YouTube Video Cutter and Clip Cutter: Keep Only the Part You Need
Paste a YouTube link, drag the handles or pick a chapter, and the video cutter saves just that part. Export it as MP4, GIF or MP3, reframed to 9:16, 4:5 or square for the app you post to, with the video's captions burned in if you like.
Download only videos you made or have permission to use. Tube Snip shows each video's license so you can check before you reuse it.
Understand any video without watching all of it
Each tool runs on the video you fetched. Costs are in credits; guests get a few free runs every day, and every account starts with free credits.
Fixes for the things that annoy you on other downloaders
We tested the popular sites and wrote down what went wrong. Each row below is something Tube Snip handles for you.
| What you need | Tube Snip | Typical downloader |
|---|---|---|
| Paste a bare video IDLike PdQ4n7wXy0s with no link around it | Works | "Something went wrong" |
| Share straight from the YouTube appInstall Tube Snip, then Share → Tube Snip | One tap | Copy, switch apps, paste |
| Sound in HD and 4K filesYouTube stores picture and sound separately in HD | Always merged | Silent files, unlabeled |
| An actual MP3Not an M4A renamed in the menu | MP3 128–320 kbps | M4A / WebA only |
| Just one part of a videoCut by time or by chapter, as MP4, GIF or MP3 | Built in | Download it all, edit later |
| AI transcript, summary and notesOn the same video, in the same window | 10 AI tools | Separate paid sites |
| Whole playlist at once | Pick videos, one queue | One by one |
| Error messages you can read | Says what to fix | Generic, wrong language |
Most people download a video to make something with it
So the next step sits in the same window. Run it on the video you already fetched.
Turn a long video into Shorts
Hook finder spots the best moments, then Snip a clip cuts them as 9:16.
Learn from a video without rewatching
Get the transcript, a timestamped summary, or study notes in seconds.
Ship your own uploads faster
Titles, tags, description and chapters from your own video, ready to paste.
Downloading is free. AI runs on credits.
Every download tool is free for everyone. Pay only when you want AI to read the video for you.
Need more credits? Add a pack any time.
Pack credits never expire and stack on any plan.How many credits each AI tool usesBest quality uses 2×
- ✓ Cancel any time
- ✓ Unused pack credits never expire
- ✓ Secure checkout
- ✓ Prices in USD, taxes shown at checkout
Updated
How to cut a YouTube video in 3 steps
- Paste the video link above and open the Clip tab. The real YouTube player loads with a filmstrip of frames from the video underneath.
- Set the start and end. Drag the handles, type exact times (to a tenth of a second), pick a chapter from the list, or tap Most replayed to jump to the part viewers rewatch most, when YouTube has that data. Use Zoom for a frame-accurate trim.
- Pick where you'll post it and tap Save clip. Choose one platform or several; each gets its own file in the right shape, all made from one download.
A link with a start time, like a youtu.be link ending in ?t=95, opens straight in the clip tab at that moment.
One clip, the right shape for every app
Each preset sets the frame and trims the clip to that platform's longest allowed length:
| Preset | Shape | Longest clip |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 vertical | 10 minutes |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 vertical | 3 minutes |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 vertical | 3 minutes |
| Stories (Instagram, Facebook) | 9:16 vertical | 60 seconds |
| WhatsApp Status, Snapchat Spotlight | 9:16 vertical | 60 seconds |
| Feed post (Instagram, Facebook) | 4:5 | No limit |
| Square (LinkedIn, Facebook, X) | 1:1 | No limit |
| 2:3 | No limit | |
| X (Twitter) | 16:9 | 140 seconds |
| 16:9 | 10 minutes | |
| Original | Same shape as the video | No limit |
| GIF | Same shape, no sound | 15 seconds |
| MP3 audio | Sound only | No limit |
Pick TikTok, Reels and Shorts together and you get three files from one cut. When two platforms need exactly the same file, it's made once and copied, so it's quick.
Fill the frame or show everything
Turning a wide video into a vertical one means choosing what to keep:
- Fill the frame crops the sides so the picture fills the whole phone screen. Drag the box on the video to choose what stays in view, like the speaker's face instead of the empty middle.
- Show everything keeps the whole wide picture and fills the space above and below with a soft blur of the same video. Good for screen recordings, slides and group shots.
A live preview shows each version before you save.
Captions burned in
Most social video is watched with the sound off. Switch on Burn in captions and the clip gets white subtitles with a black outline, taken from the video's own subtitles and timed to your clip. Vertical clips get their captions placed higher, clear of the app's buttons. Videos without subtitles say so, and the switch has nothing to add.
Where the clip goes
iPhone and iPad
Safari saves the clip to the Files app, in Downloads. Open it, tap Share → Save Video to put it in Photos, then post it from Instagram or TikTok like any video you filmed.
Android
Chrome saves to Downloads, and the clip appears in your gallery and Google Photos within seconds, ready to pick from TikTok or Instagram.
Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Clips land in your Downloads folder, named after the video, the platform and the start time, for example "my-video-tiktok-0135-0205.mp4". They import straight into CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci Resolve.
What happened to YouTube's Clip button?
YouTube's own Clip button (the scissors under a video) made a 5 to 60 second link that plays the moment on YouTube (YouTube Help). Since April 2026 YouTube has been replacing it with Share at timestamp, which links to a start time with no end, and on many videos the button is gone. Either way, a clip link was never a file: it plays only on YouTube and can't change shape. A video cutter gives you a real MP4, GIF or MP3 you can edit, post anywhere or keep.
How long can a clip be, and in what quality?
- Free: clips up to 60 seconds, as many as you like within 20 downloads an hour.
- Creator and Studio: longer clips, up to each platform's own limit.
- Quality: clips are cut from the 1080p stream (or the best below it) and saved as H.264 MP4 with AAC sound, which every app accepts. GIFs are 12 frames a second and loop. Clip MP3s are cut from the same download.
Cutting YouTube clips: Tube Snip vs other tools
When we asked Google's AI Overview for the best tool to cut a clip from a YouTube video in October 2026, it pointed to YouTube Studio's own editor for your own videos and to online editors for everything else. Each tool's facts below were checked on its own website on 19 October 2026.
| Tool | What it is | Price | Install | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tube Snip | Web app | Free for clips up to 60 seconds; longer clips on paid plans from $9/month | Nothing | Cutting from a YouTube link to MP4, GIF or MP3, with 9:16 framing and captions, for every app at once | Free clips are capped at 60 seconds |
| YouTube Studio editor | Built into YouTube Studio | Free | Nothing | Trimming your own uploaded video without re-uploading: the URL, views and comments stay | Only your own videos; it changes the video itself instead of making a new file |
| VEED | Online video editor | Free to start, no credit card | Nothing | Full editing: text, music, subtitles and effects on your clip | You download the YouTube video first, then upload it |
| OpusClip | AI clipping web app | Starter $15/month, free trial | Nothing | Letting AI pick many short clips from a long video | Importing from YouTube and other links is listed for its Pro plan |
Pick by situation. To trim your own published video, YouTube Studio. To cut an exact moment from any YouTube link into a ready file, Tube Snip. For heavy editing, VEED. For dozens of AI-picked clips a week, OpusClip.
More than a clip cutter
- The whole video: the YouTube video downloader saves 144p to 4K with sound.
- The whole audio: YouTube to MP3 at up to 320 kbps.
- Not sure which part to cut? The Shorts ideas finder points to the strongest moments, and each one opens here with one tap.
- A full Short, as posted: the Shorts downloader saves any Short as vertical MP4.
- Subtitles as a file: the subtitle downloader saves SRT for your editor.
Why a clip fails, and the fix
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Clips over 60 seconds need Creator" | The free clip length limit | Shorten the selection, or upgrade |
| "Pick where you will post it first" | No platform chosen | Tick at least one preset, or Original |
| "This video has no subtitles to use" | The video has no captions | Save the clip without burned-in captions |
| The face is cut off in 9:16 | Fill the frame crops the sides | Drag the frame box, or use Show everything |
| The player says the video can't play here | The owner blocked embedding | The filmstrip still works; set times from it |
Who uses it
- Creators turn their own long videos into Shorts, Reels and TikToks in one pass.
- Podcasters cut the best 45 seconds of an episode with captions burned in.
- Teachers save the two minutes of a documentary they need for class.
- Social media managers export a square for LinkedIn and a vertical for Stories from the same webinar.
Safe to use, and the rules
Everything runs in your browser: no app, no extension and no sign-up to cut clips. There are no pop-ups or fake buttons; free users see clearly labelled ad slots, paid plans see none.
Cut clips from your own videos, Creative Commons videos and videos you have permission to use. Posting someone else's footage as your own breaks YouTube's terms and often copyright law. Commentary and quotation have their own rules that depend on your country.
Questions about this tool
How do I cut a part of a YouTube video?
Paste the link, open the Clip tab, set the start and end by dragging, typing or picking a chapter, then choose a platform and tap Save clip.
Is the YouTube video cutter free?
Yes. Free clips can be up to 60 seconds, with up to 20 downloads an hour and no account needed. Creator and Studio allow longer clips.
Can I make a vertical 9:16 clip for Shorts, Reels or TikTok?
Yes. Pick the platform and the clip is reframed to 9:16. Drag the frame to choose what stays in view, or keep the whole picture with a blurred background.
Can I add captions to my clip?
Yes. Switch on Burn in captions and the video's own subtitles are added to the clip, timed to your cut.
Can I download a YouTube clip as a GIF or MP3?
Yes. GIF clips loop, have no sound and can be up to 15 seconds. MP3 saves only the sound of the part you chose.
How precise is the cut?
Start and end can be set to a tenth of a second, and Zoom shows the timeline around your selection for exact trims.
What is the difference with YouTube's Clip button?
YouTube's Clip button made a 5 to 60 second link that plays only on YouTube, and since April 2026 YouTube has been replacing it with Share at timestamp. A video cutter gives you a real file you can edit and post anywhere.
Can I post clips from other people's videos?
Only from your own videos, Creative Commons videos or with the owner's permission. Rules on commentary and quotation depend on your country.
Before you download
Why do some downloaders give me HD video with no sound?
In HD, YouTube serves picture and sound as two separate streams. Tube Snip downloads both and joins them, so every file in the Video tab plays with audio.
Can I paste just the video ID?
Yes. Paste the 11 characters after v= and it works the same as a full link. Shorts links, youtu.be links, embed links and links with a start time all work too.
How do I share a video from the YouTube app?
Install Tube Snip from your browser menu ("Add to Home screen" or "Install app"). Then in the YouTube app tap Share and pick Tube Snip; the video opens here, ready to download or summarise.
What are credits?
Credits pay for AI work. A transcript costs a few credits and a script blueprint costs more; the table above shows each tool. Downloading never uses credits. Unused monthly credits do not roll over; credit packs never expire.
Is downloading YouTube videos allowed?
Download your own videos and videos you have permission to use. Each result shows the video's license. Creative Commons videos can be reused with credit; standard-license videos need the creator's permission. We remove videos after valid copyright requests.
Which AI models do you use?
We route each tool to the model that does it best, from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. Best quality uses a stronger model and costs twice the credits.