HeyGen

What HeyGen does

HeyGen creates presenter-style video from a script using synthetic avatars. You either pick a stock avatar or record a short sample to build one in your own likeness and voice, then type or paste a script and the system produces a talking video with matched lip movement. Its translation feature re-voices an existing video into another language while keeping the speaker's voice characteristics and adjusting mouth movement, which is the capability most teams adopt it for. Supporting tools cover templates, screen recording, brand kits, batch generation from a spreadsheet, and an API for programmatic video. It suits training teams, product marketers and sales organisations producing personalised or multilingual video at scale. The limitations are expressiveness and consent: avatars still read as synthetic in longer takes with limited gesture range, and using a likeness requires proper authorisation, with verification steps that add friction to setup.

How to use it

Sign up at heygen.com; the free tier allows a small number of short, watermarked videos, which is enough to judge avatar quality. The first run is quick: choose a stock avatar, pick a voice, paste a script, and generate. For a custom avatar you record a consent statement and a few minutes of footage under even lighting with a plain background, then wait for training, which takes time and is where most setup problems occur. Poor lighting or a busy background produces an avatar that looks wrong in every later video, so it is worth redoing the recording rather than accepting a weak result. Scripts control pacing: add punctuation and short paragraphs, because the voice follows the written rhythm. For translation, upload a finished video and select target languages, then review each one, since names and technical terms are frequently mispronounced. Batch generation from a spreadsheet is the feature that makes personalised outreach practical.

Best for

• training videos
• multilingual localisation
• personalised sales video
• product explainers
• batch video

Strengths and limitations