YouTube rolls out a new update: Cut long videos into Shorts

According to YouTube help, they have announced that it’s not just Meta and Instagram that’s leaning toward short-form video format, YouTube is next on the line and is looking forward to encouraging more short clips via a new option.

This new update will help creators enable and convert segments of their existing long-form content into minute-long Shorts variations. As you can see in the screenshot below, the new ‘Edit into a Short’ option will enable you to select a section of your regular video uploads to then cut into a bite-sized version.

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This update will make it much easier for more YouTube creators to integrate Shorts into this process makes a lot of sense to do so, in order to build brand awareness and reach.

The Shorts conversion process will include all the regular Shorts editing tools, including text, timeline editor, filters, etc. A user can add new video segments to their converted clips, or even include sections from other videos to make up 60 seconds reel.

Any Shorts created via this process will also link back to the original long-form video/s so that viewers can easily connect to the full content – which also happens if users create clips of a video using the ‘Cut’ option in the app.

YouTube already has a solid monetization framework in place for long-form content, while short clips are much harder to generate direct revenue from, as you can’t insert pre or mid-roll ads.

And while Shorts is a copy of TikTok, the fact of the matter is that this is what users are currently engaging with, and if that’s what people want, and YouTube has it, why shouldn’t it look towards capitalizing on this update?

It’s a smart update, especially, as noted, given the rise of Shorts consumption, and broader user trends towards short-form video.