Zencastr Clips is a paid feature that transforms longer-form content into several shorter video clips optimized for a variety of social media platforms. Clips supports content in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. With AI Clipping, Zencastr’s AI selects the best moments for you, while Manual Clipping lets you choose segments yourself.
Before generating clips, you can customize your Zencastr recording's aspect ratio, layout, background, watermark, and title and caption styling so that your clips reflect your distinctive brand or style preferences. You can also edit the transcript to ensure captions accurately reflect spoken dialogue.
Manual Clipping is available on all paid plans. AI Clipping is available on the Grow plan or higher.
In this article:
Understanding the Clipping Workflow
When clipping a Zencastr recording, you first define how your clips will look before generating them. Because clips are created from the full-length mixed video, their appearance is customized as part of the editing process in Zencastr Editing. This means you can edit your full-length video and customize clips at the same time, for a cohesive look.
Certain visual elements must be selected before clips are generated, as they cannot be changed afterward. These include:
Aspect ratio (vertical, landscape, or square)
Video layout (arrangement of participants)
Video background (image, GIF, or video)
Watermark (logo placement or removal)
Additionally, because captions are created from the transcript, any inaccuracies should be corrected beforehand using text-based editing to ensure captions accurately reflect spoken dialogue.
You also choose the clip title and caption styles during customization, but unlike the elements above, these can still be modified after clips are generated.
Once your video’s look is finalized, you can generate clips in one of two ways:
Manual Clipping – Available on all paid plans, lets you select transcript sections to clip.
AI Clipping – Available on the Grow plan and higher, this uses AI to automatically select the best moments to clip.
(For an overview of editing features that apply more to the full-length video than to clips, such as audio enhancements, bumpers, and broader transcript editing, see this article.)
Accessing the Editor for Clip Customization
To customize how your clips will look before generating them from a Zencastr recording, you’ll use Zencastr’s Editor.
To open the Editor:
From your Dashboard, on the Sessions tab, under the ‘My Sessions’ list, click the name of the session.
Locate the recording you want to edit and click the Preview button next to its name.
Click the Edit button in the top right corner of the Preview page.
Inside the Editor, customization options are available under the Audio & Video and Content & Clips tabs.
Adjusting Participants
In the Editor, on the Audio & Video tab, under the Participants section, select participants and fine-tune individual video properties.
Participant Selection
To select participants to include/exclude:
Click the check mark next to participants’ names to include or exclude them from the combined video.
Reordering Participants
To reorder participants:
Select the video aspect ratio and video layout first (see sections below) as these determine how participant videos appear.
Then, drag and drop participants within the list to change their order in the combined video.
Adjusting Individual Video Properties
To adjust individual video properties:
Select the video aspect ratio and video layout first (see sections below) as these determine how participant videos appear.
Next, click the arrow (>) next to a participant's name to modify their video’s properties:
Name:
Change how the participant’s name appears if their recorded video is not used.
Content Settings:
Replace Video: Upload an image to replace the participant’s video with a static image.
Horizontal, Vertical, Scale, Rotate, and Opacity: Adjust the participant’s video position, scale, rotation, and opacity within their frame.
Frame Settings:
Background Color: Modify the color behind the participant’s video.
Horizontal, Vertical, Width, and Height: Adjust the placement and position of the participant’s video within the overall video layout.
Border Radius: Adjust for straight or rounded corners on the participant's video.
Alternatively, click on a participant’s video directly within the preview canvas to reposition or resize it.
Adjusting Video Settings
In the Editor, on the Audio & Video tab, under the Video section, customize the appearance of your full-length video and clips.
Aspect Ratios
What Is Aspect Ratio?
The aspect ratio is the width-to-height ratio that determines a video’s orientation and shape. Selecting the appropriate aspect ratio ensures your clips display optimally on your chosen platform. Zencastr offers three aspect ratios:
Landscape (16:9)
Horizontal orientation, best for computer/laptop viewing.
Recommended for Facebook In-Feed Video, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter)*
Portrait (9:16)
Vertical orientation, optimized for mobile viewing, especially when viewed on devices held upright.
Recommended format for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts*
Square (1:1)
Square format, commonly used for social media feed posts.
*Recommended formats may change. Always check platform guidelines for up-to-date specifications.
Changing the Aspect Ratio
To change the aspect ratio:
Click the arrow (>) next to Aspect Ratio and choose an aspect ratio.
Working with Multiple Aspect Ratios
If you need clips in different formats for multiple platforms (e.g., LinkedIn and TikTok), Zencastr allows you to customize and clip up to two separate videos with different aspect ratios in a single postproduction run. Each video that will be clipped has its own audio and video settings, which must be adjusted separately under the Audio & Video tab. However, transcript corrections made on the Content & Clips tab will apply to all videos.
To add or remove a video with a different aspect ratio:
Click the plus (+) symbol next to the shape icon in the video preview to add another video with a different aspect ratio.
Click the plus (+) or (x) symbol next to the shape icon in the video preview to remove a video.
Layout
What Are Layouts?
Video layouts determine how participants’ videos are arranged within the aspect ratio you’ve selected.
Changing the Video Layout
To change the video layout:
Click the arrow (>) next to Layouts and choose from an available video layout.
Options:
The available layouts depend on the number of participants in your recording.
Padding:
Increase spacing around and between participants’s videos if you will be adding a background.
Settings:
Select from predefined options for participant video placement and size for some multi-participant layouts.
Background
What Is Background?
The background feature allows you to add an image, GIF, or video behind your entire video. It does not replace or alter the background within the original video(s).
Adding a Background
When adding a background to a Zencastr recording, it sits behind all participant videos in the combined video. It does not replace or alter the background within individual participant videos.
To add a background:
Click the arrow (>) next to Background and upload the media file from your computer.
Image: Stretches to fill the background behind participant videos. The file type must be JPEG or PNG.
GIF: Plays on a loop behind participant videos. The file type must be GIF.
Video: Loops without audio behind participant videos. The file type must be MP4, MOV, or WEBM.
Settings:
Horizontal, Vertical, Width, Rotate, and Opacity: Adjust the background’s position, placement, rotation, and opacity within the overall video layout.
Alternatively, click on the background directly within the preview canvas to reposition or resize it.
AI Face Center
What Is AI Face Center?
AI Face Center automatically detects and keeps participants centered in their video frames.
Turning AI Face Center On or Off
To turn AI Face Center on or off:
Check/uncheck the checkbox next to AI Face Center.
Adjusting Overlay Settings
In the Editor, on the Audio & Video tab, under the Overlay section, configure elements that appear on clips and, in some cases, the full-length video. The watermark applies to both, while clip titles and clip captions are exclusive to clips.
Watermark
What Is Watermark?
A watermark is a logo or image placed on all frames of your full-length video and any clips, helping reinforce branding or attribution.
Removing the Watermark
To remove the watermark:
Uncheck the checkbox next to Watermark to remove the default Zencastr watermark.
Adding a Watermark
To add your own watermark/logo:
Ensure the checkbox next to Watermark is checked.
Click the arrow (>) next to Watermark and upload the media file from your computer.
The file type must be JPEG, PNG, or WEBM.
Settings:
Position, Scale, and Opacity: Adjust the watermark’s position, scale, and opacity within the overall video layout.
Alternatively, click on the watermark directly within the preview canvas to reposition or resize it.
Clip Captions
What Are Clip Captions?
Clip captions display subtitles on clips after they are generated, using text from the transcript. They do not appear on the full-length video. In the preview, a placeholder shows their position, with the actual text added during clip generation.
Changing Clip Caption Styling
To change the caption styling:
Ensure the checkbox next to Clip Captions is checked.
Click the arrow (>) next to Clip Captions to access styling options.
Position:
Position, Vertical, Left, and Right: Adjust the captions’ position within the overall video layout.
Alternatively, click on the subtitle placeholder directly within the preview canvas to reposition it.
Font:
Font, Font Size, and Color: Adjust the font style, weight, size, and color.
Outline:
Style, Outline Color, and Outline Size: Adjust the outline style, color, and size.
Shadow Color and Shadow Offset: Adjust the font shadow color and offset.
Highlight Active Word:
Off: Displays one word at a time.
On: Displays two to six words at a time with the spoken (“active”) word highlighted in a different color.
Highlight Color and Highlight Scale: Adjust the color and scale of the highlighted word.
Clip Title
What Is Clip Title?
A clip title is an AI-generated summary of a clip, displayed for the first few seconds. It does not appear on the full-length video. In the preview, a placeholder marks its position, with text added during clip generation.
Changing Clip Title Styling
To change the clip title styling:
Ensure the checkbox next to Clip Title is checked.
Click the arrow (>) next to Clip Title to access styling options.
Position:
Position, Vertical, Left, and Right: Adjust the captions’ position within the overall video layout.
Alternatively, click on the AI-generated title placeholder directly within the preview canvas to reposition it.
Font:
Font, Font Size, and Color: Adjust the font style, weight, size, and color.
Outline:
Style, Outline Color, and Outline Size: Adjust the outline style, color, and size.
Shadow Color and Shadow Offset: Adjust the font shadow color and offset.
Editing Your Transcript for Clip Captions
In the Editor, on the Content & Clips tab, correct transcript errors to ensure your clip captions accurately reflect spoken dialogue.
Correcting Transcript Errors
Since clip captions are generated from the transcript, correcting inaccuracies before generating clips prevents errors from appearing in the final captions. Use the Correct Word feature to fix any misinterpretations without altering the audio.
To correct a word in the transcript:
In the Editor, click the Content & Clips tab at the top middle.
Scroll through the transcript or use the search to find words that need correction.
Click the incorrect word, then select Correct Word in the ribbon.
Type the correct word, including any capitalization or punctuation changes.
Click Ok to confirm the correction.
Repeat for any additional corrections.
Generating Clips
Once you’ve customized your video and reviewed/corrected your transcript, to generate clips:
In the Editor, click the Content & Clips tab.
In the top ribbon, hover over Create Clips.
Under Select Clip Frame, ensure the correct aspect ratio video is selected for the respective social platforms.
If you are clipping two videos with different aspect ratios, ensure both versions have been customized as needed.
Choose how you want to generate clips:
To enable AI clipping: In the Create Clips insert, slide the Enable ZenAI toggle on.
To create manual clips: On your transcript, highlight the section you want to clip and click Create Clip on the ribbon.
Click the Apply button in the top right corner of the Editor.
Click the Next button.
Note: If you aren’t hosting a podcast on Zencastr, skip filling out the Episode Info section on the right, as it is for publishing an episode to a podcast.
On the Review and Confirm insert, review the summary of what you are getting and the credits cost.
Click Run Now to start the postproduction and clip generating.
Result: The postproduction and clipping will begin to run, and the necessary amount of credits will be deducted from your credits balance when they complete. Once clips are generated, they will appear on the Clips tab of your dashboard.
