Blog2 min read
How to make vertical clips from a live stream
A live stream is wide. TikTok, Shorts and Reels are tall. Here is how to get from one to the other while the stream is still on, without waiting for the VOD.
1. Open the stream
Paste the live link into ClipLive: a twitch.tv or kick.com channel. The stream starts playing in the workspace with its recent seconds ready to cut. For YouTube Live, share the browser tab instead (below): YouTube currently blocks pasted links from our servers.
Streaming it yourself? Send the same feed from OBS with a ClipLive stream key. That gives the lowest delay. See how Clip Last works.
Watching a stream that will not open from a link? Share the browser tab it plays in instead (Chrome or Edge on a computer) and tick Share audio. Your screen stays on your computer: when you clip, only the last minute or so is sent to ClipLive, and only the clip is kept. Shared-screen clips can be up to 60 seconds.
2. Mark the moment
Press I where the moment starts and O where it ends. The waveform under the picture shows where the sound jumps, which is usually where the moment is. If it has just happened, press X to take the last 15, 30 or 60 seconds.
3. Choose the length
Short is usually better. 30 seconds is the default, the natural length for Shorts, TikTok and Reels. A clip can be up to 60 seconds on the free plan, 5 minutes on Starter and 10 minutes on Pro.
4. Frame it for 9:16
Pick 9:16 and slide the crop onto the subject: the face, the ball, the screen that matters. Check the crop on the moment itself, not the first frame. The crop holds one position for the whole clip, so if the subject moves a lot, set it where the action ends, or make two clips. The same In and Out can also export 1:1 and 16:9, so one mark covers every place you post.
5. Create, download, post
Press C to create the clip and download the MP4 when it is ready. Free clips carry a small ClipLive watermark; paid plans export without it. Post it while the stream is still running, when the people who saw it are still talking about it.
Tips from the production desk
- Start a second or two before the moment, so a new viewer understands what they are watching.
- End on the reaction, not the event. The reaction is often the clip.
- One moment per clip. If you have two, make two clips.
- Clip during the stream, not the next day. The moment is worth most while it is still happening.
Platform guides: Twitch clip maker and YouTube Live clip maker. Or paste a live link now.