Guide to using Avatar IV effectively

In this lesson, you will learn how to bring your avatar to life using Avatar IV, HeyGen’s most advanced expressive avatar model.

Avatar IV enables you to create lifelike talking performances from a photo or a video, without needing cameras, shooting, or studio setups.

Create a video using Photo to Video

From your HeyGen homepage, open Apps and select Photo to Video.

Upload a photo or choose a sample image. Then add your content by writing a script or uploading an audio file. If you need some inspiration, click Surprise Me to generate a script automatically.

For the best results, keep your video under 180 seconds.

If you are using a written script, select a voice. You can choose one of your existing voices, pick from the HeyGen Library, or generate a new voice using Voice Design by entering a custom prompt.

Configure movement and expressiveness

Next, choose your Motion Generation Mode. Select Faster for quicker results or Quality for higher-fidelity output. Please note that Quality mode uses twice as many credits.

Set the Expressiveness Level to Low, Normal, or High, depending on how animated you would like the avatar to appear.

In the Custom Motion field, you can enter motion cues or select from preset options to guide the avatar’s movement.

You can also change the resolution from 720p to 1080p.

Once everything is ready, click Generate. Your video will show up in your Projects after the processing is complete.

Use Avatar IV in AI Studio

You can also use Avatar IV directly within AI Studio.

Choose your avatar, then open the avatar engine menu in the script editor next to the voice selector. From here, switch between Avatar Unlimited and Avatar IV.

Select Avatar IV, choose your generation mode, adjust expressiveness, and add custom motion prompts or presets. You can refresh the presets to explore new variations.

Once your settings are finalised, click Generate to render the video.

Finalise and submit

Avatar IV videos use Generative Credits, which HeyGen calculates automatically.

Confirm your settings and click Submit to generate your final video.

You’ve now learnt how to create realistic, expressive talking avatars using Avatar IV. This feature is ideal for personal messages, creative storytelling, and high-quality AI-generated content, delivered quickly and effortlessly.