01
What OpusClip does
OpusClip uses AI to find the most engaging moments in a long video, cut them into vertical clips, reframe them, and add captions. One podcast or webinar can become weeks of short videos.
Record once, publish for a month.
Free guide
How to Turn One Long Video into 20 Short Clips with Opus Clip
Repurpose a podcast, webinar, or YouTube video into a month of Shorts, Reels, and TikToks with OpusClip
- 11 bite-sized sections
- 2 min read
- Free, no signup
Short answer
A free guide to turning one long video into 20 short clips with OpusClip in 2026: what OpusClip does, plans and credits, preparing a good source video, uploading and choosing settings, ClipAnything and prompts, reading the Virality Score, editing captions, framing and B-roll, brand templates, exporting and scheduling, picking the best 20, rights and consent, and a weekly repurposing workflow.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
Inside this guide
Short cards you can read in order or jump straight to. Tap the link icon on any card to share just that part.
02
Plans and credits
- Free
- A small monthly credit allowance, with a watermark
- Starter
- About $15 a month, more credits and no watermark
- Pro
- About $29 a month, more credits and advanced features
- Business
- Custom pricing, including API access
Credits are based on the length of the video you upload, roughly one credit per minute. Check opus.pro for current plans.
03
Start with a good source video
- Clear audio matters more than perfect video
- Strong, quotable moments and stories
- Speakers framed so they can be cropped vertically
- At least 20 to 60 minutes of content for 20 clips
04
Upload and set up
- Upload a file or paste a YouTube link
- Choose clip length, for example 30 to 60 seconds
- Pick aspect ratio: 9:16 for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok
- Add a prompt describing the moments you want
Find moments where the guest shares a surprising fact, a clear how-to tip, or a strong opinion about pricing.
05
Read the Virality Score
OpusClip gives each clip a predicted Virality Score based on things like hook strength and flow. Use it as a starting point, not the final word; your own judgment about your audience matters more.
06
Edit every clip
- Fix caption errors, especially names and jargon
- Trim slow starts so the hook lands in the first second
- Check reframing keeps the speaker centred
- Add B-roll or emphasis where it helps
07
Use a brand template
- Set your caption style, fonts, and colours once
- Add your logo or handle
- Keep text away from the platform’s buttons and caption area
08
Pick the best 20
- Choose clips that make sense without context
- Mix tips, stories, and opinions
- Drop clips with weak hooks or unclear endings
Here are the transcripts of my 30 candidate clips. Rank the top 20 by hook strength and standalone value, and suggest a title and caption for each.
09
Export and schedule
- Export in full resolution
- Schedule across YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok, and LinkedIn
- Spread clips over three to four weeks
- Link clips back to the full video
10
Rights and consent
- Get guests’ permission to clip and share their words
- Only clip videos you own or have rights to
- Use licensed music only
11
A weekly workflow
- Monday
- Record the long video
- Tuesday
- Run it through OpusClip and edit
- Wednesday
- Write titles and captions
- Thursday
- Schedule the week’s clips
The golden rule
Do not post every clip the AI finds. Use OpusClip to find candidates fast, then edit, choose the strongest 20, and make each one stand on its own.
- Source video
- Settings
- Virality Score
- Editing
- Templates
- Scheduling
- Consent
Run your best recent long video through OpusClip and edit the top five clips this week.
Frequently asked questions
The quick answers, if you just need the gist.
- What does “How to Turn One Long Video into 20 Short Clips with Opus Clip” cover?
- It has 11 sections, starting with “What OpusClip does”, “Plans and credits”, “Start with a good source video” and “Upload and set up”, plus 7 more sections.
- How long does it take to read?
- About 2 minutes. Every section is a short, self-contained card, so you can jump straight to the part you need.
- Is this guide free?
- Yes. The full guide is free to read on this page, with no sign-up.
- When was this guide last updated?
- It was last updated in November 2026.
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