Video
Video Studio
Text, image or video to video - from short clips to 30-second multi-shot videos with sound.
Beginner's Guide
How to Use Pika AI: The Complete Beginner's Guide
New to Pika? This guide takes you from your first login to a finished video with sound. Learn the studio apps, how to pick a model, write prompts that work, use your own photos and characters, add music and voice, and download in high quality.
- Free plan, every model
- Text, image & video inputs
- Videos with sound
- Web, iPhone & ChatGPT
Before You Start
What You Need to Use Pika AI
Very little. Pika runs in your web browser at pika.art, so there's nothing to install on a computer. You just need a free account. On iPhone you can also use the official Pika app, and if you use ChatGPT you can create with Pika right inside your chat.
Pika's Free plan lets you try every model and app with no watermark. You spend credits on each generation, and can buy more or upgrade when you need them.
| You need | Details |
|---|---|
| A device | Computer, tablet or phone with a modern browser |
| An account | Free sign-up at pika.art - see Pika AI login |
| Credits | Free plan to start; see pricing |
| An idea | A sentence, a photo or a clip |
Quick Start
How to Use Pika AI in 6 Steps
- 1Sign up for free
Create an account at pika.art. Every plan, including Free, can use every app and model.
- 2Choose an app
Start with Video Studio. Pick text, image or video as your input.
- 3Pick a model - or leave it on auto
Pika can choose the best model for you, or you can select one like Pika H3 Flex.
- 4Describe your scene
Write a prompt with subject, action, setting, style and camera move.
- 5Generate and refine
Review the result, tweak your prompt, and generate again until it's right.
- 6Add sound, upscale and download
Add music or voice, upscale your best take, and download the MP4.
Best first project
Try text-to-video: one sentence like "a red fox trotting through fresh snow at sunrise, slow tracking shot". It needs nothing but your idea.
Studio Tour
The Pika Studio: Which App Does What?
Pika is organised into focused apps. Here are the ones beginners use most.
Image
Image Studio
Create images with top image models.
Characters
Character Studio
Make a character once and reuse them in every scene.
Edit
Edit Image
Change part of a photo with a simple prompt.
Edit
Swap Anything
Replace a person, outfit or object in a video.
Motion
Motion Transfer
Copy the movement from one video onto a character.
Camera
Camera Director
Reshoot a scene from new angles.
Audio
Pika Soundtrack
Score any clip with matching music and sound.
App previews © Pika, from pika.art. Pika also has Music, Speech and SFX studios, Product Ad, Product Shot, Color Grade, Relight Media, Extend Video, Dynamic Captions and more.
Models
How to Choose a Model in Pika
Leaving the model on auto is the easiest start - Pika picks a good model for the job. As you get comfortable, choose one yourself:
| If you want… | Try |
|---|---|
| Fast drafts with sound, up to 4K | Pika H3 Flex |
| Quick, low-cost short clips | Pika 2.5 |
| Long 30-second single takes | Kling 4.0 or Seedance 2.5 |
| Smooth moves between images | Pikaframes |
| Images with readable text | GPT Image, Ideogram, Nano Banana |
Compare models in our model comparison.
Pika H3 Flex sample · Credit: Pika (pika.art)
Prompting
How to Write Prompts in Pika
Use this simple formula: [subject] + [action] + [setting] + [style] + [camera] + [sound].
Beginner
Short and clear.
A golden retriever puppy playing in autumn leaves in a park, sunny afternoon
Add camera & style
More control.
A golden retriever puppy leaps into a pile of autumn leaves, warm golden-hour light, shallow depth of field, slow-motion, low tracking shot
Add sound
For models with audio.
A golden retriever puppy leaps into crunchy autumn leaves and barks happily, golden-hour light, low tracking shot, leaves rustling and birds in the background
Use a character
With Character Studio.
@Maya walks into a cosy bookshop, picks up a book and smiles, warm lamp light, medium shot, soft jazz playing
Hundreds more in our Pika prompt guide and viral video prompts.
Inputs
Text, Image or Video: 3 Ways to Start
✍️
Text to video
Type a description and Pika creates the scene from scratch. See text to video.
🖼️
Image to video
Upload a photo and describe how it should move. See image to video.
🎞️
Video to video
Upload footage to restyle, swap, relight, reframe or extend it.
📎
References & @mentions
In Video Studio, attach up to 50 characters, products, settings and styles, then @mention them in your prompt.
🎵
Audio
Use Music, Speech and SFX studios, or score a clip with Soundtrack. See Soundtrack.
💬
Chat
Describe what you want to @Pika inside ChatGPT.
Anywhere
Ways to Use Pika: Web, iPhone, ChatGPT & More
| Web | The full studio at pika.art on any computer |
| iPhone | Official Pika app - see Pika AI app |
| Android | pika.art in Chrome (no official app) |
| ChatGPT | Add the Pika plugin and type @Pika |
| AI agents | Connect Claude, Codex and others with Pika MCP |
| Developers | Build with the Pika API |
Pika inside ChatGPT · Credit: Pika (pika.art)
Practice
5 Beginner Projects to Learn Pika Fast
1️⃣
Animate a photo
Bring a landscape or pet photo to life with image to video.
2️⃣
Make a 10-second ad
Use Product Ad with a product photo. See branded content.
3️⃣
Try a Pikaffect
Squish, melt or Hero Me a selfie. See Pikaffects.
4️⃣
Create a talking character
Make a character speak your script. See lip sync.
5️⃣
Tell a 30-second story
Use Video Studio multi-shot. See storytelling.
⭐
Go cinematic
Level up with camera and lighting terms. See cinematic AI video.
Avoid These
Common Beginner Mistakes (and Fixes)
📝
Vague prompts
"A cool video" gives random results. Name the subject, action, setting and camera.
💸
Spending credits on 4K drafts
Draft at low resolution, then upscale only your favourite take.
🧑
Re-describing characters
Save them in Character Studio and @mention them instead.
🌀
Too much at once
One main action and one camera move per shot works best.
🔇
Forgetting sound
Add Soundtrack, music or voice - sound makes videos feel finished.
⚠️
Fake "Pika" apps and sites
Use pika.art or the official app by Mellis, Inc. only.
Made with Pika
What You Can Make with Pika
All videos © Pika, from pika.art.
FAQ
How to Use Pika AI FAQ
Is Pika AI easy for beginners?+
Yes. You can make your first video by typing one sentence into Video Studio and leaving the model on auto. The studio's focused apps make each task simple.
Can I use Pika AI for free?+
Yes. The Free plan gives access to every model and app with no watermark. You spend credits per generation and can buy more or upgrade anytime.
Do I need to download anything?+
No. Pika runs in your browser at pika.art. There's also an official iPhone app, and you can use Pika inside ChatGPT.
How long are Pika videos?+
Video Studio makes videos up to 30 seconds with sound per generation. For longer videos, extend clips or join several together - see our guide to making longer videos.
Can I use my own photos and videos?+
Yes. Upload photos for image to video, or footage to extend, swap, relight or restyle. Only use media you own or have permission to use.
Can I use Pika videos for business?+
Yes, on paid plans - a commercial license is included from Starter up.