Since 2014, our team here at Lemonlight has proven one simple truth: video works. It’s the single most effective media format to deliver on your marketing promises, whether your goal is to share news with your audience, attract a new customer segment, or delight existing clients.
Because video is so effective, many video marketers are exploring the many ways AI can be introduced in the process. Today, we’re going to focus on AI video generator tools that deliver a finished video file, but if you’re curious about the big picture of video and AI (and a number of smaller use cases), check out this recent article that covers more ground.
The Pros and Cons of AI Video Generators
AI video generator tools present both an opportunity and a challenge for marketers. On the positive side, AI video generators make it possible to go from a basic video brief to a finished video with very little time, cost, and effort. On the negative side, there are tradeoffs to that ease and affordability.
The adage, “You get what you pay for” applies to these tools in their current form; you may technically have a usable video, but you may not get the results you’re hoping for. Remember that the point of creating a video isn’t just to have a video—it’s for the video to deliver clear marketing results and a positive ROI. At this point in time, there’s still no real substitute for the strategic expertise that production professionals bring to the table.
With that caveat in mind, let’s take a closer look at the top 10 AI video generators on the market and how each one might fit into your video strategy.
Top 10 AI Video Generator Tools (May 2023)
1) Peech
We’ll start our exploration with Peech, one of the only AI generators that’s more closely aimed at marketing teams than production teams. The Peech premise is simple: marketing teams put out lots of content, and repurposing that content is important. Peech lets you repurpose existing content like webinars, customer testimonials, podcasts, and blogs into video formats that can be shared again and again.
As any marketing team will tell you, repurposing existing content is one of the most time-consuming elements of the job. Putting out a great blog post doesn’t (okay, shouldn’t) end when the blog goes live. In a perfect world, that blog would also become a YouTube video, an Instagram teaser, an infographic, a LinkedIn post… you get the idea. Peech lets you handle all that video-related repurposing automatically, so you always have assets to reuse across your most important platforms.
2) Runway
Runway is an “applied AI research company” that lets you create a video from text, an image, or even your own AI model that will learn what you like. Compared to some of the other tools on this list, Runway will require a bit more experimentation to get the best outcome.
While some generative AI tools just want to deliver a finished product as quickly as possible, Runway functions a bit more like an actual editing software. For that reason, it’s especially powerful for people with some editing experience who just want to make the process easier. Done right, Runway videos will look (and likely perform) better than most of the scrappier tools on the market.
3) Deepbrain AI
Deepbrain AI is one of many AI generators that relies on text-to-speech functionality. You’ll write your video script, choose a template and language, and AI will handle the rest. These text-to-speech tools are especially helpful for ultra-beginners who don’t want too many variables in the creation process.
If you do want a few more variables, there are some options to edit your video features once they’re created, but most of the magic happens in the initial generation process. The Deepbrain AI website boasts that you could have your first video completed in five minutes or less, so it’s perfect if you’re on a time crunch and just need something usable, fast.
4) Synthesia
Next up, Synthesia is a video generator tool that builds on the idea of “avatars.” Your avatars are the “people” depicted in your video, and you can create up to 125 different options to diversify your video content. If you want an avatar inspired by your own likeness (AKA your “digital twin,” as they phrase it on their website), you can use it to create personal video content without any filming.
Other pros: Synthesia allows for dialogue or voiceover in up to 120 languages, and it’s suitable for beginners. According to G2, it’s the current leader in AI video creation platforms.
5) Fliki
Fliki is our next tool that lets you generate a video from a script or a blog post in just a few minutes. Fliki also boasts a large stock media library, so you can drop the perfect b-roll clips into your content as needed.
One common hiccup for AI videos is robotic-sounding voiceover, which Fliki specifically addresses for its users. The platform makes voiceovers sound more natural by using over 900 voices in 75 languages and 100 dialects. If diverse, normal-sounding voiceover is important to your videos, Fliki likely has more options for you than other platforms on the market.
6) InVideo
InVideo is another template-based text-to-video platform. Compared to other template-based platforms, it does have a wider variety of templates to choose from, which may help your video feel less sterile and generic. If you don’t like any of the 5,000 templates that are pre-made, you can also drag and drop the template elements to create your own. (If you’re a stickler for your branding, this is a great option!)
InVideo also offers the option to export straight to social media, which removes one additional step in the process if that’s where you plan to share your content. If social media isn’t your end goal for your AI video, there may be other platforms on the list that are more tailored to your needs.
7) Synthesys
Synthesys (not to be confused with Synthesia above) also uses digital avatars and text-to-video technology to generate new videos. Like Fliki, one of its key selling points is natural-sounding voiceover that bypasses the robotic-sounding speech of some other tools on the market. If you just want the voiceover, you can also generate the voiceover by itself and drop it into a non-AI generated video to capitalize on that speech.
Users also describe the final videos as having “extremely lifelike” voices, so Synthesys may be your best option if you want a video that doesn’t feel quite as AI-generated as your standard AI output.
8) Pictory
Pictory lets you automatically create short-form videos from long-form content like blog articles or existing videos. Pictory features include automated captions, text video summaries, and more. (If you’re getting the sense that most of these AI generator tools have similar functionality, you’re not wrong! There’s a ton of overlap between all these tools, so forgive our repetition.)
One use case that Pictory calls out is the ability to turn sales scripts into reusable sales videos. If your sales team has a winning call script that closes deals, Pictory can take that script and turn it into a video for you to test on your pipeline.
9) Veed.io
VEED is next on the list, and like many of the other top tools, it’s aimed at beginners. To that end, VEED also has an extensive library of tutorials to help new editors get their bearings on the production space.
Unlike some of the beginner-friendly tools on the market, VEED also has some more advanced features like removing background noise, adding filters and camera effects, and more. VEED’s main differentiator is its subtitle functionality. Adding automatically-generated subtitles happens in one click, and users report that the subtitles themselves are much more accurate than other comparable tools.
10) Elai.io
Finally, Elai.io is our last featured AI generator, and it offers videos created from a prompt, a blog URL, or a PowerPoint or PDF file. Like Peech, these features make Elai.io great for repurposing existing content in video form.
One of Elai.io’s unique features is the ability to clone your own voice for voiceover content. Rather than having to record your voiceover yourself, Elai.io can learn your voice and generate voiceover that sounds like you for future content. If your videos often include your own voice, this platform may help you save the most time.
How to Choose the Right AI Generator
Overwhelmed at your options? We get it—there are a lot of tools on the market and only so many hours in the day to play with AI. If you’re looking for an AI generator that will suit your needs, here are a few elements you might want to prioritize:
Ease of use: If you have some video editing experience, you might not care about this point. But for the rest of us, AI tools are designed to make video creation and editing accessible to the average skill set. Ease of use will be important if you’re not so concerned with a world-class output and just want a basic video quickly and easily.
Customization: If you’ve ever had a back-and-forth conversation with ChatGPT, you know AI tools don’t always give you what you’re looking for right away. In the video space, that means you’ll have to make some tweaks to get your video to match your vision—or your branding. Keep an eye on the customization options for each tool you consider so you can get the outcome you really want.
High-quality exports: Finally, a conceptually-great video will still fall short if it’s blurry and pixelated for your viewers. Make sure that the AI generator of your choosing allows for high-quality video exports. You may have to pay extra for a plan that includes this option, but if you want your video to succeed, it’s well worth the extra charge.
You Still Need Professional Video Production
Videos are an extremely critical asset in the creator economy, and as of today, AI video generator tools aren’t equipped to replace a whole production team. They make some parts of the process easier, yes—and they can delivery scrappy, “good enough” video content in record time. But when your business is on the line, it’s worth considering where AI makes the cut and where it doesn’t.
Our take? Keep your production team around for any mission-critical content, and consider using AI generators to experiment with lower-stakes content. You’ll get the best of both worlds without missing out on your most important results.
And if you’re in need of a new video production company with the experience of creating thousands of videos for clients across every industry, try Lemonlight. Our expert team of creative producers will ensure you get a video that meets your marketing needs.
