Midjourney AI video generator opens new doors for creators
Midjourney has officially launched its first public version of an AI video generator, and it’s already reshaping how creators animate still images. The Midjourney AI video generator lets users turn platform-generated or uploaded images into 5-second animated clips using simple text prompts. While still in its early stages, this new tool signals a powerful leap forward for AI-powered video creation—one that’s expected to rival offerings from Google, OpenAI, and Meta. Whether you're a digital artist, a marketer, or just curious about what AI video tools can do, Midjourney’s latest feature is designed to make short video generation more accessible than ever.
How the Midjourney AI video generator works
Once you generate an image using Midjourney, a new “animate” button appears beneath your creation. By clicking it, you can initiate a five-second animation powered by AI. If you upload an image instead, you can use it as the “starting frame” to build an animation. The AI generates motion based on either a generic prompt or a customized, user-written description. This gives creators more freedom over how their videos look and feel—whether they want a cinematic pan, subtle movement, or something abstract. Users can extend animations in four-second increments, up to 21 seconds total, and tweak motion settings to control whether just the subject moves or both the subject and camera shift.
Midjourney pricing, access, and limitations
Currently, the AI video tool is only available on Midjourney’s website and Discord server. To access it, users must have an active subscription starting at $10 per month, which includes around 3.3 hours of fast GPU time (equivalent to about 200 image generations). Video jobs, however, are significantly more GPU-intensive—Midjourney says each second of video costs as much GPU time as generating a single image. That means a 5-second video might cost the same as five separate image generations. This pricing model reflects the higher compute demand of animation tasks and makes it important for users to plan their GPU time wisely when experimenting with video output.
Legal controversy and future plans for Midjourney video generation
The launch of the Midjourney AI video generator hasn’t come without controversy. Entertainment giants Disney and Universal have filed a lawsuit against the startup, claiming that its AI models may have been trained on copyrighted material without proper licensing. The companies argue that Midjourney is producing unauthorized derivatives of their intellectual property, comparing it to a “virtual vending machine” of stolen content. Despite these legal hurdles, Midjourney’s founder, David Holz, remains optimistic. He calls this version of the tool a “stepping stone” toward a broader goal: building models that support real-time, open-world video simulations. In a competitive space where major players like Meta and OpenAI are racing to build the most advanced AI video systems, Midjourney’s early entrance could secure it a key position—if it successfully navigates the legal and ethical landscape.
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