How do I turn a YouTube video into Shorts with KeyMo?

Paste the video link on a paid plan, confirm you own it or have permission, choose a clip length, and download the vertical clips when the job completes. Link import fetches up to 1080p.

How long can each Short from KeyMo be?

Between 15 and 90 seconds. Auto lets each moment set its length, while Short is 20 to 40 seconds, Medium 40 to 60 and Long 60 to 90. YouTube allows Shorts up to 3 minutes.

How many Shorts will I get from a two-hour video?

The built-in target for videos over an hour is up to 15, with a hard cap of 15. Only clips scoring 7 out of 10 or higher are kept, so a weak recording returns fewer.

Can I upload all the clips to YouTube at once?

KeyMo gives you the files singly or as one ZIP. YouTube Studio lets you upload up to 15 short videos at a time from a computer, though each still needs its details completed.

Does a longer source give better Shorts?

A longer source gives more moments to choose from, but what you get is limited by the 7-out-of-10 cut-off, not by length alone. A tight 20-minute interview can yield more clips than a loose three-hour stream.

Can KeyMo make Shorts from a video shorter than five minutes?

No. The minimum source length is 5 minutes. For anything shorter, cut the Short by hand in a regular editor, since there is little to choose between.

Use case

Long video to Shorts with AI

By the KeyMo team · Updated October 11, 2026

KeyMo turns a long video into up to 15 vertical clips sized for YouTube Shorts: 9:16, 1080x1920, 15 to 90 seconds each. Give it a YouTube link or an MP4 of 5 minutes to 3 hours. Each clip is scored out of 10 and only scores of 7 or higher are kept, so a weak video returns fewer clips.

From one long video to a batch of Shorts

The hard part of long form video to shorts ai is not the cutting. It is deciding which minutes of a 90-minute recording deserve to stand alone. KeyMo reads the video, picks candidate moments, scores them and hands back only the ones that clear the bar.

Setting	KeyMo
Source video	YouTube link (paid plans) or MP4/MOV upload
Source length	5 minutes to 3 hours, up to 10 GB
Clips out	Up to 15 per video
Clip shape	Vertical 9:16, 1080x1920, 30 fps, H.264/AAC
Clip length	Auto 15 to 90 s; Short 20 to 40; Medium 40 to 60; Long 60 to 90
Captions	12 styles with word-by-word timing, or none
Watermark	None on any plan

How many Shorts to expect from a long video

Built-in targets, not measured results
Source length	Built-in target
Up to 15 minutes	3 to 5 clips
Up to 30 minutes	5 to 8 clips
Up to 60 minutes	8 to 12 clips
Over 60 minutes	Up to 15 clips

Worked example: a 45-minute interview sits in the up-to-60-minute row, so the target is 8 to 12 clips. At Medium length, 40 to 60 seconds each, that is roughly 5 to 12 minutes of finished vertical video from 45 minutes of source.

The target is a ceiling on what KeyMo will try, not a promise. Each clip is scored out of 10 with a one-line reason and anything under 7 is dropped. A flat, meandering episode gives you fewer clips, and that is the intended behaviour.

Step by step: how to make Shorts from a long video

Add the video: paste a YouTube link, or upload an MP4 or MOV. For links KeyMo fetches up to 1080p and asks you to confirm you own the video or have permission.
Pick a clip length. Short suits a single sharp point; Long gives an answer room to finish.
Wait for the job. KeyMo transcribes, detects, plans and renders.
Review the clips from the highest score down and read each one-line reason.
Change a clip in the chat editor if needed: caption style, music mood, a tighter cut.
Download singly or as a ZIP, then upload.

How the output fits YouTube's own limits

YouTube facts read from its Help Center on 2026-10-11
Point	YouTube Shorts, per its help pages	KeyMo clips
Length	Up to 3 minutes	15 to 90 seconds
Shape	Square or vertical	Vertical 9:16
Resolution	Maximum 1080p	1080x1920
Upload batch	Up to 15 short videos at a time from a computer	Up to 15 clips per video

The 15 and 15 line up by coincidence, but it is handy: a full batch fits one upload session. YouTube also says you must complete details on each Short before publishing. For the length and resolution questions on their own, see YouTube Shorts length and YouTube Shorts resolution.

Rules for choosing a setting

If your video runs under 5 minutes, KeyMo will not take it. A manual edit is the better fit.
If it runs over 3 hours, split the recording and run the parts separately.
If your speakers answer in long stretches, start on Long. If they trade short lines, start on Short.
If you will also post a widescreen version, make that elsewhere. KeyMo never exports 16:9.
If you run weekly shows, note that source minutes reset each billing period and do not carry over.

What it costs in source minutes

Starter is $12 a month for 300 source minutes and Pro is $29 a month for 900, with at most 180 minutes in a single video. Minutes count the length of the video you add, not the number of Shorts you get. A two-hour recording uses 120 of Starter's 300 minutes. Yearly billing is ten times the monthly price. Every plan is paid and there is no trial.

Other tools cover the same job. See KeyMo vs OpusClip and KeyMo vs Klap, or the CapCut long video to Shorts alternatives page. The wider guide to AI video clippers explains where this kind of tool struggles, including slides and crosstalk.

Sources: YouTube Help: Shorts overview (checked 11 October 2026); YouTube Help: upload Shorts from a computer (checked 11 October 2026).