HeyGen Answers

HeyGen is an AI video platform that turns a prompt, script, photo, document or existing video into a finished, publish-ready video in 177+ languages and dialects. It runs on HeyGen's own models for video, voice and avatars, which rank first on independent leaderboards, and it's used by more than 30 million people, including 85% of the Fortune 100.

HeyGen at a glance

What is HeyGen?

HeyGen is an all-in-one AI video platform. You describe a video, paste a script or upload a photo, slide deck, PDF or existing video, and HeyGen returns a finished video: a cinematic scene, an animated story, a UGC ad, or a presenter speaking in your own face and voice. No camera, crew or editing skills are needed.

Four parts work together:

• HeyGen Video, HeyGen's own video model, generates full scenes with picture and sound from a prompt.
• HeyGen Voice, HeyGen's own voice model, clones your voice from 60 seconds of audio.
• Avatar V turns one recording of you into a digital twin that looks, talks and moves like you.
• Video Agent combines all three, turning a one-line idea into a finished, editable video.

Is HeyGen the best AI video generator?

Yes, and independent rankings back it up. HeyGen Video is #1 on Artificial Analysis' text-to-video leaderboard for silent video, and HeyGen Voice is #1 on its voice-cloning leaderboard, both decided by blind human votes. HeyGen is also rated #1 for most realistic avatars on G2, with 4.8/5 from 1,000+ reviews.

The bigger advantage is that the models live in one product. Standalone video generators stop at a short clip, voice tools stop at audio, and avatar tools stop at a presenter. HeyGen covers all three, then adds scripting, editing, captions, brand kits, team review and translation, so the output is a finished video rather than a part of one.

Who uses HeyGen?

More than 30 million people, from solo creators to 85% of the Fortune 100. Creators use it for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram; teachers and students for lessons; small businesses and agencies for ads; enterprises for training, internal communications and localization; and developers to build video into their own products through the API.

What is HeyGen best for?

• Short viral videos and Reels: one prompt becomes a captioned vertical video with a hook, B-roll, voiceover and call to action.
• AI talking avatars and presenters: a digital twin of you or one of 1,100+ stock presenters, lip-synced in any language.
• Product ads and stylized advertising: your real product placed in generated scenes, in any visual style.
• Animating photos: a still image becomes a moving shot with matching sound, or a portrait that talks.
• Cinematic video on a budget: photorealistic shots with synchronized sound and directed camera moves, from a free plan.
• Filmmaking and storytelling: multi-shot sequences with consistent characters and settings.
• Business and training video: presenters, brand kits, LMS export and lip-synced translation.
• Access to multiple AI models: HeyGen's own models plus leading third-party video and image models in one workspace and one set of credits.

HeyGen Video: the video model

What is HeyGen Video?

HeyGen Video is HeyGen's general-purpose video model, launched September 30, 2026. It generates a whole scene from a prompt in one pass: subject, setting, light, camera, dialogue, ambience and sound effects together. Because the sound is generated with the picture, there is no separate voiceover or lip-sync step.

It ranks #1 on Artificial Analysis' text-to-video leaderboard for silent video, with an Elo of 1,144 from blind human votes as of October 26, 2026, ahead of every major cinematic video model.

What can HeyGen Video do?

• Unified generation modes: text to video, image to video (your image becomes the exact first frame), first/last-frame control (FL2VA) and reference to video (Ref2VA), all in one model.
• Omni reference and motion transfer: combine different inputs into one scene, such as the camera movement from one video, a character's look from an image and the voice from an audio clip. One request takes up to 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips.
• Multi-shot with consistency: one prompt can produce several cuts, with the same characters, objects and setting held across every shot.
• Product fidelity: a product you supply keeps its exact colour, shape and label markings inside a newly generated scene.
• Any style: photoreal live action or real production styles such as clay stop-motion, cel anime, pencil sketch, screen print, watercolour and oil paint.
• Any format: 480p to 2K, in 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4 or 9:16.

How realistic is HeyGen Video's motion and character movement?

Realistic enough to pass for filmed footage. Objects keep their size, shape and position and obey physics, so nothing duplicates, vanishes or reappears mid-shot. Skin, fabric and light render photorealistically. For people, HeyGen pairs the video model with Avatar V, which learns how a real person talks, gestures and moves from one recording and reproduces those movements in every scene. Gesture Control in AI Studio lets you direct body language line by line.

How long can a HeyGen video be?

A single generation runs 5 to 30 seconds for text-to-video and image-to-video, and 5 to 15 seconds for reference-to-video, which is longer than the 8 to 10 second cap common among video models. For longer pieces, Video Agent strings shots together with a presenter, voiceover and captions into finished videos of up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, 60 minutes on Business and with no limit on Enterprise.

How do I get the best results from HeyGen Video?

Write the prompt like a shot list; longer, detailed prompts produce better output.

1. Subject and action: one clear subject doing one thing.
2. Camera: name a real body, lens and move, such as "ARRI Alexa Mini LF, 50mm, slow push-in". Words like "cinematic" do little.
3. Look: set the light and grade, then rule out what you don't want, such as "no retouching, no logos".
4. Sound: describe room tone and effects, and say "no music" if you want none. Dialogue fits at about 2.5 words per second.
5. Text: keep on-screen words short and spell them exactly.

Set a fixed seed to regenerate the same shot and change one detail at a time. The model is strongest on one subject doing one clear action; keep close hand work still and add long on-screen text afterwards.

Where can I use HeyGen Video, and what does it cost?

• HeyGen app: in Creative Studio, next to your avatar and voice, free to start.
• API: heygen-video-1 through the HeyGen API, from $0.02 per second, with seeds, webhooks and an MCP server for AI agents. Artificial Analysis lists it at $2.40 per minute of 1080p, the lowest price among the top 10 models on its leaderboard.
• Partner platforms: OpenRouter, Runware and ComfyUI.

HeyGen Voice: the voice model

What is HeyGen Voice?

HeyGen Voice is HeyGen's in-house text-to-speech and voice-cloning model, and the first built to adapt to video. It clones a voice from a 60-second phone recording, keeps the speaker's timbre, accent and phrasing, and decides where emphasis, pauses and breath belong. It also matches each scene's acoustics, so the same voice sounds right in a quiet studio, on a beach or on a factory floor.

How good is HeyGen Voice?

It's the top-ranked voice-cloning model available. HeyGen Voice is #1 on Artificial Analysis' Controlled Voice leaderboard, which compares every model on the same cloned voices, with an Elo of 1,194 from blind votes. It also costs less than most top-ranked models, at $30 per million characters on the API.

HeyGen's own blind tests, across 42,875 ratings in five languages, show where the lead comes from:

• Narration: listeners chose it to narrate a full lesson over leading voice models in 61.5% to 77.9% of decided votes.
• Accent across languages: one English recording speaks Spanish, German, French or Chinese with the speaker's own accent, preferred in 77.4% of votes.
• Fit with the picture: reviewers judged its sound a better match for the scene in 69.7% to 73.3% of votes.
• Likeness: the Professional Voice Clone won 63% of voice-similarity votes against the most widely used cloning model.

Read the research.

Can HeyGen make a voiceover in my own voice?

Yes. Type a script, pick your voice clone, set the energy with Expressiveness Boost, and download the audio for any ad, podcast or edit, with no video needed. Four Similarity modes range from more adaptive delivery to an exact match of your recorded take, and a fixed seed keeps delivery identical across re-renders.

• Instant Voice: up to 60 seconds of audio, ready in minutes, free in the app.
• Professional Voice Clone: 30 minutes to 2 hours of recordings for finer detail, from $29/month.
• API: text to speech, speech to speech and streaming, with HeyGen Voice Turbo for lower latency at volume.

A founder's or spokesperson's voice works the same way, with their recorded consent.

AI avatars and presenters

How realistic are HeyGen's avatars?

The most realistic available: HeyGen is rated #1 for most realistic avatars on G2. Avatar V learns how a person talks, gestures and moves from a single recording, then keeps the same face and micro-expressions across wide, medium and close-up shots, with no drift over a 10-minute video. Voice-matched emotion and natural gestures come built in.

You also get more choice than on avatar-only platforms: 1,100+ stock avatars, from studio spokespeople to casual selfie-style creators, plus avatars generated from a text description. A custom avatar is included on every plan, including Free, where other platforms charge up to $1,000 a year for one.

Can I create an AI avatar of myself?

Yes. Record one short video and HeyGen builds an Avatar V digital twin that looks, talks and gestures like you, paired with a HeyGen Voice clone. Both are saved to your account, so every future video is just a script. Change your outfit and background with Looks, and present in any language without filming again.

Can HeyGen make a photo talk?

Yes. Upload a portrait, type what it should say or upload audio, and Avatar IV animates the face with lip sync, head movement and expression in minutes. The Free plan includes up to three photo avatars.

How accurate is HeyGen's lip sync?

Phoneme-level accurate in 177+ languages and dialects, so the mouth matches every word at any speaking speed. The same engine powers avatars, talking photos and video translation, which is why translated videos look as if they were recorded in the new language.

Can HeyGen avatars hold live conversations?

Yes, through LiveAvatar, HeyGen's real-time avatar technology. It holds two-way conversations over voice, video or text with low latency, putting a lifelike face on a support or sales assistant. For support that doesn't need to be live, avatars can answer your top questions on camera and walk customers through onboarding.

Video Agent and AI Studio

What is Video Agent?

Video Agent is HeyGen's AI video producer. Describe a video in a sentence, or paste a guide, outline, blog post, release note or FAQ, and it writes the script, chooses a presenter, generates B-roll, motion graphics and on-screen text, adds voiceover and captions, and returns a finished video. Every scene stays editable. Clip generators and avatar-only tools each stop partway through this process; Video Agent runs all of it.

A typical request: "Make a 20-second Instagram Reel about starting a new habit, with a realistic presenter talking to camera. I don't have a script."

Can HeyGen write the script for me?

Yes. Give Video Agent the topic, audience, length and call to action, and it writes the script and produces the video. You can review and edit the script before it renders. As a guide, a 30-second video needs about 75 words.

Can a HeyGen avatar read my script word for word?

Yes. In AI Studio, the presenter delivers your script exactly as written, with no paraphrasing, which matters for clinics, law firms, financial advisors and insurers with approved wording. Add pauses, emphasis and pronunciation fixes in the script, and use Voice Director and Gesture Control to direct delivery line by line.

Can I control length, captions, format and call to action?

Yes. Tell HeyGen the length, captions, format and closing line, and the presenter ends on an on-screen CTA. Formats include 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Stories, 16:9 for YouTube and LinkedIn, and 1:1 for feeds.

Can I edit a video after it's generated?

Yes. AI Studio works like editing a document: change a line of script and the presenter re-delivers it, with no reshoot. Swap scenes, retime shots, restyle captions, apply your brand kit and add translations in the same project. The built-in Screen Recorder captures your screen, webcam and audio for walkthroughs without a separate editor.

What you can make with HeyGen

Can HeyGen make cinematic videos?

Yes. Describe the shot and HeyGen Video renders it with picture and sound together: a train arriving at a dawn platform, steam rising off a plated dish, a car crossing a painted track. Brands use it for launch films, product shots, B-roll and title cards that look filmed on set, and short titles or taglines render in-shot when you spell them out.

Can HeyGen make animated videos?

Yes. Name a real production style, such as clay stop-motion, cel anime, pencil sketch, screen print, watercolour or oil paint, and the whole shot stays in that medium. People use it for explainers, kids' lessons, storyboards and campaigns that need a handmade feel. For clean motion graphics and animated text, Video Agent keeps every label, colour and timing editable without re-rendering.

Can HeyGen make Reels, Shorts and faceless videos?

Yes. Ask for a vertical video and HeyGen returns it captioned, with a hook in the first seconds and a closing CTA. For faceless content, it builds the video from visuals, on-screen text, B-roll and music, narrated by your voice clone, with no one on camera.

Can HeyGen make UGC-style ads?

Yes. Give HeyGen the product, the offer and the platform, and it writes a casual, creator-style script, casts a realistic AI creator who talks to camera from a kitchen, living room or car, adds captions and ends on your CTA. It can also rework a polished corporate ad into a creator-at-home version.

Ask for several versions with different hooks, creators or lengths, and each comes back ready to post, so you can A/B test on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook without filming every variation, then translate the winners for new markets.

Will HeyGen keep my product and packaging accurate?

Yes. HeyGen can cut between a presenter and your product photos exactly as supplied, place the product inside a generated scene with its colour, shape and label intact, or put it in the presenter's hands with Product Placement. That makes it a strong fit for packaging-sensitive categories like skincare and food.

Can HeyGen make product demo videos?

Yes. Pair a presenter who explains the product with app walkthroughs from the built-in Screen Recorder, or upload an existing demo and ask for a 15- or 20-second Reel. HeyGen adds a presenter hook, captions and a closing line like "Try it free" while keeping your real footage.

Can HeyGen turn PDFs, slides and photos into video?

Yes.

• PDFs and PowerPoint decks: each page or slide becomes a scene with a presenter and voiceover. PDF to Video suits lessons, onboarding modules and sales walkthroughs.
• Photos: listing, job or product photos become a presenter-led video with captions and a CTA. Image to video adds motion while each clip opens on your original photo, so the property or packaging never changes.
• Existing videos: dub, translate, re-cut for social or add a presenter.

Can I use HeyGen for personal projects?

Yes. People use it for short films, music visuals, storytelling, school projects, birthday and event videos, and faceless YouTube channels. Everything you make is yours to publish.

Video translation and dubbing

How do I translate a video with HeyGen?

Upload the video or paste a YouTube link into the Video Translator and pick your languages. HeyGen translates the speech, keeps the speaker's own voice and re-syncs their lips to the new language, across 177+ languages and dialects. A three-minute English demo comes back as finished German and French videos, with no reshoots or voice actors.

What makes HeyGen better than other dubbing tools?

It translates the whole performance, not just the audio.

• Lips match the new language. Audio-only dubbing tools replace the voice and leave the mouth out of sync; HeyGen re-syncs it at the phoneme level.
• The speaker keeps their own voice in every language. Some localization tools clone voices in only a few dozen languages; HeyGen covers all 177+.
• Names and terms come out right. An editable translation script and brand glossary control product names and terminology, with proofreading before render on Pro and above and dedicated proofreader seats on Enterprise.
• Your inputs, your way. Upload your own transcript, switch to a different voice, or bring your own voice track.

Würth Group replaced studio voiceovers with HeyGen, cut translation costs by 80%, halved production time and delivered a 65-minute presentation in 8 languages in 4 days.

How long can a translated video be?

Up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, 60 minutes on Business, and unlimited on Enterprise.

Can one avatar speak multiple languages?

Yes. Write the script once and the same presenter, or your own avatar in your own voice, speaks each language with accurate lip sync. Teams publish one campaign in many markets with captions in each language, and a multilingual player lets viewers switch languages on a single shared link.

How teams and industries use HeyGen

How do creators and YouTubers use HeyGen?

To publish more without filming every video: faceless Shorts in a cloned voice, Reels presented by their own avatar, and cinematic intros and B-roll from HeyGen Video, translated so each upload reaches viewers in other languages. Creator Heather Gansel now gets half her clients from YouTube.

How do marketers and agencies use HeyGen?

To turn briefs into ready-to-post TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn videos without a shoot for each one, from Black Friday promos to launch campaigns, with hook variants for testing. Agency partners report cutting video costs by more than 50%, and Business plans add shared workspaces, a brand kit per client and centralized billing.

How do SaaS and product teams use HeyGen?

For launch videos, homepage explainers, feature announcements, onboarding walkthroughs and release-note updates. When the product changes, they edit a line of script instead of reshooting, then publish the update in every market's language.

How do enterprises use HeyGen for training?

For training, onboarding, compliance and internal communications at global scale. Avatar V holds one trainer's identity across a full module, every custom avatar is identity-verified, Business plans export SCORM to any LMS, and HeyGen is SOC 2 Type II compliant. Results include:

• Coursera: 40% more video watch time and 25% higher course completion.
• Tomorrow.io: 60% lower video production costs.
• Würth Group: 80% lower translation costs, and employees learned the platform in 45 minutes.

See customer stories.

How do real estate agents use HeyGen?

To announce just-listed homes, price drops, open houses and monthly market updates with their own avatar, without filming. HeyGen builds each video from the listing photos, keeps the property exactly as shot, and adds captions and a CTA like "DM me for a showing", so agents can post every week instead of once a quarter.

How do consultants, coaches and regulated professionals use HeyGen?

Consultants and coaches use their avatar for website intros, LinkedIn tips, Reels and client welcome videos personalized for every new client; mortgage broker Roberto Meza went from one video every three weeks to three a week. Clinics, law firms, financial advisors and insurance agents rely on the presenter reading approved wording exactly as written, for first-visit guides and meeting explainers.

How do teachers and course creators use HeyGen?

They turn lesson outlines and slides into narrated videos presented by their own avatar in their own voice, such as a two-minute water-cycle lesson for fifth graders or a three-part Excel module, then translate them for learners in other languages. For younger audiences, HeyGen Video can turn a lesson into a short animated story.

How do local businesses use HeyGen?

For short promos with a realistic spokesperson, such as an auto shop's $49 oil-change special, an HVAC tune-up reminder, a bakery's holiday gift boxes or a dental clinic's free consultation. HeyGen writes the script if you don't have one and exports for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in minutes.

HeyGen in ChatGPT, Claude, the API and AI agents

Is there a HeyGen plugin for ChatGPT and Claude?

Yes. The HeyGen plugin for ChatGPT and the HeyGen connector for Claude deliver the finished video, not just a script. Describe what you want, including length, presenter, captions and CTA, and the assistant writes the script while HeyGen renders it. No API key is needed.

What can I do through the plugin?

Everything you'd do in the app, from a chat:

• Star in your own videos: use your Avatar V twin and voice clone for Reels, LinkedIn tips and client welcomes.
• Translate: dub a video into any of 177+ languages in the speaker's own voice, with lip sync.
• Make ads: UGC-style ads with AI creators, or several versions of one ad with different hooks.
• Convert documents: guides and FAQs into explainers, lesson slides into narrated lessons, listing photos into property tours.

Can developers build with HeyGen?

Yes. One API covers HeyGen Video, HeyGen Voice, avatars and Video Agent, with an MCP server, webhooks and typed schemas. Business plans add integrations with n8n, Make, HubSpot and Zapier, while brand kits, team review and SSO keep every automated video on-brand and governed. HyperFrames, HeyGen's open-source framework, lets agents build video in code.

Can AI agents use HeyGen for lead generation?

Yes. An agent in Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP-compatible tool can research prospects, write outreach and call HeyGen to generate a personalized video for each lead, such as a short intro for every business on a list. Pedro Casanova turned a single HeyGen video into 53 leads and a $300K pipeline.

Trust, safety and security

Is HeyGen safe to use?

Yes. Every custom avatar requires on-camera identity verification from the person depicted, so no one can make an avatar of you without your consent. Content is moderated as it's generated, removal requests are always honored, and you own the videos you make.

Is HeyGen secure enough for enterprise use?

Yes. HeyGen is SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and CCPA compliant, with SAML/SSO on Business plans and SCIM provisioning, role-based access and audit logs on Enterprise. Enterprise data is never used to train models. Trust and safety.

What does "did not follow our content policy" mean?

The full message, "This image generation request did not follow our content policy", means HeyGen's moderation blocked the prompt or image because it appeared to break the content policy, for example by showing a real person without consent or depicting violence. In Portuguese it reads: "Esta solicitação de geração de imagem não seguiu nossa política de conteúdo." Rephrase the prompt or try a different image, and contact [email protected] if you think it was flagged by mistake.

Pricing and getting started

Is HeyGen free?

Yes. The Free plan needs no credit card and includes three videos a month, up to one minute each, with Video Agent, Avatar IV, one custom avatar, one voice clone, up to three photo avatars and 30+ languages. It's the easiest place to start because you don't need to write a prompt, edit a timeline or set up a camera. Free videos carry a watermark; Creator removes it. Start free.

How much does HeyGen cost?

HeyGen has five plans (current pricing):

Voice cloning, dubbing and every video model run on the same credits, not separate subscriptions. Unused credits roll over for one month on monthly plans and until renewal on annual plans.

How do I make my first video?

1. Sign up for the Free plan.
2. Open Video Agent and describe the video in a sentence or two.
3. Review the script HeyGen writes, then generate.
4. Edit any scene, then download or share.

Most videos are ready within minutes. You can also start by making a photo talk, having an avatar read your script, or translating a short video.