Compared
Ways to share part of a YouTube video
There are five common ways to send someone just one moment of a YouTube video. Here’s what each one can do, including when something other than LessonCues is the better choice.
| Feature | LessonCues | Timestamp link | Embed code | YouTube Clip | Download and trim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts at the moment you pick | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stops at the moment you pick | Yesto 0.1 s | No | Yeswhole seconds | Yes5–60 seconds | Yes |
| Works as a link in chat or email | Yes | Yes | Noneeds a page that accepts code | Yes | Noit’s a file |
| Loops just that part | Yes | No | Nonot built in | Yes | Partlydepends on the player |
| Saves a practice speed and repeats | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Puts moments from several videos in order | Yesas a lesson | No | No | No | Partlyby editing video |
| Plays on YouTube, credited to the creator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Keeps to YouTube’s rule on downloading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nounless YouTube offers a download |
| Still available | Yes | Yes | Yes | Noretired | Yes |
Scroll the table sideways to see every option.
LessonCues
Pick a start and end (to a tenth of a second) and get a link that plays just that part in YouTube’s own player, then stops or loops. The clip can keep a practice speed, a number of repeats and a pause between them, and clips from different videos can be put into a lesson to present or print.
Its limits: the video’s owner must allow embedding, YouTube has to be reachable, and clips made without an account are deleted after 30 days.
Timestamp link
Add ?t=90 to a link, or tick “Start at” in YouTube’s Share box. It’s the quickest way to point at a moment. But it only sets the start: the video keeps playing past the part you meant, and the other person has to guess where to stop.
Use it when the start is all that matters and you don’t need it to stop.
Embed code with start and end
YouTube’s embed code accepts a start and an end, in whole seconds. That works on a website or a course page where you can paste code, but not in a chat, an email or Google Classroom, and there’s no built-in way to loop just that part.
Use it when you’re building your own web page and only need one fixed moment.
YouTube’s Clip feature
Clip let viewers share a looping segment of 5 to 60 seconds as a link. It did the core job well, but it has been retired, so it’s no longer an option.
Downloading and trimming
Cutting a new video file gives you full control, but YouTube’s Terms of Service don’t allow downloading unless YouTube offers a download button for that video. The creator also loses the view, and the file has to be shared and stored somewhere.
Only for videos you own or have permission to download.
Try it with your own video
It’s free, and you don’t need an account for your first clip.
Make a clipMore: share a link with a start and end time, loop part of a video, pricing.
LessonCues is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google.