Before you start: a portrait, a cast and credits
Here is how to make a Tiny Desk AI video with your own photos: pick the lead, optionally add four bandmates, choose a preset and generate. The result is an approximately 19-second vertical performance with the template soundtrack and a clean 720p MP4 download. Each attempt uses 10 purchased credits, whether you cast one person or all five.
You need one adult lead portrait, permission from every person you upload, and a signed-in account with a paid credit balance. There are no free attempts or signup credits. You can watch public examples before buying, but they do not preview what your own face will look like. Confirmed failed generations restore the credits used for that attempt; an active render is not a confirmed failure.
Step 1 — Pick a photo that can survive animation
Use a JPEG, PNG or WebP portrait with one clearly visible adult face. Keep each file at or below 10 MB and all photos together at or below 25 MB. Five files can each meet the individual limit and still exceed the combined limit. Resize large images before uploading if necessary.
A recent phone portrait in even light is a useful starting point. Keep the eyes and mouth visible and leave room around the hair and shoulders. Avoid sunglasses, heavy beauty filters, a hand across the mouth, an overexposed forehead or a very dark party photo. A dramatic still can be harder to animate than a simple, evenly lit portrait. Do not upload one group photo and expect the tool to split it into five people.
Step 2 — Give each portrait one role
- Add the required lead portrait in the photo uploader.
- Expand the optional bandmate slots and add a separate portrait for each supporting person you want to feature; leave unused slots blank for the fictional reference musicians.
- Check your assignments against the five-role map and agree with everyone pictured where you will share the AI-created performance.
Step 3 — Choose Classic, Office or Friends
The generator labels its presets Classic, Office and Friends. Start with Classic for your own spotlight, consider Office for coworkers, or use Friends as a direction for a birthday or group-chat cast. These are casting suggestions, not extra modes or different photo limits. All three accept the same five role slots.
Read the Outstanding Tiny Desk AI template comparison if you are deciding who should take the lead or sax part. Listen to an example with sound as well as looking at the poster. The template provides the performance reference and soundtrack; you do not upload a separate song.
Step 4 — Check your balance and generate
Sign in, confirm you have at least 10 purchased credits, check your portraits and preset, then submit once; compare the current packs and attempt counts if you need to top up.
Step 5 — Follow the render, not the refresh button
The finished clip is about 19 seconds long; generating it takes several minutes and can take longer in a busy provider queue. Progress updates automatically in the status panel. Keep the page open while the attempt runs, or return in the same browser session to check its status.
Repeated refreshing or pressing Generate again does not speed up the current job. Check the panel before starting a second attempt. A pending request is different from a confirmed failed one. If the state remains unclear, use support tickets rather than buying another pack to try to fix it. Your My Videos library is the place to find completed work.
Step 6 — Review the whole cut before sharing
Watch once with sound for the overall performance, then replay for details. Check:
- Eyes, mouth and teeth through the close-up and laugh, not just the first frame.
- Whether each recognizable person stays in their intended role.
- Hands, headset microphones, the saxophone, keyboard and desk edges as the camera cuts.
- Abrupt audio joins and whether the mouth movement fits your expectations.
- The ending, so a good opening does not hide an inconsistent final shot.
Download the clean MP4 when you are satisfied. If you want another take, change one major input at a time: a better-lit lead portrait, a different supporting face, or another preset. A new successful attempt consumes another 10 credits; repeating identical inputs does not promise the same result.
When sharing, label the clip as AI-created. Do not imply that the person actually sang, played the instrument or endorsed a product. The meme and sharing guide explains how to keep the joke clear to viewers.
Why an upload or a take did not work
An upload rejection and an unsatisfying generated performance are different problems. Check the message first:
- The file is refused: confirm JPEG, PNG or WebP, each file size and the combined 25 MB limit. A file extension alone does not make an unsupported image valid.
- The wrong person appears: replace a group photo with a separate portrait. For drift during the performance, try a clearer source; role consistency still is not guaranteed.
- The mouth or eyes look strange: remove obstruction, sunglasses or heavy filters from the next source photo.
- Facial detail disappears: try even lighting rather than deep shadows or blown highlights. This may help, but it cannot guarantee resemblance.
- The video stays pending: check the existing job instead of submitting duplicates. Queue time alone does not establish failure.
For the exact output controls and their limits, see the Tiny Desk concert AI format. When your photos and balance are ready, open the generator.