How to Use AI Tools to Easily Make Short-Form TikTok and Reels Videos

Short-form video content is king in 2024. As platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok continue to dominate the social media landscape, more and more businesses are turning to video marketing to connect with audiences – and for good reason.

Due to their bite-sized, bingable format, posts that contain videos receive 48% more views than those without and are also shared twice as much as any other form of content. You don’t have to be a seasoned content creator or social media specialist to compete, either, with recent developments in artificial intelligence ushering in a whole new era of smart, affordable video generators.

Whether you’re looking to convert short-form videos from longer videos, or create them from scratch, this guide outlines the 5 best AI video generators on the market. We also break down how each tool is used, so all you have to do is come up with a unique idea.

Best AI-powered short form video creators:

1. Invideo – Best overall AI video generator
2. Synthesia – Best for videos with custom avatars 
3. Pictory – Most versatile AI video generator
4. VEED – Best video generator for beginners
5. Vidyo – Best for converting longer clips

1. Invideo

• Best overall AI video generator
• Price from: $15 per month

Invideo is a powerful AI generator that is primarily geared toward making explainer videos. Since the platform is a text-to-video generator, you aren’t required to input any video content, which bodes well for users without tons of archival footage to convert. Moreover, like VEED.io and Pictory, Invideo has a shallow learning curve, making it a great pick for newbies to short-form content creation.  

InVideo software screenshot. Source: invideo.io

Here’s how to use Invideo in five simple steps:

1. Select “Black Canvas” when you’re starting a new canvas and then choose your video’s dimensions. 
2. Upload your videos and images, or select content from Invideo’s own stock library and begin creating your video timeline. 
3. Edit your clips and layer your video with additional text and visuals until you’re happy with the result. You can also aminate elements of your video using the right-hand panel. 
4. Now it’s time to manage the audio. You can add personal audio files or bring the text to life using the software’s text-to-speech feature. You can also choose music to add in the background using Invideo’s copyright-free music library.
5. Once you’re happy with the video, choose whether you want to download it in 720p or 1080p and export the file.

2. Synthesia

• Best for making videos with custom avatars 
• Price from: $22.50 per month

Synthesia is a video creation tool that lets you create videos using custom AI avatars. Using its text-to-video function, users can convert mountains of text into polished, engaging videos with over 120 avatars and 65 languages to choose from. Synthesia even lets you build a custom avatar who looks and sounds just like you, to give your videos more of a personal touch.

We break down how to use the platform below:

1. First up, you need to create your video script. This will be the guideline for your video, and its quality will determine your end result. Synthesia offers tons of guides and videos on how to write them, and if you’re really stuck you can always call on AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
2. Now choose who is going to narrate your video from Synthesia’s library of 120+ avatars, and let the app do its magic.
3. Use the platform ‘text-to-speech’ feature to refine your video and to ensure all pronunciations are current. You can also add pauses to emphasize and improve the delivery of the video.
4. Not it’s time to get editing. Use the software to emend the video’s background music, animations, transitions, background videos, GIFS, icons, and more. Once you’re happy with the result, click “Generate video” and view, download, and share your end result.

3. Pictory

• Most versatile AI video generator
• Price from: $19 per month

Pictory is a piece of AI-powered software that lets you create and edit short-form videos. The app has a very low learning curve and doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how to use, making it ideal for users without lots of social media experience. However, Pictory’s finished products aren’t always as polished as videos made by fellow AI video generators like Synthesia and VEED. 

Pictory lets you create short-form videos in four main ways: from scripts, from published articles, from long-form videos, and from visuals. We explain how to use these different methods below:

Script to Video

1. If you’re creating a video from text, you can paste your text directly into the platform’s ‘Script to Video’ option.
2. From here, you can fine-tune your video by auto-highlighting keywords, selecting visuals, and creating different scenes.
3. Then, after selecting a template for your video that aligns with your brand, Pictory will create a video storyboard that you can edit scene by scene.

Pictory text-to-image function. Source: pictory.com

Article to Video

1. If you want to turn a published article, blog, or press release into an article, you can use Pictory’s ‘Article to Video’ function.
2. All you need to do is paste the chosen URL into the search bar, and then the tool distills the content down into different scenes.
3. After you select a template, the AI-creator will create a storyboard which you can add visuals and elements to to create the final result.

Edit Videos using Text

1. If you’re condensing a longer pre-existing video into a short form video, paste the YouTube link or file into Pictory’s Edit Videos Using Text option.
2. Enter the number of speakers in the video, and then edit down the scene-by-scene storyboard created by the app. 

Visuals to Video

1. Finally, if you’re looking to create an original short-form video out of existing images and short videos, you should select Pictory’s Visuals to Video function.
2. Simply upload the files, and arrange them into a sequence of your choice.
3. Then, select a template, assign an aspect ratio, and edit the video to your liking. 

4. VEED.io

• Best AI short video generator for beginners
• Price from $12 per month

VEED.io is a slick AI video editor and creator designed for professionals. Those using the platform can create videos from VEED’s selection of 100+ free stock clips, their own media, and even live webcam recordings with its online screen recorder function. The platform also lets you create tailored content for specific social media channels like Instagram Reels and TikTok. 

VEED.io software screenshot. Source: veed.io

Here’s how to create short-form videos using VEED.io:

1. Once you’ve signed into the platform, select ‘New Project’ on the creator dashboard. Then, record or upload your video footage and wait for a timeline to be created at the bottom of the screen.
2. Now it’s time to edit. You can use VEED.io’s editing toolbar to edit the videos visuals and audio, add subtitles and text, and add on-screen effects like audio visualizers. Using these features is a great way to make your video look polished and to refine it to your liking. 
3. Once you’re happy with the result, you can download your final video by clicking “Export” and “Export Video”. Once your video has finished rendering you’ll be able to copy the link and share it across platforms. 

5. Vidyo.ai

• Best for converting longer videos
• Price from $29.99

Vidyo.ai is a content repurposing tool that lets users transform long-form videos into short-form clips. It’s specifically designed to create sharable, trending content for platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts to help creators expand their reach. 

Vidyo.ai software screenshot. Source: vidyo.ai

Vidyo offers a generous free version too, making it ideal for content creators who are just starting out. To create a video with Vidyo.ai, you have to follow the steps below:

1. Import your chosen video to the platform, and select the format for your final product. I.e, would you like the format to be 1:1 for LinkedIn and X, or 9:16 for TikTok and Instagram Reels? 
2. Customize your video with a template of your choice and personalize your video with your YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok handle if desired. 
3. Click through to the next stage and let Vidyo.ai do its magic. The software will now produce a variety of short clips optimized for your selected platform, and you have the option to edit and polish these clips if you choose. 

Want to know more about social media? Read our guide to Social Media Management.