YouTube Shorts have quickly become one of the most powerful ways to reach new audiences, grow your channel, and share ideas in a fast, engaging format. If you're learning how to make a YouTube Short, the process is simple—whether you're filming on your phone, uploading clips directly through the YouTube app, or editing on a PC for a more polished result. With short, vertical videos dominating today's social platforms, understanding how to make YouTube Shorts gives you a competitive edge in visibility, creativity, and audience retention. This guide walks you through every method step-by-step, from YouTube's built-in tools to CapCut's advanced editing features designed specifically for Shorts.
What are YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts are vertical videos up to 60 seconds long designed for fast-paced viewing, trending audio, and rapid audience engagement. They appear in a separate shorts feed on both mobile and desktop, similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels. Shorts automatically loop, making them ideal for tutorials, tips, comedy, reactions, travel clips, vlogs, and behind-the-scenes content.
Shorts are easy to make, whether you're learning how to make a short on YouTube using your mobile device or exploring how to make a YouTube Short on PC using a more advanced editor.
Why YouTube shorts matter:
- Huge organic reach potential
- Faster path to channel growth
- More audience interaction in a short time
- New monetization opportunities
- Ideal for repurposing clips from long videos
If you want to boost visibility, build an audience faster, and create content more consistently, learning how to make shorts on YouTube is essential.
How to make shorts on YouTube
- STEP 1
- Create a new shorts post
Tap the "+" icon at the bottom of the YouTube app's home screen to start creating. Make sure you switch to the "Short" tab by scrolling the bottom carousel left or right until you find it.
- STEP 2
- Record or upload your video
Press the large red "Record" button to film a new clip directly inside the app. You can customize your recording using filters and effects on the left panel.
Tap the downward arrow to reveal more tools like "Retouch," "Lighting," and "Align." There's even a green screen feature; select the icon with a person and a lined background to add a virtual backdrop.
- STEP 3
- Share the short on YouTube
Adjust the video length by selecting the "15s" button at the top right and choosing your desired duration. Just make sure the final short stays under 60 seconds.
Drag the edges of the timeline to trim your clip, then tap "Done" to return to the main screen.
While the YouTube app offers basic tools, creators often need more flexibility—especially if they want professional-looking shorts, AI-powered editing, auto captions, or seamless repurposing from long videos. That's why many prefer using a dedicated YouTube Shorts maker like CapCut desktop.
If you're wondering how to make a YouTube Short on a PC, CapCut not only simplifies the process but also speeds it up dramatically. With smart features designed specifically for vertical content, it's one of the best free YouTube Shorts maker options available, even supporting AI-powered editing without watermarks. It also offers direct workflows built specifically for YouTube, making it much easier to publish Shorts quickly and consistently.
How to make a YouTube short on PC using CapCut desktop
CapCut desktop video editor is one of the easiest and most powerful tools for creating YouTube Shorts on PC, especially if you're looking for a streamlined workflow. It offers intuitive editing, auto captions, AI-powered tools, and ready-made vertical video templates designed specifically for short-form content. Because CapCut exports in YouTube-optimized formats, creators can produce and upload Shorts faster, making it a perfect companion for anyone learning how to make a YouTube Short professionally.
Key features
- Long video to shorts: CapCut's long video to shorts feature quickly converts your long content into vertical shorts using automatic reframing and smart cropping.
- Auto captions: You can turn speech into subtitles instantly using the auto caption generator, perfect for viewer retention and better accessibility.
- Integration with YouTube: CapCut integrates with YouTube, you can prepare content optimized for YouTube's vertical format and export in one click.
- AI video maker: The AI video maker creates shorts automatically using AI based on your text prompts, ideal if you need fast results or batch content.
- Auto reframe: CapCut's auto reframe feature automatically tracks the main subject and adjusts framing for vertical videos.
- Rich visuals: Enhance YouTube Shorts using text effects, filters, stickers, video transitions, effects, and overlays.
Steps to make YouTube shorts using CapCut desktop
- STEP 1
- Import your video
Open CapCut desktop and click "Import" to drag and drop your video files into the media panel.
Place your clip on the timeline to begin editing. Ensure the video ratio is 9:16.
- STEP 2
- Add stickers, text, or audio to enhance your Short
Go to the top menu and browse Stickers, Text, or Audio to add engaging elements to your clip.
- STEP 3
- Apply transitions or adjust video quality
Use "Enhance quality," "Reduce noise," and "Stabilize" under "Video" on the right panel for better clarity.
- STEP 4
- Export your YouTube Short
Click "Export," choose your video settings (1080x1920 recommended), set frame rate, format, and hit "Export" to save your final Short.
How to make your YouTube Shorts trend - Tips offered
Creating viral content isn't just about posting frequently; it's about understanding viewer behavior and optimizing your Shorts from the very first frame. Whether you're learning how to make a YouTube Short for the first time or refining your current strategy, the right editing approach can significantly increase retention and visibility. These tips will help your Shorts perform better in the YouTube algorithm while keeping viewers engaged from start to finish.
- Hook viewers in the first 1–2 seconds: Start with a strong visual, unexpected movement, or bold text to capture attention instantly. Using CapCut video templates makes this much easier when learning how to make YouTube Shorts that stand out.
- Add auto captions: Captions help retain viewers who watch with the sound off and increase overall engagement. CapCut's auto-caption tool is ideal if you want a YouTube Shorts maker for free that adds clean, accurate text automatically.
- Use trending music and sounds: Leverage popular tracks from YouTube's audio library to increase reach and algorithmic boosts. Aligning your sound with current trends can dramatically improve the performance of any Short.
- Keep it under 20 seconds when possible: Shorter videos often earn higher completion rates, which increases visibility. When learning how to make a short on YouTube, focus on punchy, fast-moving content for the best results.
- Maintain fast pacing and clear cuts: Quick edits keep viewers engaged and reduce drop-off. CapCut's precision timeline tools help speed up your workflow if you're making Shorts on PC or using it as your YouTube Shorts maker free without a watermark.
- Use strong titles and hashtags (#shorts): Even though Shorts rely heavily on the feed, good metadata improves discoverability. Adding accurate keywords and one or two hashtags makes it easier for viewers to find your content.
- Post consistently: Frequent uploads help the algorithm understand your niche and push your Shorts to the right audience. Even posting 2–3 times per week can accelerate growth, especially when you're still learning how to make a YouTube Short on PC or mobile.
Excellent YouTube shorts examples for inspiration
If you're learning how to make a YouTube Short, one of the best ways to improve is by studying what already performs well. These popular styles show how creators across different niches use pacing, storytelling, and editing to capture attention in under 60 seconds. Use them as inspiration when crafting your own Shorts with CapCut or any other editor.
- Lifestyle Shorts: Creators share aesthetic moments, routines, day-in-the-life videos, or feel-good clips. These Shorts rely on simple storytelling, soft music, and clean visuals, perfect for beginners exploring lifestyle content.
- Business & entrepreneurship Shorts: These feature quick tips, money insights, productivity hacks, or behind-the-scenes office clips. Strong hooks and fast-paced edits work extremely well here, especially when paired with captions for maximum retention.
- Vlog-style shorts: Mini vlogs—travel snippets, food reviews, morning routines, bring personality and authenticity to the feed. They work great for creators learning how to make YouTube Shorts that feel natural and relatable.
- Fitness & workout Shorts: High-energy workout demos, form tips, and transformation clips perform exceptionally well. These Shorts benefit from fast cuts, upbeat audio, and clear on-screen text for instruction or motivation.
- Tutorial & quick-guide Shorts: Fast how-to demos, recipes, tech tips, or step-by-step mini tutorials attract huge replay value. They're perfect for creators mastering how to make a short on YouTube while offering helpful content to viewers.
Learning how to make a YouTube Short is one of the fastest ways to grow your channel in 2026 and beyond. Shorts allow you to create more content with fewer resources while reaching a much larger audience. CapCut makes the entire workflow, from trimming to framing to adding effects, much easier, especially if you're looking for a YouTube Shorts maker AI free without a watermark. With features like auto captions, long-video-to-short conversion, and smart reframing, CapCut gives you everything you need to create viral-ready content consistently. Start creating shorts today, experiment frequently, and watch your channel grow!
FAQs
- 1
- Is there a YouTube Shorts maker AI free without a watermark?
Yes, CapCut is one of the best free AI shorts makers available without watermarks. It offers AI features like auto captions, text to speech, and long videos to shorts built for YouTube creators, all without watermarks
- 2
- How can I convert a long video into shorts for YouTube?
CapCut's long video-to-short feature automatically reframes your clip vertically and extracts the best moments. This is perfect for turning long videos into multiple shorts. You can directly share the converted shorts on YouTube and use CapCut's recommended descriptions.
- 3
- How to check my YouTube Shorts performance?
Go to YouTube Studio → Analytics → Content → Shorts. Here you can track views, retention, subscribers gained, engagement, and traffic sources. To get better YouTube shorts performance, use CapCut's rich and advanced features to create eye-catching videos.
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