YouTube is making it easier for creators to convert long content into short

YouTube is trying to make it even easier for the platform’s TikTok competitor to convert their long videos into shorts, by adding a new “edit in a short” tool to its iOS and Android apps. It will let creators select up to 60 seconds from one of their videos and bring the clip directly into the Shorts editor from the YouTube app on iOS or Android. From there, they can add things like text, filters, as well as additional videos shot with the Shorts camera or pulled from their photo library.

In an announcement post for the feature, YouTube says the finished short will link to the full video from which it was clipped, which could help make the shorts an ideal promotional tool for creators’ longer content. An important incentive for them to dive into YouTube is continuing to test monetization options for the feature. If a viewer enjoys a short created with this tool, they won’t need to go to the creator’s channel to search for the full video.

Unlike other tools like Cut, which lets you use five seconds from long videos to short or clips that can be converted to shorts, the Edit to a Short tool can’t be used on other users’ uploads. It will only appear in the Create menu if you’re viewing a video you’ve uploaded.

YouTube has focused heavily on shorts since rolling out the feature in 2020. It tries to encourage creators to use the format by setting up a fund that pays creators when they upload shorts. as techcrunch Note, the company is also padding its library by converting existing videos into shorts, as long as they were filmed vertically and in less than 60 seconds. Last month, YouTube said that more than 1.5 billion people watch shorts every month.

YouTube’s post said the Edit in a Short tool will “allow you to bring new life to your classic content” and access to that is currently underway. While it probably won’t completely replace more traditional video editing software when it comes to creating shorts (such as in an instance where a producer wants to piece together multiple clips from a single video), it does give creators their backs. Might encourage you to take a look. Catalog and see if there’s anything that would work well as a short.