By Enric Llonch, on 22 May 2025
In this day and age, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are the places where many audiences hang out, get inspired, and make buying decisions. But not every marketing team has time to turn a 40-minute webinar or podcast into a short, scroll-stopping clip. That’s where Opus Clip comes in.
Opus Clip is an AI-powered video repurposing tool that’s making waves in the world of content marketing. In this article, we’re explaining what it is, how it works, and why it’s gaining traction among marketers, creators, and brands alike.
What Exactly Is Opus Clip?
Opus Clip is a video editing tool powered by generative AI. It takes long-form video content (think webinars, podcasts, interviews, or YouTube videos) and automatically cuts it into multiple short-form videos that are social media-ready.
The tool was launched a few years ago by Young Zhao. The idea behind Opus Clip is that it takes the repetitive, time-consuming parts of video editing off your plate and lets AI do the heavy lifting.
Unlike traditional editing software, Opus Clip doesn’t just chop up your video at random. It uses machine learning to analyze speech patterns, visual cues, emotional moments, and even what’s trending online to decide which parts of your content are most likely to go viral.
How It Works (In Simple Terms)
Once you upload your long-form video, Opus Clip will:
Analyze the entire video, looking for high-impact moments.
Select and edit multiple clips, adding captions, zoom effects, and transitions automatically.
Assign each clip a ‘Virality Score,’ based on factors like topic relevance, clarity of speech, and engagement trends on social platforms.
In just a few minutes, it will generate 5–10 short clips that are ready to upload on TikTok, Instagram Reels, LinkedIn, or YouTube Shorts.
Why Marketers Are Paying Attention
Video editing has traditionally been a roadblock in content marketing. Even with a good editor on your team, turning a single video into multiple social-ready versions can take hours, if not days.
Opus Clip flips that timeline on its head. This means:
Faster turnaround on content
More opportunities to test different formats and hooks
Lower costs compared to hiring full-time editors or freelancers
Higher ROI from existing content (repurpose once, publish everywhere)
The tool’s AI-generated captions are another big plus. They’re accurate, on-brand, and support multiple languages, making your videos more accessible and easier to consume without sound as well.
Who’s Using It?
According to Business Insider, companies like LinkedIn, Visa, Univision, and Billboard have jumped on board. Creators and agencies use it daily to turn podcasts, webinars, product demos, and even Zoom recordings into ready-to-post shorts.
What makes it especially useful for marketers is its ability to “read the room.” The AI can pick out the parts of a conversation that are emotionally charged, controversial, or highly relevant to your audience.
Standout Features
Here’s what users tend to like about Opus Clip:
AI Curation: Finds the best moments based on what’s being said and how it’s being said.
Auto Captions: Clean, accurate subtitles that don’t require manual tweaking.
Brand Customization: Add your logo, brand colors, or custom fonts to keep everything on-brand.
Clip Highlights: AI automatically bolds key phrases or cuts to close-ups when someone says something impactful.
Content Scheduler: Lets you schedule directly to social platforms, another step removed from your to-do list.
Pricing Breakdown
Opus Clip offers two main pricing tiers:
Starter Plan – $15/month: Includes 150 AI credits per month.
Pro Plan – $29/month: Comes with 300 credits per month and access to more customization features.
You can also buy extra credits if you’re editing a high volume of videos. There’s also free trial, which you can test out before committing.
Does It Have Any Downsides?
While Opus Clip can save a lot of time, it’s not always 100% spot-on. Sometimes it might choose clips that don’t hit the mark emotionally or contextually. And, if your brand needs super-polished, cinematic editing, a human editor may still be your go-to.
However, for teams that need speed, scalability, and something that looks pretty good with zero manual effort, Opus Clip is a game-changing tool.
