Introduction to video clipping

Clipping video with Mux

Mux provides two approaches for creating clips from your video content: Instant Clipping and Asset-Based Clipping. Each method is designed for different use cases, offering flexibility depending on your needs for speed, accuracy, and workflow.

Instant Clipping

Instant Clipping allows you to create clips instantly by specifying start and end times directly in the playback URL (using query parameters or JWT claims). This approach does not require re-encoding or creating a new asset, so clips are available immediately and at no extra encoding cost. Instant clipping operates at the segment level, so clips may start or end a few seconds outside your requested range, depending on the stream's segment duration.

Key features:

• No additional encoding or asset creation required
• Clips are available instantly
• No extra cost for encoding or storage
• Segment-level accuracy (not frame-accurate)
• Ideal for live streams and quick highlight creation

Learn more: Create instant clips

Asset-Based Clipping

Asset-Based Clipping creates a new, standalone asset from a portion of an existing video or live stream recording. This method involves a re-encoding process, resulting in a new asset with its own playback ID, and supports frame-accurate clipping. Asset-based clips incur encoding and storage costs and may take some time to process before they are ready for playback.

Key features:

• Creates a new asset with its own playback ID
• Frame-accurate clipping
• Supports additional features like watermarks and text tracks
• Incurs encoding and storage costs
• Suitable for polished, distributable clips or downloadable MP4s

Learn more: Create asset-based clips

Which clipping approach should you use?

Choose Instant Clipping if:

• You need clips to be available immediately
• You want to avoid extra encoding costs
• Segment-level accuracy is sufficient for your use case (e.g., live highlights, quick previews)
• You want to limit playback to a specific range without creating a new asset

Choose Asset-Based Clipping if:

• You require frame-accurate clips
• You need a new asset for distribution, download, or further processing
• You want to add watermarks or preserve text tracks in the clip
• You are willing to wait for processing and incur encoding/storage costs

For a deeper dive into each approach, see the individual guides:

• Create instant clips
• Create asset-based clips