Creator's Toolkit

YouTube Shorts clip maker

Turn the best moment of a long video into a vertical 9:16 clip for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or TikTok — cut, cropped and ready to upload.

FormatOriginal

Free plan allows clips up to 3 minutes.

Paste a link and your clip preview appears here.

YouTube Shorts Clip Maker: how it works

  1. 1Paste the YouTube link of the long video into EzCutter above.
  2. 2Set the start and end of the moment — Shorts can be up to three minutes.
  3. 3Choose 9:16 and slide the crop window so the subject stays in frame.
  4. 4Download the vertical MP4 and upload it to Shorts, Reels or TikTok.

From long video to Short in one pass

Repurposing long-form content is the fastest way to grow on Shorts, but doing it in a desktop editor means importing a huge file, setting up a vertical sequence and exporting. EzCutter collapses that into one step: pick the moment, pick 9:16, and download a clip that's already the right shape.

It works on podcasts, streams, interviews, tutorials and vlogs — anything where one strong moment can stand on its own.

Crop that keeps the subject in frame

A centre crop isn't always right; the speaker might be on the left of a two-person shot. EzCutter shows the 9:16 crop window over the preview and lets you slide it horizontally, so you choose what stays in the frame. There's also a 1:1 option for square feed posts.

Vertical clips are re-encoded at high quality so they upload cleanly, and they keep the original audio.

Built around Shorts limits

YouTube Shorts accepts vertical videos up to three minutes, and that is exactly the free clip length on EzCutter. Free clips go up to 1080p, which is the resolution Shorts, Reels and TikTok display at. Supporters can export longer vertical clips and higher resolutions for editing.

Frequently asked questions

What aspect ratio do YouTube Shorts use?

Shorts, Reels and TikTok all use vertical 9:16. Choose 9:16 in EzCutter and the clip is cropped to that shape.

How long can a Short be?

YouTube allows Shorts up to three minutes. EzCutter's free plan cuts clips up to three minutes, so any Short fits.

Can I choose which part of the frame is kept?

Yes. Slide the crop window left or right over the preview to keep the subject in frame.

Can I clip any YouTube video?

Use EzCutter for videos you own, videos with a Creative Commons or similar licence, or clips you have permission to reuse. You are responsible for respecting the creator's rights and YouTube's terms. Private and age-restricted videos may not load.

More answers on the EzCutter FAQ.