How to Turn Your YouTube Videos into Instagram Reels and TikToks (Fast!)

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If you’ve been creating long-form videos on YouTube but want to repurpose them into short-form content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts—good news: it’s way easier than you think.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I turn my YouTube videos into social-ready clips using one of my all-time favorite tools, Descript. Whether you want AI to do the heavy lifting or prefer a more custom edit, this post has you covered.

Hit play or read the post below:

The Tool I Use: Descript

Descript is an all-in-one video editing tool that makes repurposing content a breeze. I use it for:

• Filming and editing YouTube videos

• Cutting those videos down into clips

• Creating 4K screen recordings and tutorials

• Editing like a Google Doc (yes, really)

Whether you film your content in Descript or record it elsewhere (like on your phone), you can easily upload your files into the app and get started.

Step 1: Use AI to Auto-Create Clips

Once your video is uploaded, here’s how to quickly generate multiple clips:

1. Click on Underlord (Descript’s AI tool).

2. Scroll to Create Clips.

3. Choose how many clips you want and set the ideal length (I usually go with 3 clips at around 60 seconds each).

4. Pick your layout (portrait mode for Reels, TikToks, etc.).

5. Click Submit.

In seconds, Descript generates ready-to-edit short-form clips for you.

🎯 Pro tip: Descript sometimes adds a watermark—just click on it and hit delete on your keyboard to remove it before exporting.

Step 2: Make Quick Edits (if needed)

Thanks to Descript’s automatic transcript generation, editing is as easy as reading and deleting text. Here’s how:

• Highlight the sentence you want to remove in the transcript.

• Hit delete. The video cut happens automatically—no need to mess with the timeline.

• Want more control? Click Show Timeline to see all the layers and elements in your video.

You can change text styles, move captions around, and even add images, graphics, or video clips as b-roll.

Step 3: Create Custom Clips Manually (Optional)

Want to choose a specific moment from your video and turn that into a custom short? Here’s how:

1. Highlight the section in the transcript you want to use.

2. Copy it.

3. Create a new project and switch it to portrait mode.

4. Paste the transcript into the new project.

5. Adjust the size and positioning of your video clip.

6. Add captions by clicking Captions and selecting your preferred style.

7. Customize your captions, size, and placement.

When you’re ready, hit Export, choose your resolution, and your custom clip is ready to post!

Bonus: Editing Videos Filmed on Your Phone

Did you film something on your iPhone or camera but want to use Descript for editing?

No problem:

1. Open a new Descript project.

2. Click Add File and upload your video.

3. Follow the same editing process as above.

Descript will still auto-generate a transcript and give you access to all its editing features—no matter where you filmed the video.

Final Thoughts

Descript is hands-down the fastest, easiest way I’ve found to repurpose long-form video content into shareable short-form clips. Whether you’re batch-creating Reels, prepping for TikTok, or just want to stretch the reach of your YouTube content, this tool is a game changer.

If you want more simple tutorials like this, make sure to hit subscribe on my channel. And if you’ve got questions, drop them in the comments—I’d love to help.

Want to try Descript? I’ve included my favorite tutorials and resources down below 👇

Film & Edit Videos 10x Faster - Descript Tutorial 2025

Edit Like a Pro in Descript [Video Editing Tutorial]

Thanks for reading—and happy editing! 🎬✨

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