AI Shorts maker
AI YouTube Shorts Generator
Turn a long video or a script into vertical YouTube Shorts. Pick a length, add captions and your brand, and download in 9:16.
- Shorts from a long video or a script
- Vertical 9:16, ready for YouTube
- Captions and your brand on every Short
- Free to try, online in your browser
4.6/5Trusted by over 20,000 teams and institutions worldwide.
What is an AI YouTube Shorts generator?
An AI YouTube Shorts generator turns a long video or a script into short vertical videos for YouTube Shorts. In Pictory you upload a video or paste a script, pick a length, and download each Short in 9:16 with captions and your brand.
Two ways to a Short. Cut one from a video you have already made, or build one from text. Either way Pictory works as an AI shorts maker and a short video maker in one editor.
The same 9:16 video suits Reels and TikTok, so the YouTube Shorts maker doubles as an AI reels generator. It runs in your browser like a YouTube Shorts AI app, and it is free to try.
full-episode.mp448 min · landscape
3 Shorts ready9:16 · captions on
Your source, any format
Any video can be a Short.
Bring any format.
Start from a long video, a script, a link or slides. Every one can end up as a 9:16 Short.
AI Video Editor
Upload a video and edit it by editing the text.
Script to Video
Paste it and keep every word, or let AI tighten it up.
Text to Video
Paste any text and get a finished video.
Audio to Video
Give podcasts visuals and captions for YouTube.
URL to Video
Drop in a link. Pictory turns the page into a video script.
Blog to Video
Turn a post into a video for social.
PPT to Video
Your slides and notes, narrated and on screen.
PDF to Video
Turn reports and guides into videos people actually finish.
Idea to Video
One sentence in. Script and scenes out.
Route one
Make Shorts from a long video
To make Shorts from a long video, upload the file and open the summary editor. Choose a summary length of 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2 minutes, switch the orientation to vertical and turn on captions. Pictory picks the key moments and you download the Short.
Route two
Make Shorts from a script
To make Shorts from a script, paste the text and choose 9:16. Pictory builds the scenes, matches a visual to each line, adds a voiceover and times the captions. Keep the script short, one idea per Short, and edit any scene before you download.
How it works
How to make a YouTube Short with AI
To make a YouTube Short with AI, upload a long video to Pictory or paste a script. From a video, pick a summary length and choose vertical. From a script, choose 9:16 and Pictory builds the scenes. Add captions and your brand, then download the Short.
Start with a video or a script
Upload a long video, or paste the script for a new Short.
Pick the length
From a video, choose 30 seconds, 1 or 2 minutes. Pictory picks the moments.
Go vertical and add captions
Choose 9:16, a caption style and your brand kit.
Edit and download
Change any scene in the full editor, then download your Short in 9:16.
Features
AI Shorts maker features: vertical video, captions and your brand
Vertical video
Vertical 9:16 video, made for Shorts
Choose 9:16 and Pictory lays out every scene for a phone screen. The same Short works on Instagram Reels and TikTok.
- 9:16 for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
- 30 seconds, 1 or 2 minutes from a long video
- Switch to 16:9 or 1:1 for other channels
9:16 verticalShorts · Reels · TikTok
Short 1 · 0:30
Captions and voice
Captions and a voiceover on every Short
Captions are timed to the speech and styled for a small screen. For a Short made from a script, pick one of 170+ AI voices to read it.
- Captions timed to every word
- A choice of caption styles
- 170+ AI voices in 29+ languages
Editor and brand
An AI video editor for YouTube Shorts
Open any Short in the full editor to change the text, swap a visual or add music. Apply your brand kit and every Short looks like yours.
- Edit the text of any scene
- Your logo, fonts and colors
- Music from the library
More AI video features
Your complete AI video generation tool
AI avatars
Add a talking presenter, or a digital twin of you.
Captions
Accurate, synced captions in your brand style.
Translation
Captions and voiceover for every market.
Text editing
Edit the transcript to edit the video.
Team workspaces
Share projects and brand kits with your team.
API
Generate branded videos from your own product.
AI Studio
Create any image or video you need with generative AI
The latest image and video models, built into the editor. Generate it, then drop it straight into your scene.
Generate and edit images
Describe it, or edit an existing image with a prompt.
Keep characters consistent
Use reference images to keep the same person or product in every scene.
Create video clips with sound
Generate clips with audio. Yes, characters can talk.
Extend any clip
Keep any clip going with a new prompt, even one you uploaded.
✓Get four options at once
Generate up to four versions and keep the best one.
Stay on brand
Your brand kit’s colors guide every generation.
Choose your model
Pick a model for stills or 5 to 10-second clips.
Also in AI Studio: Nano Banana Lite for images and Omni Flash for video.
Use cases
Who is using AI Shorts generators?
EducationLesson Shorts from a full class
Pull the one idea students need and post it as a 30-second Short.
Fitness and coachingWorkout Shorts from a full session
Turn one filmed session into a run of short tips.
Small businessProduct Shorts from a script
Write three lines about the product and get a Short with visuals and a voice.
CreatorsReview Shorts from a long video
Post the verdict as a Short and send viewers to the full review.
Why Pictory
Loved by creators, trusted by enterprise teams
From solo creators to global marketing teams. Read the case studies
4.6 / 5
Average rating on G2, plus Capterra’s Best Ease of Use award for 2025.
20,000+
companies and institutions creating video with Pictory.
SOC 2
and GDPR compliant, ready for enterprise security reviews
GDPR
Case studies
Teams that scaled video with Pictory
“Pictory is the easiest, most efficient way to get from an idea in text to multimedia imagery on the screen. It’s the critical component to get us out of death by PowerPoint.”
Read the Whirlybird Labs case study
“Pictory helps us consistently deliver the high-quality videos we’re known for, content we’re proud of and our clients are proud to use. They always get a five-star response.”
Read the VRC case study
“82% of our 10,000+ partners keep coming back to our training videos even though they aren’t mandatory courses. That’s how we know the content’s working.”
Read the AppDirect case study
“It increased subscriber growth by 78% and cut my video creation time from a couple of hours to a few minutes. It’s been a godsend.”
Read the NetRock case study
“Through Pictory videos, leads up by 500%, video production costs are down 90%.”
Read the Online Super Tutors case study
“We only launched our new app a few months ago and already have over 500 subscribers. People come back regularly to watch more videos made with Pictory.”
Read the Game of Yield case study
Compare
AI YouTube Shorts generator vs. video editing software
One long video and one script, turned into Shorts two ways.
| Step | With Pictory | Traditional editing software |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A long video or a script | A timeline you build clip by clip |
| Finding the moment | Picked for you from the transcript | Watched through and marked by hand |
| Going vertical | Choose 9:16 | Reframed shot by shot |
| Captions | Automatic and timed to the speech | Added, then checked and styled on the timeline |
| A voice for a script | An AI voice reads it | Recorded separately, then imported and synced |
| Your branding | One brand kit on every Short | Set up fonts and colors in every project |
| The next Short | Pick another length or moment | Edited again from the start |
Video API
Make video at scale from your own product
Send text, links or slides to the Pictory API and get branded videos back, automatically.
POST /v1/video/storyboard
{
"videoName": "q3-update",
"scenes": [{ "text": "Q3 in 90 seconds..." }]
}Enterprise
Enterprise video at scale
Custom plans, onboarding and support for company-wide rollouts.
- SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
- Custom plans and personalized onboarding
- Shared brand kits and team workspaces
- Dedicated support
Yes. You can try Pictory’s AI YouTube Shorts generator on a free trial, online in your browser. Shorts downloaded on the free trial carry a watermark, and paid plans start at $25 a month, billed annually.
Yes. Upload the video, up to 5 GB and 180 minutes, and choose a summary length of 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2 minutes. Switch to vertical and Pictory builds the Short from the key moments.
Yes. Paste a script and choose 9:16. Pictory builds the scenes with visuals, a voiceover and captions, and you can edit any of them before you download.
Yes. Choose 9:16 and the Short is laid out for a phone screen. You can also download the same video in 16:9 or 1:1.
Yes. Captions are added automatically and you can pick their style. Apply your brand kit and every Short carries your logo, fonts and colors.
Yes. A 9:16 Short is the same shape as an Instagram Reel or a TikTok video, so one download works on all three.
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