Create scroll-stopping clips from a single YouTube video in Descript. It’s a YouTube Clip Maker that identifies the best moments in your video and turns them into clips. Turn longer content into YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, GIFs, or other short-form pieces using one streamlined workflow.
Get startedThese companies use Descript. Not bad!
01
Upload your video file Drag and drop your video file into a new Descript project to automatically generate a transcript in sync with your video. Use CTRL/CMD+K or the search bar to locate any section you want to highlight.
02
Find moments to turn into clips When you spot a moment worth clipping, highlight it and right-click to choose Duplicate to > New composition so the original remains untouched. Or use the Find good clips AI Action to instantly detect promising content, then confirm what you'd like turned into standalone clips.
03
Polish and export your clips Open each newly created clip from the compositions dropdown to edit. In the canvas, select your aspect ratio, add music, animated captions, and more from the insert menu. Select Save scene as template to reuse layouts for future clips. Finally, click Publish to export your clips or share them straight to your YouTube channel.
Highlight the transcript or use AI to find good clips No more scrubbing through your timeline. Search the transcript for standout soundbites or let the Find good clips AI action gather multiple clips in just one click.
Save time with templates & automatic captions Apply short-form video templates from our library, or craft your own templates from previously made clips. This helps you keep consistent captions and animations across TikTok, Instagram/Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms.
Your entire YouTube workflow in one place Write your script, record, edit, clip, then publish directly to YouTube, all inside Descript. Collaborate with teammates for feedback or co-creation, and rely on built-in AI assistance whenever you need it.
Descript is an AI-driven audio and video editor that treats your content like text for quick, easy edits.
Social clips Convert YouTube videos into clips sized correctly for Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Ask AI anything Let AI generate your YouTube clips, or instantly create titles, descriptions, and posts for social media.
Stock media library Access royalty-free music, sound effects, videos, GIFs, and more to spice up your YouTube clips.
Publishing Upload your clips right to your YouTube channel, or download them all at once.
With a 4.6-out-of-5-star rating and a bunch of distinctions on G2, Descript’s users have declared it an industry standard in the video and podcasting world.
2026
- Video Editing
- AI Video Generators
- Screen and Video Capture
- Text to Speech
“With Descript I'll be able to at least double my content output since editing is taking one-quarter the time it used to.”
Donna B.
“With Descript we can create videos for our YouTube channel and our LinkedIn page much faster and with high quality.”
Balázs N.
“Descript has made cleaning up and creating my educational videos into professional presentations [possible] without needing extensive technical computer skills.”
Barbara C.
“Descript makes recording and editing audio and video a breeze. It's advanced features have streamlined my workflows, saving me a lot of time usually spent editing.”
Roderick F.
“The collaborative tools streamline teamwork, allowing my team and me to work efficiently together on projects. Overall, Descript enhances productivity and simplifies the editing process.”
Aldrich M.
“Transcription-based editing makes the process much faster…All in all, a must have editor for most audiences, especially in SaaS marketing.”
Nidhin M.
Surely there’s one for you
$0
$0
per person / month
Start your journey with text-based editing
1 media hour / month
100 AI credits / month
Export 720p, watermark-free
Limited use of Underlord, our agentic video co-editor and AI tools
Limited trial of AI Speech
$24
$16
per person / month
1 person included
Elevate your projects, watermark-free
10 media hours / month
400 AI credits / month
Export 1080p, watermark-free
Access to Underlord, our AI video co-editor
AI tools including Studio Sound, Remove Filler Words, Create Clips, and more
AI Speech with custom voice clones and video regenerate
Most Popular
$35
$24
per person / month
Scale to a team of 3 (billed separately)
Unlock advanced AI-powered creativity
30 media hours / month
800 AI credits / month
Export 4k, watermark-free
Full access to Underlord, our AI video co-editor and 20+ more AI tools
Generate video with the latest AI models
Unlimited access to royalty-free stock media library
Access to top ups for more media hours and AI credits
How do I create clips for YouTube Shorts from a YouTube video? You can make YouTube Shorts by trimming your YouTube video into clips under 60 seconds. Then adjust the aspect ratio to portrait or square, and add animated captions so viewers stay engaged.
How do I turn my YouTube clips into GIFs? To create a GIF from a YouTube video, follow the same steps for making a clip but aim for clips that are under 15 seconds to convert into a GIF. After editing your GIF, click Publish > Export and choose GIF.
Can I create YouTube clips for free with Descript? Yes, the free plan includes core video editing features, 1 hour of transcription, and 1 no-watermark export each month. For unlimited no-watermark exports and higher transcription limits of 10+ hours monthly, subscribe to a paid plan starting at $12/month.
Can I customize the AI clip finder to find specific moments in a video? Certainly. You can refine the AI clip finder by editing the default AI prompt. For instance, specify your desired topics, clip length, or the number of clips you want.
