Can Cutora AI be your YouTube video editor for talking to camera?
By Mohamed Mokbel, founder · Last updated:
Yes, if the video is one person talking to camera. Cutora AI makes the first cut: false starts, repeated takes and long pauses go, and you review the result on a timeline. Export a horizontal 1920×1080 MP4 for YouTube or a vertical 1080×1920 MP4 for a reel. It does not publish for you or add B-roll.
What does the AI cut, and what do you review?
- The cut. Where you said a line more than once, one take stays. Abandoned sentences and long pauses are removed.
- The review. Each cut shows what was said and why it went, and any cut can be undone. Afterwards you can change the edit on the timeline or ask the chat, which has real limits.
YouTube video or reel: what changes?
| Aspect | YouTube video | Reel or short vertical video |
|---|---|---|
| Export size | Horizontal MP4, 1920×1080 | Vertical MP4, 1080×1920 |
| Length you can upload | Trial: one video up to 10 minutes. Creator and Pro: projects up to 60 minutes | The same limits. They apply to the footage you upload, not to the finished video |
| Captions | English captions work today (Arabic is in Beta). They are burned into the MP4, and the SRT file in the ZIP carries the text | The same burned-in captions. You cannot choose their position, so check them against the vertical frame in the preview |
| Where an SRT goes | The ZIP's README lists YouTube among the places an SRT can be used | A reel's captions are already in the MP4, so there is no caption upload step |
| Effects | Motion, sound effects and highlights are switches you can turn off for a video; Effects style is Energetic, Clean or None | The same switches. When a line of the video makes a clear claim (a number, a cost or a promise), an Energetic cut opens with a short copy of that line under a title made of its own words; the line is still heard where it belongs. |
| Publishing | Not done by Cutora: you upload the MP4 | Not done by Cutora: you post the MP4 |
What is different about a vertical reel?
- Phone footage. Phone rotation flags are applied, so a portrait clip stays portrait. Footage at 24, 25 or 60 fps is converted to 30 fps, and variable-frame-rate phone footage is converted to a constant rate with picture and sound kept aligned.
- Picture size. 4K files are accepted within the 2 GB per-file limit, and every export is 1080 pixels on its short side, so nothing leaves above 1080p.
- Reframing. Cutora's product facts do not say yet how a horizontal recording is framed for the vertical export. Try one short clip on the trial before you plan a reel from landscape footage.
What is different about a YouTube video?
- Length. Projects on Creator and Pro can be up to 60 minutes. Cutora does not edit videos longer than 60 minutes (10 minutes on the trial).
- A second editor. If you finish the video elsewhere, Export to your editor gives you project files and an SRT. We checked them in DaVinci Resolve 21 and have not tested Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.
What does Cutora not do?
It does not add B-roll on its own, generate video, avatars or voices, publish to social platforms or do manual colour grading. A clip of your own can go on the second video lane of the editor, by hand or by asking the chat.
Where next?
FAQ
Does Cutora upload my video to YouTube or post my reel?
No. It does not publish to social platforms. You export the MP4 and upload or post it yourself.
What size does it export for YouTube?
MP4 in horizontal 1920×1080.
What size does it export for a reel?
A vertical MP4 at 1080×1920. It also exports horizontal 1920×1080.
What is an AI reel editor, and is it a different product?
It is software that edits a short vertical video with AI making the initial edit. Cutora AI is one editor with vertical and horizontal export: it cuts the long pauses, false starts and repeated takes of one person talking to camera, and you review the result.
Does it remove filler words (um, uh)?
Partly. Clear “um” and “uh” sounds go; words such as “like” and “you know” stay.
How long can the video be?
Up to 10 minutes on the trial, and up to 60 minutes on Creator and Pro.
Does phone footage stay vertical?
Yes. Phone rotation flags are applied, so a portrait clip stays portrait.
Can I make a reel and a YouTube video from one recording?
Cutora's product facts list both export sizes but do not say yet how a recording is framed from one to the other. Try a short clip on the trial and look at the preview.
Does it add captions?
Yes, English ones today. Arabic captions are in Beta.
Can I try this on a YouTube video or a reel of mine?
Yes. You can create an account now and try one video of up to 10 minutes, with no card needed. The exports carry a small Cutora mark.