AI clipping campaigns
What is an AI clipping campaign?
A clipping campaign turns long-form video or audio into short clips and distributes them against a goal and budget. Overlap runs performance-priced AI clipping campaigns on customer-owned accounts, handling selection, editing, approval workflows, publishing, and reporting while the customer retains the accounts, audience, posts, and performance data.
By Overlap · Updated
Plan a clipping campaign →How do Overlap campaigns work?
- Define the outcome. Choose a show, audience, primary metric, and reporting period. Supply approved source recordings.
- Connect accounts you own. Choose the accounts and platforms that fit the audience.
- Set creative and approval rules. Specify topics, exclusions, captions, framing, brand templates, and when a reviewer must approve a clip.
- Agree the CPM and ceiling. Document eligible views, the billing window, and the monthly spending limit before launch.
- Publish and review. Overlap handles production, publishing, and reporting. Use the results to refine the next batch.
For the full launch process, use the step-by-step clipping campaign guide. For the underlying workflow builder, see the agent platform.
Where do the clips publish, and who keeps the audience?
| Question | Customer-owned distribution | Creator-owned distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Where clips live | Accounts controlled by the customer | Participating creators’ accounts |
| Who retains followers | The customer | The creator |
| What to evaluate | Account access, publishing controls, and audience growth | Audience fit, post retention, verification, and usage rights |
| Overlap’s campaign model | AI fulfillment on customer-owned accounts | A separate model to consider when creator reach is the goal |
Agencies can offer either model. Compare agencies, marketplaces, software, and AI fulfillment before deciding.
How is CPM clipping priced?
CPM means cost per thousand views. Agree which views qualify and when they are measured before using a CPM to compare campaigns. Overlap bills delivered views at an agreed rate, subject to your monthly ceiling; see the published brand campaign pricing model.
View-based cost = eligible delivered views ÷ 1,000 × agreed CPM
Spend = the lower of view-based cost and the agreed ceiling
Planning views = budget ÷ assumed CPM × 1,000
Realized CPM = actual spend ÷ eligible delivered views × 1,000
- Views at that budget
- 3,333,333
- View-based cost before ceiling
- $1,200.00
- Spend with budget ceiling
- $1,200.00
Planning illustration, not a quote or forecast. The assumed CPM is editable. Organic reach is not guaranteed; eligible views, billing windows, and the ceiling are agreed for each campaign.
Worked campaign example
Assume a $5,000 ceiling and a $1.50 CPM. If 800,000 eligible views are delivered in the billing period, view-based spend is $1,200. The same ceiling corresponds to about 3.33 million views at that rate, but does not promise that volume. These are hypothetical inputs, not customer results.
When no eligible views have been delivered, realized CPM is undefined. Report it as “not available,” rather than $0. Report followers, clicks, and conversions separately from view-based billing.
What belongs in a clipping campaign brief?
Download the campaign brief and 30-day test plan, or start with these fields:
| Field | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Goal and audience | Primary metric, intended viewer, campaign dates, and review date |
| Source and rights | Approved files, speakers, source timecodes, music permissions, and excluded material |
| Creative rules | Topics, hook style, clip length, captions, framing, and calls to action |
| Accounts and approvals | Account owner, publishing permissions, reviewer, and escalation contact |
| Commercial terms | CPM, ceiling, eligible-view definition, counting window, and overage handling |
| Reporting | Platform, post URL, views, spend, followers, clicks, and measurement timestamp |
How should you plan the first 30 days?
This is a suggested test schedule. Confirm the actual onboarding and launch dates with the team.
- Days 1–7: Confirm source material, permissions, accounts, brand rules, and commercial terms. Approve a first batch.
- Days 8–14: Publish a controlled test. Check captions, context, links, and analytics collection.
- Days 15–21: Compare groups of clips by topic, hook, length, and platform. Adjust one variable at a time.
- Days 22–30: Reconcile eligible views and spend. Review retained followers and downstream actions before changing the ceiling.
How do you measure a clipping campaign?
| Metric | Calculation or source | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible delivered views | Platform analytics, filtered to the agreed rules and window | Billing and delivery |
| Realized CPM | Spend ÷ eligible views × 1,000 | Cost of delivered reach |
| Cost per qualified view | Spend ÷ views meeting a pre-agreed quality definition | Audience relevance; define qualification before launch |
| Follower growth per 100,000 views | Net new followers ÷ views × 100,000 | Retained audience; does not prove causal attribution |
| Clicks and conversions | Tracked links and first-party analytics | Downstream actions; state the attribution window |
| Time to first publish | First published timestamp minus agreed start timestamp | Operational speed |
Keep platform results separate when their view definitions differ. Do not add overlapping audience counts and call the sum unique reach. The planning kit includes an example report and review checklist.
For published customer evidence, explore the Overlap case studies. Individual results are not a median CPM benchmark or a forecast for a new campaign.
Which campaigns are a good fit?
Podcasts and recurring shows
Turn a regular episode schedule into a repeatable publishing program. Track show discovery and account growth alongside views. See clipping campaigns for podcasters.
Product launches and webinars
Use approved demos, founder interviews, and launch recordings. Define embargo dates, product claims, and calls to action in the brief. See campaigns for technology companies.
YouTube Shorts versus YouTube ads
This offer covers organic clip distribution, including Shorts. CPM billing does not mean paid YouTube ad placement or media buying is included. If your goal is ad creative, confirm deliverables and usage rights in a separate brief.
When to choose another model
Original shoots, heavily bespoke motion design, or access to a specific creator’s audience may call for a specialist production team or creator partner. No clipping workflow can guarantee organic reach or recover context that is missing from the source.
What is Overlap?
Overlap runs performance-priced AI clipping campaigns on customer-owned social accounts. It handles clip selection, editing, formatting, approval workflows, publishing, and reporting, while customers retain their accounts, followers, posts, and performance data.
Clipping campaign FAQs
What is an AI clipping campaign?
An AI clipping campaign uses automation to select, edit, and format moments from longer recordings, then publish and measure them against a campaign brief. Overlap runs this workflow on social accounts the customer owns.
What does CPM mean in clipping?
CPM is the cost per thousand views. A clipping campaign with 800,000 eligible delivered views at an agreed $1.50 CPM has a view-based cost of $1,200. This is an arithmetic example, not a quote or a promise of reach.
Is a CPM clipping campaign the same as paid advertising?
No. The campaigns described here distribute clips organically. CPM is the billing unit for delivered views; it does not mean the campaign buys ad placements. Paid YouTube advertising requires a separate creative, media-buying, and measurement brief.
Who owns the accounts and followers?
The customer owns the accounts used by an Overlap campaign and retains the followers, published posts, and performance data. Eligible platform monetization also stays with the customer; eligibility is determined by the platform.
Can clips be reviewed before publishing?
Overlap supports approval workflows and brand rules. Define the reviewer, publishing boundaries, and which clips require approval during campaign setup.
How soon can a campaign launch?
Launch timing depends on source content, account access, brand guidelines, approval requirements, and agreed commercial terms. Confirm the launch date during onboarding. A planning schedule is not a guaranteed turnaround time.
Does the budget calculator guarantee views?
No. It converts a budget and an assumed CPM into a planning volume. Actual organic reach depends on the content, audience, accounts, and distribution. A budget ceiling limits spend; it does not guarantee views, followers, or conversions.