Opus Clip API

Opus Clip just went server-side. Their new API lets you auto-generate viral short videos at scale—if you’re lucky enough to get in.

Conrad

Podcaster & Creator

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Ever wish your content could clip itself? Opus Clip did too. That’s why they built an AI tool that turns long videos into short, punchy clips—automatically. But now, they're quietly teasing something bigger for the dev crowd: the Opus Clip API.

It’s like strapping a rocket to your backend. And no, not that kind of backend.

What is Opus Clip and why package it into an API?

Look, if you're searching for Opus Clip API, you already know about these fine folks, but here's a refresher. Opus Clip is basically a shortcut to going viral. Drop in a YouTube video or upload your own, and their AI finds the most compelling moments—adds subtitles, cuts the fluff, and hands you a ready-to-post short.

It’s like having a TikTok-savvy editor on standby 24/7.

Packaging this as an API makes a lot of sense. Think: platforms, SaaS tools, content-heavy brands—all of them can now programmatically turn long videos into short clips at scale. It’s plug-and-play virality, minus the overhead.

Submagic ain't no chopped liver.

Hey, while we're on this subject, Submagic is known for its ease of use, captions, subtitles, long form to short form clipping, and all of that as well. But we've been hiding something from you. Big reveal at the end of the blog.

See how Submagic compares to Opus Clip.

Can I use the Opus Clip API today?

Kind of... but not really. The Opus Clip API is currently in closed beta.

You have to be on their annual, high-volume plan (think enterprise level) to even get a peek. So unless you’re cutting 500+ clips a week and dropping serious cash, you’re not in yet.

But there is hope.

How to try it out (without API access)

If you want to test the magic, you can still use Opus Clip’s web app. Just upload a long-form video and watch it spit out clips like popcorn.

It’s a good way to preview what the API might offer—just without any code.

When will it be available to everyone?

No word yet. Opus has kept things vague about a public release. There’s no ETA on when the API will leave closed beta, so for now, it's wait and see.

What does the Opus Clip API include?

Here’s what you get under the hood (or will get, if you’re lucky enough to access the beta):

Submit a video via URL or upload
Get status of your video
Fetch generated clips and their metadata
Download clips individually

That’s the whole lifecycle—upload, monitor, grab the gold.

You can check the full breakdown here.

How to get started (when you get in)

Here’s the basic flow:

# 1. Authenticate
curl -X POST https://api.opus.pro/api/v1/auth/token \
  -d 'email=your@email.com&password=yourpassword'

# 2. Submit a video
curl -X POST https://api.opus.pro/api/v1/videos \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer your_token' \
  -F 'video_url=https://youtube.com/yourvideo'

Once uploaded, you poll for completion, then fetch clips from:

GET /api/v1/videos/:video_id/clips

Limitations you should know

Let’s keep it real. This API has limits:

Max 20 minutes per video (but you're using it for Shorts right, so this is fine)
Only English for now
Limited formats accepted (MP4, MOV, WebM)
Rate limits: You’re capped at 60 requests/minute

Who’s this API really for?

This API isn’t built for indie creators (yet). It’s aimed at platforms, agencies, and high-volume tools that need to slice and dice video content by the truckload. Think SaaS integrations, video marketplaces, and publishing tools.

The Opus Clip API is a bold move—an attempt to productize virality at scale. It's not ready for everyone, but if you're building something big, this could be a serious edge.

Keep an eye on it. When this thing drops publicly, the short-form content game might get a major upgrade.

The big reveal: Submagic API is coming.

Well, here's where we are in the AI video editing space. A lot of the web app services are working hard on APIs right now. Veed seems to have abandoned it, Opus is working on it, and so is Submagic.

However, Submagic API will be available to everyone and anyone - in about two weeks. We're working hard to package up our viral captions and subtitles with all features to follow. We're on the cusp of something big. Join us, let us know if you're interested.

About the author

Conrad

Podcaster & Creator

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@vicktipnes