How to Download Part of a YouTube Video

Want to save just a portion of a YouTube video? With the right tools, it‘s easy to download and share clips and highlights from longer videos. In this comprehensive streaming guide, you‘ll learn how and why to download parts of YouTube videos.

How to Download Part of a YouTube Video

The process involves just 3 key steps:

1. Copy the link to the full YouTube video
2. Use an online video editing tool to trim the video
3. Export and download just the trimmed section

I‘ll walk you through how to do this simply using Kapwing. But first, let‘s look at why downloading partial videos can be so useful.

Why Only Download Parts of YouTube Videos?

With YouTube videos getting longer while viewer attention spans get shorter, downloading and sharing focused clips has become increasingly valuable:

• Quickly share key moments. Instead of making people watch an hour long video, share a short impactful clip.

• Cut straight to the good parts. Skip introductions, sponsorships, intros and outros to get right to the quality content.

• Create compilations and montages. Mash up highlights and moments from different videos into compilation mixes.

• Save storage space. Avoid downloading full videos if you only need a small segment.

• Improve watchability. Remove slow or boring sections so viewers stay engaged.

In fact, YouTube itself introduced clipping tools in 2022, allowing users to easily create and share video clips under 60 seconds.

According to Think with Google, over a quarter of YouTube watch time now comes from videos under 2 minutes. Short-form, snackable video is a growing trend.

Step-by-Step Guide to Trimming and Downloading YouTube Video Sections

Ready to download just the parts you want? Let‘s go through the process:

Copy the Full YouTube Video Link

First, navigate to the YouTube video containing the clip you want to extract.

Under the video title, click the Share button (the one with the arrow pointing outward).

This will open up a box with the video URL. Copy this link to your clipboard.

Paste the Link into Kapwing

Kapwing is a free online video editor with handy tools for trimming, clipping, and cropping videos.

Go to Kapwing‘s Trim Video page. Paste the YouTube URL into the "Place a video URL" box.

When you paste a YouTube link, Kapwing will load the full video for editing.

Trim and Crop to Get the Section You Want

Now comes the fun part – customizing exactly which part of the video to keep.

On the Kapwing editor timeline, you‘ll see a left and right handle on either side of the video.

Click and drag these handles inward to trim off any unwanted material at the beginning or end.

You can drag as precisely as needed – Kapwing lets you trim off sections as short as 1 frame (1/30th of a second).

Trim and adjust until only your desired clip remains highlighted on the timeline.

Download the Clipped Video

Once you‘ve isolated the precise video segment you want, it‘s time to download it.

Click the Export Video button in Kapwing. This opens the export settings:

• Choose MP4 as the file format. This maintains quality while giving a manageable file size.

• Select a resolution and compression level. Higher resolution and lower compression give better quality at the cost of larger files.

• For YouTube, 720p or 1080p resolution is ideal. Go with a lower compression level if you plan to re-upload the clipped video.

Finally, click Export as MP4 and then Download to save the trimmed video file to your computer.

And that‘s it! You‘ve successfully downloaded only the part of the YouTube video you wanted.

Advanced Video Editing Options

Beyond basic trimming, Kapwing provides additional editing features to optimize your clipped videos:

• Cut and rearrange segments – delete or re-order sections as needed
• Add transitions – smooth over jumps between segments
• Insert audio – overlay background music or voiceovers
• Apply filters & text – stylize your video with effects and titles
• Change speed – slow down or speed up clips

So feel free to polish up your trimmed video before downloading!

Sharing Partial YouTube Videos

Instead of downloading a clip, you can also get a link to share a portion of the original YouTube video:

• Navigate to the YouTube video you want to share part of

• Click Share under the video as before

• Check the box for Start at and enter your desired start time

• Copy this modified link to share just that video section

When people access the link, the video will start playing from your set time.

Pro Tip: Remove Kapwing Watermarks

Kapwing adds a subtle watermark to downloaded videos. To remove it, you need to sign up for a paid Kapwing account.

Their Creator plan costs $9/month and fully unlocks the editor, including watermark removal. Well worth it for avid YouTube clip creators!

Finding the Right Online Video Trimmer

While I recommend Kapwing for its intuitive interface, other online video editors can also trim and convert YouTube videos:

• ClipChamp – Very user-friendly with advanced options for $10/month.

• WeVideo – Feature-rich editor starting at $4.99/month.

• FileZigZag – Simple interface but limited features; cannot download trimmed videos.

I suggest trying 2-3 options to find your favorite editor and workflow.

Video Editing Software Alternatives

For the most control, use desktop video editing software like:

• Adobe Premiere Pro – Industry standard but requires paid Creative Cloud subscription.

• DaVinci Resolve – Free version available with excellent NLE features.

• VSDC – Complete editing suite for $19.99 one-time purchase.

These tools require downloading the full YouTube video first before trimming. This takes more steps but unlocks advanced professional editing capabilities.

Consider desktop software if you need precise frame-by-frame cutting, multi-track timelines, color grading, etc.

YouTube Trimmer Browser Extensions

A simpler option than full video editors are browser extensions that let you trim videos right on YouTube:

• VidCutter – Chrome extension with timeline editing for $4.99.

• YouTube Trimmer – Basic Chrome extension with clunky UX.

• Video Trimmer for YouTube – Another basic trimmer as Firefox add-on.

These work directly on YouTube pages to avoid downloading the full video initially. But the editing features are limited.

Using Desktop YouTube Downloaders

For the highest quality and most flexibility, use a desktop YouTube downloading and converting app before trimming in editing software.

4K Video Downloader ($15 license) is my top pick:

• Downloads up to 8K resolution
• Supports playlists and channels
• Converts to MP4, MKV, OGG and more
• Simple targeted downloading

FreeMake Video Converter is a solid free option allowing format conversion after downloading.

Desktop apps give you complete control for advanced users. But online converters offer quicker trimming for basic needs.

Audio Extraction Tools

If you only want the audio from a YouTube video, dedicated converters like 4K YouTube to MP3 make extraction easy.

You can paste any YouTube link and download just the audio in MP3 format. Useful for podcasts, music, speeches and more.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

While downloading clips for personal use is generally fine, always respect content owners‘ rights:

• Avoid re-uploading large portions or full videos – stick to fair use of small segments.

• Give proper credit to video creators if you share clips.

• Don‘t use clips to misrepresent a creator‘s original meaning and intent.

Top Tips for Downloading YouTube Video Sections

To recap, here are my top tips for downloading and sharing parts of YouTube videos:

• Use an online video editor like Kapwing for quick and easy trimming

• Mind the resolutions when exporting to balance quality and file size

• Remove watermarks by using a paid Kapwing account

• Try desktop software like DaVinci Resolve for advanced professional editing

• Consider legal and ethical issues before re-sharing clipped content

• Credit video creators if you publish your edited versions

Now you have all the tools, tips, and information needed to expertly download and edit sections of YouTube videos!

Whether you want to create compilations, remove unwanted content, or share significant moments, this streaming guide will help you trim and download YouTube clips like a pro.

So go forth and curate some amazing shortened videos! Just don‘t forget to give back to all the hardworking creators out there filling YouTube with quality content.