Claude does not generate video itself: it has no video generation model. "Claude video generation" means Claude driving a third-party generator, such as Runway, Google Veo, Artlist or OpenArt, through MCP. Claude writes the prompts, calls the generator's tools and collects the clips; the vendor's model makes the footage, and the vendor bills you for it, usually per second. You can do this from claude.ai with custom connectors, or from Claude Code.
Anthropic's own Claude Motion (Team and Enterprise plans, beta) is a different thing: it builds animations from code and does not create realistic footage or people. See all the ways to make videos with Claude.
How it works
- Connect a generator to Claude as an MCP server (a "connector" in claude.ai).
- Describe the shots. Claude turns your idea into one prompt per clip and calls the generator, from text or from a starting image.
- Get the clips. Each one is a short video file, usually 4 to 10 seconds, without voice-over, captions or branding.
- Assemble them into a finished video with an editor or an editing API (see below).
Generators you can drive from Claude
| Generator | How to connect | Works in | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway | Remote MCP server https://mcp.runwayml.com/mcp; sign in with your Runway account | claude.ai (custom connector), Claude Code, other MCP clients | API, per second: Gen-4 Turbo $0.05, Gen-4.5 $0.12, Veo 3.1 Fast through Runway $0.15, Veo 3.1 through Runway $0.40. The connector page does not state its own pricing. |
| Google Veo 3.1 | Google's open-source Genmedia MCP (experimental, needs a Google Cloud project), or a script that Claude Code writes against the Gemini API | Claude Code, Claude Desktop (local server) | Gemini API, per second with audio: Lite $0.05 (720p) or $0.08 (1080p); Fast $0.10 / $0.12 / $0.30 (720p / 1080p / 4K); Standard $0.40 (720p, 1080p) or $0.60 (4K). Preview model, paid tier only. |
| Artlist | Remote MCP server https://mcp.artlist.io/mcp; 100+ image and video models | claude.ai (custom connector), other MCP clients | Artlist credits; paid Artlist users |
| OpenArt | Remote MCP server https://mcp.openart.ai/mcp; 13 models, 6 of them video, up to 4K | claude.ai (custom connector), other MCP clients | OpenArt credits |
Checked on 18 October 2026. Sources: Runway MCP, Runway API pricing (credits at $0.01), Gemini API pricing, Veo in the Gemini API, Artlist MCP, OpenArt MCP. Genmedia MCP runs on Vertex AI, which bills separately from the Gemini API.
OpenAI Sora: OpenAI removed the Sora video API on 24 September 2026. Claude skills and directories that still advertise Sora support are out of date.
Adding a generator
- claude.ai: Settings → Connectors → add a custom connector with the server URL, then sign in with your account at the vendor. Custom connectors are remote MCP servers only; the Free plan allows one, and Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans have them too. On Team and Enterprise, an owner adds the connector for the organisation.
- Claude Code: add a remote server with
claude mcp add --transport http runway https://mcp.runwayml.com/mcp, then run/mcpto sign in. Local servers such as Genmedia are installed with their own instructions.
What a minute of footage costs
Generation is billed per second of footage generated, including the takes you throw away. At the list prices above, 60 seconds of usable footage costs:
| Model | 60 s, one take each | 60 s, three takes per shot |
|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p (Gemini API) | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| Runway Gen-4 Turbo | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 1080p (Gemini API) | $7.20 | $21.60 |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | $7.20 | $21.60 |
| Veo 3.1 Standard, 1080p (Gemini API) | $24.00 | $72.00 |
Claude's own usage comes on top, under your Claude plan. Generated clips are best for the shots you cannot film or find as stock; for text, titles, charts and voice-over, you do not need a generator.
From clips to a finished video
A folder of 8-second clips is not a video yet. It still needs an order, transitions, a voice-over, captions, music and your brand name. That is an editing job, and Claude can do it too, through an editing API.
JSON2Video does not generate footage. It is the layer that assembles generated clips into a finished video: each clip goes into a video element, and the voice-over, captions, music and text are added around it. With both MCP servers connected in Claude Code, one conversation can go from "three shots of a timber house at sunrise" to a rendered MP4. This is the JSON Claude writes for the assembly (the three clip URLs are samples from our CDN; in your case they are the clips the generator made):
{
"resolution": "full-hd",
"elements": [
{ "type": "audio", "src": "https://cdn.json2video.com/assets/audios/uplifting-cinematic.mp3", "volume": 0.2 },
{
"type": "subtitles",
"language": "en",
"settings": { "style": "boxed-word", "font-size": 70, "position": "bottom-center" }
}
],
"scenes": [
{
"elements": [
{ "type": "video", "src": "https://cdn.json2video.com/assets/videos/sample-house-drone.mp4", "duration": 8, "muted": true },
{ "type": "text", "text": "Oak Street Homes", "style": "003", "position": "top-left", "x": 80, "y": 80 },
{ "type": "voice", "text": "Some homes you notice from the street.", "voice": "en-US-AndrewMultilingualNeural", "start": 1 }
]
},
{
"transition": { "style": "fade", "duration": 0.5 },
"elements": [
{ "type": "video", "src": "https://assets.json2video.com/assets/videos/beach-01.mp4", "duration": 8, "muted": true },
{ "type": "voice", "text": "Others, from the first morning you wake up in them.", "voice": "en-US-AndrewMultilingualNeural", "start": 1 }
]
},
{
"transition": { "style": "fade", "duration": 0.5 },
"elements": [
{ "type": "video", "src": "https://assets.json2video.com/assets/videos/new-york-01.mp4", "duration": 8, "muted": true },
{ "type": "text", "text": "Book a visit today", "style": "003", "position": "bottom-left", "x": 80, "y": -160 },
{ "type": "voice", "text": "Oak Street Homes. Find yours.", "voice": "en-US-AndrewMultilingualNeural", "start": 1 }
]
}
]
}The result is a 1080p MP4 of about 23 seconds: three clips with fades, a voice-over line on each, captions transcribed from it, music underneath and the brand name on screen. The generated audio is muted here so the voice-over is clear; drop "muted": true to keep it. Rendering costs one credit per second of output, so about 23 credits.
- Clip links: the URLs that generators return can expire or need a login. Have Claude upload each clip to your JSON2Video media library with
media_upload(it accepts a file or a URL), or to your own storage, and use that URL. - The same template for every batch: ask Claude to turn the clip URLs and the script into
{{variables}}, and the next video only needs new values. The Claude Code editing guide shows how, and how to set up the MCP server. - Where it works: the generators above work in claude.ai, but the JSON2Video MCP server is local, so the assembly runs in Claude Code or Claude Desktop, not as a claude.ai connector yet.
Already have clips? Assemble them into a narrated, captioned video with Claude Code. The free account includes 600 credits (10 minutes of video, watermarked). Assemble your clips →
For the generation APIs themselves, with their prices next to the other kinds of video API, see AI video generation APIs.
Frequently asked questions
Can Claude generate videos?
Not with its own model. Claude can drive video generators such as Runway, Google Veo, Artlist and OpenArt through MCP: it writes the prompts and calls the tools, and the generator makes and bills the footage. Claude Motion, on Team and Enterprise plans, makes animations from code but not realistic footage.
Can I generate video from claude.ai, without Claude Code?
Yes. Runway, Artlist and OpenArt publish remote MCP servers that you add in claude.ai as custom connectors (Settings → Connectors) and sign in to with your account at the vendor. Generation then uses that vendor's credits.
How much does AI video generation with Claude cost?
You pay the generator, per second of footage. On 18 October 2026, Veo 3.1 in the Gemini API cost from $0.05 a second (Lite, 720p) to $0.60 (Standard, 4K), and Runway's API from $0.05 a second (Gen-4 Turbo) to $0.40 (Veo 3.1 through Runway). Your Claude plan covers Claude's side.
Does Claude work with Sora?
Not through the API any more: OpenAI removed the Sora video API on 24 September 2026. For generation by API, use Google Veo, Runway, Luma or Kling.
How do I add a voice-over and captions to AI-generated clips?
Use an editing step after generation. With the JSON2Video MCP server in Claude Code, Claude puts each clip in a video element and adds a voice element for the voice-over and a subtitles element for the captions, then renders the finished MP4. JSON2Video assembles the clips; it does not generate them.
More in this section: can Claude make videos?, video editing with Claude Code, Claude animation and video MCP servers for Claude. For the API side, see the AI video generation API guide.
Published on October 18th, 2026
