Hailuo is a family of AI video models built by MiniMax. Give it a sentence, an image, or a folder of reference material, and it returns a finished clip with camera movement, consistent characters, and sound that was generated alongside the picture rather than bolted on afterwards.
This guide covers what Hailuo actually is, who builds it, what the current model can do, what it costs, and how to try it without a card.
What is Hailuo? The short answer
Hailuo is a text-to-video and image-to-video model. You describe a shot, optionally attach references, and it generates a short video with synchronised stereo audio — music, ambient effects, and lip-synced character dialogue.
HailuoLabs is where you use it. It is an independent app that puts the model behind a prompt box in your browser, with a free tier, no waitlist, and nothing to install.
Who makes Hailuo?
The underlying Hailuo model is developed by MiniMax, a Chinese AI research company. Hailuo is proprietary — it ships through hosted apps and APIs, not as open-source weights you can download and run yourself.
HailuoLabs is a separate, independent app built on top of that model family. Using HailuoLabs is not the same thing as using MiniMax's own products, and the pricing, limits, and interface described here are HailuoLabs'.
A short history of the Hailuo models
| Model | Released | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| Hailuo 02 | Earlier generation | The baseline text-to-video and image-to-video model. Still selectable, and it powers the 512p output on the free plan |
| Hailuo 2.3 | February 2026 | Native stereo sound and dialogue, up to 12 references, 4K output. Topped the independent Artificial Analysis arena for both text-to-video and image-to-video at release |
| Hailuo 2.3 Fast | 2026 | A speed-optimised variant of 2.3 for quicker turnarounds |
| Hailuo 03 | July 2026 | 30-second clips, up to 50 references in any mix, and frame-local redraw |
Hailuo 03 is the current default in the prompt box. The older models stay selectable, so a workflow you tuned on 2.3 does not break when a new model lands.
What makes Hailuo different
Four things come up repeatedly when people compare it to other video models.
- Sound is generated with the picture. Score, ambient effects, and character speech come out of the same pass as the video and are synced to the action. You are not scoring a silent clip afterwards.
- A lot of reference headroom. Hailuo 03 takes up to 50 references in a single generation, and you can mix images, video clips, and audio however you like. That is enough to hand it a whole brand kit, a character sheet, and a music bed at once.
- Frame-local redraw. When one detail is wrong, you circle it and redraw just that region. The rest of the clip stays exactly as you approved it, instead of rerolling the whole generation and losing the take you liked.
- Thirty seconds in one pass. A full ad, a verse of a music video, or a scene with a beginning and an end fits inside a single generation on Hailuo 03. No stitching.
What can you make with Hailuo?
- Product ads. Start from a product photo as a reference and get a finished spot with motion, cuts, and a soundtrack.
- Music videos. Attach an audio reference and let the cuts land against the track.
- Short narrative scenes. Multi-shot sequences with the same character across angles and lip-synced dialogue.
- Social video. Vertical 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts; 16:9 and 21:9 when you need width; 1:1 and 4:3 for feeds and ads.
Is Hailuo free?
Yes, there is a free plan. It gives you 160 credits a month — enough for about five videos or ten images — at 480p with a watermark, and it does not ask for a card.
Paid plans start at $14/month for Creator (2,800 credits, roughly 96 videos a month) and add a commercial licence and watermark-free exports. Studio is $49/month for 10,000 credits, and Agency is $99/month for 22,000. If you would rather not subscribe, one-time credit packs are available at $50 for 10,000 credits and $100 for 20,500, and those never expire.
How do I get access to Hailuo?
Create a free account and Hailuo 03 is already the default model in the prompt box. There is no waitlist, no invite code, and nothing to download — it runs in the browser, and it is available worldwide, including in the United States.
Hailuo vs Sora, Veo and Kling
Hailuo sits in the same bracket as OpenAI's Sora, Google's Veo, and Kuaishou's Kling: all of them generate short, high-resolution clips from text and images, and all of them now do some form of audio.
The differences that actually change your day are less about raw fidelity and more about workflow. Hailuo's are the 50-reference ceiling, the 30-second single-pass length, and frame-local redraw — three things that matter most when you are iterating on a clip rather than generating one and moving on. Rankings on public preference leaderboards move month to month, so treat any "best model" claim, including this one, as a snapshot rather than a settled fact.
Hailuo FAQ
What is Hailuo?
An AI video generator built on MiniMax's Hailuo model family. It turns text prompts and images into short videos with native sound and dialogue.
Who owns Hailuo?
MiniMax develops the underlying model. HailuoLabs is an independent app that provides access to it through a prompt-based interface.
Is Hailuo free to use?
Yes. The free plan gives you 160 credits a month — about five videos — at 480p with a watermark, no card required. Paid plans start at $14/month.
Is Hailuo available in the US?
Yes. It runs in the browser and is available worldwide, including the United States.
Is Hailuo open source?
No. Hailuo is a proprietary model from MiniMax, available through hosted apps and APIs rather than as downloadable weights.
What is the difference between Hailuo and Hailuo 03?
Hailuo is the model family. Hailuo 03, released in July 2026, is the current flagship and the default model in the prompt box.
Does Hailuo generate sound?
Yes. Stereo music, ambient sound effects, and character dialogue are generated in the same pass as the video and synced to the action.
How long can a Hailuo video be?
Up to 30 seconds on Hailuo 03. Older models cap out at 15 seconds.
