# Plan your podcast clips before you edit. Set a realistic shortlist for one episode. This free podcast clip planner calculates how much finished video you are aiming for, how much of your recording that represents, and time to review each candidate. No upload or account needed. Canonical: https://castcuts.co/tools/podcast-clip-planner Updated: 2026-10-26 ## Free podcast clip calculator Inputs: episode duration (1–120 whole minutes), desired clips (1–10), length per clip (1–90 whole seconds), and review minutes per candidate (0.25–60). The target clips must fit within the source without overlap. Default: 60 minutes, 5 clips, 45 seconds per clip and 3 review minutes per candidate. Your input values stay in this browser. The calculator does not upload a recording or send these values to CastCuts. ## Example: a 60-minute interview For five 45-second clips, you are planning 225 seconds (3 minutes 45 seconds) of finished video. That is 6.25% of a 60-minute recording if the excerpts do not overlap. At three minutes to review each candidate, allow 15 minutes for that review pass, plus your other editing work. ## How the calculator works - Total clip duration = number of clips × seconds per clip. - Source coverage = total clip duration ÷ (episode minutes × 60) × 100. - Candidate review time = number of clips × review minutes per candidate. These are planning calculations, not predictions of how many useful moments your episode contains. Every clip is assumed to use the same length. Source coverage assumes distinct, non-overlapping excerpts; overlapping clips cover less unique source material. Review time covers one pass through your chosen candidates at the minutes you enter. Add time separately for listening to the source, rejected candidates, caption corrections, revisions, rendering and publishing. ## Make the plan useful ### Start with different ideas Write down a few complete answers, stories or demonstrations from the episode. Give each candidate a different purpose. If two excerpts repeat the same point, keep the clearer one instead of filling a target count. ### Check meaning before length Choose a length that preserves the question, answer and necessary qualification. A 45-second target is only a planning assumption. Shorten or lengthen the actual selection when the idea needs it. ### Budget a real review pass Watch the candidate, check names and numbers in English captions, and inspect the vertical framing. Review each finished export before sharing it. Lower your target if that work does not fit your available time. ## Planning with CastCuts The planner accepts one episode of 1–120 minutes and 1–10 target clips of 1–90 seconds each, matching CastCuts’ current maximum source duration, clip count and clip length. It does not reserve quota, find moments, render clips or create a batch. Actual source uploads also have a 512 MiB limit. CastCuts exports 720 × 1280 vertical MP4s; media expires 24 hours after upload or import completes. Download files you want to keep. ## Questions about planning podcast clips ### How many clips should I make from a podcast episode? Choose the number of distinct, complete ideas you can review carefully. An episode’s duration alone cannot tell you how many useful clips it contains. Start with a small shortlist and remove repeats or excerpts that lose their meaning outside the conversation. CastCuts currently keeps up to 10 clips per episode. ### What is a good length for a podcast clip? Use enough time to deliver one clear thought with the context it needs. Try a 30–60 second planning range, then choose the actual start and end while reviewing your recording. CastCuts supports 1–90 second clips; this range is its editor limit, not a social platform limit or a performance guarantee. ### Does this calculate editing time or rendering time? It calculates the candidate review time you specify, multiplied by your target clip count. It does not estimate transcription queues, rendering speed, the initial source review, caption corrections or publishing. Those depend on the recording and your workflow. ### Can I use the planner for Shorts, Reels or TikTok? Yes. The arithmetic can help you plan an editorial shortlist for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels or TikTok. It does not check platform publishing requirements or predict reach. Review the platform’s current requirements and upload the finished file yourself. ### Does the planner find or export my clips? No. This free tool only calculates a plan in your browser. In the CastCuts editor, signed-in users can upload a permitted video, review automatic English transcript-based suggestions or select their own moments, edit and download clips. Free exports include CastCuts branding; Pro removes that branding from new renders for $9 USD per month. ## Keep planning and editing - [How to choose podcast clips that make sense on their own](https://castcuts.co/guides/podcast-clip-context) - [Review transcript-based podcast highlight suggestions](https://castcuts.co/podcast-highlight-finder) - [Edit podcast clips with English captions](https://castcuts.co/podcast-clips-with-captions) - [Turn a podcast into YouTube Shorts](https://castcuts.co/guides/podcast-to-youtube-shorts) ## Ready to work on your recording? Choose your own moments or review automatic English transcript-based suggestions in CastCuts. Make a clip, check its captions and framing, then download the finished MP4. Free exports include branding; Pro removes CastCuts branding from new renders for $9 USD per month. - [Create a free CastCuts account](https://castcuts.co/account) - [See Free and $9/month Pro](https://castcuts.co/pricing)