Skip to content
Home›AI & agents›Workflows›Long vlog to Shorts
Workflow

Turn a long vlog into YouTube Shorts with AI clipping

OpusClip finds clips in a long video: add a link or the file, pick the Fill layout to crop the speaker to 9:16, then review, edit and export each clip [4][5]. YouTube counts square or vertical videos up to three minutes long as Shorts [6]. You approve and post each clip by hand.

Not yet tested by VloggingPro
Who it's for
Vloggers with talking-head or long-form recordings who want a few Shorts from each upload.
You need
A long recording you hold the rights to (the test case is a 15-30 minute talking-head video), as a local file or a public or unlisted link [1].
Skill
No coding
Cost
OpusClip Free, as seen on 2 Nov 2026: $0, 60 processing minutes a month, watermarked exports [2][3]. Starter was $15/mo and Pro $29/mo; the page did not say whether those are monthly or annual-billing prices [3].

Tools in this workflow

ToolRole in this workflowCostRuns
OpusClipMain path: finds clips, reframes to 9:16, adds captions, exports MP4 or XML [4][5]Free plan listedCloud
Descript UnderlordAlternative: Create clips makes 1-20 editable clip compositions inside Descript [13]Free plan listedDesktop app, Cloud
VEED automatic clipsAlternative: VEED AI Clips finds highlights, frames the speaker and adds subtitles [14]Price unknownCloud
claude-shortsDeveloper option: community agent skill for Claude Code.Free codeOn your computer, Cloud
Codex short makerDeveloper option: community agent skill for Codex.Free codeOn your computer

The result

Two or three vertical clips from one vlog, each checked for context, captions and framing.

OpusClip Free exports watermarked MP4 up to 1080p, downloadable for 3 days [3]. Starter and above drop the watermark; Pro adds export to Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve [3].

Before you start

  • OpusClip reads links from YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, Dropbox and other sources, but only public or unlisted ones; it cannot read private videos [1].
  • Local uploads: up to 10GB and 10 hours per file, per the help centre [7]; the pricing page lists 10GB per video on Free and Starter and 30GB on Pro [3]. Non-integer frame rates are not supported [7].

Steps

  1. Check the source for rights and Content ID risks

    On YouTube, a Short over one minute with any active copyright claim, manual claims included, is blocked worldwide: no playback, recommendations or earnings [6]. Find licensed music, third-party clips and other people's footage or voices first, so you know which clips must stay under a minute.

    YouTube Audio Library music gets no Content ID claim [6].

    You approve:Confirm you hold the rights to the recording and to every insert that could end up in a clip.

  2. Add the vlog to OpusClip

    Paste a public or unlisted link, or upload the file [1]. Free imports from YouTube and local files [2].

    For a non-integer frame rate, OpusClip suggests uploading to YouTube first and using that link [7]. Make it unlisted: private links cannot be read [1].

  3. Set the Fill layout, clip length and captions

    On the brand template page, open Clip layout settings and select Fill, which crops to the speaker to fill 9:16 [4]. Other layouts include Split (two speakers), Screenshare and Gameplay [4]. Free is 9:16 only; Pro and Business add 1:1 and 16:9 [3].

    Pick 0-1m or 1-3m clips [3]. Over three minutes is not a Short; over one minute with a copyright claim is blocked [6].

    Free has AI captions with emojis and keyword highlighting [2]; its animated caption templates are watermarked [3].

  4. Review and edit every clip

    Each clip comes with an AI-written title and description, a transcript and an editor [5]. Starter and Pro add a Virality Score from 0 to 99, used for the default sort; OpusClip calls it a prediction of engagement and shares, not a measured result [8].

    If the crop misses the speaker, click Crop or double-click the video for Manual Reframe [4]. Text and timeline editing starts at Starter [3]; on Free, trim in your own editor.

    Dislike rejected clips to hide them; liked clips stay listed for editing and scheduling [5].

    • Does the opening line make sense on its own?
    • Are the captions right, including names and product terms?
    • Does the 9:16 crop keep your face, hands and on-screen text in frame?
    • Is anyone in it who did not agree to appear, or music or footage you do not own?
    You approve:Approve or reject each clip. Do not export one that fails any check.

  5. Export the approved clips and post them yourself

    Download approved clips, or on Pro export XML for DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro [5][3].

    OpusClip can post or schedule to social accounts [5], though not on Free [3]. Skip it: upload each clip in the YouTube app or YouTube Studio, which both accept Shorts up to three minutes [6].

    You approve:Upload each clip yourself and check its title, description and audience setting before it goes live.

  6. Optional: drive OpusClip from an AI agent

    MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open-source standard for connecting AI apps such as Claude to external systems [10]. OpusClip's hosted server, https://mcp.opus.pro/mcp, uses OAuth sign-in on first use and no API key [11]. Any account can sign in and list the tools; calling one needs a Pro Beta, Max or Business plan [11].

    15 read tools run without approval; 14 write tools ask on every call [11]. API use on Pro Beta and Max is capped at 15 hours or 900 credits per calendar month per workspace [12].

    Through the OpusClip connector in Claude.ai, the post, schedule, unschedule and share tools return an approval link and do nothing until you confirm in OpusClip. On mcp.opus.pro they act immediately [9].

    The community skills claude-shorts and Codex short maker, from a curated list, target the same job. VloggingPro has not checked their repositories, so no install steps are given.

    You approve:Use the Claude.ai connector, where posts wait for your confirmation [9], or block the posting tools in your MCP client before connecting to mcp.opus.pro.

If you don't want to code

  • Descript Create clips: in a composition, open AI Tools, then Repurpose, then Create clips. Set 1-20 clips of 10 seconds to 5 minutes, optionally a portrait (9:16) or square (1:1) layout and a topic, and submit [13]. Each clip becomes an editable composition [13]. Keep Shorts to three minutes or less [6].
  • Compositions under one minute may not produce clips [13].
  • Descript's Underlord (beta) can also create clips on request [13]. Each prompt uses AI credits, and the same prompt can cost different amounts [15].
  • VEED AI Clips: upload a video with 1 minute to 3 hours of speech, choose portrait or landscape, a subtitle style and a maximum length, then trim, edit or download each clip [14]. It cannot import YouTube links, clips are designed to run about a minute or less, and Free allows one use per account [14].

Common failures

  • Link rejected: the video is private. Use a public or unlisted link [1], or upload the file.
  • Local upload fails: check for a non-integer frame rate [7] and your plan's file size limit [7][3].
  • Short blocked worldwide: it is over one minute with a copyright claim [6]. Remove the claimed content, cut a shorter clip, or dispute a claim you think is wrong [6].
  • Clip uploaded as a normal video: Shorts must be square or vertical and three minutes or less [6].
  • Speaker cropped out: reframe with Crop, or select only the layouts you want and click save and compile [4].
  • Free download link gone: Free exports last 3 days [3]. OpusClip advises saving important clips locally [5].

Privacy, rights and permissions

  • Uploading to OpusClip, Descript or VEED sends the footage to that service. Read its terms before uploading footage of other people.
  • Anyone with an unlisted YouTube video's ID can retrieve its metadata [16]. Uploading the file directly avoids an unlisted copy.
  • OpusClip's MCP server can post for you when called directly [9]. Grant posting access only if you need it.

What we will measure

  • Usable clips: approved divided by suggested, on the same 20-minute talking-head video for every tool, judged on hook, context, sound and framing.
  • Rescue time: stopwatch minutes per Short from AI draft to accepted export.
  • Framing: 5 random frames per 9:16 export, checked for face, hands, on-screen text and Shorts safe areas.
  • Time per publishable minute, editor and machine time reported separately.
  • Cost per accepted minute: subscription and credit costs divided by accepted finished minutes.

Sources

  1. Video Sources Supported - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  2. Plans - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  3. Pricing - OpusClip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  4. Layout and Reframing - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  5. Result Page Walkthrough - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  6. Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help fetched 2 Nov 2026
  7. Local File Uploads - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  8. What is the Virality Score on OpusClip? - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  9. OpusClip Claude Connector - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  10. What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)? - Model Context Protocol fetched 2 Nov 2026
  11. OpusClip MCP Server - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  12. Limitations - Opus Clip fetched 2 Nov 2026
  13. Create Clips from your content - Descript Help Center fetched 2 Nov 2026
  14. How to use our clips feature | VEED Help Center fetched 2 Nov 2026
  15. Underlord (Beta): Your AI co-editor in Descript - Descript Help Center fetched 2 Nov 2026
  16. Videos  |  YouTube Data API  |  Google for Developers fetched 2 Nov 2026