How to Make AI Videos in 2026: From Prompt to Published

Making an AI video takes five steps: write a script, pick a tool, generate the video, edit it, and publish it. You do all of it in a browser, and you don’t need a camera or any editing experience.

Most tools have a free plan or free credits, so you can learn the workflow before you pay for anything. For this guide I ran one short script through Fliki and InVideo on free accounts, and only Fliki finished a video. The same steps work whether you want a faceless YouTube explainer, an AI avatar reading your script, or cinematic clips generated from a prompt.

What You Need Before Starting

Not much. Any computer or tablet with a current browser will do, because the tools run in the cloud. You can review a draft on your phone, but editing is easier on a laptop.

What you spend depends on how much you publish (prices as of September 2026):

• $0/month: free plans or free credits on Fliki, InVideo, Kling and Synthesys. Fliki and Kling cap free videos at 720p with a watermark, and InVideo’s 10 weekly credits ran out before it finished my test video. That’s enough to learn the workflow.
• $20-28/month: regular publishing. InVideo Starter is $20/mo with 400 credits a month. Fliki Standard is $28/mo ($16.80/mo billed yearly under Fliki’s current offer) and gets you 1080p, no watermark and commercial rights.
• $40-60/month: high-volume production with more credits and generated footage. InVideo Plus ($60/mo, or $50/mo billed yearly) adds Seedance clips at 1080p and 4K, and Fliki Premium billed yearly ($52.80/mo) adds more voice clones and API access.

As for skills, if you can write a few sentences about what you want, you can make an AI video. Better prompts get better results, but you don’t need any technical background to start.

Step 1: Write Your Script or Prompt

Every AI video starts with text, and the tool can only work with what you give it. A couple of extra minutes on the script usually saves you several regenerations later. You can write a scene-by-scene breakdown or a single paragraph about the topic.

For this guide I wrote a 115-word script on keeping houseplants alive through winter (water less, move them closer to the light, add humidity) and pasted the same text into Fliki and InVideo. I kept it short so it would fit the one-minute limit on Fliki’s free plan.

For text-to-video tools (Fliki, InVideo): paste a finished script, or describe the video in plain language and let the tool write it. Example prompt: “Create a 60-second video explaining three benefits of meditation for beginners. Use calming visuals, a female voiceover, and background music.”

For generative video tools (Kling AI, Runway): write a prompt for each shot. Example: “A woman walks through a sunlit forest, camera following from behind, golden hour lighting, cinematic.”

A simple structure for a short video:

1. A hook in the first 3 seconds, so people keep watching
2. The main content, 30 to 90 seconds
3. A call to action in the last 5 to 10 seconds that tells viewers what to do next

Step 2: Choose Your AI Video Tool

The right tool depends on what you’re making. I group them into three categories:

• Text-to-Video (Full Automation)

  Paste a script or type a topic, and the tool picks the footage, records a voiceover and adds captions. Good for YouTube, social media and marketing videos. Popular options are InVideo (Starter $20/mo) and Fliki ($28/mo).

• AI Avatar Video

  A digital presenter reads your script on camera. Good for training, e-learning, internal updates and product demos. Popular options are Synthesia ($19/mo, or $14/mo billed annually) and Synthesys ($29/mo, or $20/mo billed annually).

• Generative Video (Cinematic)

  Makes new footage from a text or image prompt. Good for short films, b-roll and creative social clips where you want original footage. Popular options are Kling AI ($6.99 for the first month, then $8.80/mo) and Runway ($12/mo).

If you’re new to this, I’d start with text-to-video. The tool does most of the production for you, and you can move to generative tools once you know the basics. My best AI video generators comparison scores the main options in detail.

It also helps to pick by what you’re starting with. If you already have a script or a blog post, a text-to-video tool takes it as it is. If all you have is an idea, Fliki and InVideo’s Agent Two will both write the script for you.

Here’s where the tools in this guide stand on price and free plans:

Step 3: Generate Your Video

Whichever tool you picked, the pattern is the same: paste your script, pick your settings, generate and wait. Most tools have a first draft ready within a few minutes.

Using a text-to-video tool (my pick for beginners):

1. Paste your script or type your topic prompt
2. Pick the video length (30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes and so on)
3. Choose the aspect ratio (16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Shorts, Reels and TikTok)
4. Pick a voice and a language for the voiceover
5. Click generate and wait 1-3 minutes

For my houseplant test I asked both tools for stock footage only, since generated clips cost more than a free account holds (InVideo’s cheapest Seedance clip is about 30 credits, and its free account gets 10 a week). InVideo’s agent voiced my script and picked stock clips that were mostly good, with a few off topic, but the free credits ran out before the final cut. Fliki finished the same script as 48 seconds of video on 0.8 of my 3 monthly credits.

So on free plans, Fliki is the one that actually finishes a video. To judge InVideo’s real output, you need a paid plan. That’s one script on free accounts, a small test rather than a benchmark.

Using a generative video tool:

1. Write a detailed visual prompt for each shot
2. Set the duration (usually 5-10 seconds per generation)
3. Choose the quality (higher quality takes longer and usually costs more credits)
4. Generate 3-5 variations per shot
5. Keep the best ones

Step 4: Edit and Refine

Don’t publish the raw output. Even a good draft usually has a clip that looks off or a line that sounds awkward.

Stock-footage tools miss now and then, and you fix those misses scene by scene. In my Fliki video, the line about “the most daylight” got a shot of an empty office window, while the other nine scenes were on topic. Fliki gives every sentence its own scene, so you replace that one clip and leave the rest alone.

Other fixes worth making before you export:

• Swap any clip that misses. Regenerate just that scene or replace it with stock footage.
• Adjust the voiceover pacing so the narration matches the visuals.
• Check the captions. Most tools generate them for you, but read them for mistakes.
• Trim dead space, like long pauses or slow transitions.
• Add background music if the tool didn’t. Most platforms include a royalty-free library.
• Add your branding, such as a logo, an intro and outro, or your colors.

InVideo has a full timeline editor on every plan, and Fliki lets you edit scene by scene, so small fixes don’t need other software. For more control, export the video and finish it in a free editor like CapCut or DaVinci Resolve.

Step 5: Export and Publish

Pick the export settings for the platform you’re posting to, download the file and upload it. Then fill in the title, description and tags so people can find the video.

This is the video Fliki exported from my houseplant script on the free plan. It’s 720p and carries the Fliki watermark; Standard ($28/mo) exports at 1080p without one.

For anything you publish, match these settings to the platform:

Before you upload, check that:

• Audio levels stay consistent throughout
• Captions are accurate and in sync
• No AI artifacts are left (garbled text, distorted faces, unnatural motion)
• The first 3 seconds give people a reason to keep watching

Budget Breakdown: What Each Tier Gets You

If you plan to publish regularly, I’d start at the $20-28/month tier. Free plans are fine for learning, but I wouldn’t post a 720p video with someone else’s watermark on it. If InVideo is your pick, count on paying from the start, since its free credits didn’t cover even one short video in my test.

Tips for Better AI Videos

1. Write for the ear, not the eye. AI voices read your script exactly as written, so short sentences work better than long ones. Fliki made one scene per sentence from my script, which means short sentences also give you tighter scenes. Read the script aloud before you paste it in.

2. Start with shorter videos. I’d rather post a tight 60-second video than a padded 5-minute one. Build up to longer formats once you know how your tool handles pacing and transitions. The faceless YouTube channel guide covers long-form strategy in detail.

3. Use reference images. Many platforms accept an image alongside the text prompt. A reference photo of the style or lighting you want makes the output more predictable.

4. Match the tool to the task. Text-to-video tools are built for explainers and marketing videos, and generative tools for cinematic and creative shots. Picking the wrong kind for your goal wastes credits and time.

5. Build templates. Once a workflow gives you good results, save it. Most platforms let you duplicate a project or save a prompt, which saves time on every new video.

6. Combine tools. Plenty of creators make footage in one tool and put the video together in another. You don’t have to do everything in one place.

Further Reading

• YouTube Creator Academy: Making Videos - Official YouTube guides on video formats, metadata, and audience growth
• YouTube Community Guidelines on AI Content - Current YouTube disclosure requirements for AI-generated content

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