trailer) [DIY Project Clips](/examples/diy-project-clips) [Gym Class Promo Clips with AI](/examples/gym-class-promos) ### Glossary [Aspect Ratio for Video Explained | OpenClip Glossary](/learn/aspect-ratio) [Video Encoding Explained | OpenClip Glossary](/learn/encoding) [Algorithm Feed Explained | OpenClip Glossary](/learn/algorithm-feed) [Green Screen in Video Production](/learn/green-screen) [What Is a Shadowban? | OpenClip Glossary](/learn/shadowban) [Short-Form Content Explained | OpenClip Glossary](/learn/short-form-content) ### Use Cases [Turn Church Sermons into Social Clips](/use-cases/church-sermon-clips) [Auto-Detect Viral Moments in Long Videos](/use-cases/auto-detect-viral-moments) [Brand Awareness Shorts with AI Video Clips](/use-cases/brand-awareness-shorts) [Create Social Media Clips from Long Videos](/use-cases/create-social-media-clips) [Create TikTok Content from Long Videos](/use-cases/create-tiktok-content) [Turn Video Podcasts into YouTube Shorts](/use-cases/video-podcast-to-shorts) ### Who It's For [OpenClip for TikTok Creators | AI Video Clipping Tool](/for/tiktok-creators) [OpenClip for YouTubers | AI Video Clip Generator](/for/youtubers) [OpenClip for Course Creators | AI Video Repurposing](/for/course-creators) [OpenClip for Social Media Managers | AI Video Repurposing](/for/social-media-managers) ### Templates [Vertical Video Template for TikTok, Reels & Shorts](/templates/vertical-video-template) [9:16 Vertical Video Template](/templates/9-16-vertical-template) [YouTube Shorts Template | OpenClip AI Video Repurposing](/templates/youtube-shorts-template) [Batch Video Processing Template](/templates/batch-processing-template) ### Alternatives [Munch (GetMunch) Alternatives in 2026: Where to Go Now](/alternatives/munch-alternatives) ### Guides [Hook Optimization Guide: Keep Viewers Watching](/guides/hook-optimization-guide) ### Related Workflows [OpenClip for Coaches & Consultants on YouTube](/for/coaches-consultants/youtube) [OpenClip for Course Creators + YouTube Shorts](/for/course-creators/youtube-shorts-template)