YouTube clipper

No. Browsers cannot fetch YouTube video files, and downloading them would violate YouTube’s terms. Instead, the tool records the official embedded player while your segment plays, using the browser’s own screen-capture permission, exactly like a screen recorder would. That is also why recording takes as long as the clip itself.

Use a browser-based clipper like this one: paste the link, set start and end, and record the segment straight from the player. YouTube’s native Clip button only creates a shareable link to a segment, not a video file, and it is unavailable on many videos. Because this tool records the player instead of using that feature, it works whether or not the Clip button exists on the video.

Yes. Pick MP4 as the format before recording and the clip is converted locally in your browser right after capture; WebM (VP9), the native recording format, is also available. The MP4 output plays in video editors, chat apps and on phones alike.

Yes. This tool is free, adds no watermark, needs no signup or account, and has no export caps. Everything runs in your browser; the only requirement is Chrome or Edge on desktop for the recording step.

Yes. Paste the Shorts link (youtube.com/shorts/…) and it loads in the player like any other video; set your start and end times and record. Live streams and embed links work the same way.

No. Everything runs on this web page using the browser’s built-in screen-capture and recording APIs. There is no extension, no app, no download and no account. That is also why it is private: the clip is assembled locally and never leaves your device.

Not the recording step yet: phones do not support tab capture, so the Record button stays disabled there. You can still load a video and pick your start and end times on mobile; to save the clip, open this page in Chrome or Edge on a desktop.

Three APIs make it work: tab self-capture (getDisplayMedia with the current tab), tab audio capture, and Element Capture, which crops the recording to just the player. All three currently exist only in Chromium desktop browsers. In Firefox, Safari or on phones you can still load a video and pick times, but the Record button stays disabled.

The clip records at the quality the player is showing, scaled by your display’s pixel density: a large window on a sharp screen captures up to 1080p. For best results, set the player’s quality menu to 1080p, keep the browser window large, and leave the tab visible while recording.

A small number of videos — rentals, purchased films and certain licensed content — are delivered with digital rights management, and the browser deliberately produces a blank recording for them. That is the protection working as intended, and there is no way around it here. The tool checks the finished recording and tells you when this has happened, instead of saving a blank file.

The recorder captures whatever the player shows. Pre-roll ads are waited out automatically (recording only starts once your segment actually plays), and buffering pauses are cut out of the clip. A mid-roll ad cannot be removed, so the recording stops with a message. Record the segment again once playback resumes.

That depends on what you clip and what you do with it, and it is your responsibility. Short excerpts of someone else’s video for private reference, study, commentary or criticism may fall under fair use or fair dealing depending on where you are and how the clip is used, but that is a judgement call and not something this page can make for you. Never re-upload other people’s content as your own, respect creators and YouTube’s Terms of Service, and when in doubt link to the original video instead.

No. The page talks to YouTube only to load the official player and to look up the video title. The recording is assembled by MediaRecorder in your browser, and the optional MP4 conversion runs in a local Web Worker using your browser’s codecs. The clip never leaves your device.