Product guide · verified 13 August 2026
What is Shorty? A reference-driven AI video editor.
Shorty turns raw video footage into a finished edit using either an optional reference video or a written brief. It analyses the source clips, builds a shot plan, applies cuts, reframing, captions, transitions and colour treatment, then cloud-renders a downloadable MP4. If a reference contains music, its analysed soundtrack may be used in the render.
01 / Workflow
How reference-driven video editing works
The reference is the creative target for the edit. Shorty studies its visual editing characteristics and makes new visuals from your footage rather than reusing the reference's video frames. If the reference contains music, Shorty may analyse and use that soundtrack in the rendered output, so upload a reference only when you have permission to use its audio. If you do not have a reference, a written brief can set the direction instead.
Set the direction
Upload an MP4, MOV or WebM reference up to 256 MB, choose a built-in style, or describe the desired pace, captions, mood and destination.
Add your footage
Upload the clips Shorty should edit. Files can be up to 1 GB each and remain in private storage associated with your account.
Render the cut
Shorty analyses, plans and processes the edit, then delivers a downloadable MP4 in the output canvas you selected.
02 / Product facts
What Shorty accepts and produces
- Direction
- Optional reference video, built-in reference, or written editing brief
- Source
- Your own uploaded video footage; up to 1 GB per file
- Reference
- MP4, MOV or WebM; up to 256 MB
- Output
- Cloud-rendered, downloadable MP4
- Canvas
- 9:16, 4:5, 3:4, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9
- Account
- Required to upload, save projects and render
03 / Comparison
Shorty vs CapCut, Premiere, Descript and OpusClip
These products overlap around video, but their primary workflows begin in different places. Choose by the job you need done—not by the broad label “AI video editor.”
| Product | Primary starting point | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorty | Your footage plus a reference video or written brief | Producing a complete, style-directed cut without building it manually on a timeline | Less appropriate when you need to control every frame, layer or keyframe yourself |
| CapCut | Templates, AI generation tools or a conventional multi-track editor | A broad editing toolkit with templates, effects and manual customisation | You still choose and operate the workflow; reference-style reconstruction is not the core job described by CapCut |
| Adobe Premiere | Footage placed in a professional timeline | Precise manual editing, layered sequences, colour, audio and production workflows | More control also means more editing decisions and hands-on work |
| Descript | A spoken recording and its transcript | Editing dialogue-heavy video by changing text, with transcription central to the workflow | Its strongest abstraction is the transcript, not a visual reference style |
| OpusClip | One long video | Finding and reframing multiple short highlights from podcasts, interviews and other long recordings | Optimised for extraction and repurposing rather than rebuilding an arbitrary reference edit from a set of clips |
Comparison reviewed 13 August 2026 from each product's official feature pages. Product capabilities change; follow the linked sources for their latest descriptions.
04 / Fit
When Shorty is—and is not—the right editor
Shorty is a good fit when…
- You already have footage and a clear visual reference or written direction.
- You want the system to make editorial choices and deliver a finished first cut.
- You publish creator, marketing or social video across vertical, square and landscape formats.
- You want a consistent editing grammar without starting from an empty timeline.
Use another workflow when…
- You need exact, frame-by-frame control over layers, masks, keyframes or effects.
- Your main job is cutting a dialogue recording by editing its transcript.
- Your main job is extracting many highlights from one long podcast or webinar.
- You need text-to-video generation without providing source footage.
05 / Privacy and rights
What happens to uploaded media
Uploaded media is stored privately to your account. Shorty uses AI service providers, including Google Gemini and Anthropic, to process reference media, footage, derived media samples, analyses and instructions as needed to plan and render the requested edit. You must own or have permission to use every file, soundtrack and visible likeness you upload. Shorty does not transfer ownership of someone else's footage, music, brand or identity.
06 / FAQ
Shorty AI video editor questions
What is Shorty?
Shorty is a browser-based, reference-driven AI video editor. It analyses raw footage plus an optional reference video or written editing brief, creates an edit plan, and cloud-renders a downloadable MP4.
Do I need a reference video?
No. A reference is optional. You can upload one to target a specific editing style, choose a built-in reference, or describe the desired edit in writing.
Is Shorty a text-to-video generator?
No. Shorty's core workflow edits footage you provide. A written brief directs the edit, but it does not replace the source footage.
Can Shorty replace a timeline editor?
Shorty can replace the first complete edit when the goal is defined by a reference or brief. A timeline editor remains the better fit when you need exact manual control over every frame, layer and effect.
What does Shorty export?
Shorty exports a downloadable MP4 and supports 9:16, 4:5, 3:4, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9 canvases.
Facts and competitor descriptions last reviewed 13 August 2026.
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