Credits and billing
VidMachine uses a credit-based system for usage: your plan gives you a monthly credit allowance, and each action (generating ideas, screenplays, AI video, narrator audio, captions, cover images) consumes credits. There is no separate pool for the API—API usage draws from the same balance as the dashboard, so one subscription covers both manual and automated video creation.
How the credit system works
When you sign up or subscribe, you get a set number of credits per month (depending on your plan). Credits are used whenever you or the system runs AI operations: generating video ideas, writing screenplays, generating video clips or images, generating narrator voice with ElevenLabs, adding captions, or creating cover photos. Heavier operations—such as full AI video generation (e.g. Veo, Sora)—cost more per second of output than lighter ones (e.g. idea generation, transcript). Your balance is shown in the dashboard; if you run out, generation and API calls that require credits will fail until the next reset or until you upgrade. Unused credits typically do not roll over; check your plan terms for details.
What uses credits
Credits are used for the following. Exact amounts can vary by model and options; the dashboard and pricing page give guidance for your plan.
Generate video ideas — Each batch of ideas (e.g. 10 ideas per request) uses a small, fixed number of credits. This is one of the cheapest operations and is used both when you click “Generate Video Ideas” and when automatic video generation creates ideas ahead of schedule.
Generate screenplay — Turning an idea into a full screenplay uses a fixed number of credits per video. The screenplay drives the scene structure and narration; it’s required before AI video or image generation runs.
AI video generation — Generating video clips (AI Video project type) uses credits per second of video, and the rate depends on the model (e.g. Veo, Sora, Grok). Longer videos and premium models cost more. The system uses your project’s video model priority; if the first model fails, fallbacks are tried and also consume credits on use.
AI image generation — When generating images (for AI Video start frames or for AI Images projects), each image uses a set number of credits per model. Image-heavy workflows (e.g. AI Images with many scenes) use more image credits.
Narrator voice (ElevenLabs) — If you enable the narrator for a project, generating the voice-over uses credits per second of audio. This applies to both AI Video (optional narrator) and AI Images (narrator required).
Captions and cover photo — Enabling captions uses a small number of credits per video for transcription and styling. Enabling “Generate cover photo” uses credits per cover image. Both are optional and can be turned off to save credits.
Where to see usage and billing
In your account you can view your current credit balance and usage. Your plan and billing are managed from the dashboard (e.g. Billing or account settings). For pricing tiers, feature comparison, and how many credits each plan includes, see the Pricing page. If you use the API, the same balance is used; create and manage API keys under API Keys in the sidebar after login.
Tips for managing credits
Choose video duration and models to match your goals: shorter videos and efficient models use fewer credits per video. Use 2–3 models in priority order so the system can fall back without you manually retrying. For automatic video generation, set “Generate days ahead” so videos are ready in time without last-minute runs. Turn off narrator or captions if you don’t need them. Check your balance before large batches or before enabling auto-generate on multiple projects.