diff --git a/handlers/schemas/UploadVOD.yaml b/handlers/schemas/UploadVOD.yaml
index 7b2f79307..a217f5bfb 100644
--- a/handlers/schemas/UploadVOD.yaml
+++ b/handlers/schemas/UploadVOD.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ properties:
     required: 
       - "encrypted_key"
     additionalProperties: false
+  clip_strategy:
+    type: "object"
+    properties:
+      start_time:
+        type: "integer"
+      end_time:
+        type: "integer"
+    required:
+      -  "start_time"
+    additionalProperties: false
   pipeline_strategy:
     type: string
     description:
diff --git a/handlers/upload.go b/handlers/upload.go
index dc7777e39..c9c3ceb2e 100644
--- a/handlers/upload.go
+++ b/handlers/upload.go
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ type UploadVODRequest struct {
 	TargetSegmentSizeSecs int64                  `json:"target_segment_size_secs"`
 	Profiles              []video.EncodedProfile `json:"profiles"`
 	PipelineStrategy      pipeline.Strategy      `json:"pipeline_strategy"`
+
+	// Forwarded to clipping stage:
+	ClipStrategy video.ClipStrategy `json:"clip_strategy"`
 }
 
 type UploadVODResponse struct {
@@ -101,6 +104,15 @@ func (r UploadVODRequest) IsProfileValid() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func (r UploadVODRequest) IsClipValid() bool {
+	startTime := r.ClipStrategy.StartTime
+	endTime := r.ClipStrategy.EndTime
+	if startTime < 0 || endTime <= 0 || startTime == endTime || startTime < endTime {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (r UploadVODRequest) getTargetHlsOutput() UploadVODRequestOutputLocation {
 	for _, o := range r.OutputLocations {
 		if o.Outputs.HLS == "enabled" {
@@ -196,6 +208,12 @@ func (d *CatalystAPIHandlersCollection) handleUploadVOD(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	}
 	log.AddContext(requestID, "target_segment_size_secs", uploadVODRequest.TargetSegmentSizeSecs)
 
+	// Check if this is a clipping request
+	if uploadVODRequest.IsClipValid() {
+		uploadVODRequest.ClipStrategy.Enabled = true
+	}
+
+	// Get target locatons for HLS, MP4, FMP4 outputs
 	hlsTargetOutput := uploadVODRequest.getTargetHlsOutput()
 	hlsTargetURL, err := toTargetURL(hlsTargetOutput, requestID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -211,11 +229,11 @@ func (d *CatalystAPIHandlersCollection) handleUploadVOD(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, errors.WriteHTTPBadRequest(w, "Invalid request payload", err)
 	}
-
 	if hlsTargetURL == nil && mp4TargetURL == nil && fragMp4TargetURL == nil {
 		return false, errors.WriteHTTPBadRequest(w, "Invalid request payload", errors2.New("none of output enabled: hls or mp4 or f-mp4"))
 	}
 
+	// Verify pipeline strategy
 	if strat := uploadVODRequest.PipelineStrategy; strat != "" && !strat.IsValid() {
 		return false, errors.WriteHTTPBadRequest(w, "Invalid request payload", fmt.Errorf("invalid value provided for pipeline strategy: %q", uploadVODRequest.PipelineStrategy))
 	}
@@ -224,7 +242,6 @@ func (d *CatalystAPIHandlersCollection) handleUploadVOD(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 
 	// Once we're happy with the request, do the rest of the Segmenting stage asynchronously to allow us to
 	// from the API call and free up the HTTP connection
-
 	d.VODEngine.StartUploadJob(pipeline.UploadJobPayload{
 		SourceFile:            uploadVODRequest.Url,
 		CallbackURL:           uploadVODRequest.CallbackUrl,
@@ -241,6 +258,7 @@ func (d *CatalystAPIHandlersCollection) handleUploadVOD(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		TargetSegmentSizeSecs: uploadVODRequest.TargetSegmentSizeSecs,
 		Encryption:            uploadVODRequest.Encryption,
 		SourceCopy:            uploadVODRequest.getSourceCopyEnabled(),
+		ClipStrategy:          uploadVODRequest.ClipStrategy,
 	})
 
 	respBytes, err := json.Marshal(UploadVODResponse{RequestID: requestID})
diff --git a/pipeline/coordinator.go b/pipeline/coordinator.go
index 8ea58ce13..2caac9bbf 100644
--- a/pipeline/coordinator.go
+++ b/pipeline/coordinator.go
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ type UploadJobPayload struct {
 	Encryption            *EncryptionPayload
 	InputFileInfo         video.InputVideo
 	SourceCopy            bool
+	ClipStrategy          video.ClipStrategy
 }
 
 type EncryptionPayload struct {
@@ -273,6 +274,15 @@ func (c *Coordinator) StartUploadJob(p UploadJobPayload) {
 
 		osTransferURL := c.SourceOutputURL.JoinPath(p.RequestID, "transfer", path.Base(sourceURL.Path))
 		if clients.IsHLSInput(sourceURL) {
+			// Currently we only clip an HLS source (e.g recordings or transcoded asset)
+			if p.ClipStrategy.Enabled {
+				log.Log(p.RequestID, "clippity clipping the input")
+				// Use new clipped manifest as the source URL
+				sourceURL, err = video.ClipInput(p.RequestID, sourceURL, p.ClipStrategy.StartTime, p.ClipStrategy.EndTime)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("error clipping input: %w", err)
+				}
+			}
 			osTransferURL = sourceURL
 		} else if p.SourceCopy {
 			log.Log(p.RequestID, "source copy enabled")
diff --git a/video/clip.go b/video/clip.go
index f0aeb5cc1..7f0ee9511 100644
--- a/video/clip.go
+++ b/video/clip.go
@@ -5,9 +5,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafov/m3u8"
 	"github.com/livepeer/catalyst-api/log"
 	ffmpeg "github.com/u2takey/ffmpeg-go"
+	"net/url"
 	"time"
 )
 
+type ClipStrategy struct {
+	Enabled   bool
+	StartTime float64 `json:"start_time,omitempty"`
+	EndTime   float64 `json:"end_time,omitempty"`
+}
+
 // format time in secs to be copatible with ffmpeg's expected time syntax
 func formatTime(seconds float64) string {
 	duration := time.Duration(seconds * float64(time.Second))
@@ -55,6 +62,13 @@ func getRelevantSegment(allSegments []*m3u8.MediaSegment, playHeadTime float64,
 	return 0, fmt.Errorf("error clipping: did not find a segment that falls within %v seconds", playHeadTime)
 }
 
+// Function that will take a source URL manifest and return a new URL
+// pointing to the clipped manifest
+func ClipInput(requestID string, srcUrl *url.URL, startTime, endTime float64) (*url.URL, error) {
+	// TODO:*actually* do the clipping
+	return srcUrl, nil
+}
+
 // Function to find relevant segments that span from the clipping start and end times
 func ClipManifest(requestID string, manifest *m3u8.MediaPlaylist, startTime, endTime float64) ([]*m3u8.MediaSegment, error) {
 	var startSegIdx, endSegIdx uint64