How to Cut YouTube Video: A Beginner's Guide to Effortless Trimming

Cutting or trimming YouTube videos is an essential skill for enhancing content. Whether you want to cut YouTube videos for social media, personal projects, or professional use, tools like YouTube Studio, CapCut Commerce Pro, QuickTime, and Photos make this task seamless. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to cut YouTube video content, ensuring smooth and efficient edits across multiple platforms.

How to use YouTube cropper in YouTube studio

To trim or cut a video directly on YouTube, the YouTube Studio cropper offers a simple, built-in editing tool. This feature allows users to precisely trim sections of their uploaded videos without the need for external software. Here's a quick guide on how to access and use the cropper for efficient editing.

Step
1. Launch the studio
2. Open YouTube Studio from your account dashboard and select the video you'd like to edit. Once you're in the dashboard, navigate to the "Editor" tab on the left sidebar. This section contains tools for trimming and editing your video.
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Step
4. Trim your video
5. Within the editor, click on the "Trim" button. A blue bar will appear along the timeline, which allows you to drag the edges to select the portion of the video you want to keep. You can also preview your edits in real time.
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Step
7. Remove video sections
8. To remove specific parts of the video, click on the "Split" option. This will allow you to split the timeline and remove unwanted sections. After reviewing the edits with the "Preview" function, click "Save" to finalize your trimmed video.
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Now that you've seen how easy it is to trim videos directly in YouTube Studio, let's explore an even more versatile tool for cutting videos online.

How to cut YouTube videos online smoothly

CapCut Commerce Pro is an all-in-one, versatile tool for cropping YouTube videos online. With its intuitive interface and smart tools, users can easily upload, trim, and refine videos for any platform. The "Smart Crop" feature allows creators to adjust aspect ratios and focus on specific areas, ensuring that the content fits platform specifications like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. In addition to cutting and trimming, CapCut offers advanced features like transitions, filters, and audio editing, making it a comprehensive solution for seamless video editing and publishing.



Step
1. Sign up to CapCut Commerce Pro
2. Visit the CapCut Commerce Pro website and sign up for a free account. Once registered, you’ll unlock various video editing tools that enable professional-quality results. CapCut Commerce Pro is designed for easy accessibility and offers smart tools to streamline video editing, including cropping and trimming.
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Step
4. Cut and trim your video
5. At the "Smart Tools" interface in CapCut Commerce Pro, you can upload videos easily through different methods. You can drag and drop a video from your computer, or access files from cloud storage platforms like Google Drive. This flexibility allows you to manage content efficiently.
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7. Once uploaded, select the "Smart Crop" feature, which provides preset aspect ratios optimized for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. After selecting your target ratio, hit "Generate."
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9. For added customization, CapCut offers a Zoom In/Out function that lets you focus on specific parts of your video. This feature is particularly helpful for refining details in close-up shots or framing key elements within the video. If you need precise cuts, CapCut also offers manual frame-by-frame trimming, allowing you to remove or adjust specific sections with ease. You can also add smooth transitions between clips to ensure a seamless viewing experience.
Step
10. Preview and export
11. Once satisfied, click on the preview option to see how your adjustments will look post-export.
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You can schedule your publishing plan in the "Publisher" category and track your video performance in the "Analytics" category.



Key features:

• Precise trimming tools: The tool enables precise adjustments to trim specific segments, allowing for a more tailored edit.
• Smart crop for social media: Provides various preset aspect ratios for different social media.
• Multiple video formats: Supports various video formats, ensuring that you can work with any YouTube video without compatibility issues.
• Post-cutting enhancements: Edit audio, apply filters, and add effects for a polished finish.
• Sharing options: Easily export your edited video directly to social media platforms or save it to your device for later use.

Next, we'll explore how to trim YouTube videos using QuickTime on Mac for a more native solution.

How to cut a part of YouTube video using QuickTime on Mac

QuickTime on Mac offers a simple and effective way to trim or cut parts of your YouTube video. This built-in tool allows for quick edits without the need for additional software.

Step
1. Open the video
2. Launch QuickTime Player on your device and select 'File' from the menu bar. Click on 'Open File...' and choose the YouTube video that you’ve previously downloaded to your computer.
Step
3. Trim the video
4. Once the video is open, navigate to 'Edit' in the menu and select 'Trim'. A yellow trimming bar will appear at the bottom of the video. Adjust the handles of the bar to select the portion of the video you want to keep.
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Step
6. Save the edited video
7. After trimming, go back to the menu and click 'File', then choose 'Save' or 'Export As'. Name your edited video and select your desired file format before saving it to your computer.
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Let’s now move on to Windows and see how you can trim YouTube videos using the Photos app.

How to cut down YouTube video with Photos on Windows

The Photos app on Windows makes it easy to cut down or trim your YouTube video with just a few simple steps, allowing for basic edits without additional software.

Step
1. Open the video in Photos
2. Launch the Photos app on your Windows PC, and open the YouTube video you want to trim. You may need to first download the video to your local drive. Once open, the video will be displayed in the editing window, ready for adjustments.
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Step
4. Set trim points
5. At the bottom of the screen, use the trimming sliders to set your desired start and end points. This allows you to remove unwanted sections and focus on the relevant parts of the video.
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Step
7. Save the trimmed video
8. After finalizing your trim points, click Save As to save the edited video to your chosen location. You can rename the file and select your preferred format.
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If you’re working from your mobile device, here’s how to trim YouTube videos on Android or iPhone.

How to trim YouTube videos on your Android or iPhone device

Trimming YouTube videos on Android or iPhone is straightforward with built-in tools, allowing you to easily edit and refine your content directly from your mobile device.

Step
1. Open the video
2. For iPhone users, open the Photos app, select your downloaded video, and tap Edit in the top-right corner. Android users can open the video in their Gallery app and tap the edit or scissor icon from the menu.
Step
3. Adjust trim points
4. On iPhone, use the yellow slider at the bottom to trim your video. On Android, use the blue slider to select the desired portion.
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Step
6. Save the trimmed video
7. iPhone users can save by tapping "Save Video" or "Save as New Clip" to keep the original. On Android, tap the tick icon to confirm and save your trimmed video.
8. Now that you’re familiar with the trimming process across different platforms, let’s explore some best practices to ensure smooth and effective video cutting.

A checklist of cutting the video from YouTube

When trimming a YouTube video, keep these tips in mind to ensure a smooth and effective editing process:

• Choose a reliable downloader: Ensure the video is downloaded legally to avoid copyright issues.
• Check file formats: Confirm your editing tool supports the downloaded file's format, such as MP4 or MOV.
• Backup original file: Always save a copy of the unedited video to avoid accidental loss of content.
• Identify key sections: Plan which parts to cut to maintain important segments.
• Maintain context: Ensure the overall message remains clear even after edits.
• Check audio sync: Make sure the audio remains aligned with the video after trimming.
• Optimize for platform: Trim the video to fit your target platform's aspect ratio and length requirements.

Bonus: YouTube video downloading guideline

Here, we outline three reliable methods to help you download YouTube videos efficiently while maintaining quality and format flexibility.

• Way 1: Find online video downloader websites: Many websites, such as Y2Mate or SaveFrom, allow you to paste a YouTube link and download the video in different formats (e.g., MP4, MOV). Simply copy the URL, paste it into the site’s input field, and choose your preferred format and quality.
• Way 2: Use browser extensions: Extensions like Video DownloadHelper integrate into your browser and let you download videos directly from YouTube. Once installed, an icon will appear whenever a video is detected, allowing easy download with a single click.
• Way 3: Try YouTube video downloader software: Dedicated software like 4K Video Downloader provides more flexibility, offering options to download videos in specific resolutions and formats. These tools usually support bulk downloading and allow better control over video quality, subtitles, and metadata.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve covered several methods to cut YouTube videos using tools like YouTube Studio, CapCut Commerce Pro, QuickTime, and more. Each tool offers unique features, but CapCut Commerce Pro stands out for its precision, multi-format support, and seamless social media integration. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, CapCut ensures an efficient editing experience with advanced trimming features, making it the top choice for those looking to cut YouTube videos effectively.

FAQs

1. What software is best as YouTube cropper?
2. Several tools can effectively crop YouTube videos, but the best option depends on your needs. For precise, professional cropping and other editing features, CapCut Commerce Pro stands out with its easy-to-use interface and advanced tools tailored for content creators.
3. Is it legal to download and edit YouTube videos?
4. Downloading and editing YouTube videos without permission is generally against YouTube’s terms of service. However, if the content is under a Creative Commons license or you have explicit permission, it is allowed. CapCut Commerce Pro provides features that allow legal editing.
5. How can I add background music to my edited video?
6. You can easily add background music to your videos using video editing software. CapCut Commerce Pro allows you to seamlessly import audio tracks and integrate them into your video, giving full control over placement and volume adjustments.
7. Can I reverse my edits after saving the video?
8. Once you save a video, reversing the edits can be difficult unless your software has non-destructive editing. CapCut Commerce Pro saves project files, enabling you to revisit and modify your edits even after saving the video.