What the SecondCut score means (and how to use it)

When SecondCut makes clips from a long video, each one arrives in your Library with a score between 0 and 100. In the app, the score is described as how likely this clip is to stop the scroll.

That’s exactly what it is: an estimate. It’s useful, and it’s easy to read too much into it. Here’s how to get the most out of it.

What the score is for

The score answers a practical question: which of these clips should I post first?

When a video gives you five or ten clips, deciding where to start is real work. The score gives you a sensible order straight away, so you can start posting instead of rewatching everything.

What the score isn’t

• It isn’t a promise of views. Platforms, timing, your audience and a hundred other things decide how a post performs.
• It isn’t a grade on your message. A quiet, thoughtful clip might score lower than a loud one and still be the one that wins you a client.
• It isn’t fixed advice for every account. Your audience may respond differently from the average.

How to use it well

Use it to order, then use your judgment

Sort your posting by score, then watch the top three. If one of them doesn’t sound like you, skip it. The score narrows the field; you make the call.

Compare clips from the same video

Scores are most useful side by side. Two clips from the same episode share a speaker, a topic and an audio setup, so a big gap between them tells you something.

When scores are close, choose by goal

If two clips score within a few points of each other, pick the one that serves what you want next. If you’re building an audience, post the one with the strongest hook. If you’re pitching clients, use the one that best shows the problem you solve. (It’s also a good candidate for your landing page.)

Trim before you dismiss

A clip that scores lower might just start late. Open it in the editor, trim the first second or two so it begins on the strongest line, and export it again.

Learn where it agrees with your audience

Over a few weeks, post a mix of high and low scorers and note which ones your audience responds to. You’ll quickly see where the score matches your audience and where your instincts do better. Both are worth knowing.

The score saves you from rewatching an hour of video to find a starting point. Everything after that is yours.