VIDEO TO SHORTS
Convert a video file into a YouTube Short, free
Upload the MP4 or MOV and pick the moment. FastClip crops it to vertical 9:16 while following faces, and burns in word-timed captions. Download it and upload it as a Short.
Free, no credit card. Upload a file of up to 5 GB in the app, or paste a YouTube, X or Google Drive link.
How to convert a video into a Short
1. Upload the file
Open FastClip and upload the video: MP4, MOV and other video files, up to 5 GB. An upload does not depend on YouTube. You can also paste a YouTube, X or Google Drive link.
2. Pick the moment
A Short is up to three minutes. Take a suggested moment, select the words in the transcript, or set the start and end on the timeline. Start on the first sentence of the thought.
3. Make it vertical
Turn on the full-screen 9:16 crop. It can follow the speaker’s face automatically, and you can move the frame with keyframes. The export is 1080 × 1920.
4. Caption it and upload
Word-timed captions are burned in. Download the MP4, then upload it as a Short in the YouTube app or in YouTube Studio. FastClip does not post to YouTube.
If a link does not work
YouTube refuses many downloads from FastClip’s servers, so a pasted YouTube link can fail. A file you upload does not depend on YouTube, so it works when a link does not.
What makes a video file a Short
From YouTube Help on uploading Shorts (read October 15, 2026), a Short is a video that meets two conditions:
- Up to three minutes. A longer video is a normal video, not a Short.
- Square or vertical. YouTube asks for a square or vertical aspect ratio. A horizontal 16:9 file does not meet it, so it needs a vertical crop first.
- Music has its own rule. A Short over one minute with a Content ID claim can be blocked. The two language versions of YouTube’s page differ, so read our Content ID guide.
In practice: a 16:9 recording becomes a Short only after a 9:16 crop. If the file contains music you do not own, keep the Short under one minute.
Your own file or someone else’s
From YouTube Help on reused content (read October 15, 2026):
- Your own recording. A video you shot or own is yours to clip. Pick the strongest moment and upload it.
- Someone else’s video. YouTube expects “a meaningful difference between the original video and your video”. Permission from the original creator does not change that.
- A cut with nothing added. Taking someone else’s content, making minimal changes and calling it your own work breaks the policy. Add your own commentary or context.
In practice: clip your own files, or files you are allowed to use, and add something of your own. Our originality rules by platform compare the apps.
Which moment to use
Pick one complete thought: a question and its answer, a story with an ending, or one clear statement. Cut the introduction and end on the last sentence that carries the point. Our guides on hooks and clip length go deeper. Starting from a YouTube link instead? See YouTube to Shorts.
Questions
Is this video to Shorts converter free?
Yes. The free plan has no credit card: 100 finished clips and 50 YouTube or upload imports in total, and up to 30 finished clips a day.
Is there a watermark?
A small “Made with FastClip” credit is on by default. Switch it off in Settings, on the free plan too.
Which files can I upload?
Video files such as MP4 and MOV, up to 5 GB a file. The clip you make from it is up to 5 minutes, and you can make several clips from one file.
Can I convert the whole video?
A clip is up to 5 minutes, and a Short is up to three minutes. FastClip converts one moment at a time, not a whole long recording in one go.
What size is the Short?
Vertical 9:16. FastClip’s full-screen crop exports 1080 × 1920, as an MP4 up to 1080p.
Can I post the Short to YouTube from FastClip?
Not directly. Download the MP4 and upload it in the YouTube app or YouTube Studio. FastClip posts directly to Instagram and X, one post each on the free plan.
Does it keep the whole horizontal frame?
No. The 9:16 option crops the picture to follow the speaker, and FastClip does not add blurred bars. See horizontal to vertical video.
Can it add captions?
Yes. Word-timed captions are burned in, in the language spoken, which FastClip detects among 35 languages. See add captions to video.
What if my YouTube link does not import?
Upload the video file instead. Uploads do not depend on YouTube.
More ways to make a Short
Starting from a link? See YouTube to Shorts and podcast to Shorts. Making a Reel or a TikTok? See YouTube to Reels and YouTube to TikTok. For a talk with slides, see webinar to Shorts.
No surprises
- Free to start, no credit card. The free plan gives you 100 finished clips in total and up to 30 finished clips a day.
- A small "Made with FastClip" credit is on by default. Switch it off in Settings, on the free plan too. Your own logo appears only if you add it.
- Failures do not count. When an import, a cut or a render fails, it goes back to your limits.
- The file is yours. Download the MP4 and post it wherever you like.
Make your first Short from a file
Upload the file, take a moment, and download a captioned 9:16 clip.
Start clipping for free