YouTube Video Cutter

Cut part of a YouTube video and download just that clip

Only need one goal from a match, a single step from a long tutorial, a quote from an interview or 20 seconds of a song for a ringtone? This YouTube video cutter downloads just the section you pick instead of the whole video. Paste a link, drag the two handles to mark where the clip starts and ends, then save it as an MP4 video or as MP3 audio. It is free, needs no signup and runs in your browser.

How to cut a YouTube video

The trimmer with a 50-second section selected. Only the part between the two handles is downloaded, which is why a clip arrives much faster than the full video.

1. Copy the YouTube link from the address bar or the Share button.
2. Paste it above. The video is read in a few seconds, and on this page the trimmer is already switched on.
3. Drag the handles to the part you want. The labels show the start time, the end time and the clip length as you move them.
4. Choose the format and download. Pick Video (MP4) and a resolution for a video clip, or Audio (MP3) and a bitrate for sound only. Only the selected section is processed.

How precise is the cut?

The handles move in one-second steps, and the cut is made at exactly those points rather than at the nearest keyframe. Plenty of quick trimming tools snap to keyframes, which is why their clips often start a couple of seconds early. Here the clip begins on the second you chose.

Video clips come out as H.264 MP4 at the resolutions the upload offers, up to 1080p, so they play on phones, TVs and in any editor. If a video has no known length, which occasionally happens with live recordings, the trimmer cannot be shown and the page tells you so.

Cutting the audio: ringtones and song clips as MP3

Switch to the Audio (MP3) tab and the same trimmer becomes a YouTube to MP3 cutter. The most common use is a ringtone: grab a 20-30 second hook, download it as an MP3 and set it as your ringtone or notification sound. On Android you can pick the file straight from the sound settings; on iPhone, import the clip into GarageBand to turn it into a ringtone.

Use 320kbps for music and 128kbps for spoken clips. YouTube stores audio at roughly 128-160kbps, so 320kbps keeps everything the source has, and our 320kbps guide explains what that does and does not buy you. The complete YouTube to MP3 guide walks through ringtones on iPhone and Android step by step.

Why cut before downloading?

• Less waiting. A 30-second clip downloads far faster than a 40-minute video you would then trim somewhere else.
• Smaller files. Handy on a phone, and easy to send in a chat.
• No editing software. You get the finished clip, not a raw file to open in another app.
• One tool for both. The same selection works for an MP4 clip or an MP3 clip.

Works on phones, tablets and computers

On iPhone, use Safari and the clip saves to the Downloads folder in the Files app. On Android, it lands in Downloads and shows up in your gallery or music app. On a computer it goes to your usual Downloads folder. The handles drag with a finger as easily as with a mouse.

Related tools

Want the whole thing rather than a clip? Use the YouTube to MP3 converter for audio or YouTube to MP4 for video, and the YouTube downloader handles both on one page. For editing-grade audio there is YouTube to WAV, and Shorts have their own Shorts downloader.

Please cut and download only what you have the right to use: your own uploads, licensed content or Creative Commons material. This educational tool is not affiliated with YouTube; see our legality guide.