Five ways to find inspiration for your first YouTube Short

I don’t know about you, but I’m haunted by the fact that I didn’t start a YouTube channel back in 2010…or 2014…or 2020. I’m constantly convinced that if I had just hit post on that messy makeup tutorial ten years ago that I’d be living the dream as an internet sensation by now.

While that’s a fun ‘what if,’ the real value is in starting now. Finally, we have nothing holding us back, no excuses.

…Ok, I have one excuse! I have no clue what to create. There’s so much out there to try and to experiment with. It’s exciting and a bit overwhelming. But help is here, because today we’re sharing five proven ways to find instant inspiration for your first YouTube Short.

1. Iterate with Remix

Creation doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and often the best way to learn is by watching and then doing. When you watch your favorite creators, try listening to that little voice in the back of your head thinking of creative ways to iterate on their content. Whether it’s commentary, a reaction, or a creative rendition, YouTube has built-in tools to make this seamless.

How to:

Underneath eligible videos, you will find a Remix button that gives you four options:

• Sound: Use the audio from the video—perfect for animations, dances, or lip-sync memes.
• Collab: Places your content and the original video side-by-side on the same screen.
• Green Screen: Turns the original video into your backdrop, making it incredibly easy to add your own commentary or analysis.
• Cut: Allows you to take a specific segment of the video and use it as a springboard to build on the discussion.

2. Let trending audio guide you

Ever had a catchy song or sound bite stuck in your head all day after scrolling? That’s not an accident—it’s a clue. Instead of stressing over a complex video concept, try starting with just a sound. Browsing the audio library to listen to what is currently trending is one of the easiest ways to get YouTube Shorts ideas. A single audio track can instantly spark an idea for a comedy skit, a smooth visual transition, or a compelling story.

How to:

Open your Shorts camera, tap “Add sound” at the very top of the screen, and browse the curated Trending list to see what’s hot.

3. Explore hashtags

Every community on YouTube has its own hashtag. Whether your niche is reading (#book or #booktok), lifestyle (#cleanwithme), or education (#learnonshorts), tapping on these tags takes you directly to a pivot page. By scrolling through, you can see what is popular in your niche, helping you identify winning formats that you can adapt and make your own.

How to:

Type a relevant niche hashtag into the search bar and tap on it to open its dedicated pivot page. This acts as a live content bank where you can study the top-performing Shorts and adapt winning formats for your own channel.

4. Try a template

Templates are perfect for beginners who are still learning how to pace their edits, or for anyone who just wants to create something great, fast. The timing, the cuts, and the music are all done for you, so you can focus on the fun part.

How to:

As you scroll through your feed, look for the “Use template” button on a layout you love. Tap it, swap out the placeholder clips with your own footage, and post.