Talking photo AI
Upload a clear, front-facing photo, write a script or add your own voice, and let the AI turn the person in the photo into a talking, lip-synced video. Copy any of the ready scripts below to get started.
8 ready recipes
A talking photo turns a single portrait into a presenter video: an intro, lesson, announcement or celebration without setting up a camera. The talking avatar tool in Ryna Video Studio uses the HeyGen Avatar IV model, which generates mouth and facial movement from your script or the audio you upload.
The tool takes two inputs: a photo and a voice. You can provide the voice three ways: write a script and the voice-over is generated in that language, upload your own recording, or pick a voice-over you made in the studio's voice tool. Your own voice gives the most natural result; a script is the fastest route.
Because the tool works with real people's likeness, the studio asks for consent before every generation. Use your own photo or one from someone who has clearly agreed; making celebrities, acquaintances or children talk without permission is both an ethical and a legal problem.
Ready-to-use scripts
Each card is a use case with a script you can copy. Copy the text, open the talking avatar tool with “Open the tool in the studio”, upload your photo and paste the script. Short sentences produce more natural speech.
Personal introduction
A short intro for your personal brand, LinkedIn or a job application. Your own photo and voice give the most natural result.
Hi, I'm Emma. I've worked in digital marketing for ten years, helping brands reach more people on social media. If you'd like to work together, message me through the link on my profile.
9:16≈15 sYour own photo
Open in studioProduct explainer
A presenter who explains a product in a few sentences for an online store or app. Short sentences and one call to action are enough.
Our new collection is live! Breathable cotton, a relaxed fit and four colors to choose from. Until this weekend, shipping is free on your first order. Tap the link in our profile to take a look.
9:16≈13 sAd
Open in studioLesson and course intro
A topic intro or lesson recap for teachers and trainers. A talking face holds attention longer than a slide.
In today's lesson we'll learn about photosynthesis. Plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food, and they release oxygen into the air along the way. Let's look at those three ingredients one by one.
16:9≈15 sEducation
Open in studioInternal announcement
A short update for HR and internal comms teams that gets watched more than a long email. If you use a manager's photo, you need their approval.
Hi team. Our new leave management system goes live on Monday. You'll be able to create and track your requests from a single screen. The full guide is on the intranet, and the HR team is here for any questions.
16:9≈14 sCompany
Open in studioBirthday and celebration message
Send a friend far away a celebration that speaks with your own face. Use your own photo, not someone else's.
Happy birthday, my dear friend! I can't wait to make more great memories with you this year. There may be miles between us, but my heart is always with you. Here's to many happy years!
9:16≈11 sPersonal
Open in studioCustomer welcome video
A short presenter that greets new customers on a website, in an app or on an in-store screen.
Welcome to our café! Every coffee on our menu is made with beans roasted fresh each day. Order in the app and pick it up without waiting in line. Enjoy!
1:1≈10 sBusiness
Open in studioMake it talk with your own voice
Upload your own voice recording instead of a script; the avatar's lip movement follows the recording and the voice is entirely yours. A phone recording in a quiet room is enough.
When you pick an audio file, the script field is disabled.
Audio fileLip sync
Open in studioA voice-over made in the studio
First create a voice-over from text in the studio's Music & voice section, then pick it with “Pick a voice-over” in the talking avatar tool. Useful when you want the same voice across several videos.
Voice-overReusable
Open in studio
Photos that work well
The photo should contain one face looking straight at the camera. Keep the eyes and mouth clearly visible, without glasses glare, hands or hair covering the face. A plain background and even light reduce distortion while the avatar talks.
Strong side profiles, group photos, low-resolution or heavily filtered images give weaker results. If you shoot the photo on your phone, stand by a window, hold the camera at eye level and keep the wall behind you plain.
Script or your own recording?
When you write a script, the voice-over is generated in the script's language, and it's the fastest option. Use short sentences and write numbers and abbreviations the way they're spoken (“twenty percent” instead of “20%”). Speech runs at roughly 14 characters per second, so about 400 characters fills a 30-second video.
If you upload your own recording, the avatar's lip movement follows it and your tone of voice is kept. Record in a quiet room with the phone about a hand's width from your mouth. If you'll use the same voice-over in several videos, make it once in the studio's voice tool and reuse it.
Where to use a talking photo
Courses and training content, internal announcements, product explainers and customer welcome videos are the most common uses. Translating the same script and generating a video per language is a quick way to produce multilingual content.
You can add subtitles to the avatar video with the subtitle tool and reframe it to vertical or square. Instead of one long monologue, splitting the topic into 30–60 second parts improves both watch time and cost.
Tool at a glance
- Model
- HeyGen Avatar IV (talking avatar)
- Input
- A clear, front-facing photo; a script, an audio file or a voice-over made in the studio
- Duration and aspect ratio
- 5–60 seconds; 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1
- Voice and lip sync
- A voice-over in the script's language or your own recording; lip movement follows the audio
- Credits / s
- 720p: 3 · 1080p: 3
- Resolution
- 720p, 1080p
Step by step
- 1
Open the tool
Open the talking avatar tool in Video Studio, or use the “Open the tool in the studio” link on this page.
- 2
Upload the photo
Pick a sharp, front-facing photo with a single face. Use your own photo or one from someone who has clearly agreed.
- 3
Paste a script or add audio
Copy and edit one of the ready scripts, or upload your own recording. The studio shows the estimated duration and credits.
- 4
Choose resolution and aspect ratio
9:16 for social media, 16:9 for presentations and YouTube, 1:1 for feeds. Resolution options are 720p and 1080p.
- 5
Confirm consent and generate
Tick the box confirming you have the right to use the likeness and voice, then generate. Download the result, or add subtitles and a vertical crop.
Is it free?
No. The talking avatar tool doesn't run on welcome credits; generating needs purchased credits. It's billed per second: at catalog prices a 10-second video is about 30 credits, and the studio shows the exact amount before you generate. There's no subscription, and purchased credits stay valid for 365 days.
Tips
- Write in short sentences; emphasis drifts in long ones.
- Write numbers and abbreviations the way they're spoken.
- A smiling or neutral expression looks more natural throughout.
- Choose a plain background; busy backgrounds can flicker at the edges.
- Split anything longer than 60 seconds into parts.
- Add subtitles with the subtitle tool so people watching on mute can follow.
Consent and identity
A talking avatar uses a real person's face and voice, so the studio asks you to confirm your right to use them before every generation. Don't make someone's photo talk without permission, imitate celebrities or public figures, use photos of children, or put words in anyone's mouth. Say that the video was made with AI when you share it.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I make a photo talk?
- Open the talking avatar tool in Video Studio, upload a clear front-facing photo, write a script or add an audio file, confirm consent and generate. The model creates mouth and facial movement from the script or audio.
- Is there a free talking photo AI?
- This tool doesn't run on welcome credits; it needs purchased credits. It's billed per second and the studio shows the cost before you generate. There's no subscription.
- Which app do I need to make a photo talk?
- You don't need to install an app or software: the talking avatar tool runs in Ryna Video Studio in your browser, and you can upload the photo from your phone or computer.
- Can it speak languages other than English?
- Yes. The voice-over is generated in whatever language you write the script in. For the most natural result in any language, upload your own recording; lip movement follows it.
- Does the video have lip sync?
- Yes, the talking avatar generates mouth movement from the script or the audio you upload. That's different from the dubbing tool, which doesn't lip sync.
- Can I make someone else's photo talk?
- Only with their clear permission. The studio asks you to confirm your right to use the likeness and voice before every generation. Don't use celebrities, acquaintances or children without permission.
- Can I make a pet or a drawn character talk?
- The tool is built for human faces and needs a clear, front-facing face. Results with drawings or animal photos are unpredictable; photo animation or text to video suit those characters better.
- How long can a talking video be?
- Between 5 and 60 seconds. Splitting longer talks into 30–60 second parts and generating separate videos improves both watch time and cost.
Related pages
Open the tool in the studio
Upload your video or photo and apply one of the recipes. The studio shows the credit cost before it runs.
Open the tool in the studio