Studio tools · 3 min read

Cutting 15-second preview clips with the Audio Clipper

Upload a song, pick your 15-second clip, and import it into a Smart Link's main song preview or tracklist.

Anyone can read this guide. The tool it covers is part of the Studio and Lifetime plans.

1. 1

   Open the Clipper

   • Go to Dashboard → 15s Audio Clipper in the sidebar (it's in the Build group, under Smart Links).
   • Upload your song — MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG or FLAC all work.

   Tip: Only upload songs you own or have permission to share.

2. 2

   Pick your 15 seconds

   • Drag the highlighted window across the waveform to the moment you want — the hook usually works best. Use Clip position for finer adjustments in tenths of a second.
   • Enter your exact Start at time in minutes:seconds (such as 1:15.5) or total seconds (75.5), then press Enter or leave the field. Move backward or forward with the 1-second and 5-second controls. The start and end times update together; the selection stays inside your song.
   • Press Preview clip to hear exactly what fans will hear. Changing the selection stops playback so you can preview the new section. Songs shorter than 15 seconds keep their available length.
   • Need the file for TikTok or Reels? Use Download MP3 to save a copy.
3. 3

   Choose your Smart Link and destination

   • Choose your Smart Link from the dropdown, then choose Import destination.
   • Main song preview · Single is selected by default. It places the clip in the main preview player without adding or replacing tracklist songs.
   • Choose Tracklist song · EP / album to add a new track or replace a specific song. The track dropdown shows existing titles and the number of slots used.
   • The title starts with your uploaded file's name. For tracklist imports, Track title becomes the song's display name. For main preview imports, Clip title changes only the downloaded filename, not your release title. Download MP3 uses your edited title.
4. 4

   Import a single's main preview

   • Press Import as main preview to save the clip automatically. The waveform player is enabled and starts at zero because your selected moment is already cropped into the MP3.
   • If a main preview already exists, press Replace main preview, review the Smart Link in the confirmation, then press Replace & save. Keep existing preview cancels without changing anything.
   • Your release title, tracklist, other Studio tools and autoplay preference stay unchanged. Autoplay remains off unless you previously enabled it; browsers may block it.
   • Open the Smart Link editor, check Song preview and Studio tools → Waveform teaser, then open your fan page and press Play to check the saved clip.

   Watch out: Ad landing mode hides extra sections, including the main player. Pre-save pages hide the preview until release day. Disable ad landing mode or check after release to hear it on the fan page.

5. 5

   Add or replace a song

   • Press Import clip into Smart Link to add and save a new song automatically.
   • If all 8 slots are filled, the Clipper switches to replacement. Choose any of the 8 songs, edit the new title, and press Replace selected song — no need to delete anything in the editor.
   • Review the old song, new title and Smart Link in the confirmation, then press Replace & save. Replacement changes that song's title and audio and removes its old Spotify link; every other song stays unchanged.
   • Open the Smart Link editor to hear the saved track. You can change its title there later too.

   Watch out: Tracklists hold up to 8 songs. Replacement saves immediately after confirmation. Keep existing song cancels without making changes.