YouTube’s making it easier for creators to turn longer content into Shorts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

To make it easier for creators to turn their longer videos into shorts, YouTube has added a new tool called "Edit into a Short." It will allow creators to select up to 60 seconds from one of their videos to use in the Shorts editor. They can add things like text, filters, and additional videos from their photo library.

According to an announcement post for the feature, the finished Short will link to the full video it was clipped from, which could make it an ideal promotional tool for the creator. If a viewer likes a Short created with this tool, they wouldn't have to go to the creator's channel and look for the full video.

Image: Google

Cut, which lets you use five seconds from a longer video in a Short, or Clips, which can be converted into Shorts, can be used on other users' uploads, but the Edit into a Short tool can't be used on other users' uploads. If you view a video you uploaded, it will show up in the create menu.

Since it began to roll out the feature in 2020, it has put a lot of focus on shorts. It set up a fund that would pay creators if they uploaded shorts. The company has been padding out its library by converting existing videos to shorts if they were filmed vertically and under 60 seconds. Over 1.5 billion people watched shorts on the site last month.

The Edit into a Short tool will allow you to bring fresh life to your classic content, and it is currently available. While it probably won't completely replace more traditional video editing software when it comes to creating Shorts, it could encourage creators to take a look at their back catalog and see if there's anything that would make sense.