Shorts Playbook

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How to clip a podcast into Shorts

From a full episode to a vertical, captioned clip, step by step.

1. Find the moments

Watch or read the transcript for self-contained moments: a story, a strong opinion, a clear answer. See picking clip moments for a repeatable method.

2. Cut within each platform's limit

YouTube lets you upload a Short of up to 3 minutes[1]. TikTok allows uploads of up to 60 minutes[2]. Meta's Reels ad spec runs from 0 seconds to 15 minutes on Instagram[3]. If one clip goes to several platforms, cut to the shortest limit among them.

3. Reframe to vertical

YouTube accepts Shorts in a square or vertical aspect ratio[1]; Meta's Reels specs use 9:16[3][4]. For a two-camera podcast, keep the person speaking in frame.

4. Add captions and keep them in the safe area

Meta advises leaving about 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and key elements[3]. Check a frame with the safe-zone checker, and see the captions guide.

5. Export at a supported resolution

YouTube states a maximum Shorts upload resolution of 1080p[5]. Meta's Reels ad specs list 1440×2560 pixels[3]. All the limits in one place: specs by platform.

More guides

Sources

  1. YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts, read 2026-09-30.
  2. TikTok Support: camera tools and video length, read 2026-09-30.
  3. Meta Ads Guide: video ad specs on Instagram Reels, read 2026-09-30.
  4. Meta Ads Guide: video ad specs on Facebook Reels, read 2026-09-30.
  5. YouTube Help: Get started creating YouTube Shorts, read 2026-09-30.