PostEaseThe short answer
Remix is YouTube’s set of tools for making a Short out of someone else’s video: its sound, a short clip of it, or the video as a background. YouTube’s Help Center says you can “remix audio or add a video segment from videos across YouTube.”
Every remix credits the original. In YouTube’s words, Shorts made with remixed content “are attributed back to the original work,” with the source linked from the Sound page or the Shorts player. It is similar in purpose to TikTok’s Duet and Stitch, and it works from long videos as well as Shorts.
The ways to remix
From YouTube’s Help Center, in the YouTube app on a phone:
| Option | What it does | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | Uses the original audio and effect in your Short. From a music video, up to 90 seconds of audio, or 30 seconds under some partner agreements | Sound, then Use this sound; on a long video, Share, Remix, Use this sound |
| Cut | Samples a segment of the video; from a music video, 1 to 5 seconds of audio and video | Remix, then Cut this video; on a long video, Share, Remix, Cut |
| Green Screen | Uses the video as the background of your Short, with or without its audio | Remix, then Green screen |
| Collab | Makes a collab Short with the original video | Remix, then Collab |
| Template | Uses another Short as a template; you add your own clips | Remix, then Use this template |
Remix with AI
YouTube has added a Remix option that reimagines an eligible Short from a text prompt, with up to 3 reference photos, and generates new audio to match. YouTube says it supports English prompts only for now, is rolling out to most users, and that AI-generated creations must follow the Community Guidelines like everything else.
What can and cannot be remixed
You can remix songs from YouTube’s library, the original audio of many Shorts and long videos, and segments of many videos. Some are unavailable: YouTube names private videos, and videos claimed by third-party copyright owners who have not made the content available for Shorts. YouTube’s page for music partners adds that visual remixes, meaning Green Screen, Collab and Cut, are not available on Shorts with third-party claims, though claimed music available in Shorts can still be remixed as audio.
Remixes can be remixed again. The original and every later remix are linked from the remix pages and the player.
When your video is remixed
YouTube opts Shorts in by default and gives the owner these controls and signals:
| Question | What YouTube says |
|---|---|
| Is my Short open to remixing? | Yes, Shorts are automatically opted in |
| Can I opt out? | Yes, out of video remixing: Content, open the video, Show more, Shorts remixing. It can be set in bulk or at upload |
| Will I be told? | Yes, with at most one summary notification a day, and up to three a week |
| Can I see the views it brings? | Yes, in reach reports under the Remixed video traffic source |
Using Remix well
Because every remix links back, Remix is a discovery path in both directions:
- Remix a video in your niche with a Cut and your own answer, so its viewers can find you.
- Leave remixing on for Shorts you want to spread, and check the Remixed video traffic source to see whether it brings viewers.
- Make sounds inside YouTube’s tools; music added outside them can bring a Content ID claim.
Questions
How long can a remixed sound be in a Short?
From a music video, up to 90 seconds of audio. YouTube notes some videos are limited to 30 seconds depending on partner agreements.
Can I stop people remixing my Shorts?
Yes. In YouTube Studio, open the video from Content, select Show more, and change Shorts remixing. Shorts are opted in by default.
Does the original creator get credit for a remix?
Yes. Remixed audio is credited on the Sound page and remixed video in the Shorts player, each with a link to the source.
Can I remix a long YouTube video into a Short?
Yes. Under the video player, tap Share, then Remix, and choose Use this sound, Cut, Green screen or Collab.
Sources
- YouTube, Create YouTube Shorts with remixed content, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Make your Shorts available to remix, checked October 2026.