YouTube Clipper

Small local web app for turning a section of a YouTube video into an MP4 clip.

Support the project

What it does

• Paste a YouTube URL
• Load title, thumbnail, uploader, and duration
• Preview the video in-page with an embedded YouTube player
• Scrub the playhead and inspect a thumbnail rail while trimming
• Set clip boundaries with drag handles or manual timestamps
• Export the selected section as an MP4 download
• Re-encode clips into a more social-upload-friendly H.264/AAC MP4

Privacy

This app is designed to run locally on your machine.

• Video metadata lookup and clip generation happen on the local device running the app
• Generated clips are stored temporarily in the local downloads/ folder
• This project does not include a hosted backend, user accounts, or payment processing

If you publish this project, keep that local-first behavior explicit so users know their video data is not being uploaded to your server.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• yt-dlp
• ffmpeg

On macOS with Homebrew:

brew install yt-dlp ffmpeg

Run it

node server.js

Then open http://127.0.0.1:3000.

Notes

• This app runs locally and stores generated clips temporarily in downloads/.
• Generated files expire automatically after about 1 hour.
• The MVP limits clips to 10 minutes.
• Use it only with videos you have permission to download and edit.

Responsible Use

This tool is intended for lawful personal and professional workflows, including clipping content you created or content you have permission to edit.

Before publishing or promoting the app:

• Avoid language that encourages copyright infringement
• Do not ask users for YouTube passwords or account credentials
• Do not bundle cookies, tokens, or private session data
• Be clear that users are responsible for complying with platform terms and local law

Support

If this tool saves you time, you can support development here:

• Buy Me a Coffee

You can also support the project by starring the repo, sharing it, and opening thoughtful issues or pull requests.

Open Source Setup

This repository includes:

• [MIT License](/Users/scottjewett/Documents/AI Projects/YouTube Clipper/LICENSE)
• [Security Policy](/Users/scottjewett/Documents/AI Projects/YouTube Clipper/SECURITY.md)
• GitHub funding config in .github/FUNDING.yml
• launch notes in [docs/LAUNCH_PACKAGE.md](/Users/scottjewett/Documents/AI Projects/YouTube Clipper/docs/LAUNCH_PACKAGE.md)