Turn YouTube videos into Shorts
Paste a YouTube link. nine16 reads the whole video, picks the moments that make sense on their own, and hands them back as 9:16 Shorts with captions, ready to upload.
No card needed · 1 credit = 1 finished clip
Raise it before you feel ready
How to turn a YouTube video into Shorts
Copy the link to a public YouTube video and paste it into nine16. There's nothing to download or install. nine16 works from the video's captions, or transcribes the speech when there aren't any, then cuts each moment on a full sentence and frames it for a vertical screen. Most projects are ready in a few minutes.
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1
Paste the link
Any public YouTube video. Free takes videos up to 30 minutes, Creator up to 90 and Pro up to 3 hours.
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2
Say what to look for
Tips, stories, funny moments, hot takes, or a topic in your own words. Then choose 15–30, 30–60 or 60–90 second clips.
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3
Upload your Shorts
Download each clip with its title, description and hashtags, and post the highest scorer first.
Made for the Shorts feed
Each clip comes back as a finished Short, not a rough cut to tidy up.
1080 × 1920 vertical
Full-height 9:16 video, the shape the Shorts player fills.
Framing that follows the speaker
The crop moves to whoever is talking, or to the action in sport. When a shot is too wide to crop, nine16 shows the whole frame instead.
Captions clear of the buttons
Word-by-word captions sit clear of the title and buttons Shorts lays over your video. Seven styles, or none.
A score for every clip
Hook, flow, value and trend, each out of 100 with a one-line reason, so you know which Short to post first.
Title, description and hashtags
Written for that clip, ready to paste into YouTube's upload screen.
Free re-cuts
Move the start or end by a few seconds and render it again. Re-cuts never use credits.
Start with 5 free clips
1 credit makes 1 finished clip, and re-cuts are free. Plans give you fresh credits every month, and top-up packs never expire.
Questions
Can I turn any YouTube video into Shorts?
Any public video you own or have permission to use and repost. Paste its link: you don't need to download the video first.
How long are the Shorts?
You choose 15–30, 30–60 or 60–90 seconds. Every clip starts and ends on a full thought, so lengths vary a little inside the range you pick.
How many Shorts do I get from one video?
Ask for anything from 1 to 50. Each finished clip uses 1 credit, and credits for any clips nine16 can't find go back to your balance.
Will my Shorts have a watermark?
Clips made on the Free plan carry a small nine16 watermark. Creator and Pro clips have none.
Can I upload a video instead of pasting a link?
Yes. Upload a video file up to 100 MB if it isn't on YouTube.
More ways to use nine16
Your next 5 Shorts are free
Make an account, paste a link, and see what's hiding in your last upload.