Opus Clip Review [2024] - All Pros & Cons Explained

A new AI-powered video creation tool, known as Opus Clip, has randomly become viral over the past few months. Businesses & creators are using Opus clip to re-purpose their own as well as other creator's videos to create new content for different formats and platforms. Opus clip claims to automatically reframe and curate the best parts of a video, which sounds a bit too good to be true, so I tested it myself to see if it can actually do what it says it can do.

April 11, 2024
Opus Clip Review [2024] - All Pros & Cons Explained
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What Is Opus Pro & What Does It Do?

5M+ creators & businesses create viral shorts with

Opus Pro is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to transform long videos into short, engaging clips suitable for social media. It automatically identifies the most compelling parts of a video, edits them into a shorter format, and makes it easy to share these condensed versions online. This tool is particularly useful for content creators and marketers looking to increase their reach and engagement on platforms where shorter content performs better.

My Experience With Opus Clip

Feature Score (1-5)
AI Detection Accuracy 4
AI-Generated Captions Quality 5
Dynamic Layout Adaptability 4.5
Editing Tools Flexibility 4.25
AI Virality Score Relevance 3
Brand Templates Customization 5
Social Media Posting Convenience 4
Social Media Scheduler Usability 4.5
Team Workspace Functionality 4
Export to Premiere Pro Integration 5
Aspect Ratios Versatility 4

One thing I really like is how Opus.pro picks out the best bits from a longer video. I used to spend hours editing, trying to guess what would catch on. With this, it feels like it just knows. It's like having a buddy who's always spot on with social media trends.

Uploading your video is straightforward. There's a big, clear button right at the center top of the page. You can't miss it. Click that, choose your file, and you're halfway there. The upload speed? Pretty fast in my experience, but it obviously depends on your internet connection.

Now, the AI starts doing its magic. It scans through your video, picking out highlights. This part is fascinating. It somehow manages to find those moments even I didn't think were that interesting but end up getting a lot of attention online.

After it's done, you get to review what it's chosen. This is where you can add your touch. For me, I usually tweak a few things here and there, but honestly, the AI gets it right most of the time.

I post maybe three or four times a week using Opus.pro, and the response has been amazing. Views and engagement have shot up, and it's saved me so much time.

The one precaution I'd mention is to always double-check the AI's choices. It's smart, but it doesn't know your audience like you do. A quick review and tweak here and there can make a big difference.

In terms of performance, I've seen my engagement rates climb. Before, I'd be lucky to get a few hundred views on my shorts. Now, we're talking thousands. And it's not just fluff views, either. Comments, likes, shares – the whole deal has increased.

So, yeah, that's been my journey with Opus.pro so far. It's straightforward, saves a ton of time, and genuinely boosts your social media game.

What I Like About It

  • Time and Effort Saver: Users rave about how Opus.pro significantly cuts down the time and effort needed to create engaging short clips from longer videos. It's particularly praised for its efficiency, with some saying it slashed their video editing work time by at least 50%.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The platform is consistently described as easy to navigate, even for those who aren't tech-savvy. This accessibility is a big plus for content creators of all skill levels​​.
  • AI-Powered Precision: The AI technology behind Opus.pro is lauded for its ability to pick out the best moments from long videos, ensuring the short clips are high-quality and impactful. The selection of scenes and transcription quality (complete with emojis) are highlights for many users​.
  • Optimized for Social Media: The tool specifically tailors clips for various social media platforms, which users find invaluable for reaching wider audiences and boosting engagement on their content​​.
  • Cost-Effective: Compared to hiring agencies or using other tools, Opus.pro is seen as a more affordable option without sacrificing quality. This point was underlined by users who were quoted high prices for similar services elsewhere​​.

What I Don't Like About It

  • Limited Customization: While the AI does a great job of selecting moments and creating clips, some users wish for more control over the editing process. The available customization options are perceived as somewhat limited​​.
  • Pricing Concerns for Some: Although many find the platform cost-effective, there's an indication that the pricing might still be a barrier for certain users, particularly those on tight budgets or who are unsure about the value it will add compared to free tools​​.

History Of Opus Clip

If you were active on the business and/or social media growth niches on TikTok since the beginning of 2023, then you would've come across opus clip at least once or twice. the tool was created for content creators, marketers, and anyone looking to make their video content more engaging and shareable on social platforms. Its primary goal? To help users easily transform long-form videos into short, captivating clips without needing extensive video editing skills or software.

Opus Clip quickly gained traction for its simplicity and effectiveness. The idea was to democratize the creation of viral content, making it accessible to not just professional video editors but anyone with a story to tell. Given the rising popularity of short video formats on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, the timing couldn't have been better.

The creators behind Opus Clip, a mix of AI experts and social media veterans, noticed a gap in the market. Many people had valuable video content, but it was either too long for social media consumption or buried in longer formats not suited for quick, engaging experiences. They set out to build an AI that could intelligently identify and extract the most engaging segments of a video, effectively repackaging content for maximum impact.

Launching in early 2023, Opus Clip was met with enthusiasm. It wasn't just the AI's ability to pick out the best parts of a video that impressed users; it was also the platform's ease of use. You could upload a video, and within minutes, have a polished short clip ready to share. This ease of use, combined with the high-quality results, led to rapid word-of-mouth spread.

As Opus Clip's user base grew, so did its features. The team rolled out analytics tools to help creators understand what types of content performed best, further enhancing the platform's value. They also introduced customization options, allowing users more control over the final output while still keeping the process simple and intuitive.

By mid-2023, Opus Clip had established itself as a key player in the content creation tool space. It wasn't just individual creators using it; businesses, influencers, and even educational institutions found value in repurposing their content for social media engagement.

Features

3 main features of Opus clip

AI-Generated Animated Captions - Comes With Free Plan

Then there's the AI-generated captions. Super handy, especially when they automatically detect the language being spoken. The karaoke mode, where it highlights the spoken words, is a neat touch. But, I've noticed sometimes the captions wander off-screen or throw in punctuation marks randomly. A bit of a bummer is that you can't tweak these captions in the free plan, so what you get is what you're stuck with.

Opus Clip's Clip Curation - Comes With Free Plan

I've spent a good amount of time playing around with Opus Clip's AI detection feature. Honestly, it's hit or miss, but when it hits, it's like striking gold. For podcasters, this thing is a dream. You know those juicy bits in conversations that you think, "Ah, this would make a great clip"? Opus tends to find those moments pretty well. However, it does struggle with more general content, like your typical YouTube video. And patience is key because, for longer videos, say around an hour, waiting for the AI to do its magic might test your patience a bit. But, if you're diving into podcast content, the wait can be worth it.

Reframe - Comes With Free Plan

The dynamic layout change is something else. Imagine you're watching a video and, based on who's talking or what's happening, the video layout shifts to give you the best view. That's what Opus tries to do. It's a cool idea, though sometimes it feels like it can't quite decide where it wants to be, flipping through layouts. It's a bit like watching someone flip through TV channels. Yet, when it lands on the right layout, it enhances the viewing experience by focusing on the speaker or the action. Just like the captions, though, you don't get to edit these layouts on the free plan, which can be a little frustrating if you're after a specific look.

Additional features

Planning Ahead with Social Media Scheduler

For those on the Pro plan, the social media scheduler is a godsend. It lets you choose to share clips immediately or schedule them for a later date. This feature is particularly useful for content creators looking to maintain a consistent posting schedule, accessible via a simple share button under each clip.

Adapting with Various Aspect Ratios

Being restricted to a single aspect ratio in the Starter plan is a bit limiting, especially for content creators aiming for a broad platform reach. The Pro plan, however, unlocks the ability to choose between 9:16, 16:9, and 1:1 ratios, essential for tailoring content to fit various social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram.

Opus Clip's Editor Feature

Jumping into Opus Clip's editing tools was a game-changer for me. Suddenly, I could tweak the lengths of my clips, which was a no-go with the free version. You find this option under the "Edit" tab, pretty easy to spot at the top of the interface. Here, tweaking AI captions or adjusting the video layout becomes a breeze. But, fair warning, cutting videos isn't always super precise. A few times, I had to try a couple of goes to get it just right.

Personalizing with Brand Templates

Brand templates in Opus offer a solid way to infuse your clips with personal flair. You can customize with your brand's colors, tweak caption styles, and add your own overlays. However, it's worth noting there's no preview for how these might look on social platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, potentially leading to overlay clashes. Starter plan users get one template, and Pro users have access to five, making it a key feature for branding efforts.

Simplifying Social Media Posting

Opus allows for direct social media posting, requiring access permissions for each platform you wish to post to. While giving access might seem cumbersome, the direct posting feature streamlines the process, eliminating the need to switch apps or platforms to share your content.

Team Collaboration in the Workspace

The Pro plan's team workspace feature opens up collaboration, allowing you and another member to co-manage projects, edit brand templates, and oversee postings. Found under the "Team" section, this feature simplifies the collaborative process, making it a boon for small teams aiming to streamline their content creation workflow.

Premiere Pro Exporting

For those who delve into editing, the ability to export clips to Premiere Pro might seem like an extra step but is invaluable for creating compilations or more polished content. This integration caters to users who are familiar with or prefer Adobe's editing suite, despite adding another stage to the workflow.

Virality Score Estimate

The AI virality score is something I had my eye on from the start. Opus claims it's trained on thousands of hits, aiming to rank your clips by potential popularity. Here's the thing: scores in the 70-80 range sometimes outshine the 90s, which left me scratching my head. While intriguing, don't take these numbers as gospel. The way clips are ranked feels a bit off, especially if you're looking to batch export for efficiency. It's less about predicting "virality" and more about spotting well-flowing conversations.

Examples

Pricing

Opus clip pricing plans

Free Plan

Starting with the Free plan, it's pretty basic but it’s a good place to start if you’re new to video processing. You get some fundamental features that let you play around and see what Opus is all about without spending a dime. Think of it like dipping your toes in the water to test the temperature before diving in.

Starter Plan

Then, there’s the Starter plan, which costs $9 a month. This one caught my eye because it seems tailor-made for someone like me who’s trying to spruce up their social media with cooler content. The AI captions and clipping features are a game-changer. They make videos look professional with hardly any effort. Finding these options is easy, too; they're right there when you upload your video, asking if you want to add some snazzy captions or trim it down to just the good parts.

Pro Plan

Moving on to the Pro plan, this is where things get serious. At $9.5 per month (but you gotta pay for the whole year upfront), it's designed for those of us looking to get the most out of our content. It's packed with features like AI B-roll, which automatically adds cool background clips to your videos, and multi-source input, letting you pull content from different places to make something unique. Plus, if you work with a team, this plan makes collaborating a breeze. All these tools are integrated smoothly into the platform, so you don’t have to hunt for them.

Alternatives

1. InVideo

InVideo is well-regarded for its balance of AI features and user-friendly interface. It offers a vast library of video templates and an AI-powered video creation assistant, making it great for quick, professional-looking videos.

2. Canva Video

Canva isn’t just for graphics anymore; their video editor is incredibly intuitive, making it perfect for beginners and those looking to create engaging content without a steep learning curve. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of templates.

3. Adobe Premiere Rush

Adobe Premiere Rush is designed for social media creators and those looking for a more mobile-friendly video editing solution. It simplifies the complexity of video editing, offering core features of Adobe Premiere Pro in a more accessible package.

4. Clipchamp

Owned by Microsoft, Clipchamp is a web-based video editor that balances simplicity with powerful features. It includes AI-driven capabilities, a wide array of templates, and straightforward editing tools.