Imagine engaging with a lifelike avatar that responds in real-time, bringing a whole new level of interactivity to virtual conversations. Whether for customer support, live presentations, or personalized sales, HeyGen’s LiveAvatars can step into any role, speaking and interacting instantly. In this article, we'll show you how these avatars can transform the way you connect with your audience.
Where to Find a LiveAvatar in HeyGen
LiveAvatar is a completely separate platform from HeyGen! This mean separate login address as well- https://app.liveavatar.com/home
You can use the same login information here as you did in HeyGen before and your account should be good to go!
If you're trying to migrate your Interactive avatars onto LiveAvatars, you can access it from the HeyGen platform and start the migration process as seen below-
Once on this screen, you will be able to toggle between 'My Avatars', 'Public Avatars', and 'Examples'. You can either choose one of the provided public avatars and create a Knowledge Base for it, or you can create a custom avatar from scratch!
🛎️ Note: Users with Free plans have access to all PUBLIC LiveAvatars included in their subscription; CUSTOM LiveAvatars are available exclusively to paid users. For more details, see the pricing section below.
Free and Creator users can skip down to the section titled 'How to Use a LiveAvatar' at this time.
How to Create a Custom LiveAvatar
To start creating your avatar, you'll need to record footage specifically for this tool following the below guidelines.
⚠️ Important Note: Previous footage used for Video Avatars cannot be reused as the guidelines are unique to Custom LiveAvatars.
Recording Guidelines
Make sure the footage is continuous, with no cuts or edits.
Total Duration: Minimum of 2 minutes, divided into 3 distinct parts.
Listening (15 seconds) ‼️ This portion is SILENT ‼️
Purpose: To show active engagement.
Use facial expressions like raising your eyebrows or smiling to demonstrate that you're attentively listening.Talking (90 seconds)
Purpose: To convey your message.
Speak clearly and confidently, ensuring your message is concise and to the point.Idling (15 seconds) ‼️ This portion is SILENT ‼️
Purpose: To show an attentive presence.
Maintain a neutral expression, occasionally nodding without additional facial expressions.
Key Differences:
Listening: Engage with facial expressions to show active listening.
Idling: Maintain a neutral demeanor and only nod, reflecting presence without extra expressions.
Important Considerations
Background & Environment
Choose a clean, static background or a green screen.
Avoid moving objects, changing light sources, or reflections in the background.
If using greenscreen, keep it off the floor to reduce color spill.
Keep the subject at least 5 feet away from the backdrop to avoid shadows.
Camera Setup & Framing
Use a 1920x1080 HD camera or better.
Frame the subject chest-up; avoid showing hands unless necessary; No full-body recordings (these are not supported).
If hands are included (half- or full-body framing), keep them still and in resting position.
🛎️ Note: LiveAvatars currently do not support 4K output due to latency limitations.
Lighting
Use soft, even lighting to avoid harsh shadows.
Place two lights on either side of the subject with diffusion for a soft look.
Optionally, add a backlight above and behind the head for subject-background separation.
Warm up the color temperature to maintain natural skin tones.
If shadows appear under hands, add a light below the subject.
Performance Tips
Maintain steady eye contact with the camera throughout.
Avoid loud breathing, swaying, or unnecessary movement during pauses.
Keep jewelry, glasses, and shiny clothing to a minimum to ensure clean background keying.
Do two takes:
One with minimal movement.
One with 4–5 slow, subtle gestures (below shoulder height).
Reminder for Talent
Begin with an engaged listening pose.
Deliver the message with smooth, steady speech.
End with a calm idle position—no sudden movements.
For a visual explainer on how to create the best possible LiveAvatar, please watch this short video.
Non-human or 3D Custom LiveAvatars
Have a 3D character, photo avatar, or non-human face you'd like to turn into a LiveAvatar? Good news—you can use your own custom non-human characters to create a LiveAvatar in HeyGen!
The process is simple, but depending on the type of character, a quick manual review may be required to ensure everything works smoothly and meets our guidelines.
Create your character
Produce a video in they HeyGen Editing Studio that’s over 2 minutes long and includes the specific LiveAvatar footage instructions
Submit the video along with a consent video of a real person
The submission will be rejected automatically at first — don’t worry! Just reach out to our team at [email protected] for approval with the rejected Avatar ID [found in the top right corner under the three dot menu ... ] and a screenshot from the platform where the character was created to confirm it's free for use and doesn’t have an identifiable owner or IP restriction
Once approved, you’re all set to enjoy your new LiveAvatar!
🛎️ Note: Our avatar technology is optimized for characters with distinct human features—like eyes, a nose, and lips. If your non-human character lacks these, the final avatar may not perform well in terms of realism or lip-sync accuracy.
Processing Time for Custom LiveAvatars
Please note that your Custom LiveAvatar will take some time to be ready for use due to the tool’s complexity. To ensure the best possible result, follow the guidelines carefully and as accurately as possible.
Here are the estimated processing times based on your subscription type:
Creator User: 3 to 5 days
Team User: 2 to 3 days
Enterprise User: 24 hours
How to Use A LiveAvatar
First, you'll need to tell your avatar what to say and how to say it! Since your LiveAvatar is powered by a Large Language Model (LLM), you can guide it using a prompt, which we refer to as a "context" on LiveAvatar platform, formally known as knowledge-base.
To set it up, simply visit the LiveAvatar page, select a public or custom avatar, and click the Context button. From there, you can edit or create a new Contexts, providing instructions, tone and information for your LiveAvatar.
For in-depth guidance on how to fill your Knowledge Base, please visit the Prompting your LiveAvatar article.
Users with access to Custom Avatars can also customize their LiveAvatar by changing its voice and/or renaming it.
Once you've decided on the content for your avatar and are happy with the results, you're ready to test it out! To speak with your avatar, press Chat Now.
Integrating Your LiveAvatar
You can integrate LiveAvatar into your platform in two ways- Full Mode and Custom Mode.
Full Mode – An end-to-end solution, if you want convenience. We handle the LLM, voice, and avatar layer. It’s the fastest way to integrate your LiveAvatar into your platform. It consumes 2 LiveAvatar credits per minute.
Custom Mode – Offers significantly more flexibility, if you want more control. You can bring your own LLM, voice, and add deeper customizations. We provide the avatar layer only. It consumes 1 LiveAvatar credit per minute.
LiveAvatar Pricing and subscription plans
Live Avatar plans provide flexible, stand-alone subscription options designed exclusively for users who want access to Live Avatars.
These plans operate independently from other HeyGen subscriptions and offer a more cost-effective way to use Live Avatar features without needing a broader plan. They’re ideal for anyone primarily focused on real-time avatar interactions and looking for a more economical pricing structure tailored to that specific use case.
LiveAvatar Free Plan
Allows you to test out the integration on shorter scale, with 2 minute max session limit and 1 concurrency limit, meaning only one active session at a time.
Assuming you use full integration here, it will allow you total 5 minutes of streaming in Full mode and 10 minutes in Custom mode test your integration for free.
LiveAvatar Essential Plan
Allows you to fully deploy your LiveAvatar integration onto your platform.
For the price of $100 you will receive 1,000 LiveAvatar (LA) Credits.
Max session duration is 20 minutes
Max 20 concurrent sessions
Limited to 720p custom LiveAvatar, can still access 1080p Public LiveAvatar library
If you're using Full integration method- your 1000 credits will result in 500 minutes of streaming, which is 20 cents per minutes
If you're using Custom integration method- your 1000 credits will result in 1000 minutes of streaming, which is 10 cents per minute of streaming
LiveAvatar Business Plan ( enterprise)
These are custom plans designed for larger-scale companies with a minimum budget of $25,000 that are looking to deploy at scale. We recommend considering this plan after first testing the integration with the Essential plan to gain a better understanding of the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I want to add this to my site, but I can’t code. What do I do?
The LiveAvatar API has resources and documentation that will enable most web developers to add the LiveAvatar functionality to your website or product. Currently, adding LiveAvatar functionality to your site requires some programming, as there is no easy “copy-pasting” our Demo to your site with any customization.
Is there a limit on how many connections can interact with the LiveAvatar on my website at the same time?
Yes—by default, the limit is 20 concurrent connections under the essential plan. If you're an Enterprise user and expect more traffic, we can lift that cap based on your usage needs. Simply reach out to your Enterprise Representative to request an increase.
I already have a custom GPT or LLM. How do I connect it to the LiveAvatar?
As mentioned before, the LiveAvatar acts as the 'body,' while the instructions come from either the HeyGen Knowledge Base or the Streaming API. If you want to use an existing prompt, you can copy and paste the text into the HeyGen Knowledge Base (only text is supported, no file uploads). Alternatively, a developer can write code to send text from your GPT, LLM, or STT directly to the HeyGen Streaming API.
Can the LiveAvatar speak any language?
There are two parts to this answer:
First, users are not directly communicating with the LiveAvatar—they’re speaking with ChatGPT or the LLM (Large Language Model) you’ve connected. If that LLM supports multiple languages, the LiveAvatar will be able to speak those languages as well.
Second, the accent of the LiveAvatar is determined by the Voice ID you assign. HeyGen offers different Voice IDs from various text-to-speech providers, including ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Azure, and Google. The accent and sound of the voices will vary depending on the provider.
I want my users to be able to speak with the LiveAvatar out loud. Can I do that?
Yes! You can use HeyGen's Streaming SDK in order to add voice chat functionality to your app or website.
My LiveAvatar is making weird movements. How can I fix this?
If your LiveAvatar is making strange movements, it’s likely due to the input footage. Since we can’t adjust already rendered footage, you may need to refilm. When recording footage for a LiveAvatar, it’s important to:
Look directly at the camera
Limit hand, arm, and head movements to subtle, ‘micro movements’
Maintain a pleasant, relaxed expression
By following these guidelines and all outlined above, you can improve the avatar’s accuracy and avoid unnatural motions.
Can I redo my LiveAvatar?
We offer one free remake of your LiveAvatar if you’re not satisfied with the final result. This is the only complimentary remake provided. For more information, please contact [email protected]
Which voice can I use with the Streaming API?
You can use different Voice IDs with LiveAvatars. To explore the available Voice IDs, visit the AI Voices section on the HeyGen homepage.
Developers can choose from HeyGen’s Public Voices, Private Voices created alongside avatars, or voices sourced from third-party platforms like ElevenLabs.
Can I remove the background from my Custom LiveAvatar?
You can remove the background from your LiveAvatar, though this requires more advanced coding skills than most users have. For additional information, please refer to this link; however, note that our regular support center won’t be able to assist with questions on this topic.
How can I remove the watermark from the LiveAvatar?
The watermark should be removed from your LiveAvatar if you are subscribed to our paid API plans and using the streaming credits purchased under that plan.
So, in general:
If you’re using the LiveAvatar via the HeyGen platform (Share button, hosted link, or HTML embed), the watermark cannot be removed—even with a paid plan.
However, if you’re using the LiveAvatar outside of HeyGen (via API token or SDK integration), then any paid API plan (Pro, Scale, or Enterprise) allows you to remove the watermark from your embedded avatar experience.
If you are seeing the watermark on a paid plan, please reach out to [email protected] for assistance.
Where can I find the LiveAvatar trial token?
We have removed the token / secret mechanism that was formerly used with the LiveAvatar streaming process. This is not required anymore to embed LiveAvatar on your website. For more information on API plans, please see this API article.
Can I use a Photo Avatar as a LiveAvatar?
You can create a LiveAvatar from AI photo if you provide a video (at least 2 minutes long) that follows the specified guidelines above. To do this, you can use HeyGen or another platform to create a Photo Avatar video and use a consent video featuring yourself. Note that this will trigger a moderation flag, and you’ll need to contact [email protected] for approval.