YouTube videos are addicting and amazing, but sometimes you just need to grab a single frame from the video. In this post, I’ll describe how you can convert a YouTube video to an image instantly with a free, online tool.
How to Convert a YouTube Video to an Image
Step 1: Import your YouTube Video
Go to Kapwing’s free Convert Video tool. Copy the URL of the YouTube video that you want to screenshot from and paste the URL on Kapwing. Once your video uploads, you should see a preview playing in the editor.
Step 2: Choose the frame from the video
On the left panel, select the “JPEG” option from the converted video types (JPEG is a file extension for images). Use the slider that appears below the video to select the exact frame you want to download.
Step 3: Download and share
Once you’ve chosen the perfect moment, click the “Create” button to download your JPEG image. You can use Kapwing’s other tools like Add Text or the Meme Maker to spice up your image, publish it directly to social media, or share it with your friends.
For example, I used Kapwing's Studio to make a "I think I forgot something" meme template. I arranged screenshots of a clip from the TV show Two and a Half Men into a four-panel college.
Conclusion
This technique of capturing a screenshot from a YouTube video can be used to design thumbnails, make collages, and highlight a specific moment in time.
You don’t need to be a video editing professional to use Kapwing; it’s designed for casual creators. When you use Kapwing for the first time, there will be a small Kapwing watermark in the corner, but creators can remove it for free.
I hope this article helps you cut out the best images from YouTube videos to share, meme and inform. Thanks for reading!