How to write a text to video prompt that works
A good prompt is one clear sentence. Name what we should see, where it is, how it is lit and how the camera moves. That is enough for a video up to 20 seconds long with music or a voiceover.
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- Up to 20 secondsone continuous clip
- Built-in voiceoverup to 20 s, 50 words
- Talking photolip-sync, 4 or 8 s
- Full HD or 4Kenhanced automatically
BetterVideo at a glance
BetterVideo (bettervideo.io) is an AI video platform. It makes short videos from a sentence (text to video) or a photo (image to video), adds built-in music or a voiceover, and delivers them in Full HD 1080p or 4K Ultra HD. It also enhances and upscales videos made in other tools. Credits are sold in packs from $9, never expire, and there is no subscription.
- Maximum clip length
- 20 seconds, for both text to video and image to video
- Built-in voiceover
- Up to 50 words, up to 20 seconds, with a male or female voice
- Lip-sync (Talking photo)
- 4 or 8 seconds, about 20 words, from a photo with a clear face
- Music
- 10 AI-generated styles; one sound (music or voiceover) per video
- Resolution
- Full HD 1080p or 4K Ultra HD, enhanced from a 720p original
- Shapes
- Vertical 9:16 or horizontal 16:9
- Enhancement
- Included in every Create video; a separate enhancer upgrades any video up to 5 minutes
- Pricing
- Credit packs from $9, no subscription, credits never expire
Facts checked 2026-10-01.
The four-part formula
- Subject: what is in the video, such as a steaming cup of coffee
- Setting: where it is, such as on a wooden table by a window
- Light: the time and mood, such as warm morning light
- Camera: how it moves, such as a slow push-in
Before and after
Weak: "a nice coffee video". Strong: "A steaming cup of black coffee on a wooden table by a sunny window, warm morning light, slow push-in". The second gives the AI a subject, a place, a light and a move, so there is less to guess.
Mistakes to avoid
- Several scenes in one sentence: each video is one continuous scene
- Asking for readable text, logos or a real product by name
- Long lists of adjectives that fight each other
- Describing the story instead of what we see
Where to find ideas
Browse the prompt library for hundreds of examples across products, places and moods, each with voiceover scripts and their cost.
A worked example, step by step
Start with a rough idea: a cafe. Add the subject: a flat white with latte art. Add the setting: on a marble counter. Add the light: soft morning window light. Add the camera: a slow push-in. Joined together, that is one clear sentence the AI can follow, and it costs no more than a vague one. If the result is not what you pictured, change one part at a time so you can see what each word does.
Already have a video, even one made in another tool?
Sharpen it and upscale it to Full HD or 4K with the same credits. See how to upscale an AI video to 4K → or enhance a video now →
Frequently Asked Questions
One clear sentence is enough. These pages accept up to 300 characters.
Avoid it. Describe the scene instead, and use image to video for your own real items.
Write the prompt in English for the best results.
Keep reading
- Prompt libraryCopy-and-paste AI video prompts for products, travel, food, nature, ads and more, with voiceover scripts and what each costs.
- Text to VideoType a sentence and get a finished video with music or a voiceover, up to 20 seconds, in Full HD or 4K. Pay as you go. Credits never expire.
- Zoom, orbit, pan and floatWhat slow zoom, orbit, pan and float do to a photo, and which move to choose for products, places and people.
- AI video guidesPlain-English guides: how to write a prompt, add a voiceover, choose Full HD or 4K, make vertical video and more. Up to 20 seconds, no subscription.
- Text to VideoType a sentence and get a finished video with music or a voiceover, up to 20 seconds, in Full HD or 4K. Pay as you go. Credits never expire.
- Image to VideoTurn a photo into a moving video ad, or make the face in a photo speak. Music or voiceover, Full HD or 4K, up to 20 seconds. No subscription.
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