Generating Video From a Prompt
Text-to-video (T2V) turns a written prompt into a clip — no source image needed. The 2026 models are good enough for ads, social, and product content, and the best ones generate synchronized audio too. Here's what to use and how to start. Every model is on LinkModel under one key.
The Best Text-to-Video Models
| Model | Best for | Native audio | ~Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 | All-round + audio (Arena leader) | ✅ | ~$9/min |
| Kling V3 | Native 4K, multi-shot | ✅ | ~$20/min |
| HappyHorse 1.0 | Fast single-pass dialogue | ✅ | Fast |
| Hailuo 2.3 | Anime/stylized, cheap | Add-on | ~$0.08/s |
| Sora 2 | Prompt fidelity (API sunsets Sep 24, 2026) | ✅ | ~$18–30/min |
For most new builds, Seedance 2.0 is the default (best value + Arena leader). Avoid building fresh on Sora 2 given its sunset — see Sora vs Seedance.
How to Generate From Text
curl -X POST https://api.linkmodel.ai/api/v1/video-generation \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKMODEL_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "model": "seedance-2-0", "prompt": "A chef plates a dish in a bright kitchen, steam rising, gentle jazz and ambient clinks, cinematic close-up" }'You get a task_id and the request's price; poll the query endpoint for the finished video. Swap the model string to try another model on the same prompt.
Prompting Tips for T2V
- Describe motion and camera explicitly ("slow dolly in", "handheld follow").
- Name the audio you want ("ambient rain", "upbeat music") on audio-capable models.
- Keep it one clear action per clip — chain clips for sequences.
- Set style ("cinematic", "anime", "documentary") up front.
- Draft cheap, finish premium — iterate on Hailuo, render finals on Seedance/Kling.
Which to Choose
- Best default → Seedance 2.0.
- Native 4K → Kling V3.
- Fast dialogue clips → HappyHorse 1.0.
- Anime/stylized on a budget → Hailuo 2.3.
Already have a still to animate instead? See image to video API. Full field and cost math in best AI video generation APIs; for audio specifically, AI video with audio.
Start free with a $1 credit and generate your first clip from text.