CLIPPER.VIDEO

Clip YouTube videos. No downloads. No coins.

FreeNo watermark

Insert YouTube link

Works with watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live and embed links

Loading player

Recorded locally · never uploaded

Pressing LOAD connects to YouTube (Google) to show the player.

Format
Captions
Clip length
00:00
Est. output
≈ 0 MB

Pick This Tab in the share dialog and keep tab audio on. Recorded locally — the clip never leaves your device.

This browser can't capture its own tab. Open this page in Chrome or Edge on a desktop to record.

Stand by
Ad playing00:00 / 00:00

An ad is running in the player. Recording starts the moment your segment does — the ad won't be in the clip.

REC
00:00 / 00:000%

Scrolling is paused so the player stays in frame. You'll hear the clip while it records.

Converting
WebM → MP4 · in your browser
0%≈ 0s left

Stay on this tab. The conversion runs locally and stops if the page closes.

Clip get!
Download
  1. Paste link
  2. Set start · end
  3. Pick format
  4. Clip it!
  5. Download
Info

About this tool

Zclipper does not download or host videos; you are responsible for what you clip.

This site uses YouTube API Services. By using it you agree to the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.

A free, browser-based clipper that records a chosen segment of any YouTube video as it plays and saves it as a WebM or MP4 file. There is no signup, no watermark, and nothing is uploaded to a server. It works with watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live and embed links in Chrome or Edge on desktop.

Browsers cannot download YouTube streams (and YouTube's Terms of Service forbid it), so this free online clipper takes a different, honest approach: it plays your chosen segment in the official embedded YouTube player and records it as it plays, like a built-in screen recorder pointed at just the player. Chrome's tab capture records the current tab, Element Capture crops the recording to the player area, and MediaRecorder assembles a WebM (VP9) file of exactly the segment you picked, at playback quality. Zclipper never touches YouTube's video files: it does not request, decrypt, proxy, or store them, and it does not block or skip ads.

Paste any YouTube link (watch pages, youtu.be short links, Shorts, live and embed URLs all work, and a t= timestamp prefills the start time). Drag the two slider handles to frame and cut your segment (the player follows, so you see the exact frames) or type precise timecodes, pick WebM or MP4 as the output, then hit Clip it! and choose This Tab in the share dialog. Playback jumps to your start time and the recording stops itself at the end time.

Recording works in Chrome, Edge and other Chromium desktop browsers, with no extension or software to install: tab self-capture with audio and player-region cropping exist only there for now. Everything else on the page (loading a video, previewing, picking times) works everywhere. Clip quality equals what the player streams at your window size, so set the player quality to 1080p, keep the window large, and leave the tab visible while it records. Recording happens in real time: a 30-second clip takes 30 seconds. If an ad plays, let it finish and record again.

Made for personal use: saving a repro step from a recorded talk, keeping a snippet of a conference session for reference, or clipping a moment for study or commentary. Only clip videos you own, have permission to record, or may lawfully excerpt where you live; never re-publish other people's content as your own, and do not use the tool to get around a rental, purchase, membership, age or region restriction. Your use of the player remains subject to YouTube's Terms of Service.

Recording and conversion run entirely in your browser. The only network traffic is the YouTube player itself; the clip never leaves your device.

Clipping vs. downloading

Browsers can't download YouTube's video files, and doing so would break YouTube's Terms of Service. This tool instead records the official player as your segment plays, then saves that recording as a file you can keep. You get a clip of just the part you chose, without circumventing any of YouTube's technical protections and without installing anything. Your use of the embedded player remains subject to YouTube's Terms of Service. Copy-protected videos are refused rather than worked around, and ads are neither blocked nor removed. Recording a clip does not give you any rights in the video; whether a particular use is allowed is your responsibility.

FAQ13 questions

Does this download the video from YouTube?

No. Browsers cannot fetch YouTube video files, and downloading them would violate YouTube’s terms. Instead, the tool records the official embedded player while your segment plays, using the browser’s own screen-capture permission, exactly like a screen recorder would. That is also why recording takes as long as the clip itself.

How do I clip a YouTube video without the Clip feature?

Use a browser-based clipper like this one: paste the link, set start and end, and record the segment straight from the player. YouTube’s native Clip button only creates a shareable link to a segment, not a video file, and it is unavailable on many videos. Because this tool records the player instead of using that feature, it works whether or not the Clip button exists on the video.

Can I save a YouTube clip as MP4?

Yes. Pick MP4 as the format before recording and the clip is converted locally in your browser to H.264/AAC right after capture; WebM (VP9/Opus), the native recording format, is also available. The MP4 output plays in video editors, chat apps and on phones alike.

Is there a free YouTube clipper without watermarks?

Yes. This tool is free, adds no watermark, needs no signup or account, and has no export caps. Everything runs in your browser; the only requirement is Chrome or Edge on desktop for the recording step.

Can I clip a YouTube Short?

Yes. Paste the Shorts link (youtube.com/shorts/…) and it loads in the player like any other video; set your start and end times and record. Live streams and embed links work the same way.

Do I need to install an extension or software?

No. Everything runs on this web page using the browser’s built-in screen-capture and recording APIs. There is no extension, no app, no download and no account. That is also why it is private: the clip is assembled locally and never leaves your device.

Can I clip YouTube videos on iPhone or Android?

Not the recording step yet: phones do not support tab capture, so the Record button stays disabled there. You can still load a video and pick your start and end times on mobile; to save the clip, open this page in Chrome or Edge on a desktop.

Why does recording need Chrome or Edge on desktop?

Three APIs make it work: tab self-capture (getDisplayMedia with the current tab), tab audio capture, and Element Capture, which crops the recording to just the player. All three currently exist only in Chromium desktop browsers. In Firefox, Safari or on phones you can still load a video and pick times, but the Record button stays disabled.

What quality does the clip have?

The clip records at the quality the player is showing, scaled by your display’s pixel density: a large window on a sharp screen captures up to 1080p. For best results, set the player’s quality menu to 1080p, keep the browser window large, and leave the tab visible while recording.

Why won't some videos record?

A small number of videos — rentals, purchased films and certain licensed content — are delivered with digital rights management, and the browser deliberately produces a blank recording for them. That is the protection working as intended, and there is no way around it here. The tool checks the finished recording and tells you when this has happened, instead of saving a blank file.

Why did an ad end up in my clip, and what about buffering?

The recorder captures whatever the player shows. Pre-roll ads are waited out automatically (recording only starts once your segment actually plays), and buffering pauses are cut out of the clip. A mid-roll ad cannot be removed, so the recording stops with a message. Record the segment again once playback resumes.

Can I clip a YouTube video that isn’t mine?

That depends on what you clip and what you do with it, and it is your responsibility. Short excerpts of someone else’s video for private reference, study, commentary or criticism may fall under fair use or fair dealing depending on where you are and how the clip is used, but that is a judgement call and not something this page can make for you. Never re-upload other people’s content as your own, respect creators and YouTube’s Terms of Service, and when in doubt link to the original video instead. Zclipper is not legal advice and is not a substitute for permission from the creator.

Is anything uploaded while I clip?

No. The page talks to YouTube only to load the official player and to look up the video title. The recording is assembled by MediaRecorder in your browser, and the optional MP4 conversion runs in a local Web Worker using your browser’s WebCodecs. The clip never leaves your device.