Now with AvatarIV and just a few clicks, you can generate quick avatar-led videos, perfect for real-time intros, updates, or replies. It’s the fastest way to bring your digital self or character to life, now available for all users!
What Makes Avatar IV Different?
Advance Intonation & Emotion: Unlike traditional avatars that simply sync to your words, this new-to-the-world Avatar model actually interprets them. Built on a diffusion-inspired audio-to-expression engine, it analyzes your vocal tone, rhythm, and emotion to generate photorealistic facial movements with true-to-life timing. Think head tilts, natural pauses, subtle cadences, and micro-expressions—all from a single image.
Speed + Simplicity: No complex script writing, scene setup, or editing in the Studio. Just open Avatar IV, fill out the required fields, and your video is ready in seconds. It’s designed for instant, on-the-fly communication.
Great with non-human faces and photos: AvatarIV is the best suited engine for bringing to life avatars that are cartoonish, animated, or don't have traditional human-like features!
Where Can You Use AvatarIV on HeyGen
You can use AvatarIV in three different ways:
1. Photo-to-Video Shortcut (Quick Videos)
Access from the Home Page shortcut.
Upload your own photo (or choose one from our library).
Add a text-based or voice-based script.
Choose your custom / public voice.
Create a short animated video (3–180 seconds max)
👉 Perfect for animating non-human photos like dogs, cartoon characters, or 3D models that don’t work well with the standard Photo Avatar engine.
🧍Important: this does not create an avatar. It only creates a one-off video with your photo brought to life. Please review #3 below for this use case.
⚠️Important#2 : this does not create an avatar. It only creates a one-off video with your photo brought to life. Please review #3 below for this use case.
This feature uses your AvatarIV seconds (or GenCredits if you’ve run out).
2. AvatarIV in Studio Experience
Use AvatarIV as the main engine in Studio.
Ideal for avatars built from photos (not video).
Especially effective for non-human, cartoonish, or 3D model avatars.
This option allows you to create full-length videos with your avatar powered by the AvatarIV engine.
(insert screenshot here)
3. High-Quality Photo-Based Avatar Creation
Build a high-quality avatar from a non-human, cartoon, animal, or 3D model photo.
This is a more advanced process, explained step-by-step in this article.
How AvatarIV Credits Work
Every paid user (Creator, Team, or Enterprise) gets 10 minutes of AvatarIV credits per billing cycle:
Monthly plans: credits refresh on 1st of each month.
Annual plans: credits refresh on the 1st of each month.
These credits can be used for both Photo-to-Video and Studio experiences.
Credit Usage Details
1. Photo-to-Video
Faster option: credits are consumed at a 1:1 ratio (e.g. a 10s video = 10s of AvatarIV).
Higher quality option: credits are consumed at a 1:2 ratio (e.g. a 10s video = 20s of AvatarIV).
(insert screenshot here)
2. Studio Experience
Usage depends on the script/audio length and how much of your video requires avatar generation.
Example: a 30s video might use 26–30 seconds of AvatarIV credits, depending on pauses or silent moments.
✨ Fun fact: we only charge for the actual seconds of avatar generation, not the entire video length — so you get more value out of each credit!
Using GenCredits with AvatarIV
Once your 10 minutes of AvatarIV credits are used up, you can still keep creating using GenCredits.
The conversion rate is 2:1.
Example: a 30s AvatarIV video = 15 GenCredits.
(insert screenshot here)
This means GenCredits give you flexibility across multiple features, including AvatarIV.
Quick Recap
10 minutes of AvatarIV credits come with all paid plans, every billing cycle.
Use AvatarIV in 3 places: Quick Photo-to-Video, Studio Experience, or advanced avatar creation.
Photo-to-Video: choose speed vs. quality (1:1 vs. 1:2 credit ratio).
Studio: credits scale closely to your script length (only charging for actual avatar time).
Run out? Switch to GenCredits, with a 2:1 ratio.
You’ll find Avatar IV right on the HeyGen homepage—just look for the Photo to Video with Avatar IV button.
Generate a Video with Avatar IV
First, upload your photo. Then either write your script or upload an audio file. If you're using a written script, select your preferred voice. Once everything’s set, click Generate to create your video. It really is that simple!
💡 Pro Tip: Try uploading a song as your audio input—your avatar will sing it back with realistic lip-sync and expression!
Usage Limits by Subscription Type
Depending on your HeyGen plan, you’ll have monthly access to create a limited number of short videos with Avatar IV:
Plan Type | Max Video Length | Monthly Limit |
Free | 10 seconds | 3 videos/45sec total /month |
Creator | 3 minutes | 10 minutes /month total per space |
Team | 3 minutes | 10 minutes /month total per space |
🛎️ You cannot create AvatarIV video using Photo-to-video longer than 3 minutes regardless of credits or plan tier.
Only when creating videos inside Studio with avatars using avatarIV engine, the duration is NOT limited to 180 so the video can be longer. However, you cannot create a single scene (script box) longer than 180 so please make sure to split your script to smaller parts.
Out of Minutes? NEW Generative Credit Packs
Generative Credit Packs are available as add-ons and can be used flexibly for Avatar IV and other generative features including video translation minutes. If you're on a Creator or Team plan, you already receive a monthly allowance of 600 seconds of Avatar IV and 20 Motion generations. The Generative Credit Pack gives you additional credits beyond that monthly allowance.
🛎️ There is no plan, including enterprise, that offers unlimited AvatarIV usage and credits. AvatarIV always requires credits under all plans.
Just to help clarify, GenCredits and AvatarIV minutes are two different things in HeyGen. It might be helpful to explain how these work-
All paid plans (Creator, Team, and Enterprise) include 10 minutes of AvatarIV each billing cycle.
For monthly plans, these minutes reset on the 1st of each month.
For annual plans, these minutes reset on the 1st of each month.
On your account page, this appears as a bar showing 600 seconds on the right side.
When you purchase or are gifted GenCredits, they do not add to the AvatarIV minute bar. Instead, they fill the GenCredits bar, which can be used across many features- including AvatarIV.
AvatarIV now available on API !
You can now use our API plans to create videos with AvatarIV! This can be done under the Pro, Scale, or Enterprise API Plans!
Pro API plan ($99/month): 100 API credits = ~16.7 minutes of Avatar IV
Scale API plan ($330/month): 660 API credits = ~110 minutes of Avatar IV
🛎️ You cannot create AvatarIV videos via API with the 10 free credits all users receive- users must have an active API plan ( Pro/Scale/Enterprise) to create AvatarIV via API.
👋 We’d love to hear what you think of Avatar IV! You can share your feedback using the feedback buttons on your dashboard, or reach out to us at [email protected] if you need help getting started.