Can I Clip a YouTube Video and Post It? (2026)
This is a practical, specific version of the copyright question: can you actually cut a piece of a YouTube video and put it somewhere else? Here's the direct answer.
If it's your own video
Yes, without restriction. You can clip, trim, and repost your own YouTube content anywhere — other platforms, your own channel's Shorts, wherever you like.
If it's someone else's video, with permission
Also yes. Plenty of creators explicitly allow or even request that fans and clippers post cut-down versions of their content — this is common with podcasts and streamers running clipping programs.
If it's someone else's video, without permission
This is the risky case. You can technically do it, but it may trigger a copyright claim through YouTube's Content ID (if reposted to YouTube) or a takedown request on other platforms. Whether it becomes a real problem depends on the rights holder's response, not on whether the clipping itself was possible.
A safer middle ground: commentary and reaction
Adding meaningful commentary, criticism, or analysis around a short clip strengthens a fair-use argument, though it's not a guarantee. The strongest, lowest-risk path is still permission first.
Frequently asked
Do I need YouTube's permission to clip a video, or the creator's?
The creator's (or whoever owns the copyright). YouTube enforces the rules through Content ID and takedowns, but permission comes from the rights holder, not the platform.