You can now move on to Twitch. YouTube is testing the possibility for creators and viewers to create clips from longer videos. This allows for the sharing of shorter, more manageable clips of a video. Do you sound familiar?
The feature is currently “in testing” with a small group of channels while YouTube gathers feedback.
“We’ve heard a lot of feedback from creators and viewers who have wanted an easy way to capture short segments of content and share moments from videos or streams,” the company shared in an official YouTube blog post announcing the feature. “We’re excited to begin our testing of a clipping feature on YouTube starting today with a small group of creators while we start gathering feedback.”
We’re breaking down at how it all works, key differences between clips on Twitch, and more.
How it works
Viewers had to rely on live streams and the watch page URL for videos until today. In this instance, it was impossible to start a particular video at a specific moment by adding certain parameters. With the introduction of Clips, however, users can share a portion of their content or a live stream – a length of 5 to 6 seconds per their own attribution. Clips can be created by both creators and viewers signed in through a new URL.
These clips will play on a loop directly and will live on the original video’s watch page. A clip is, in other words, a link to the original video that contains a timestamp. Because the clip will be played on the original video and loop repeatedly, the viewer’s browser is not directed elsewhere. This is a key differentiator from Twitch’s take on the feature, which creates a new video from a clip.
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Start watching a YouTube video and click the clip icon. It looks like a pair scissors.
- Designate the portion the video you’d like to clip. Drag the slider to adjust the length of your selection (maximum 60 seconds, minimum 5 seconds).
- Give the clip a title (max 140 characters).
- Click the “Share Clip” button that will trigger different options to publish the content.
To share via a social network, click the “Embed” button. This will allow you to choose the platform icon that you want. If you’re sharing it to a personal or company website, click the “Embed” button to generate a code you can use for a landing page.
If you’re sharing it via an email, select the email icon using the default email software on your computer. Alternatively, you can click the “Copy” button to create a shareable link to the video you can paste in elsewhere including in the body of an email message.
Community response
So, what’s the verdict? Most people who expressed their opinions on the news expressed their enthusiasm for the chance of sharing quick, interesting moments in their YouTube videos and helping spread the word about the smaller channels.
“This is a really great new tool especially for streamers. It will definitely help people be able to share their favorite creators in an easy-to-use manner,” read one comment.
Others shared their ideas on how to control the playback and curb abuse.
“Twitch allows its streamers to limit the ability the make clips, delete clips that were made, or even turn the feature off to prevent trolls from using the feature to harass, ridicule, or bully streamers. Will similar provisions be made to prevent said abuse from occurring?”
Another deviation from clips on Twitch is that YouTube clips from a channel aren’t publicly listed anywhere. While on Twitch you can find a “popular clips” section, YouTube clips are only listed privately in a user’s account settings, akin to a shareable, personal bookmark.
One comment suggested adding a feature that would allow you to choose which private uploads are available to be shared widely via a list. “Maybe you can add it [a clip] so it goes to your channel unlisted or private, then you can check it and add it to a playlist.”
Let’s talk monetization
YouTube says that ads are eligible for Clips as long the original video is no more than 30 seconds. While this doesn’t take earning a profit off Clips content completely off the table, it does raise flags for larger channels that often weave in integrated ad-reads to their videos. How this will ultimately shift the reliance on Google’s automatic ad programs versus third-party deals that include ad reads will certainly be a space to watch as the roll-out of the offering continues.
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