How to Get Clips for YouTube Shorts

Finding great clips for YouTube Shorts is one of the biggest bottlenecks for creators, but it doesn’t have to slow you down. Whether you’re sitting on a goldmine of long-form videos or starting from scratch, there are countless ways to source high-impact, vertical clips that will stop the scroll. This guide will walk you through the exact strategies top creators use, from repurposing your existing content to creating fresh clips designed to capture attention from the very first second.

Repurpose Your Long-Form Content like a Pro

Your existing long-form videos, podcasts, and livestreams are the most valuable and overlooked source for YouTube Shorts. You've already done the hard work of creating the content, now it's time to find the highlights and give them a second life. Think of it as mining for gold - the gems are already there, you just need to extract them.

What Makes a Moment "Clip-Worthy"?

As you re-watch your content, keep an eye out for moments that can stand on their own. Not every segment will work, so you need to be selective. Look for:

• Strong Emotional Reactions: A genuine laugh, a moment of surprise, a gasp, or a display of deep frustration. Emotion is contagious and makes for a great hook.
• Clear Punchlines or Resolutions: A joke with a clear setup and punchline, or a problem that gets solved in a satisfying way.
• Actionable Tips & Quick Tutorials: If you presented one solid piece of advice that a viewer can immediately use, that's a perfect clip. Isolate that single tip and make it the focus.
• Confrontational or Debatable Opinions: A strong, controversial-yet-reasoned take on a topic can spark conversation in the comments section, which is a powerful signal to the YouTube algorithm.
• Shocking Statistics or "Aha!" Moments: Did you share a mind-blowing fact that made your audience pause? Those moments of discovery are highly shareable.

How to Easily Clip from Your YouTube Videos

YouTube has a built-in feature designed for this exact purpose, making it incredibly simple to grab a short segment from any public video (yours or someone else's).

1. Navigate to the long-form YouTube video you want to clip.
2. Below the video player, look for the "Clip" button (it looks like a pair of scissors).
3. A clipping timeline will appear on the right. Drag the blue box to select the segment you want, up to 60 seconds long.
4. Give your clip a title. This title will appear when others share the clip.
5. Click "Share clip," then copy the link. While this doesn't directly download the video, it creates a shareable link to that specific moment, and you can use a third-party tool to download that specific segment for re-uploading as a Short.

For more control, you can use simple video editing software. Download your own YouTube video, import it into an editor like CapCut or Premiere Pro, find the timestamp of the perfect moment, and slice it out.

Create Natively for the Shorts Feed

While repurposing is efficient, some of the most successful Shorts are created specifically for the vertical format. This approach allows you to tailor your content to the snappy, fast-paced nature of the Shorts feed from the very beginning.

Ideation for Vertical Video

When you're filming specifically for Shorts, think in terms of quick, complete ideas. The goal isn't depth, it's impact. Here are some proven concepts:

• Answer a Single Question: Take a common question from your comments or a frequently asked question in your niche and dedicate a Short to answering it clearly and concisely.
• Hyper-Specific How-Tos: Don't teach someone how to bake a whole cake. Show them how to perfectly frost one cupcake. Break down one tiny, useful step from a larger process.
• Behind-the-Scenes Peeks: Show a messy desk, a successful project, a failed attempt, or your creative process. Audiences love authenticity and seeing the 'real' work that goes into your content.
• Before-and-After Transformations: This format is visually satisfying and works for almost any niche, from fitness and home improvement to art and design.
• Tell a Quick Story: Frame your clip with "Here's the time I accidentally..." or "One mistake I'll never make again is..." Personal narratives build connection quickly.

Technical Best Practices for Filming Shorts

Getting the technicals right makes a huge difference in perceived quality. Follow these simple rules:

• Always Film Vertically: This sounds obvious, but it's the number one rule. A horizontal video with black bars on the top and bottom looks out of place and performs poorly. Your phone is already optimized for this.
• Get Your Hook in the First 1-2 Seconds: The Shorts feed is ruthless. You need to present the core idea or question immediately. Use on-screen text like "You're Cleaning Your Keyboard Wrong" or start with an action. Don't waste time with a long intro or logo.
• Prioritize Good Audio: People will forgive mediocre video quality, but they won't tolerate bad audio. If you don't have an external microphone, film in a quiet room, close to your phone, to minimize echo and background noise.

Use Content From Other Creators (Ethically)

Leveraging other creators' content can be a fantastic way to generate reaction Clips, join trends, and offer your unique commentary. However, you must do this responsibly to avoid copyright strikes and respect the original creator's work.

Reaction and Commentary Clips

Reaction content is wildly popular. The key is to make it transformative, meaning you're not just re-uploading someone else's video. You must add significant value through your own commentary, analysis, or humor. A good rule of thumb is to ensure your presence (whether on-camera or via a voiceover) is a substantial part of the Short.

Here’s a simple format:

1. Use a "picture-in-picture" layout where the original video plays in a small box while you react on camera.
2. Constantly pause the original clip to add your thoughts, insights, or jokes.
3. Focus on adding value. Does your commentary explain something complex? Does it make the original clip funnier? Make sure you bring a new perspective.

Crediting and Permission: The Golden Rule

Fair Use can be a tricky legal concept. The safest and most ethical approach is always to give clear, visible credit to the original creator. Tag their channel in your Short's title or description (e.g., "Clip from @CreatorHandle").

Even better: ask for permission beforehand! A quick DM saying, "Hey, loved this clip from your latest video - do you mind if I share it in a Short with full credit?" goes a long way. Not only does this protect you, but it's also a great way to network with other creators.

Leverage Stock Footage and Other Media

You don't always need to show your face or film your own world to create a compelling Short. By combining stock video, text overlays, and a strong voiceover, you can tell powerful stories. This is perfect for educational, motivational, or narrative-driven content.

Where to Find High-Quality Free Clips

There are several amazing resources for royalty-free video clips that you can use commercially without attribution (though it's always a nice gesture).

• Pexels: A vast library of both video and photos with a very simple license.
• Pixabay: Similar to Pexels, with a huge collection of user-uploaded clips.
• Mixkit: Offers high-quality stock video clips, sound effects, and music tracks under a clear, free license.

How to Turn Stock Clips into a Story

Individual stock clips are just ingredients. Your job as a creator is to combine them into a cohesive narrative.

1. Write a short script first. This can be just a few sentences that you'll use for on-screen text or a voiceover.
2. Find clips that match your script. If you're talking about focus, search for clips of a person working intensely or a close-up of a clock.
3. Add text overlays. Using a simple editor, add short, punchy text to guide the viewer through the narrative. Make sure the text is large and easy to read on a mobile screen.
4. Use trending audio or a voiceover. Adding a trending sound can help your Short get discovered, while a personal voiceover builds a much stronger connection with the audience.

Optimize Every Clip Before You Post

Getting the clip is the first step. Polishing it for the Shorts algorithm and viewer experience is equally important.

• Add Subtitles (Always): A huge percentage of users watch videos on their phone with the sound off. If your Short has any talking, you need to add captions. YouTube can auto-generate captions, or you can bake them directly into the video using editing apps like CapCut, which often provides more stylistic control.
• Choose Your Audio Wisely: Using audio from YouTube's official Shorts library can increase your visibility. Tap the "Sound" icon when creating a Short to browse trending music and sound bites. The combination of your unique video and a popular sound is a proven formula for success.
• Keep It Under 30 Seconds: While you can create a Short up to 60 seconds long, viewer retention is a massive ranking factor. The shorter your video, the easier it is for viewers to watch it multiple times, which signals to the algorithm that your content is engaging. Aim for the 7-15 second range for maximum impact.

Final Thoughts

Finding great clips for YouTube Shorts comes down to a simple formula: repurpose what you have, create what you need with a vertical-first mindset, and always optimize your final cut for the fast-paced viewing environment. By pulling from your livestreams, finding the best moments in your uploads, or shooting fresh content, you can build a consistent flow of high-quality Shorts that will attract a whole new audience to your channel.

Once you get into a groove sourcing and creating clips, managing them across different platforms can quickly become a challenge. This is where planning becomes so valuable. Our own tool, Postbase, was built specifically for today's video-first creators. We designed a visual calendar that lets you see your entire Shorts, Reels, and TikTok schedule at a glance, making it easy to plan content and spot gaps. You can create your video once and schedule it everywhere, saving you countless hours so you can focus on what really matters: creating more amazing clips.