Midjourney, the platform best known for its imaginative image outputs and strong artist community, has launched its first video generation model, V1.
Highlights
- First AI Video Tool: Midjourney V1 marks the company’s debut into animated content—converting still images into stylized, five-second video clips.
- Discord-Based Access: Operates within Midjourney’s Discord server; users receive four short videos per image, with optional video extension up to 21 seconds.
- Motion & Customization: Users can guide movement through text prompts and choose between low or high motion styles—though resolution is currently capped at 480p (24 fps, no audio).
- Artistic Over Realistic: Midjourney targets surreal and abstract aesthetics rather than photorealism, distinguishing it from tools like Sora, Veo, or Runway Gen-4.
- Subscription & Compute Use: Video generation is 8x more resource-intensive than image creation; unlimited video available on higher-tier plans ($60 Pro, $120 Mega).
- Legal Spotlight: The launch comes amid copyright lawsuits from Disney and Universal, challenging the model’s training data and use cases.
- Community Response: Early testers praise the tool for fluid, dreamlike visuals—particularly in abstract scenes—despite lacking audio or cinematic realism.
Introducing V1 – Image-to-Video on Discord
V1 enables users to transform still images—either AI-generated or user-uploaded—into dynamic animations. Accessible through Midjourney’s Discord-based interface, the tool generates four five-second video clips per input image.
Users can optionally extend each video by up to four seconds at a time, with a current cap of 21 seconds.
The tool maintains Midjourney’s familiar workflow, operating through text commands and prompt-based interaction, while integrating new functionality tailored to motion and animation
Control, Style, and Customization
V1 offers both automated and user-directed motion options, allowing creators to guide animation using descriptive prompts or rely on random motion generation. Users can toggle between “low motion” and “high motion” settings to control the intensity of movement within each video.
Currently, videos are rendered in 480p resolution at 24 frames per second, without audio. While this positions V1 behind competitors in technical output quality, it aligns with Midjourney’s artistic-first ethos—focusing on style and visual expression over realism.
Positioning in the AI Video Landscape
With the launch of V1, Midjourney enters the competitive AI video generation market alongside tools like OpenAI’s Sora, Runway’s Gen-4, Google’s Veo, and Adobe Firefly.
Midjourney remains distinct in its orientation, it is primarily focused on artistic, surreal, and non-photorealistic visuals, rather than cinematic realism or enterprise video content.
Founder David Holz emphasized that this release is part of a broader goal to eventually support real-time, open-world simulations—pointing toward future developments such as 3D rendering and interactive AI-driven environments.
Pricing and Access Model
Video generation in V1 is currently eight times more compute-intensive than image generation. For users on Midjourney’s $10/month Basic plan, this means fewer generations per billing cycle.
However, users subscribed to higher-tier plans—$60/month Pro or $120/month Mega—can generate unlimited videos using the platform’s “Relax” mode.
Midjourney has stated that pricing may be revised as V1 matures and expands.
Copyright Concerns
The launch of V1 coincides with ongoing legal challenges. Disney and Universal have filed lawsuits against Midjourney, alleging the company’s tools were used to generate imagery resembling copyrighted characters.
These lawsuits have raised broader concerns about training data, intellectual property, and the evolving legal frameworks around generative AI.
Despite these issues, Midjourney has not commented on specific legal strategies, maintaining that its platform is intended for creative and non-commercial expression.
Community Response & Early Impressions
Early users have praised V1 for its distinct visual aesthetic, which remains consistent with the platform’s image-generation model.
While the tool lacks advanced features like audio integration and video editing, many creators have noted its strength in delivering coherent, dreamlike motion—particularly in low-motion or abstract scenes.
Analysts describe V1 as a strategic, creativity-focused entry point into the AI video space—offering an accessible alternative to more commercial or enterprise-heavy tools.
