Cut a clip in three steps
To trim a YouTube video, all you need is its link and the times where your clip should start and stop.
- Paste the link.
In the YouTube app, tap Share and then Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar. Paste it into the box above and press Clip it to load the video.
- Set the start and end.
Drag the two handles on the timeline, or type the times if you know them, for example 12:05 to 12:40. Play the preview to check you caught the right moment.
- Choose a format and press Create.
Create makes the clip. MP4 plays almost everywhere. When the clip is ready, press Download.
Stuck on a step, or cutting on a phone for the first time? The step-by-step guide covers Android, iPhone and the usual problems.
Download only the part of a YouTube video you need
Most YouTube downloaders save the whole video. Want 40 seconds from a 90-minute stream? You end up with 90 minutes of footage on your phone, and you still have to open an editor to cut it down.
YT Video Cutter works differently. Our server fetches only the section between your start and end times, cuts it there and sends you the clip. You only wait for your section to be processed, and your phone downloads a short file instead of the full video. For scale: a 90-minute video in HD can take up a gigabyte or more, while a 40-second clip is usually a few megabytes.
| Full video downloader | YT Video Cutter | |
|---|---|---|
| What you download | The entire video | Only the section you marked |
| Storage used | The whole file | Just the clip |
| What you get | A long file you still need to trim | A clip ready to share, edit or upload |
What this YouTube video cutter does
Type 1:02:15 as the start and that's where the clip begins. Dragging works too, but typed times are exact.
Normal watch links, short youtu.be links, Shorts and the replay of a finished livestream all load the same way.
The preview plays your selection, so you can fix the start time before you create the clip.
There's no logo on your clip, no ads on the page and no redirect when you press Download. You may see an offer for Premium; close it and carry on.
Close the tab or lose your connection and the clip keeps processing on our server.
Finished clips are removed from our server automatically. We don't keep a library of what anyone cuts.
Works on Android, iPhone and desktop
The editor is made for small screens, so you can cut a YouTube video on your phone as easily as on a laptop.
copy the link from the YouTube app, paste it here in Chrome, and the clip saves to your Downloads folder.
use Safari, choose MP4, and the clip saves to the Files app, from where you can save it to Photos.
any current browser works, and the file saves to your Downloads folder.
Full phone instructions, including where each file ends up, are in the how-to guide.
Formats and quality
Pick the format before you press Create. When you don't know where the clip will end up, choose MP4.
| Format | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 | Video | Phones, editing apps, Shorts, Reels, TikTok and WhatsApp |
| M4A, MP3, WebM, AAC, Opus, OGG | Audio only | When you need the sound without the picture |
Free clips go up to 480p, and Premium goes up to 1080p. One limit applies to everyone: a clip can't be sharper than the original upload. If a creator posted in 720p, 1080p won't show up for that video.
What people use a YouTube clipper for
If you run a channel, cut the best 30 seconds of a long upload and turn it into a Short, a Reel or a TikTok. The cutter keeps the original shape, so make it vertical in your editing app.
Keep the ten minutes of a lecture you actually need to rewatch before an exam.
Save the exact answer you want to quote, so you can play it again without searching the whole episode.
A clip saved as a file plays in your slides even without Wi-Fi.
Mark the minute that matters and skip the rest.
Use your clips the right way
YT Video Cutter works with public YouTube videos. What you do with a clip is your responsibility. Cut videos you made or have permission to use, and respect the creator's rights and YouTube's Terms of Service.
Using a short part for teaching, commentary or review is not the same as re-uploading someone else's video, and the rules are different in each country. Read our copyright disclaimer. If you own a video and think a clip breaks your rights, use the copyright report form.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clip just a part of a YouTube video?
Copy the video's link, paste it into the box at the top of this page and press Clip it. Set the start and end times with the handles or by typing them, choose MP4 and press Create. The part you marked downloads as its own file.
Is YT Video Cutter free?
Yes. Cutting a clip up to 480p is free, with no sign-up and no watermark. Premium is optional and adds quality up to 1080p, Multi-Clip and no waiting in the free queue.
Is this the same as YouTube's Clip button?
No. YouTube's Clip button makes a link that plays a short section inside YouTube. You can share that link, but you never get a file. Here you get the section itself as an MP4 or another format, which is what people usually want from a YouTube clip downloader.
How long does my clip stay available?
Download it as soon as it's ready. Free clips are deleted from our server after 10 minutes, Premium clips after 45 minutes.
Can I cut several parts of the same video at once?
Yes, with Multi-Clip on Premium. Add each section's start and end time, press Create once, and download every clip together. It works like a YouTube video splitter for long recordings. On the free plan, cut them one after another.
Is a YouTube trimmer the same as a cutter or a clipper?
For this job, yes. A YouTube trimmer, cutter or clipper all give you one section of a video as its own file. The exception is the trim tool in YouTube Studio, which edits your own upload on YouTube and gives you no file.
How long can my clip be?
As long as you like, from a few seconds up to the whole video.
Is it safe to use?
Yes. There's nothing to install, no account to create and no ads or redirects on the page. Your clip is deleted from our server automatically after you've had time to download it.
Can it make vertical clips for Shorts?
No. The cutter keeps the video's original shape. Cut your section here, then make it vertical (9:16) in your editing app. If the long video is on your own channel, YouTube's "Edit into a Short" option can also do it.
Does cutting lower the video quality?
The clip comes out at the quality you choose, up to the original upload's quality and your plan's limit. We don't add a watermark or upscale it.
What if a video won't load?
Most often the video isn't public: private, members-only, age-restricted and removed videos can't be cut. The troubleshooting table in our guide covers the other causes.
Need the words rather than the picture? The YouTube transcript generator gives you a video's captions as text with timestamps.
Paste your link at the top of the page and cut the part you want.