Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts: The Smartest Way to Turn Long Videos into Viral Clips
OpusClip is a dedicated AI tool built to help creators instantly convert long-form YouTube videos into high-performing YouTube Shorts. Instead of manually scrubbing through hour-long content to find highlights, OpusClip analyzes your full video, detects the most engaging moments, and automatically turns them into Shorts-ready clips—in seconds.
If you want to grow faster on YouTube using short-form content, Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts is one of the most efficient ways to do it.
Why YouTube Shorts + OpusClip Is a Powerful Combo
YouTube Shorts are one of the fastest ways to:
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Reach new audiences
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Boost channel discovery
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Turn old, long-form videos into fresh content
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Stay consistent without burning out
The problem? Manually editing Shorts from long videos is time-consuming.
OpusClip solves this by automating the hardest part: finding the best moments, adding captions and layouts, and preparing Shorts that are optimized for vertical viewing and high retention.
What Is OpusClip (for YouTube Shorts)?
OpusClip is an AI-powered clipping tool that:
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Takes your long YouTube video (or URL)
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Analyzes the content for viral moments
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Automatically creates short clips tailored to the YouTube Shorts format (under 60 seconds or up to 3 minutes)
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Adds captions, dynamic layouts, and optional AI B-roll
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Lets you edit, customize, and directly autopost to YouTube Shorts
It’s ideal for creators, coaches, educators, podcasters, gamers, agencies, and any channel with long-form content that could be repurposed into snackable clips.
Key Features of Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts
1. AI-Powered Clip Selection for Maximum Engagement
OpusClip’s AI scans your full video and intelligently picks the most engaging segments—moments with:
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Strong hooks
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Emotional reactions
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Clear value (tips, takeaways, punchlines)
This means more watch time and retention, which are critical signals for Shorts virality.
2. Automatic Captions, Dynamic Layouts & AI B-Roll
Short-form viewers scroll fast, often with sound off. OpusClip helps your Shorts stand out by:
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Auto-generating captions that are synced to your speech
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Using dynamic layouts that zoom, crop, and reposition to keep visuals interesting
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Adding AI-generated B-roll to enhance storytelling and make clips feel more cinematic and professional
This combination keeps viewers hooked and makes your content feel high-production—even if it started as a simple talking-head video.
3. AI Virality Score
One of OpusClip’s standout features is its AI Virality Score.
For each clip, the AI estimates how well it might perform based on:
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Hook strength
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Clarity of message
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Engagement patterns found in similar viral content
This helps you prioritize the best Shorts to publish first, increasing your chances of hitting the algorithm with strong content.
4. Easy Editing & Customization
You’re never locked into the AI’s first draft. With OpusClip, you can:
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Trim or extend the clip duration
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Adjust captions, fonts, and positioning
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Toggle layouts or remove/adjust B-roll
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Fine-tune the framing for important moments
So you get the speed of AI with the control of manual editing when needed.
5. Direct Autoposting to YouTube Shorts & Social Platforms
Once your clips are ready, OpusClip allows direct autoposting to:
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YouTube Shorts
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Other social platforms (like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and more, depending on your connected accounts)
This helps you distribute your Shorts everywhere at once, boosting reach without extra effort.
6. Multi-Language Support for Global Reach
If your audience spans multiple countries, OpusClip’s multi-language support helps you:
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Generate captions in different languages
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Make your Shorts more accessible
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Tap into global audiences and non-English communities
This is especially powerful for educational, motivational, and tutorial channels that attract viewers worldwide.
How to Use Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts (Step-by-Step)
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Upload or Paste Your Video URL
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Upload your long video directly, or paste the YouTube URL into OpusClip.
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Let the AI Analyze the Video
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OpusClip scans the full video and automatically finds highlight moments perfect for Shorts.
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Review the Suggested Clips
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You’ll see several auto-generated clips, each with:
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A preview
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Auto captions and layouts
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An AI Virality Score
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Edit and Customize (Optional)
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Trim the start/end
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Edit text, captions, or layout
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Adjust B-roll or visual styles to match your brand
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Export or Autopost as YouTube Shorts
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Download the clip or directly autopost to your YouTube channel as a Short.
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You can also repurpose the same clips to TikTok, Reels, and other platforms.
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Rinse & Repeat for Content Repurposing
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Take older long-form videos from your library, feed them into OpusClip, and build an ongoing pipeline of Shorts content.
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Why Opus Clip Is Ideal for YouTube Creators
Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts is especially useful if:
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You have a backlog of long-form videos
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You don’t have time (or budget) for a full-time editor
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You want to stay consistent with Shorts without burning out
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You’re trying to squeeze more ROI out of every video you produce
By turning each long video into multiple Shorts, you:
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Increase your content output
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Reach new viewers through Shorts recommendations
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Drive traffic back to your main long-form videos and channel
In other words, OpusClip helps you amplify your existing content instead of constantly chasing new ideas.
Best Practices for Using Opus Clip with YouTube Shorts
To get the most from OpusClip, try these tips:
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Start with strong, content-rich videos
Interviews, podcasts, tutorials, and commentary videos work extremely well. -
Favor videos with clear hooks and punchlines
The better your original structure, the stronger your Shorts will be. -
Use the AI Virality Score as a guide
Publish Clips with higher scores first, and test how they perform. -
Maintain brand consistency
Customize captions and layouts to match your channel’s style so your Shorts feel “on-brand.” -
Cross-post your Shorts
Don’t limit them to YouTube—repurpose to Reels, TikTok, and more for extra reach.
Final Thoughts: Is Opus Clip Worth It for YouTube Shorts?
If you’re serious about growing on YouTube through short-form video, Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts is a powerful, time-saving tool.
It:
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Automatically finds viral moments
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Enhances your clips with captions, layouts, and B-roll
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Scores each clip’s virality potential
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Lets you quickly edit and autopost to YouTube and beyond
Instead of spending hours in an editor, you can focus on creating great long-form content and let OpusClip handle the transformation into Shorts that drive views, engagement, and subscriber growth.
Top FAQs with Answers About Opus Clip for YouTube Shorts
Connect my YouTube channel to OpusClip steps?
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Sign in to your OpusClip account.
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Go to Settings or Integrations (usually in the sidebar or profile menu).
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Click Connect YouTube or Connect Channel.
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A Google sign-in window will appear – choose the Google account linked to your YouTube channel.
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Review the requested permissions and click Allow.
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Once connected, you should see your channel name or icon listed as Connected inside OpusClip.
Adjust OpusClip AI detection for best short clips?
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Use the clip length settings (e.g., 15–60 seconds) to match YouTube Shorts.
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Turn on or tweak options like AI Virality Score, auto captions, and dynamic layouts.
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If OpusClip creates clips that feel too slow or too long, shorten the target length and prioritize “highlights” or “hooks” when available.
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Manually delete weak clips and favorite or export only the strongest ones to help refine your content strategy.
Autopublish shorts to YouTube and other platforms setup?
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Make sure your YouTube channel is connected to OpusClip.
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In your clip export screen, look for Autopost / Autopublish options.
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Select YouTube Shorts as the destination (and connect TikTok, Instagram, etc. if supported).
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Add your title, description, and tags, and confirm the video is in vertical format.
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Choose Post now or Schedule (if scheduling is available on your plan).
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Confirm the autopost – OpusClip will publish directly to your channel.
Resolve OpusClip upload or processing failures on iPhone?
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Check you have a stable Wi-Fi connection (mobile data can fail on large files).
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Ensure your video file is in a supported format (e.g., MP4, MOV).
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Restart the OpusClip app or your mobile browser and try again.
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Clear browser cache if using Safari/Chrome on iOS.
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Try uploading a smaller test clip to isolate if it’s file-size related.
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If issues persist, switch to a desktop upload and contact OpusClip support with screenshots/error messages.
Compare OpusClip pricing plans and included features?
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Free / entry tier typically offers limited credits, basic AI clipping, and watermarked exports or fewer advanced features.
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Paid plans generally include more monthly credits, higher-resolution exports, priority processing, more simultaneous clips, better customization, and sometimes commercial usage rights.
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Higher tiers may unlock team features, bulk processing, priority support, and early access to new AI tools.
👉 Always check the official OpusClip pricing page for the latest plan names, prices, and commercial-use terms before upgrading.
Enable Auto Import from a specific YouTube playlist?
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With your YouTube channel already connected, go to Auto Import settings in OpusClip.
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Choose Add Playlist or Select Source.
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OpusClip should display your channel’s playlists – pick the playlist you want Shorts generated from (e.g., “Podcasts”, “Webinars”).
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Turn on Auto Import for that playlist.
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New videos added to that playlist will be automatically imported and ready for clipping.
How to reauthorize OpusClip when YouTube connection is lost?
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In OpusClip, go to Settings → Integrations → YouTube.
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If it shows Disconnected or an error, click Reconnect or Reauthorize.
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A Google window will pop up – sign in with the correct Google account.
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Accept the permissions again and confirm.
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Once reauthorized, refresh the page and verify your channel appears as Connected.
Set up multiple YouTube channels in one OpusClip account?
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Open Integrations / Connected Channels in OpusClip.
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If supported, click Add another YouTube channel.
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Sign in with the second Google account (or choose a different channel under the same Google login, if it’s a Brand Account).
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Repeat authorization for each channel.
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When exporting or autoposting, choose which channel to send each clip to from a dropdown selector.
(Note: multiple-channel support depends on OpusClip’s current product design and your plan.)
Grant minimal Google permissions required for OpusClip?
When connecting YouTube to OpusClip, you’ll typically need to allow:
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View your YouTube account
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Manage your YouTube videos (to upload/ publish clips)
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Possibly view/manage playlists (for Auto Import features)
If you deny any of these, OpusClip may not be able to import or autopost properly. Always grant only the permissions OpusClip specifically requests—nothing more.
Troubleshoot OpusClip permission denied error when connecting?
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Make sure you’re logged into the correct Google account in your browser.
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If you have multiple Google accounts, log out of all and log in only to the one that owns the YouTube channel.
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Try connecting again from the OpusClip integration page.
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Ensure you didn’t click “Deny” on any permission prompts.
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If the error persists, clear browser cache/cookies or try a different browser, then reconnect.
Steps to reauthorize OpusClip with the correct Google account?
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In all browser tabs, sign out of Google.
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Return to OpusClip → YouTube connection settings → click Disconnect (if available).
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Click Connect / Reconnect YouTube.
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When the Google login appears, select the correct account that owns your channel.
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Grant the requested permissions.
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Confirm in OpusClip that the right channel name is now linked.
How to check and restore YouTube channel permissions in YouTube Studio?
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Go to YouTube Studio while signed into the channel.
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Click your profile icon → Manage your Google Account.
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Navigate to Security → Third-party access / Third-party apps.
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Look for OpusClip in the list.
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If it’s missing, you’ll need to reconnect from OpusClip.
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If it’s present but limited, you may need to remove access and reconnect so it can request fresh permissions.
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Return to OpusClip and reconnect your YouTube channel.
Fixes if OpusClip shows permission denied after password change?
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A Google password change can revoke third-party app sessions.
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Go to Google Account → Security → Third-party access and remove OpusClip if it’s still listed.
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In OpusClip, go to YouTube integration and click Reconnect.
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Log in again with your updated password and re-allow all permissions.
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Refresh OpusClip and try importing or posting again.
How to re-enable Auto Import after reconnecting YouTube?
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After reconnecting your channel, open Auto Import settings in OpusClip.
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Check if your previous playlists or channel settings are still selected.
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If not, re-select the channel and playlist(s) for Auto Import.
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Toggle Auto Import ON.
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Upload or add a new video to the selected playlist and verify OpusClip imports it automatically.
How to reconnect when managing a Brand Account on YouTube?
If your YouTube channel is a Brand Account:
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When the Google sign-in appears, select the Google account that manages the Brand Account.
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After logging in, you may see a list of channels – choose the Brand channel you want to link.
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Grant OpusClip the necessary permissions for that specific Brand Account.
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In OpusClip, confirm that the listed channel name matches the Brand channel, not your personal one.
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If you accidentally linked the wrong channel, disconnect and repeat the process selecting the correct Brand Account/channel.
Transform Long Videos into Viral Shorts in Seconds!
With OpusClip Pro, unlock the power of AI to auto-generate, edit, caption, and schedule high-performing clips—without lifting a finger. Scale your content. Multiply your reach. Create like a pro.