Text to video
Also called AI video generator, text-to-video, T2V
What is text to video?
Text to video is AI that creates a video from written input. The term covers two different things: models that generate new footage from a prompt (a few seconds of realistic or stylized motion), and tools that turn a script into an edited video by combining scenes, stock or AI clips, voiceover, music and captions.
Generative text to video models work like image models extended through time: a diffusion model shapes noise into a sequence of frames that match the prompt. Clips are short and can show odd physics, warped hands or garbled text. Image to video gives more control because the first frame is fixed.
Script-based AI video generators are closer to automated editing. They write or take a script, split it into scenes, add an AI voice, on-screen text and animated captions, and render a finished file. This is the type most businesses use for social video.
Why text to video matters
Video is the main format on Reels, TikTok and Shorts, but production is slow and expensive. Text to video lets a business publish short videos regularly without filming or editing each one.
Quality varies a lot. Generated footage can look uncanny, and generic scripts make generic videos. The best results come from tools that start from real facts about the business and keep text sharp.
How to make a video from text with AI
- Decide the platform and format first, for example a 9:16 reel of 20 to 40 seconds.
- Write or generate a script with a hook, two or three points and a call to action.
- Choose visuals: your own screenshots and photos, then AI clips only where needed.
- Add voiceover, music and captions, and check that the text is readable in time.
- Render, watch it on a phone, and fix anything that looks off before posting.
Text to video FAQ
Can AI make a video from text?
Yes. Some models generate short clips of new footage from a prompt, and other tools turn a script into a finished, edited video with voiceover and captions.
How long can an AI-generated video be?
Generated footage is usually a few seconds per clip. Script-based tools can make videos of any length by joining many scenes, though most social videos stay under a minute.
Related terms
Image to video is AI that animates a still image into a short video clip, guided by a prompt describing the motion you want.
A diffusion model is a type of generative AI that creates images, video or audio by starting from random noise and removing it step by step.
An AI voice generator turns written text into natural-sounding speech, often with a choice of voices, accents, languages and speaking styles.
Short-form video is video under about three minutes, usually vertical, made for Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts; long-form video runs longer.
A faceless video is a video where nobody appears on camera; it relies on voiceover, text, footage, screenshots or graphics to deliver the message.
B-roll is supporting footage cut into a video over the main shot, such as product close-ups or scenes of a space, to show what is being said.