Summary

  • YouTube is testing a feature that allows creators to easily extract and publish engaging segments from their existing long-form videos as separate 16:9 videos (not vertical Shorts)
  • Unlike previous experiments, this feature helps creators recycle and repackage their best moments from longer videos into shorter, standalone clips to potentially reach new audiences.
  • The feature is currently limited to a few creators that publish videos in English. A new ‘Create a video highlight’ button will appear in YouTube Studio Desktop for eligible creators.



YouTube is kicking off 2025 with a new experiment, which, although focused on creators, will result in viewers seeing a lot more smaller clips on their YouTube feed.

The streaming giant recently bumped up its YouTube Shorts video length to three minutes, allowing creators to tell longer stories while sticking to the short-form content format. However, YouTube’s latest experiment doesn’t pertain to Shorts. Instead, it wants to make it easier for creators to publish shorter content that still falls in the long-form 16:9 aspect ratio.

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The streaming giant highlighted the new feature on Tuesday, January 7, suggesting that the experiment is only rolling out to a small number of creators that publish videos in English (via Android Authority). Unlike last year’s rollout of AI-assisted brainstorming, the new feature does not help creators come up with new video ideas. Instead, it helps them recycle existing ones.


“We’re experimenting with a feature that lets creators easily cut out engaging segments from long-form videos on YouTube and instantly publish them as separate 16:9 videos,” reads the streaming giant’s experiments page, clarifying that it won’t turn snippets into Shorts’ 9:16 vertical aspect ratio.


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For creators, this means that you’ll now start seeing a ‘Create a video highlight’ in the video editor tool in YouTube Studio Desktop (if the experimental feature has been made available to you). For viewers, on the other hand, this could mean an influx of shorter video clips that you might have already watched. If you’ve not dabbled in a specific creator’s content in the past, these short clips could also act as a gateway to the creator’s longer-form content.


While YouTube didn’t explicitly mention this, it likely decides what parts of a video are the most “engaging” by looking at the video’s progress bar heatmap (most replayed sections), highlighting only what other viewers found to be ‘worth watching.’ The tech giant is currently seeking feedback from creators who’ve gained access to the new feature. It is unclear if and when the feature might leave its experimental phase.