AI
To use Seedance 2.5, open a platform that supports the model, such as Renderforest or ByteDance’s Dreamina. Select Seedance 2.5, choose your video settings, enter a prompt or upload reference materials, and click Generate. Once the clip is ready, review the result, make any necessary changes, and download or export your video.
Seedance 2.5 can generate up to 30 seconds of video with synchronized audio in a single pass. It also supports reference images, video clips, and audio files, giving you more control over character appearance, camera movement, sound, and transitions between shots.
The steps vary depending on where you use the model. Here’s how to choose an access route, create your first video, and make your prompts more reliable.
What is Seedance 2.5?
Seedance 2.5 is an AI video generation model developed by ByteDance’s Seed research team and officially introduced on July 31, 2026. It builds on Seedance 2.0, combining video and audio generation with expanded reference controls, longer clips, and more precise editing capabilities.
According to ByteDance’s official announcement, its main capabilities include:
- Text-to-video: Generate footage from a written description of the subject, action, environment, and camera movement.
- Image-to-video: Animate an existing image while using it to guide the subject’s appearance and composition.
- Multimodal references: Use images, video clips, and audio files to guide different parts of a generation.
- Native audio: Generate dialogue, ambient sound, sound effects, and music alongside the video.
- Multi-shot storytelling: Describe several connected shots within one generation lasting up to 30 seconds.
- Reference-based editing: Use supported workflows to request changes to existing footage.
These are capabilities of the underlying model. Individual platforms may offer different generation modes, upload limits, editing tools, and subscription requirements.
Seedance 2.5 vs. Seedance 2.0
One important improvement is video length. Seedance 2.0 supports clips of up to 15 seconds per generation, while Seedance 2.5 extends that limit to 30 seconds.
Reference capacity has also increased substantially.
The practical difference is how much direction you can give the model.
A simple product reveal may only need a text prompt and a reference image. A 25-second promotional sequence involving several camera angles, consistent characters, and carefully timed sound benefits more from Seedance 2.5’s expanded capabilities.
For resolution, BytePlus’s video generation documentation lists 480p, 720p, and 1080p output for Seedance 2.5. Some platforms offer separate upscaling features, but an upscaled export isn’t the same as native model resolution.
The model also supports extending videos beyond a single generation, although extension controls and availability vary by provider.
How to access Seedance 2.5
You don’t need to install Seedance 2.5 on your computer. The model is available through hosted services, including ByteDance’s own products and third-party platforms.
The best option depends on what you’re making and how much editing you want to do afterward.
Dreamina and Jimeng
Dreamina is a natural starting point if you want to work within ByteDance’s own creative ecosystem.
ByteDance announced the international rollout of Dreamina Seedance 2.5 in July 2026, initially targeting eligible subscriber accounts in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. The model may not be available on every account or subscription.
Jimeng is another official ByteDance access route. The company documents the navigation as Jimeng Web → Video Generation → Seedance 2.5.
If you already use Jimeng, check the model selector and current account requirements. Otherwise, Dreamina or an international third-party provider may offer a more convenient starting point.
Renderforest and third-party platforms
Renderforest integrates Seedance 2.5 into its AI video creation tools. You can generate an individual clip and continue working in an editor with trimming, sequencing, text, and audio tools.
This is particularly useful for social media videos, advertisements, and branded content that need finishing work after generation.
Krea and OpenArt provide alternative browser-based environments with access to different AI models. Check their current plans before choosing one, since creating a free account doesn’t necessarily include every premium video model.
For developers, fal.ai offers Seedance 2.5 through an API and interactive playgrounds. Check the documentation for the specific endpoint you intend to use: a text-to-video endpoint, for example, shouldn’t be assumed to expose every multimodal reference or editing capability.
How to use Seedance 2.5 in Renderforest
Renderforest offers Seedance 2.5 through its AI video generation tools. The main advantage is that generation is connected to a broader editing workflow.
Instead of downloading a raw clip and moving it into another application, you can review the generation, adjust footage, combine scenes, add text or audio, and export the final project.
Here’s how to create a video from start to finish.
Step 1: Open the Renderforest AI video generator
Go to Renderforest’s Seedance 2.5 video generator and sign in or create an account.
You can also open your Renderforest dashboard and find Short AI Video among the available creation tools.
Short AI Video is designed to generate an individual clip using a selected AI model.
It’s different from Renderforest’s Long AI Video workflow, which builds a multi-scene production using a video type, style, and other settings.
For your first Seedance 2.5 generation, use Short AI Video so you can control the model and prompt directly.
Step 2: Choose Seedance 2.5 and configure your settings
Find the model selector and choose Seedance 2.5.
Next, configure the available settings.
Aspect ratio
Choose a format based on where the video will appear:
- 16:9: Landscape videos for YouTube, presentations, and websites.
- 9:16: Vertical videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
- 1:1: Square videos for social feeds and other square placements.
Duration
Seedance 2.5 supports clips of up to 30 seconds per generation. Renderforest’s published model specifications list a 4–30-second range, although the settings available in your account may depend on the selected workflow.
A shorter clip is a sensible starting point when you’re learning how the model responds to prompts. There’s less action to coordinate, and you can identify problems before attempting a longer sequence.
Quality
Renderforest lists 480p, 720p, and 1080p as Seedance 2.5 resolution options.
Choose from the settings available to your account, keeping in mind that different resolutions and durations can have different generation costs.
Step 3: Write your prompt and add references
Enter a description of the video you want to create.
For example, imagine you’re making a cinematic city scene:
Create an 8-second cinematic video of a woman wearing a red coat walking along a rain-soaked street at night. The camera tracks alongside her at eye level. Neon signs reflect on the pavement, passing cars create soft background movement, and the lighting is moody but realistic. Audio: gentle rainfall, distant traffic, and footsteps on wet pavement. No narration or background music.
This prompt gives the model a defined subject, action, environment, camera movement, and sound direction.
If you already have an image showing the character or visual style you want, add it as a reference instead of relying entirely on text.
Renderforest’s AI video creation guide describes a Media option for adding references and a Start/End Frame option for supported models.
The number and type of reference files you can upload depend on the selected model. Start/End Frame controls may not appear in every workflow.
Use references when visual consistency matters. A product photograph, for example, gives the model more information about the product’s actual shape and appearance than a written description alone.
Step 4: Generate and review your video
When your settings and prompt are ready, click Generate.
Renderforest’s documented Short AI Video workflow displays the generation credit cost on the button before confirmation. Review the current amount before starting.
Once generation finishes, your clips appear under History.
You can use History to find previous generations, review prompts and references, and inspect details such as the model, duration, and output quality.
Watch the clip carefully before deciding to keep it.
Look beyond the opening frame. Check whether the main action happens in the right order, the subject remains recognizable, the camera follows the intended direction, and the audio matches the scene.
For the rainy-street example, the most useful checks are whether the camera tracks alongside the character rather than suddenly changing angles, whether the red coat remains consistent, and whether the audio contains only the requested environmental sounds.
If the result needs substantial changes, revise the prompt or references and generate another version. If only a small part needs adjustment, check whether the available editing tools can handle it more efficiently.
Step 5: Edit and export the finished video
From the generated result, select Open in Editor or the available editing option.
Renderforest’s editor provides a timeline for trimming, duplicating, deleting, and rearranging scenes. You can also add text, work with audio layers, and use supported editing tools.
This becomes useful when the generated footage is only one part of the final video.
For example, a short product advertisement might combine a generated opening shot, a product demonstration, an accurately rendered logo or headline, and a closing call to action.
Adding important brand text in the editor gives you more control than asking a video model to reproduce exact typography inside generated footage.
Renderforest also documents a Smart Edit workflow that accepts written change instructions and displays the regeneration cost before applying them.
When the sequence is ready, select Export to render and download the final video.
If you need a longer production with multiple scenes and narration, Renderforest’s AI Video Generator offers additional workflows beyond individual Seedance clips.
How to use Seedance 2.5 in Dreamina
Dreamina is ByteDance’s own creative platform and another way to generate Seedance 2.5 videos without writing code.
The basic process is similar to Renderforest, although the editing interface and reference controls are different.
Step 1: Open Dreamina and select Seedance 2.5
Visit Dreamina and sign in.
Open the AI Video workspace and look for Seedance 2.5 in the model selector.
If the model isn’t visible, check whether it’s available for your region, account, and subscription. Creating an account doesn’t automatically guarantee access to every premium model.
Step 2: Choose your generation mode and upload references
For a simple generation, begin with a text prompt.
If you want more control, Dreamina’s official tutorial describes an Omni reference mode for combining different types of reference material.
You can use images to establish appearance, video footage to suggest motion, and audio material to guide the soundtrack or sound design.
Use the + control to add supported files, then refer to them in your prompt using the interface’s reference labels.
For a first attempt, one reference image is often enough. More assets are useful only when each contributes something specific to the scene.
Describe your intended subject, action, camera movement, lighting, and audio. Then select the available duration and other generation settings.
Click Generate when you’re ready.
Step 3: Preview, refine, and download
Watch the result and check whether it follows your instructions.
Dreamina’s documented workflow includes enhancement and editing options, although access may vary by account and mode.
If the video is satisfactory, use Download to save it. Otherwise, revise the prompt or reference materials and generate another version.
You can find interface-specific instructions in Dreamina’s official Seedance 2.5 tutorial.
How to write better Seedance 2.5 prompts
Good prompts describe a scene that can actually happen on screen.
A useful starting formula is:
Subject + action + environment + camera movement + lighting and style + sound
You don’t need to fill every prompt with technical filmmaking terminology. A clear description of what should happen is usually more useful than a long list of adjectives.
Start with one clear scene
Consider the difference between these two prompts.
Basic prompt:
A woman walking in a city.
More specific prompt:
A woman in a red coat walks briskly down a rain-soaked street at night. The camera tracks alongside her at eye level. Neon shop signs reflect on the pavement, with soft cinematic lighting and distant traffic sounds.
The second prompt gives Seedance a more defined visual task.
It establishes who is on screen, what they’re doing, where the scene takes place, how the camera should move, and what the viewer should hear.
For a short clip, keep the action focused. A request involving several locations, multiple characters, dialogue, and dramatic camera changes is more complicated to direct than one clearly defined scene.
Image-to-video prompt example
Image-to-video is particularly useful when the appearance of a specific subject matters.
Imagine you have a photograph of a reusable water bottle and want to turn it into a short promotional clip.
Upload the image as your starting reference and use a prompt such as:
Animate the uploaded product image into an 8-second studio product video. Keep the bottle’s shape, color, proportions, and label placement consistent with the reference. Slowly move the camera from left to right while soft reflections travel across the surface. Add subtle condensation and natural studio lighting. Keep the background minimal. Audio: quiet ambient studio sound. No people, extra objects, or generated text.
The reference establishes the product’s appearance. The prompt describes what should change.
That distinction is useful: an image reference helps define what the subject looks like, while your text directs what happens to it.
Always inspect the output for alterations to product labels, logos, and packaging. For important commercial assets, using original product imagery or adding precise branded elements during editing may provide better control.
Use constraints to keep the scene focused
A prompt can specify what you don’t want as well as what you do.
For example, you might ask for no additional characters, no background music, a stationary camera, or consistent product colors.
Include constraints when they address a realistic problem in your scene. Don’t add a long list of restrictions automatically.
For more general examples across advertising, YouTube, education, and product videos, see Renderforest’s text-to-video AI prompt examples.
How to use Seedance 2.5’s multimodal reference system
One of Seedance 2.5’s most useful capabilities is accepting several types of reference material together.
ByteDance documents support for up to 30 reference images, 10 reference videos, and 10 reference audio clips in a single generation.
Those are model-level limits, not a guarantee that every provider exposes the full capacity.
The important part is telling the model what each reference should contribute.
Assign a role to each reference
In interfaces that support numbered references, uploaded files may appear as labels such as @Image1, @Video1, and @Audio1.
Follow the exact reference labels shown by your platform; for example, some interfaces display a space before the number.
You can then use those labels to explain each file’s purpose.
For example:
Use @Image1 as the main character’s visual reference. Preserve the clothing, hairstyle, and facial features throughout the scene. Use @Image2 as the environment reference for lighting and background. Follow the camera movement shown in @Video1. Use @Audio1 as the reference for the soundtrack’s rhythm and atmosphere.
This is more precise than uploading several unrelated files and expecting the model to decide how they should interact.
It also makes troubleshooting easier. If a result has the right setting but the wrong camera movement, you can revisit the motion reference without changing the rest of your creative direction.
Use material you own or have permission to upload, especially when references contain recognizable people, music, or branded content.
Create a multi-shot sequence
Seedance 2.5 can generate multiple connected shots within a single clip, rather than requiring one continuous camera angle.
A useful way to direct this is to describe the sequence chronologically.
Suppose you’re creating a 24-second promotional video for a small flower shop.
You could write:
Create a 24-second cinematic video set inside a warm, independent flower shop on a sunny morning.
0–7 seconds: Wide establishing shot of the shop interior, with colorful flowers arranged along wooden shelves. The camera moves slowly toward the counter.
8–15 seconds: Cut to a close-up of a florist carefully wrapping a bouquet in kraft paper. Focus on the movement of the hands, the flowers, and the paper.
16–24 seconds: Cut to a medium shot as the florist places the finished bouquet on the counter beside a sunlit window. End with a gentle camera push-in.
Maintain the same florist, bouquet, lighting style, and shop environment across all shots. Audio: soft paper rustling, quiet shop ambience, and gentle instrumental music. No spoken dialogue.
The timed instructions give the model a sequence to follow. They don’t guarantee frame-perfect timing, so review the transitions and adjust the prompt if actions overlap or happen too quickly.
You don’t need a special phrase to trigger every shot change. Directions such as “cut to a close-up” or “transition to a wider shot” describe the intended structure clearly.
Direct audio alongside the visuals
Seedance 2.5 generates audio as part of the same process as the video.
That means you can describe the sound in your prompt rather than automatically planning to add it afterward.
For example:
A ceramic cup is placed on a wooden café table. The camera moves into a close-up as fresh coffee is poured. Audio: the gentle sound of the cup touching the table, coffee pouring, and quiet café ambience. No narration or background music.
For dialogue, include the intended words and identify the speaker.
A friendly café owner looks toward the camera and says, “Your coffee is ready.” Use natural conversational delivery, with quiet café ambience in the background.
The model can attempt synchronized dialogue and lip movement, but important spoken lines should always be reviewed.
Check pronunciation, timing, speaker consistency, and unwanted sounds before publishing. If the dialogue must be exact, consider replacing it with a controlled voiceover during editing.
What Seedance 2.5 does well and where it falls short
Seedance 2.5 is particularly useful when a video needs more direction than a basic text-to-video prompt can provide.
Its expanded reference system helps creators describe complex visual briefs, while native audio and multi-shot generation allow several connected actions to be planned together.
Those capabilities still come with limitations.
Visual consistency isn’t guaranteed. Even with references, subjects can change appearance between shots, particularly during complex movement or multi-character interactions.
Precise text remains a risk. Product labels, signs, interface elements, and other small details need careful review. Exact text is generally safer as an editable overlay.
Longer clips require more planning. A 30-second sequence needs a clear progression. Simply extending a short prompt doesn’t necessarily create a coherent story.
Generation costs can accumulate. Longer clips, higher resolutions, and repeated attempts may consume more of your allowance, depending on the provider.
Feature availability varies. A capability demonstrated in ByteDance’s model documentation may not be exposed in the same way through every browser-based tool.
For many creators, the most practical approach is to establish the subject and visual direction with a short generation before attempting a longer, more complicated scene.
Common Seedance 2.5 problems and how to fix them
An unsuccessful generation doesn’t always require rewriting the entire prompt.
First, identify what’s wrong. Then change the instruction or reference most directly connected to that problem.
These adjustments are practical starting points, not guaranteed corrections.
Sometimes a simpler shot followed by conventional editing is more manageable.
For example, if a 25-second advertisement repeatedly changes the appearance of a product, generating two or three shorter shots and combining them in an editor gives you another way to control the final sequence.
Is Seedance 2.5 free to use?
Seedance 2.5 doesn’t have one universal price or free-access policy.
Costs depend on the platform, account, subscription, duration, and generation settings.
Some providers let users create free accounts without including access to Seedance 2.5 itself. On other services, the model is available through paid subscriptions or usage credits.
Renderforest lists Seedance 2.5 among its paid-plan models. Its documented generation workflow displays the applicable credit cost before confirmation.
Other providers use their own subscriptions and allowances, which can change over time or differ between markets.
Before paying, check three things: whether Seedance 2.5 is included in your plan, what the generations you intend to create will cost, and whether the export settings you need are available.
The lowest initial generation price isn’t necessarily the lowest total production cost if you’ll also need editing, branding, or additional tools.
Can you use Seedance 2.5 videos commercially?
Commercial permissions depend on the platform through which you generate the video, as well as the rights associated with your inputs and final output.
According to Renderforest’s commercial-use guidance, qualifying paid subscriptions permit commercial use of generated videos for the account holder’s own projects.
Lite and Pro subscriptions are intended for the account holder’s own work. Creating content on behalf of clients or reselling generated content requires the appropriate Business subscription.
Content created under the free plan is intended for personal, non-commercial use.
You also need permission to use source materials and recognizable likenesses. A generation tool doesn’t grant rights to another person’s image, copyrighted music, or protected brand assets simply because it accepts them as references.
Renderforest’s Acceptable Use Policy addresses consent, intellectual property, and deceptive AI-generated depictions of real people.
For commercial projects, review the provider’s current terms and any disclosure requirements imposed by the platform where the video will appear.
Which Seedance 2.5 workflow should you choose?
If you only need a generated clip and already use ByteDance’s creative tools, Dreamina may be the simplest option.
If you regularly compare models, Krea and OpenArt provide alternatives. If you’re building a software integration, an API platform such as fal.ai is better suited to that task.
Renderforest is a practical choice when the clip needs to become a finished video with editing, text, audio, and branding.
You can also explore other models when a specific shot doesn’t suit Seedance. For help choosing between different approaches to motion, camera control, and references, see Renderforest’s Hailuo vs. PixVerse vs. Seedance comparison.
For your first generation, start with one clear action, one camera direction, and a short duration. Review the output before adding more references or extending the sequence.
If you want to take that clip through editing and export in the same workspace, try Seedance 2.5 in Renderforest.
