What is Seedance 2.0? The AI video generator explained

Seedance 2.0 is an AI video generation model built by ByteDance that turns text, images, reference videos, and audio into 1080p video clips up to 15 seconds long. It's available right now at seedance2.so.

TL;DR

• AI video generator by ByteDance (the company behind TikTok)
• Accepts text prompts, up to 9 reference images, 3 reference videos, and 3 audio files as input, all at once
• Outputs 1080p video, up to 15 seconds per generation
• Beat-sync mode matches video motion to uploaded music
• Native audio generation with lip-sync in 8+ languages
• Free tier available, no credit card required to start
• Available at seedance2.so

What is Seedance 2.0?

Seedance 2.0 is a multimodal AI video generation model. You give it input (text, images, video clips, audio files, or any combination of those) and it generates a new video based on what you provided.

The model was developed by ByteDance and runs in the cloud. You don't need a powerful GPU or any local software. Everything happens through the web interface.

What separates Seedance 2.0 from other AI video tools is the multi-reference input system. Most generators accept a text prompt and maybe one image. Seedance 2.0 accepts up to 9 reference images, 3 reference videos, and 3 audio files simultaneously in a single generation. This means you can define exactly what the character looks like, how the camera should move, what the visual style should be, and what music the motion should sync to, all in one request.

The output is 1080p video with native audio. Clip length ranges from 4 to 15 seconds per generation, and you can chain clips together using the video extension feature.

Core features

Text-to-video

The simplest way to use Seedance 2.0. Type a description of the scene you want, and the model generates a video from it.

Your prompts can be as detailed as you need. Describe camera movement, lighting conditions, art style, character actions, and atmosphere. The more specific you are, the better the results. If you're new to prompting for video, we have a full camera movement prompt guide that covers the language AI video models respond to best.

Image-to-video

Upload a still image and add a text prompt describing the motion you want. Seedance 2.0 animates the image into video while keeping the visual style, color palette, and composition of the original intact.

This is useful when you already have a specific look (a product shot, a character design, a landscape painting) and you want it to move.

Reference-to-video

This is Seedance 2.0's standout mode. Upload multiple reference files to control different aspects of the output:

• Character appearance and identity: Upload reference images of a person or character. The model keeps their face, body proportions, and clothing consistent across the generated video.
• Scene composition and layout: Reference images guide the spatial arrangement, backgrounds, and environmental details.
• Camera movements and shot language: Upload a reference video clip, and the model replicates its camera work (pans, tilts, tracking shots, zooms) in the new generation.
• Visual style and color grading: The model picks up on the aesthetic of your reference material and applies it to the output.

You can combine up to 9 images and 3 videos at the same time. For a detailed walkthrough, see our Seedance 2.0 tutorial.

Video extension

Start with any generated clip and extend it forward. The model adds new frames that maintain visual consistency and motion flow from the original. This is how you build sequences longer than 15 seconds: generate the first clip, then extend it in increments.

Video editing

Feed an existing video into the model along with a text prompt describing changes. You can swap characters, change backgrounds, modify the lighting, add new elements to a scene, or alter the mood entirely. The model handles the edit while keeping the rest of the frame coherent.

Beat-sync video

Upload audio files alongside your reference images. Seedance 2.0 generates video where motion, transitions, and visual rhythm sync to the beat of the music.

This is something no other major AI video generator does natively right now. If you're making music videos, social content set to music, or any project where visuals need to hit on the beat, this feature eliminates the manual keyframing step entirely.

Native audio generation

Seedance 2.0 doesn't just produce silent video. The model generates synchronized sound effects, ambient audio, and spoken dialogue.

For dialogue, it supports phoneme-level lip-sync in 8+ languages: English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. Lip movements match the generated speech, not the other way around. This means you can generate a character speaking in any of those languages and the mouth movements will look natural.

Who is Seedance 2.0 for?

Content creators making videos for YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels. The multi-reference system helps you maintain consistent branding and character identity across videos without starting from scratch every time.

Marketing teams producing campaign video at scale. Upload brand guidelines, product shots, and mood boards as references, and the AI generates on-brand video that actually matches the brief.

Music video producers who need visuals that hit on the beat. The beat-sync feature is purpose-built for this.

Independent filmmakers doing pre-visualization. Feed in storyboard frames and shot references to generate rough previews of scenes before committing to production budgets.

Anyone with reference material they want matched. If you've ever tried to get an AI video generator to match a mood board and been frustrated by how far off the output lands, Seedance 2.0's multi-reference approach is designed to fix that exact problem.

How Seedance 2.0 compares to other AI video generators

Here's a quick overview. We've written more detailed breakdowns for Sora 2 and Runway if you want the full picture.

Every tool on this list has areas where it's the best option. Sora 2 produces the most photorealistic output from text prompts. Runway has the most mature editing workflow and supports 4K. Kling handles longer clips. Pika is fast and affordable for quick social content.

Seedance 2.0's strength is reference-driven control. If your workflow involves mood boards, brand assets, shot references, or music tracks that need to be matched, that's where it pulls ahead.

We're honest about limitations too. The 15-second cap means you're stitching clips for longer content. The reference system has a learning curve. And as a newer entrant, the community and tutorial ecosystem is still smaller than what Runway or Sora have built up. We're working on all three.

Pricing

Seedance 2.0 uses a credit-based system:

• Free tier: You get credits on signup plus a monthly free credit refresh. Enough to try every feature and run real tests before spending anything.
• Credit packages: Pay-as-you-go. Buy credits when you need them, no subscription commitment.
• Pro plan: Monthly or yearly subscription for heavier usage with better per-credit rates.
• Lifetime plan: One-time payment for ongoing monthly credits.

There's no paywall blocking features. Free tier users get access to every generation mode including reference-to-video and beat-sync. You just get fewer credits per month.

Check seedance2.so for current pricing details.

How to get started

1. Create an account at seedance2.so. Takes about 30 seconds.
2. Collect your free credits. They're added to your account immediately.
3. Pick a generation mode. Text-to-video is the simplest starting point. If you have images ready, try image-to-video.
4. Write a prompt or upload references. Be specific in your text descriptions. For reference mode, upload the images and videos you want the AI to match.
5. Generate and download. Hit generate, wait for the clip to render, and download the result.

If you want a full walkthrough of each mode, read our step-by-step tutorial.

FAQ

Is Seedance 2.0 free?

Yes. There's a free tier with credits granted on signup, plus a monthly free credit refresh. You can use every feature (text-to-video, reference-to-video, beat-sync, all of it) without paying. Paid credit packages and subscription plans are available when you need more usage.

Who made Seedance 2.0?

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok and Douyin. The model was developed by their AI research team.

What resolution does Seedance 2.0 output?

1080p for all generation modes. There's no lower-resolution tier or quality lock behind a paywall.

Can Seedance 2.0 generate audio?

Yes. It generates sound effects, ambient audio, and spoken dialogue natively. Dialogue generation includes phoneme-level lip-sync in 8+ languages: English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.

How long can Seedance 2.0 videos be?

Each generation produces a clip up to 15 seconds. For longer sequences, use the video extension feature to chain multiple clips together. Each extension maintains visual and motion continuity from the previous clip.

Is Seedance 2.0 better than Sora?

They're different tools built for different workflows. Sora 2 excels at photorealistic generation from text prompts alone. Seedance 2.0 excels at reference-driven generation where you need the output to match specific images, video styles, or music. If you work from reference material, Seedance 2.0 gives you more control. If you work purely from text descriptions and want maximum realism, Sora 2 is stronger there. We wrote a detailed comparison if you want the full breakdown.

Start generating

Seedance 2.0 is live and free to try. Create an account at seedance2.so, grab your free credits, and generate your first video in under a minute.