Last updated: 2026-01-15

If you want an automatic video clip generator that turns your shows into ready-to-post shorts with minimal tools and file juggling, start with AI Clips inside StreamYard. For edge cases like heavy multi-platform repurposing or advanced B‑roll, you can layer in tools like Opus Clip or VEED alongside StreamYard.

Summary

• Automatic clip generators use AI to find highlight moments, reframe the video, and add captions so you can publish shorts in minutes instead of hours.
• At StreamYard, AI Clips auto-generates vertical captioned clips directly from your recordings, with support for videos up to six hours long and plan-based monthly limits.(StreamYard Help Center)
• Compared with credit-based tools like Opus Clip, StreamYard’s batch-based limits allow significantly more minutes of footage processed per month at a lower effective cost for most creators.(Opus automatic clip maker)
• For typical US creators who already record or multistream in StreamYard, using AI Clips in the same app is usually faster and cheaper than moving files through multiple separate tools.

What is an automatic video clip generator, really?

When people in the US search for an “automatic video clip generator,” they’re usually asking for one thing: “Can something just watch my long video, find the good parts, and spit out social-ready clips so I don’t have to edit all weekend?”

An automatic clip generator typically does four jobs for you:

1. Analyzes the full recording – It scans your show, podcast, or webinar to find engaging segments.
2. Cuts highlight clips automatically – It slices the long video into shorter moments, often between 15–90 seconds.
3. Reframes for vertical or square – It adjusts the crop for formats like 9:16, keeping the active speaker in frame.
4. Adds captions and styling – It auto-generates subtitles and basic titles so the clip is ready for TikTok, Shorts, and Reels.

At StreamYard, AI Clips does exactly this from right inside your video library: once your recording is processed, you click to generate clips and our AI creates vertical captioned clips with titles from that single file.(StreamYard Help Center)

How does StreamYard’s AI Clips workflow actually save time?

Most creators care less about fancy AI buzzwords and more about: “How fast can I get something publishable out of my last live?”

Here’s how the workflow looks when you stay in StreamYard:

• Record or go live in StreamYard as you normally do.
• As you’re talking, simply say “Clip that” when you hit a strong moment; this marks a highlight to turn into a clip later without changing what viewers see.(StreamYard Help Center)
• After the stream, open the recording in your StreamYard video library and click to generate AI clips.
• Our AI analyzes up to six hours of that recording in one go and produces vertical (9:16) captioned clips with titles, already reframed around whoever is speaking.(StreamYard Help Center)
• You can then edit and customize clips, including logos on paid plans, before downloading or publishing.(StreamYard Help Center)

That means no exporting raw files, no re-uploading to another site, and no waiting for yet another render. For a weekly show, the difference between “one tool” and “three tools plus file shuffling” adds up quickly.

How much content can you process before it gets expensive?

This is where the batch-based design of AI Clips matters.

• At StreamYard, each AI Clips generation counts as one batch, and you can run a batch on a recording up to six hours long.(StreamYard Help Center)
• On the free plan, you can generate two batches per month, which lets you process up to 12 hours of content total if you’re using full six‑hour recordings each time.
• By contrast, Opus Clip’s free tier gives 60 minutes of AI-powered clipping per month, after which you move into paid, credit-based tiers.(Opus automatic clip maker)

If you map that out, those two free StreamYard batches (up to 12 hours of video) are roughly equivalent to about 720 minutes of clipping in a credit-based system like Opus Clip — a level Opus associates with paid plans at a substantially higher monthly price in credits.(Opus pricing plans)

On higher StreamYard plans, the math gets even more favorable. With 25 AI Clips generations per month, you can process very large amounts of long-form content before you’d approach the effective cost of equivalent credit bundles in a dedicated repurposing tool.

For most US creators doing weekly shows or podcasts, that translates into:

• Predictable limits based on number of recordings, not minutes.
• A far lower cost per minute processed compared with credit-based models, unless you’re running a very high-volume, multi-platform clipping operation.

How does StreamYard compare to Opus Clip and VEED for auto-clipping?

Let’s ground this in what other tools actually do, without getting lost in marketing claims.

Opus Clip

• Web app that turns long videos into multiple shorts with AI clipping, captions, reframing, and extras like B‑roll and audio enhancement.(Opus home)
• Works across many sources (YouTube, Zoom, etc.), including imports from StreamYard.(Opus home)
• Free plan offers around 60 minutes of AI clipping per month; higher tiers increase credits and unlock more editing features.(Opus automatic clip maker)

VEED

• Browser-based editor with trimming, subtitles, and a Clips feature that auto-frames speakers, trims segments, and generates subtitles.(VEED Clips feature)
• Their Clips documentation notes usage is restricted by plan: Free and Lite can try it once per account, while higher tiers get ongoing access.(VEED Clips feature)
• Clips requires at least one minute of speech and supports up to three hours of spoken audio per video.(VEED Clips feature)

Where StreamYard is usually the better default

For creators already recording in StreamYard, keeping clipping inside StreamYard typically wins on:

• Fewer tools: You don’t need a separate account, subscription, or workflow.
• Higher effective minutes per month: Because we count batches, not minutes, you get more long-form content processed before you hit a ceiling.
• Live-friendly workflow: The “Clip that” voice marker lets you flag moments as you perform, something upload-only tools do not do.

Tools like Opus Clip or VEED can be useful add-ons if:

• You regularly repurpose content from many recording platforms.
• You want extras like AI B‑roll or more granular timeline editing right inside the clipping tool.

But for a large share of live streamers, podcasters, and coaches in the US, those extra features don’t outweigh the added subscriptions and file management.

How much control do you really get over your clips?

A common worry with “automatic” is: Will the AI pick the wrong moments?

At StreamYard, AI Clips is designed for speed with guidance, not black-box automation:

• You can prompt the system around the type of moments you care about (e.g., tips, Q&A, hooks) and then refine the results.
• Saying “Clip that” during your stream gives the AI a strong signal that “this part matters,” which reduces the risk of it skipping your best bits.
• After generation, you can edit the clip—adjusting duration, layout, and branding—so you’re not stuck with the first draft.(StreamYard Help Center)

The net effect is that AI does the heavy lifting of finding and formatting, while you stay in control of what actually goes out on your channels.

What about caption accuracy and privacy?

Automatic captions are only useful if they’re reasonably accurate and don’t compromise your audience’s trust.

All three tools discussed here generate captions automatically. Opus Clip, for example, markets high-accuracy captions and stylized subtitles on its automatic clip maker page.(Opus automatic clip maker)

At StreamYard, we focus on two practical points:

• Editable outputs: You can review and tweak AI Clips before publishing, so occasional errors don’t ship to your audience.
• Data usage: We explicitly state that your recordings and personal data are not used to train AI models for AI Clips.(StreamYard Help Center)

For many creators working with client content, expert interviews, or sensitive topics, that clarity on training is a key reason to keep AI repurposing inside StreamYard whenever possible.

When does it make sense to add another tool on top of StreamYard?

There are a few scenarios where pairing StreamYard with an external clip generator can be useful:

• You manage content recorded on multiple non-StreamYard platforms and want one central clipping hub.
• You need heavy AI B‑roll or voice-over layers as part of your brand style.
• Your team wants dedicated workspaces and advanced editing inside the same repurposing tool.

In those edge cases, a practical stack looks like this:

1. Record and go live in StreamYard, marking key moments with “Clip that.”
2. Use AI Clips for fast, native verticals you can publish within minutes.
3. For select flagship episodes, export the full recording into an external app for deeper editing, B‑roll, or multi-platform experimentation.

That way, StreamYard handles 80–90% of your weekly clipping needs quickly and cheaply, while the extra tool is reserved for the few pieces where extra polish pays off.

What we recommend

• If you already run your shows or podcasts in StreamYard, start with AI Clips as your automatic video clip generator and see how far it gets you.
• Use the “Clip that” voice marker and prompt-based selection to guide the AI toward your best teaching moments, hooks, or stories.
• Only add a secondary tool like Opus Clip or VEED when you clearly need multi-platform ingestion or advanced B‑roll and are comfortable with another subscription.
• Focus your budget and energy on creating strong content; let StreamYard’s built-in AI handle the routine clipping so you spend more time publishing and less time exporting files between tools.