YouTube’s letting Shorts creators “remix” long-form videos

In June 2021, YouTube rolled out the ability for creators to slice audio clips from long-form videos to use in their Shorts content.

Now it’s pushing out a second, similar feature—this one for video.

Starting today, (some) Shorts creators can sample one- to five-second video segments from long-form YouTube uploads. (We say some because the feature is technically debuting today, but will deploy in waves to iOS users over the coming weeks.)

Users with access to the feature will see a new option called “Cut this video” when they’re viewing long-form content. It pops up right below the option to “Use this sound.” Tap it, and you’ll be able to select the section of video you want to pull over to YouTube’s in-app Shorts creator/editor.

YouTube describes both the audio and video sampler tools as “remixing—so that you can put your own spin on the content you love.”

If a creator’s long-form video is sampled, the clip will be attributed back with a popup in the Shorts video that says “Cut from [channel name],” with a link to the video.

YouTube touts this as a “great opportunity for previously untapped audiences to discover and engage with your content in a new way.”

A YouTube spokesperson tells Tubefilter that long-form creators wil not receive compensation “at this time” for views generated by Shorts videos that use clips from their VODs. Shorts creators who remix long-form clips can still monetize the resulting videos through YouTube’s Shorts Fund, however.

The spokesperson says YouTube is still working on the long-term monetization model for Shorts and will share more information in the coming months.

YouTubers who do not want their long-form videos to be remixable (either in audio or video form) can opt out in YouTube Studio. If they choose to opt out after their videos have already been sampled, any Shorts using their content will be set to Unlisted and scheduled for deletion in 30 days, YouTube says.

In addition to announcing video remixing, YouTube said it’s in the process of expanding its TikTok-esque Shorts player–thus far available only on its mobile app–to tablets and desktops, as well as mobile web browsers.