YouTube to Shorts Converter

Convert a YouTube video into vertical Shorts without editing each clip by hand. Paste the link in your browser or upload the file: AI finds the strongest moments, reframes them to 9:16 and adds animated captions.

Try for free

Wow Cut Video link step with a YouTube URL pasted, showing the video's title, length and quality options — **1. Paste the YouTube link**The video's title, length and qualities appear as soon as the link is in.

Wow Cut Video editor with five Shorts found in one YouTube video, a vertical preview and caption presets — **2. Review the moments AI found**Each suggested Short is a card beside the preview: pick one, trim it and check its captions.

Wow Cut Video Framing panel: a vertical crop frame over a landscape YouTube video, with the 9:16 result beside it — **3. Choose where to crop**A landscape video becomes a vertical Short: drag the frame over the shot, pull a corner to zoom, and the result beside it shows exactly what will be kept.

4. Style it and exportSwitch caption styles on the real frame, move between moments and reframe, then export vertical MP4s.

How it works

1
Paste a YouTube link
Paste a link to a video you own or may repurpose, in the browser or in the Mac app. You can also upload the file instead.
2
AI selects the highlights
The full audio is transcribed and scored; the most engaging fragments become clip candidates.
3
Review and download
Adjust each clip, approve the transcript and download 9:16 MP4s with animated captions, ready for YouTube Shorts.

Paste the link, skip the download

Paste a YouTube URL in the browser and we fetch the video for you, at up to 720p. The Mac app downloads it on your own machine.

Highlights, not timestamps

AI understands what is being said and picks moments with hooks — not just loud sections or scene changes.

Captions viewers actually read

Animated word-by-word subtitles are burned in — crucial since most Shorts are watched with sound off at first.

One clip, several markets

Translate output subtitles into 12 languages, so the same source can become Shorts for several audiences.

How to convert a YouTube video into Shorts

Start with a video you own or have permission to repurpose. In the web app, paste its YouTube URL, or upload the original MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM file if you have it. The Mac app takes the same link. Choose how many clips you want, select vertical 9:16 output and set the source and subtitle languages.

The converter transcribes the complete recording before choosing any cuts. This lets it find a self-contained hook, explanation or reaction rather than taking an arbitrary section. At review, change the start and end points, fix names in the transcript, reposition the crop and choose the subtitle style before rendering the final MP4 files.

Download the Mac app · Read the complete Shorts workflow

From one YouTube video to a week of Shorts

Shorts are the cheapest way to grow a channel: they reach non-subscribers and funnel viewers to your long-form content. The bottleneck is production — manually converting one video into Shorts takes 30–60 minutes each. An automated YouTube-to-Shorts pipeline changes the math: a one-hour video typically yields several strong clips, produced in minutes.

Wow Cut Video fetches the source from its YouTube link or accepts an uploaded file, transcribes the audio with a Whisper-class model, and lets a language model choose the fragments most likely to hold attention. Each clip is reframed vertically, captioned and titled automatically.

Browser or Mac app?

Both take a YouTube link. In the browser, paste it and we download the video for you at up to 720p, which is plenty for a 1080×1920 Short; nothing to install. The Mac app for Apple silicon downloads the video on your own connection and processes it locally. If the video is already on your device, upload the file instead. Every route uses the same highlight detection, transcript review, vertical crop and subtitle styles.

Explore the AI clip maker · Add subtitles to a full video

You choose the final cut

Before rendering, review every suggested Short and fix any word in the transcript. Adjust the clip boundaries, reposition the crop around the speaker, choose the output format and change the subtitle language or style per clip. AI proposes the moments; you approve what gets published.

Frequently asked questions

Can I paste a YouTube link into the converter?

Yes, in the browser and in the Mac app. Paste a link to a video you own or may repurpose; in the browser it is downloaded at up to 720p. You can also upload the source file instead.

How many Shorts can one video produce?

You choose the clip count per run. A content-dense hour typically yields 3–10 strong clips.

What length and aspect ratio will the Shorts have?

Clips are vertical 9:16 by default and are selected within the configured clip-duration range. You can adjust each suggested start and end point before rendering.

Will the Shorts have captions?

Yes, animated word-by-word subtitles are burned into every clip, and you can edit the transcript before cutting.

Do I need to connect my YouTube channel?

No. Wow Cut Video does not need access to your YouTube channel. Paste the link to a video you may repurpose, or upload your own source file.

Is this YouTube Shorts converter free to try?

Yes. The first video analysis is free and does not require a payment card, so you can review the suggested clips before deciding whether to continue.

Turn your last upload into Shorts

First analysis free — see which moments AI picks from your video.