How to Clip a YouTube Video on a PC (2026): 3 Free Ways
How to clip a YouTube video on a PC in 2026, free. The native Clip button, how to save it as an MP4, and the fast way to clip your own videos.
The fastest way to clip a YouTube video on a PC is YouTube's own Clip button: pick a 5 to 60 second moment and it makes a shareable link, no software, no download. If you need the clip as an actual file, or you're cutting your own long videos into Shorts, that's a different job and a different tool. Here are the three free ways, and which one fits what you're trying to do.
Method 1: The Native Clip Button (Fastest, Share-Only)
YouTube has a built-in clip tool that almost nobody notices. On a PC, in the browser:
- Open the video and look at the row of buttons under the player (Like, Share, and so on).
- Click Clip (the small scissors icon; on some layouts it's tucked under the "..." more menu).
- A blue box appears over the timeline. Drag the handles to select your moment, anywhere from 5 to 60 seconds.
- Give it a title and click Share Clip. You get a link that loops just that segment.
The catch: this does not download anything. It creates a link that plays the segment from the original video. It's perfect for sharing a moment in a message or a post, useless if you need a file to edit. It also only works on eligible public videos, some creators and music videos have it turned off.
Method 2: Save It as a File (Xbox Game Bar)
If you need an actual MP4, the free built-in option on Windows is Xbox Game Bar, the same tool gamers use to capture gameplay.
- Press Windows + G to open it.
- Play the video, and use the capture controls to record. You can set background recording to grab the last 15 seconds up to 10 minutes.
- The recording saves as a video file you can trim in any editor.
This is screen recording, so the quality is only as good as your screen and you'll catch whatever's on it. Keep it to your own content, or content you have permission to reuse, republishing someone else's video as your own is not fair game. For your own footage, it's a free way to pull a file out of a stream or long upload.
Method 3: Clip Your Own Long Videos Into Shorts (the Creator Job)
If what you actually mean by "clip" is "turn my hour-long video into posts," screen recording is the wrong tool. You want a clipping tool that finds the good moments, crops them vertical, and captions them.
A tool like Opus Clip takes a long video and returns a stack of short clips ready for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, picking the moments and adding captions for you. You still fix the hook by hand, that part's on you, but it turns one upload into a week of posts. The full set of options is in the best AI tools for repurposing long videos roundup, and the step-by-step is in how to repurpose one long video into a week of Shorts.
Which One Should You Use
Sharing a moment with someone: the native Clip button, every time. Need a file from your own footage: Xbox Game Bar. Turning your long videos into a feed of Shorts: a clipping tool, because doing that by hand is hours you don't have. The honest test is whether you need a link, a file, or a workflow.
| Method | What you get | Max length | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Clip button | A shareable link (no file) | 60 seconds | Yes |
| Xbox Game Bar | A video file (MP4) | ~10 minutes | Yes |
| Clipping tool | Ready-to-post vertical Shorts | Your whole video | Free tier |
Pricing changes often and varies by region, currency, and active promotions. Always confirm the current price, and any live deals, on the official pricing page before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to try Opus Clip?
Turns one long video into a month of Shorts, Reels, and TikToks, with animated captions and a virality score to sort what posts first.
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Pricing changes often and varies by region, currency, and active promotions. Always confirm the current price, and any live deals, on the official pricing page before you buy.