How to clip a live stream while it is still on air

1. Check that the broadcast is still live

Open the stream on its platform and check that it is broadcasting. A public link does not guarantee an available source: the channel may have ended, require access or face restrictions. Live Clippers validates the source before creating the job.

For YouTube, use a watch or live link; for Twitch and Kick, the channel address; for TikTok, a link ending in /live. The table illustrates URL formats, not demonstration channels.

2. Choose the moment and file

Paste the URL, sign in or create an account, then verify the stream. Choose MP4 for video, MP3 for audio or JPG for a screenshot. For video, select 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 for your destination.

Start from the current moment or within the rewind window shown for that source. Clip length and rewind offset are different: going back two minutes does not mean making a two-minute clip. Check the start and duration separately.

3. Review limits and credits before creating

The free trial includes three generations, up to 30 seconds and 480p. Lite allows clips up to five minutes; Pro and Studio allow up to ten. Output quality also depends on the original broadcast.

On paid plans, the cost depends on duration, format and quality. A 30-second video at 720p costs one credit; at 1080p30 it costs two. A one-minute 1080p30 video costs four. The app shows the exact cost before confirmation. Reserved credits are refunded if an infrastructure failure prevents delivery of a valid file.

4. Wait for processing and download

The job appears in your clip history. Recording what happens over the next five minutes takes those five minutes, plus processing and any queue time. There is no universal delivery time for every source.

Files are kept for 30 days on trial and 120 days with a paid plan or positive credit balance, starting when they are ready. Each file's expiration date appears in your history and does not change when you upgrade or downgrade. Download important files before that date and check their picture, sound, aspect ratio and length before publishing.

Files created before this policy is activated receive the full period from activation, based on the effective plan at that time. When a file expires, its clip record remains in your history, but the file is no longer available to download. Clip history is not permanent hosting.

If a link does not work

Check the address and confirm the channel is still live. Regular videos, VODs and previously published clips are not accepted by this workflow. If the platform rejects access, wait and verify again, or contact support with the URL and error message without sending passwords.

Use your own streams or content you have permission to clip and publish. Public access to a broadcast does not grant rights to reuse it.

Already have the video? Upload it from your library

You do not need a live URL to work with your own file. Choose upload video in the library and select an MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV up to 512 MiB, ten minutes and 1080p60. It must contain video; audio is optional. Its content is checked and a private MP4 copy is prepared.

Uploads use neither credits nor the three capture attempts. Limits are one active upload per account, ten new uploads a day and 2 GiB for uploaded videos including reservations. If interrupted, return in the same browser and select the same file to resume while the session is valid; it expires after 24 hours.

Play, edit and save the result

Once ready, play the clip in your library before downloading it. Open Trim, adjust the start and end, and create a copy. You can also reframe, compose camera and gameplay, merge clips, add a watermark or blur a manually selected area. These tools use no credits.

For captions, generate the transcript, review names and phrases, then save corrections before exporting. Transcription and subtitle editing are free. Play the full result and check its picture and sound before publishing.

Editing does not renew retention: the copy inherits its source deadline. A montage inherits the earliest deadline among its clips. With a positive credit balance but no subscription, captures use Lite limits and new sources have 120 days of retention; trial mode has 30. Always check the file's deadline.

Decide whether you need a paid AI option

AI highlights analyses the segment you confirm: one credit per started 120 seconds. A completed analysis is charged even without suggestions. Review candidates before choosing them; trimming and exporting them afterwards is free.

The other two paid options are ElevenLabs voice isolation, at two credits per started 30 seconds, and subtitle translation, at one credit per started five minutes per language. They are optional for editing; review the cost and content sent to the provider before confirming.