Use case
Extract clips from video with AI
By the KeyMo team · Updated
KeyMo extracts clips from a long video without a timeline. Add a YouTube link or an MP4, and it picks the strongest moments, scores each out of 10 with a one-line reason, keeps only those scoring 7 or higher, and exports up to 15 vertical clips. It finds moments; it is not a tool for cutting at timestamps you type.
How KeyMo finds the best moments in a video
Scrubbing a two-hour recording for the five minutes worth posting is the slow part of cutting clips from a long video. KeyMo does that search for you. The job runs through named stages.
- Preparing: the video is fetched from your link or file.
- Transcribing: the speech is turned into text.
- Detecting: candidate moments are picked out of the video.
- Planning: the clips to make are lined up for rendering.
- Rendering: each clip is cut, reframed to 9:16, captioned and exported.
Input is a YouTube link on paid plans or an MP4 or MOV upload, from 5 minutes to 3 hours and up to 10 GB.
The score out of 10 and the 7 cut-off
Every clip comes with a score out of 10 and a one-line reason for it. Reading the reason is the quickest way to decide whether you agree. Only clips scoring 7 or higher are kept.
The cut-off is why the number of clips varies. A tight interview full of self-contained answers can fill the target. A rambling one may not, and then you get fewer clips, not a list padded with weak ones. Treat the score as a way to rank what you review first. It is not a promise about views.
| Source video length | Built-in target for clips |
|---|---|
| Up to 15 minutes | 3 to 5 |
| Up to 30 minutes | 5 to 8 |
| Up to 60 minutes | 8 to 12 |
| Longer than 60 minutes | Up to 15 |
Worked example: a 25-minute interview falls in the up-to-30-minute row, so the target is 5 to 8 clips. If only four moments reach 7, you get four.
Choose how long each cut is
| Setting | Clip length | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | 15 to 90 seconds | Letting each moment set its own length |
| Short | 20 to 40 seconds | One quick point or a sharp quote |
| Medium | 40 to 60 seconds | A short story with a setup and a payoff |
| Long | 60 to 90 seconds | An answer that needs room to land |
If your source is mostly short, punchy exchanges, try Short. If speakers explain things at length, Medium or Long keeps an answer from being cut mid-thought. Silence is trimmed either way.
When another tool is the better choice
- You already know the timestamps. Typing in a start and end is a manual job, and a regular video editor does it directly.
- You need a widescreen cut. KeyMo exports vertical 9:16 only.
- Your video is under 5 minutes, or over 3 hours in a single file. Trim it to fit first.
- You want nothing to pay. KeyMo has no free plan and no trial, and extract clips from video free is a different search from this one.
- You need frame-exact cuts. KeyMo pads and trims boundaries by itself.
Extracting clips from a YouTube video: rights first
When you paste a link, KeyMo only fetches up to 1080p, and you must confirm you own the video or have permission to use it. That confirmation is not a formality. The U.S. Copyright Office says fair use is decided case by case and that no set percentage or number of seconds is a guaranteed safe amount. This is not legal advice.
If the video is yours or someone has said yes in writing, go ahead. If not, read is it legal to clip YouTube videos first.
After the clips are out
- Open any clip in the chat editor and tell KeyMo what to change. Edit mode accepts clips from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
- Captions come in 12 styles plus none, and there is a music library sorted by mood.
- Download clips one at a time or all together as a ZIP.
- Sources are kept for 7 days and clips for 30.
Plan limits and source minutes are on pricing. For the shorter route to vertical Shorts, see long video to Shorts.
Sources: U.S. Copyright Office: Fair Use Index (checked 11 October 2026).