Best AI tools for turning long videos into Shorts
These tools find the best moments in a long video or podcast and turn them into vertical clips with captions for YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Updated Oct 12, 2026 · 2 tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpusClip | Turning podcasts and interviews into Shorts | Freemium | Visit |
| Descript | Podcast editing | Freemium | Visit |
1. OpusClip
OpusClip takes a long video, such as a podcast, interview, lesson or stream, picks out the moments most likely to work as short clips, reframes them to vertical and adds animated captions. Paid plans can post clips straight to YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram.
Best for: turning podcasts and interviews into Shorts, automatic captions on clips, reframing landscape video to vertical.
Worth knowing: Free-plan clips carry a watermark and stop being downloadable after a few days, so export what you want to keep.
2. Descript
Descript transcribes your audio or video and lets you edit the recording by editing the text. Deleting a sentence in the transcript removes it from the recording. It also has tools for removing filler words and adding captions.
Best for: podcast editing, talking-head and interview videos, captions and transcripts.
Worth knowing: Transcription quality depends on your recording; check names and technical terms.
Questions
How do I turn a long YouTube video into Shorts?
Upload the video or paste its link into a clipping tool like OpusClip. It suggests clips, reframes them to vertical and adds captions, and you pick the ones to post.
Is OpusClip free?
OpusClip has a free plan with monthly credits, but free clips carry a watermark. Paid plans remove it and add editing and auto-posting.