YouTube Shorts From Long Videos: How to Cut Them in 6 Steps
To make YouTube Shorts from a long video, pick moments that make sense on their own (a tip, a surprising point, a quick demo), cut each to a single idea, open with a new hook in the first second, reframe to vertical, add captions, and link the Short to the full video. One long video can usually give you three to five Shorts.
Why cut Shorts from your long videos?
Because the hard work is already done. You researched the topic, wrote the script and recorded it. Shorts let the best parts of that work reach people who don’t watch long videos yet, and point some of them back to the full version.
It also solves the blank page for Shorts. Instead of inventing short ideas separately, every long video becomes the source for a handful. This is the same principle as content repurposing across platforms: develop the idea once, then rebuild it for each format.
Shorts can be vertical or square and up to three minutes long. Most clips cut from long videos work best much shorter, often under a minute, because they carry one idea.
How do you find the best moments for Shorts?
Look for parts of the video that pass one test: would this make sense to someone who never saw the rest? Good candidates:
| Moment type | Example | Why it works as a Short |
|---|---|---|
| A single tip | “Batch your thumbnails on Sunday” | Complete in itself, useful right away |
| A surprising claim you back up | A point that contradicts common advice | Creates a reason to keep watching |
| A quick demo | Showing one setting or one technique | Visual and short by nature |
| A mistake and its fix | “If your intro runs long, cut this” | Clear problem, clear payoff |
| A strong opinion | Your take on a debate in your niche | Invites comments |
| A list item | One point from a “5 things” video | Easy to make into a series |
Skip moments that depend on context from earlier (“as I said before”), long setups, and sections that only work with the visuals that came before them.
If you script your videos, you can plan Shorts before recording. Our YouTube script template builds each chapter around one point, which makes those chapters easy to cut later.
How do you turn a moment into a Short in six steps?
1. Cut to one idea
Trim the clip so it starts as close to the point as possible and ends right after the payoff. Remove filler words, pauses and anything that refers to other parts of the video.
2. Write a new hook
The first second of a Short decides whether people keep watching. The line that opened this section in the long video rarely works as an opener. Add a new first line, spoken or as on-screen text, that states the promise or the problem: “Your first 10 seconds are losing viewers. Here’s why.” Our hooks for social media templates have mistake, promise and contrarian types that suit Shorts.
3. Reframe to vertical
Crop a horizontal video to 9:16, keeping the speaker or the action in the frame. For screen recordings, zoom into the part that matters instead of shrinking the whole screen.
4. Add captions
Many people watch with the sound off. Burned-in captions or YouTube’s own captions make the Short readable either way. Keep them large and away from the bottom of the frame, where the app’s buttons sit.
5. Add a short ending
End on the payoff or a single line pointing to the full video. A long outro wastes the seconds where people decide to swipe.
6. Link the full video
When you upload, connect the Short to the long video it came from using the related video option, so viewers can tap through. Give the Short its own title that describes its single idea.
What tools can you use to cut Shorts?
Any video editor that can crop and add captions works. YouTube’s own app can also make a Short from one of your existing videos, which is enough for simple cuts. For faceless channels built on screen recordings or voiceover, the editor you already use for long videos usually handles vertical exports too. Our faceless YouTube channel ideas pair formats with simple production setups.
The slow part is rarely the editing. It’s deciding which moments to cut and writing new hooks. Doing that on paper first, from the script or a transcript, saves time in the editor.
How often should you post Shorts cut from long videos?
Spread them out. If you publish one long video a week and cut four Shorts from it, posting one every couple of days keeps the channel active between uploads and keeps sending people back to the long video. Plan them in your content calendar template right after the long video, so each week has a pillar piece and its Shorts.
The same clips often work as Instagram Reels and TikToks. Rewrite the hook text for each platform and check each app’s caption and length rules before posting.
FAQ
How many Shorts can you get from one long video?
It depends on the video. A tips or list video can give five or more. A long story with one payoff might give only one or two. Count the moments that pass the “makes sense alone” test.
Do Shorts hurt your long-form videos?
They are a different format with a different audience on the same channel. Some creators find Shorts viewers rarely watch long videos, others find them a good entry point. Linking each Short to its source video gives interested viewers a clear path.
Should Shorts have different titles from the long video?
Yes. Each Short covers one idea, so its title should describe that idea. Reusing the long video’s title confuses viewers about what the Short contains.
Can you cut Shorts if you don’t show your face?
Yes. Screen recordings, voiceover clips and text-on-screen moments crop well to vertical. Keep your voice and on-screen text style consistent with your long videos, using the rules in your brand voice guidelines.
Get Shorts planned with every script. The YouTube module writes long-form scripts in your voice, on camera or faceless, with titles and thumbnail briefs, and then cuts three to five Shorts from each script with their own hooks. Nexin writes; you record, edit and upload. See pricing.