How to Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Videos on Mobile and PC

Looking to enhance your presence on YouTube with engaging and trending content? One exciting feature that has taken the platform by storm is YouTube Shorts! If you have existing video content and want to repurpose it into compelling Shorts, you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of how to make YouTube Shorts from your existing videos, allowing you to captivate a wider audience and maximize your reach on this rapidly growing platform. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to creating eye-catching Shorts that will keep your viewers coming back for more from your YouTube video or any exciting video!

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Part 1 Can You Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Videos?

Yes, of course you can! There is an option for creators to take existing videos and create Shorts out of them on YouTube - you can convert up to 60 seconds from your own existing long-form YouTube videos and turn them into Shorts using all the same editing tools, including text, timeline editor, filters, etc. Besides, you can start with an existing video and upload or shoot more clips for your Short, totaling up to 60 seconds of material.

YouTube offers the option to make Shorts from existing videos in the YouTube Studio using its creator tools on the mobile phone. If you make a Shorts video from an existing YouTube video you’ve already uploaded in this way, it will link back to the original YouTube video, letting viewers see the source video.

On the other hand, if you want to create a YouTube Shorts from an existing video on your PC, you can use a third-party shorts video editor, like FlexClip, to edit and make a Shorts video from any existing video.

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Part 2 How to Create Shorts from Existing YouTube Videos on Mobile

First, let’s see how to create YouTube Shorts from existing YouTube videos. This way only works on the mobile phone; it isn't available as far as we know on the desktop yet!

Step 1

Log into your YouTube account via the mobile app and choose a pre-uploaded YouTube video that you’d like to turn into a Short.

Step 2

Then, tap on the video you’ve chosen, you’ll see a "Remix" button underneath the video title, tap it and click "Edit into a Short".

How to Create Shorts from Existing YouTube Videos

Step 3

Now, YouTube will take you to a Shorts creation page where you can select a portion of your long-form video to turn into a Short. You can drag the sliders along your pre-existing video to choose which section to use for your Short.

Step 4

When you selected the portion, if it's under 60 seconds, you'll have the option to add in additional media or clips to this short. You can also edit your Shorts, similar to edit any YouTube Shorts.

Step 5

Once done, press Next to add a catchy title, write out the caption for your Short, and finally tap the "Upload Short" button to publish the Shorts you created from the existing YouTube video.

Part 3 How to Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC

As there's no such thing as the "Remix" button on a desktop, how can you create YouTube Shorts from existing videos on a PC?

Here, we recommend using an online video editor, like FlexClip, to turn your YouTube videos into Shorts straight after recording or editing any existing video into a compelling Shorts video and directly upload from your browser on any computer.

Turning an existing video into a Short is easy with FlexClip. You can both record your pre-uploaded YouTube video and edit any existing video for repurposing as a YouTube Short with this online tool on your browser. All you need to do is follow these steps:

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Step 1

Access FlexClip's editor and go to the Media section to upload any existing video or record a pre-uploaded YouTube video with its powerful screen recording tool for converting them into a Shorts video.

Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC - Upload or Record

Step 2

Once you have the video footage ready, choose the 9:16 ratio for your Shorts video, then add your footage to the Timeline with the plus icon.

Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC - Add Footage

Step 3

Split and trim the video to shorten it for fitting Shorts video length. You can also try the Zoom feature to crop the video scene to keep the important frames in your video.

Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC - Adjust Video

Step 4

Make more edits to perfect your Shorts video with background music, text animation, funny stickers, cool filters, transitions, overlays, various shapes, etc. Also, you can try those AI tools to simplify your editing process, such as adding auto subtitles, generating AI voice narration, and more.

Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC - More Edits

Step 5

Once you have done the editing, you can preview the video and finally click the Export button to save your Shorts. And here, you can also upload it to YouTube in one click using the social-share feature. You only need to include the #shorts hashtag in the description to post it on YouTube Shorts.

Create YouTube Shorts from Existing Video on PC - Post with #shorts Hashtag

Sandy /

Has 4-year of professional photographing experience. Very much into recording every detail of life. She is passionate about all things related to video production, and loves to exploring tips and tricks about it.