Side Hustle Spotlight #51

Read more to find out how you can start this profitable side hustle today plus tips and tricks to make starting a business easier

Welcome Back To Side Hustle Weekly!

I’m excited to share with you another great side hustle you can start today! Today we will be discussing how you can start a clipping business.

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Clipping for 2025

Why Video Clipping Is the New Gold Rush

Short-form video content is dominating the internet right now—TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels are pulling in billions of views daily. The problem? Most creators, coaches, podcasters, and business owners don’t have time to repurpose their long-form content into short, punchy clips that actually go viral.

That’s where you come in.

Starting a video clipping business is a low-cost, high-demand service where you help people turn long-form videos into short, engaging clips designed for social media. All you need is a laptop, editing software, some creativity, and a bit of marketing hustle.

Let’s break down exactly how to get started, step by step—and how you could turn this into a $5K–$20K/month business.

Step 1: Understand What a Video Clipping Business Does

Your role is simple, yet valuable:

🎬 Take a long-form video (podcast, interview, livestream, YouTube video)
✂️ Find 30–90 second golden moments
💥 Add captions, cuts, music, and branding
📱 Format for TikTok, Reels, Shorts

Clients use these short clips to gain visibility, grow faster, and get leads—and they’ll happily pay for it.

Step 2: Pick a Niche or Audience

Choosing a target market helps you stand out and market more effectively.

🔍 Great Niches to Target:

  • Podcasters

  • YouTubers and streamers

  • Coaches and consultants

  • Personal brands and influencers

  • Business owners with video content

  • Churches, authors, or speakers

Pro Tip: Go where the money and content already exist. Coaches and online educators, for example, love to clip their Zoom calls and trainings.

Step 3: Get the Right Software and Tools

You don’t need fancy Hollywood software. You just need tools that help you clip quickly and make content pop.

🛠 Must-Have Tools:

  • CapCut Desktop or Mobile (Free and powerful)

  • Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro (for pros)

  • Descript (edit video like a document—great for beginners)

  • Veed.io or Pictory.ai (AI-assisted clipping tools)

  • AutoSub or Captions.ai – for burned-in captions

  • Google Drive or Frame.io – for client content delivery

🛒 Products That Help:

  • External hard drive (to store large video files)

  • Noise-cancelling headphones

  • Fast laptop (16GB RAM minimum recommended)

Step 4: Build a Portfolio Fast

Before clients pay you, they want to see what you can do. The good news? You don’t need real clients to build a portfolio.

💼 Build by:

  • Clipping your own favorite podcast or YouTube videos (for practice)

  • Offering 1–2 free clips to influencers or micro-creators

  • Posting sample reels to TikTok or Instagram showcasing your editing style

  • Creating a "before and after" clip breakdown (boring → viral)

A clean 5–10 video portfolio is enough to start charging good money.

Step 5: Find and Land Your First Clients

Clients are everywhere—they just need to know you exist.

💰 Where to Get Clients:

  • DM podcasters or creators on Instagram/TikTok/YouTube

  • Offer free sample clips in Facebook groups or Twitter/X

  • Use Upwork, Fiverr, or Contra to list your service

  • Cold email coaches or course creators with YouTube channels

  • Network with agencies who manage influencers

Pitch Tip:
“Hey [Name], I noticed you’re putting out awesome content. I specialize in clipping long-form videos into short-form reels that grow engagement. Want me to send you a free sample?”

Step 6: Create Packages and Pricing

Once clients start coming in, you want easy-to-understand packages. Start with simple monthly options.

📦 Example Pricing:

  • Starter Package: 4 clips/month – $250

  • Growth Package: 12 clips/month – $600

  • Pro Package: 20+ clips/month – $1,000+

You can also charge per clip ($20–$50 each) for one-off clients or trial runs.

Bonus Tip: Offer "content repurposing bundles" that include thumbnail design, hashtags, and scheduled posting.

Step 7: Scale and Automate for Passive Growth

Once you hit capacity, scale smart—not hard.

🧠 How to Grow Without Doing All the Work:

  • Hire junior editors (from Upwork or OnlineJobs.ph) to handle clipping

  • Use Trello, ClickUp, or Notion for client content tracking

  • Build a simple client intake form (Google Forms) to streamline workflows

  • Offer monthly subscriptions to guarantee recurring income

  • Train a VA to manage client communication and file delivery

This turns your service into a subscription-based business model with low churn and high margins.

Potential Monthly Income Breakdown

Clients

Plan Type

Monthly Revenue

5 clients

$600 plan

$3,000/month

10 clients

$1,000 plan

$10,000/month

20 clients

Mixed packages

$15,000–$20,000/month

With a couple of editors and automation, this is extremely realistic within 6–12 months.

Pros and Cons of Starting a Video Clipping Business

✅ Pros:

  • Low startup cost

  • High demand across industries

  • Easy to automate and delegate

  • Recurring income potential

  • Works from anywhere

❌ Cons:

  • Can be time-consuming without templates or systems

  • Clients may request frequent revisions

  • You’ll need to stay creative and up-to-date with trends

  • Large files can be hard to manage without fast storage & internet

Requirements to Start

✔ A decent laptop (16GB RAM recommended)
✔ Video editing software (CapCut, Premiere, or Descript)
✔ Portfolio of 5–10 sample clips
✔ Google Drive or Dropbox for file transfers
✔ Payment processing (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
✔ Time to hustle and reach out to clients

Summary: How to Start a Video Clipping Business

  1. Understand the demand for short-form video content

  2. Choose your niche and target audience

  3. Get the right tools and build a sample portfolio

  4. Find clients through DMs, freelancing sites, and networking

  5. Create easy-to-buy packages with monthly subscription options

  6. Scale by hiring editors and automating workflows

  7. Turn it into a recurring income machine with creative systems

🎬 Final Thought:
You’re not just cutting clips—you’re building creators' brands, growing their reach, and becoming a critical part of their success.

Start small, stay consistent, and soon you’ll be clipping your way to $10K/month and beyond. Let the content (and cash) roll in. 💸📱✨

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That’s A Wrap

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and if you have any questions about the post, upcoming posts, how to advertise, or anything else, feel free to reply.

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Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and reflects the opinions of its editors and contributors. The content provided, including but not limited to real estate tips, stock market insights, business marketing strategies, and startup advice, is shared for general guidance and does not constitute financial, investment, real estate, legal, or business advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investment, real estate, and business decisions involve inherent risks, and readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence and consult with qualified professionals before taking any action. This newsletter does not establish a fiduciary, advisory, or professional relationship between the publishers and readers.

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