YouTube is introducing clipping – the ability to make short clips of streams or live videos – starting today with a small group of creators. These clips can be between five and 60 seconds in length and will have a new URL associated with them. Creators and viewers will be able to create clips by clicking on the clip icon, although the feature is currently limited to desktops and Android devices.
It’s a smart move from YouTube, because clipping is a kind of industry standard for live streaming. You can share live video content more easily through a short video clip that can be posted on social media, rather than requiring viewers to go through a potentially hour-long stream. All platforms, from Twitch to the late Mixer site, have decided it is something their creators need.
Today we are launching a trial version of Clips on YouTube. Check out the videos on the Creator Insider channel and test it yourself!
The clips are 5 to 60 seconds, shareable, segments of content (live / VOD) that remain on top of the original video.
More information: https://t.co/5fJyorxjrj pic.twitter.com/DVWNQ2BoEx
– Lester (@Chen) January 28, 2021
The addition of the feature on YouTube is just another sign that the online video titan intends to step up its live streaming operation. As is conventional wisdom in streamer spaces, the clips help the channels to grow. A good clip that goes viral can bring a large influx of new viewers – and in streaming, where visibility is a big part of creating a sustainable income, that’s half the battle.