People are making what appears to be fast and easy money just by posting clips to social media — but there’s a catch.

In December, rapper Bbno$ posted a message on social media announcing that he was quitting music. “As you guys know, I am for the people,” he wrote. “And the people have asked me to stop making music.

Clipping – turning long-form videos and streams into short, viral snippets – has become the growth hack of choice for creators, spawning its own cottage industry. Controversial figures like Braden ...