Youtube Video Clipper

YouTube Video Clipper is a powerful tool that downloads YouTube videos and extracts multiple clips from them based on specified timestamps. Perfect for creating social media content, highlights, or short clips from longer videos.

What is YouTube Video Clipper?

YouTube Video Clipper allows you to:

• Download any YouTube video
• Extract multiple clips with precise timestamps
• Generate thumbnails automatically
• Get direct download URLs for clips and thumbnails
• Handle various video qualities and formats

All you need is a YouTube URL and a list of timestamps for the clips you want to extract.

How to use YouTube Video Clipper?

YouTube Video Clipper is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward:

1. Create a free Apify account using your email
2. Open YouTube Video Clipper in Apify Console
3. Add the YouTube video URL you want to clip
4. Specify your clips with start and end timestamps
5. Click "Start" and wait for the clips to be processed

🚀 Usage

To run the actor, provide the following input:

• YouTube Video URL: The URL of the video you want to clip.
• Clips to Extract: A JSON array defining the name, start time, and end time for each clip.

The actor is designed for maximum reliability and cost-efficiency. It automatically downloads the best available video quality and uses a high-performance "stream copy" method to create clips. This process avoids re-encoding the video, which significantly reduces CPU usage and lowers the cost of each run.

Example Input

{
  "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "clips": [
    { "name": "clip_1", "start": "00:01:15", "end": "00:01:25" },
    { "name": "clip_2", "start": "00:02:40", "end": "00:02:50" }
  ]
}

Resource Configuration

For most use cases, this actor is designed to be lightweight. To manage costs effectively, we recommend the following default resource allocation in your Actor settings:

• Memory: 1024 MB (1 GB)
• Compute Units (CUs): 0.5 CU

This configuration is sufficient for processing most videos. For very long source videos (over an hour), you may need to increase the memory to 2048 MB.

🔼 Input sample

The input requires a YouTube video URL and an array of clips with timestamps:

{
  "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "clips": [
    {
      "name": "intro_clip",
      "start": "00:00:05",
      "end": "00:00:15"
    },
    {
      "name": "highlight_moment",
      "start": "00:01:30",
      "end": "00:01:45"
    }
  ]
}

Input Parameters:

• videoUrl: The YouTube video URL to process
• clips: Array of clips with name, start time, and end time (max 20 clips, 10 min each)
• quality: Video quality tier (360p/480p/720p/1080p) - affects pricing
• proxy: Optional proxy configuration for blocked regions
• useCookies: Optional boolean to enable cookie usage (required if using cookies)
• cookies: Optional YouTube cookies for private/restricted videos
• maxRetries: Number of retry attempts with exponential backoff (default: 3)

Go to the input tab for a full explanation of the JSON input format.

🔽 Output sample

Each processed clip returns detailed information including direct download URLs:

{
  "name": "intro_clip",
  "description": "Clip from 00:00:05 to 00:00:15",
  "startTime": "00:00:05",
  "endTime": "00:00:15",
  "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../clip_video.mp4",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../thumbnail.jpg",
  "duration": 10,
  "size": 2457600,
  "quality": "720p",
  "maxHeight": 720,
  "outputFormat": "mp4",
  "clipIndex": 1,
  "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "processingTime": "2024-01-15T10:30:45.123Z",
  "failed": false,
  "charged": true,
  "eventCharged": "clip_processed_720p"
}

The clips are stored in Apify's key-value store and accessible via direct URLs for immediate use.

Integrate YouTube Video Clipper and automate your workflow

YouTube Video Clipper can be connected with almost any cloud service or web app thanks to integrations on the Apify platform:

• Make - Automate clip creation workflows
• Zapier - Connect to thousands of apps
• Slack - Get notifications when clips are ready
• Webhooks - Trigger actions when processing completes
• APIs - Integrate directly with your applications

You can also use webhooks to carry out actions whenever clips are processed, such as automatically posting to social media or storing in your preferred cloud storage.

Advanced Features

Quality-Based Pricing

Choose from 4 quality tiers (360p to 1080p) with transparent per-clip pricing.

Resume & Recovery System

Automatically resume interrupted runs without losing progress or reprocessing completed clips.

Smart Retry Logic

Built-in exponential backoff retry system handles temporary YouTube blocks and network issues.

Proxy Support

Handle geo-blocked or rate-limited videos with residential proxy support.

Cookie Authentication

Access private, age-restricted, or member-only videos using browser cookies.

Input Validation & Limits

Comprehensive validation with safety limits: max 20 clips per run, 10 minutes per clip.

Real-time Processing

Clips are processed and uploaded individually as they complete, not in batches.

Use Cases

• Social Media Content: Create clips for Twitter, Instagram, TikTok
• Educational Content: Extract key moments from lectures or tutorials
• Highlights: Generate highlight reels from longer videos
• Marketing: Create promotional clips from product demos
• Research: Extract specific segments for analysis

💰 Pricing

YouTube Video Clipper uses a Pay Per Event pricing model for simple and transparent billing:

Event-based Pricing

• Run Started: $0.05 per run - Covers setup, proxy initialization, and infrastructure overhead
• Clip Processed: $0.09 per clip - Fixed cost regardless of quality selected

Quality Options & Delivery

• 360p (Basic): Best for social media, smaller files
• 480p (Recommended): Balanced quality and file size
• 720p (High Quality): HD quality for professional use

Note: All clips cost $0.09 regardless of quality selected. If the requested quality isn't available from the source video, the highest available quality is delivered with a notification.

Pricing Examples

• 1 clip: $0.05 (run) + $0.09 (clip) = $0.14 total
• 5 clips: $0.05 (run) + $0.45 (5 clips) = $0.50 total
• 10 clips: $0.05 (run) + $0.90 (10 clips) = $0.95 total
• 20 clips: $0.05 (run) + $1.80 (20 clips) = $1.85 total

Key Benefits

✅ No platform usage charges - You don't pay for compute units, storage, or proxy usage
✅ Only pay for successful results - Failed clips are not charged
✅ Transparent pricing - Clear per-event costs with no hidden fees
✅ Fair base fee - Fixed $0.05 covers setup costs regardless of run size

Free Credits

With the Apify Free plan's $5 monthly credits, you can process:

• Up to 55 clips ($0.09 each) per month
• Multiple runs with combined clips (remember the $0.05 run fee)

No setup fees - Start using immediately with your free credits!

🎯 Quality Delivery & Notifications

How Quality Selection Works

• Request any quality: Choose from 360p, 480p, or 720p based on your needs
• Automatic fallback: If your requested quality isn't available, the highest available quality is delivered
• Clear notifications: You'll see warnings in logs and output when quality differs from requested
• Fixed pricing: All clips cost $0.09 regardless of final quality delivered

Quality Notifications

When the delivered quality differs from requested, you'll see:

• Console warnings: ⚠️ QUALITY NOTICE: Requested 720p but video source only available at 480p. You are still charged for 720p tier.
• Dataset fields: actualResolution, actualHeight, and qualityWarning show what was delivered
• Transparency: Full visibility into quality fallbacks without surprises

Example Quality Scenarios

• 720p requested, 720p available: Delivered at 720p, no warnings
• 720p requested, 480p max available: Delivered at 480p with quality notice
• 480p requested, 1080p available: Delivered at 480p (as requested)

🔧 API Access

The Apify API gives you programmatic access to YouTube Video Clipper:

Node.js Example:

import { ApifyApi } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyApi({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call({
  videoUrl: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID',
  clips: [
    { name: 'clip1', start: '00:00:10', end: '00:00:20' }
  ]
});

Python Example:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('YOUR_API_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call(run_input={
    'videoUrl': 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID',
    'clips': [
        {'name': 'clip1', 'start': '00:00:10', 'end': '00:00:20'}
    ]
})

Check out the Apify API documentation for full details.

🔄 Real-time Webhook Integration

YouTube Video Clipper pushes each clip to the dataset immediately after processing, making it perfect for real-time integrations. You can receive instant notifications when clips are ready using webhooks.

How It Works

1. Each clip is pushed individually - As soon as a clip is processed, it's available in the dataset
2. Webhooks fire immediately - Get notified for each clip without waiting for the entire run to complete
3. Upload to your app in real-time - Process clips as they arrive, not in bulk at the end

Setting Up Webhooks

Configure webhooks when starting the actor run:

const run = await client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call({
  videoUrl: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID',
  clips: [
    { name: 'clip1', start: '00:00:10', end: '00:00:20' }
  ],
  webhooks: [
    {
      eventTypes: ['ACTOR.RUN.DATASET_ITEM_ADDED'],
      requestUrl: 'https://your-app.com/api/webhooks/new-clip'
    }
  ]
});

Webhook Payload

Your endpoint receives this data for each clip:

{
  "name": "clip1",
  "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../clip.mp4",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../thumb.jpg",
  "duration": 10,
  "size": 2457600,
  "startTime": "00:00:10",
  "endTime": "00:00:20",
  "failed": false
}

Example Implementation

See the /examples folder for complete webhook handler implementations:

• webhook-handler.js - Basic webhook receiver
• webhook-handler-production.js - Production-ready with retry logic
• run-with-webhook.js - How to start the actor with webhooks
• test-webhook-locally.md - Testing guide with ngrok

❓ FAQ

How much does it cost to use YouTube Video Clipper?

YouTube Video Clipper uses Pay Per Event pricing: $0.05 per run plus $0.09 per clip regardless of quality selected. With the Apify Free plan's $5 monthly credits, you can process up to 55 clips per month.

What video qualities are supported?

Three quality options: 360p (Basic), 480p (Recommended), and 720p (High Quality). All clips cost $0.09 regardless of quality selected. If your requested quality isn't available from the source video, the highest available quality is delivered with a notification.

Can I download private or age-restricted videos?

Yes, by providing YouTube cookies from a logged-in browser session, you can access private, age-restricted, or member-only content.

What happens if a video is blocked in my region?

Use the proxy configuration with residential proxies to bypass geographical restrictions.

How long can the clips be?

There's no strict limit on clip duration - you can extract clips from a few seconds to several minutes long.

What output formats are supported?

All clips are output in MP4 format using stream copying (no re-encoding) to preserve original quality and ensure fast processing.

Am I charged if a clip fails to process?

No! You're only charged the "Clip Processed" event ($0.09) for clips that are successfully created. Failed clips don't incur any charges, though you'll still pay the $0.05 "Run Started" fee per execution.

How does Pay Per Event pricing work?

Unlike traditional compute-based pricing, Pay Per Event means you pay for specific actions: starting a run ($0.05) and successfully processing each clip ($0.09). You don't pay for platform usage like compute units, storage operations, or proxy bandwidth.

What happens if my run gets interrupted?

The actor automatically saves progress and can resume from where it left off. Already processed clips won't be reprocessed, saving you time and money.

How many clips can I process at once?

Maximum 20 clips per run, with each clip limited to 10 minutes duration. This ensures optimal performance and cost control.

How long do clips take to process?

Typically 30-90 seconds per clip depending on duration and quality. The actor uses smart retry logic with 2-minute timeout per clip to prevent endless processing.

Your feedback

We're always working on improving YouTube Video Clipper. If you've got technical feedback or found a bug, please create an issue on the Actor's Issues tab in Apify Console.